Yes. Yes, I know. You're all probably going to, or possibly even have, made plans to shoot me. Well, most of you, anyways.

However, in America, every man and woman is entitled to his or her opinion. So, without further ado, I present the following flaws with the game that, for some reason or another, slipped by without notice.

1. We're still pushing A (or X) repeatedly to run, instead of having a tilt-sensitive joystick. What is that garbage?! It's archaic, that's what it is. And as much as I like old-school games, this is not an old-school game.

2. Repetitive. This problem popped up in San Andreas, as well. Now, this problem pops up in just about any game, and I could get by without mentioning it, but eh. It's worth mentioning. Any game eventually gets repetitive. That's why we eventually stop playing them. It's just that the missions get repetitive faster. 'Course, that's why the missions are not strictly linear, and also why you can just go steal cars. Which leads me to my next flaw:

3. Possibly too much content/clutter. It's way too easy to steal a car and just drive off and forget about the missions. And then the number of characters who enter the plot makes it difficult at times to keep track of what's going on.

4. Driving. As if San Andreas wasn't weird enough, they've turned the driving physics into a mess. A tangled mess. Of lies and deception. Mostly lies....Somehow, simultaneously, they also improved the ragdoll physics. Niko. Eating cement. Now there's a game.

5. WHAT HAPPENED TO BEING ABLE TO BECOMING A FATTY?! I miss being able to become a food balloon. Also, I miss the fighter jet.

6. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO BEING ABLE TO BECOME A FATTY?! No, like for serious! I would walk around and be all like, "MWAHAHAHA, LOOK AT ME, I'M THE HUMAN BLOB!" Where has all the decency gone?! I'll tell you where: wherever they put the "become a fatty" setting. That's where you'll find it.

As to why it got a 10 instead of a more deserving 9.5 or even 9.7 is simple: hype.

And now, for something completely different. But entirely related:

WHY SUBJECT MATTER IS NOT A FLAW.

If subject matter were a flaw, then why isn't Hollywood being sued for movies that feature drunk driving? Or guns? Or bank robberies? Think about it. Hollywood has been doing it for years, with almost the same subject matter. It's a little obvious when you look at it, but take the parallels between Saw and Manhunt.

In saw, a group of people struggle against a psycho to escape confinement. The psycho manages to turn the captives against each other through sly talking and crazy situations, and manages to get them to kill each other in gruesome ways with bizzare weaponry. In Manhunt, you are a single man. You are the puppet to a snuff film director (arguably psychopath). You manage to escape the death sentence, and now you must brutally mutilate people to death with whatever you can find on your way to freedom.

Yet another big parallel is between GTAIV and The Godfather. In GTAIV, as an immigrant to Liberty City (and a veteran), Niko is looking to create a new life for himself. He soon becomes entangled in a life of crime. Crime ensues. He rises through the ranks of various gangs and whatnot. In the Godfather, Michael Corleone, a veteran of World War II, is looking to create a new life for himself. He soon becomes entangled in a life of crime. Crime ensues. He rises throught he ranks to become the new Don.

While controversial subject matter has always been a major issue with just about anything, it has always been an even more major issue when it comes to video games. Hell, GTAIV doesn't even glorify crime at all....

I take that back. It's late. What am I saying?! Of course GTAIV glorifies crime. Granted, people will ask why the hell do people glorify crime (or criminals)? It's the same reason we glorify Han Solo. Because those people seem to be bigger-than-life. Because they seem like they can get away with just about anything. Because in a way, it's kinda cool to pretend that you're them for a while without going out and robbing a bank. And not robbing banks is healthy for you.

An opinion is only ever worth two cents. And sometimes it's worth even less.

Keep in mind: I don't own GTAIV, nor do I intend to. However, I have played a friend's copy.