@lion2447: Same. I didn't buy it, one day saw it for really cheap and picked it up. Never saw any dlc or whatever, and ended up loving the game. In fact, I think it's better than Human Revolution, apart from the ending which was a clear indicator the developers ran out of time and the publisher forced them to release. If Square had stayed away from that pre-order & microtransaction bullshit, there wouldn't have been any backlash and the game would've sold better. A shame, really.
"Now you can play our unfinished game and wait for the focus-tested, designed-by-commitee Ubified complete version... Which won't actually be complete since it's an online "persistent" mulitplayer p2w-athon! See you at E3!"
@neoistheone: Depends on how you look at games in general. I'm not the type to play through a story once then I'm done. I play it, and keep it forever. I'll probably play it again the next year or whatever, 10 years later, it doesn't matter. It's like my dvd/blu ray collection. I'll feel like playing Red Dead again one day, and I will. Online Multiplayer is the thing that won't last forever, not single player, in my opinion, because;
1. Servers may be switched off.
2. It needs other players - you're not guaranteed the intended experience.
GTA IV felt like a missed opportunity to me. I adored the start of the game, the physics, the more realistic, grounded feel. I remember just walking to Roman's taxi place and I just loved how it felt to walk in that game. However, the gameplay never expanded beyond the tutorial-style missions, far too linear in structure and the hand-holding was so over-bearing it actually felt intrusive. Oh, you want to shoot this guy's tyres out? Nope, gotta wait until you trigger this scripted event and watch the cut-scene. Then follow the instructions, shoot guy, mission complete. Well done.
Vice City remains my favourite GTA (GTA 3 in second place), I hated San Andreas for all the "wacky" bullshit with the jetpacks and area 51 nonsense. Totally not in keeping with the premise that attracted me to the game in the first place. I enjoyed the whole first section in Grove Street, and the Las Venturas section, but all that "The Truth" stuff... Just nope.
Scarface: The World is Yours was better than all of them though, at least gameplay wise (Vice City still has the greatest soundtrack). Everything had a point, rather than being an optional distraction.
I still finished GTA IV many times because I liked Niko's jacket. Especially with a nice pair of jeans.
@risingdawn: I actually have the opposite impression. Whenever I've seen a show about games it doesn't take itself seriously for a second - everything's dismissed as a big joke.
The key I think, is striking the right balance. Video Gaiden was one of the best I've seen. Good humour, but also, they knew what they were talking about - not one of those cringey shows where the presenters pretend to know about games but they really have no clue, hehe.
I knew the new games weren't for me as soon as I entered a cave and Lara automatically lit a flare.
It only got worse as I progressed of course, and discovered tombs were optional, the new "mature, coming of age survival story" in which I headshot about 15 guys, grab an ak47, hear some utterly attrociously stereotypical character dialogue, and proceed with the cover-shooting, with no sign of the puzzle-based gameplay of the supposedly dumber old games.
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