GTAIV fireside chat with Kyle and Eddie
Category: Industry, Posted: 05/15/2008 at 11:08AM EDT by GamerNode Staff,Sometimes reviewers have more to say about a videogame than just a few words and a simple review score. In fact, there are times when the GamerNode staff members talk about certain games for weeks after their release dates, picking through with a fine-tooth comb and cooperatively analyzing every aspect of the content in question.
In the case of Grand Theft Auto IV, a game that has received phenomenal critical reception across the board, senior writer Eddie Inzauto and contributing writer Kyle Stallock weren't satisfied producing only a column entry and a review, so the two of them sat down to discuss the game in further detail shortly after finishing their respective texts. There are good reasons that two of the most stringent critiques of this game came from within the pages of GamerNode, and these two independent thinkers had plenty to say on the subject.
The discussion has been captured for your listening pleasure (torture?), so pour yourself a nice mug of hot chocolate, grab a couple of s'mores, hit play, and enjoy.
Props to John Asche for the sweet music and audio editing.
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Thanks guys for a great chat regarding GTA IV. While GN may be accused of trying to sensationalize its stance that GTA doesn't rank as high as everyone else believes, all that can be done is to give the most honest and straightforward opinion of the game. And if that goes against popular opinion, so be it.
Rockstar has done a fantastic job of making this virtual world of GTA IV a remarkable place to get lost in. There are so many nice things about it. You really feel that you are living a "second life" there. But in the final analysis, the game, while fun, fails to break new ground. It's bigger and better, yes. But that alone doesn't warrant a nine or a ten.
Bottom line. If you're having fun with it, that should be the only reason you're playing it and not because some gaming site tells you that it is a 9 or a "perfect" 10. Reviews are only guides.
Besides, if the majority of game sites say that GTA IV is a "10," why should it bother a game publisher so much if a few sites disagrees? If there is a fear or objection to a score that is, for all intents and purposes, a very respectable score but not as high as the others, just what is it that they are so scared or concerned about?
Wait a minute...there wasn't a fire!
Why should it bother them? It shouldn't. But it seems you guys singlehandedly knocked the aggregate at Metacritic from 99 to 98. That will make you some enemies. :)
I have to agree that the game is far from perfect, and that Rockstar have not pushed the envelope on the core of the game. The story and characters are superior. I'll have to disagree strongly with anyone who says otherwise, after playing all 4 of the significant GTA titles (III, VC, SA, IV). The world is denser and richer, not to mention more true to life in look and feel. But that better skin sits on an old framework.
In particular, I'm disappointed that they have not overhauled the punishing save system that has been marring my enjoyment of the series since I first started playing it. The new ability to redo a mission through a phone is a joke, unless you're such a godlike player that the resources you depleted on the previous attempt don't matter. Body armor in particular is too important to a mere mortal like me. The time to find body armor and sometimes more ammo more than negates the advantage of the redo. It really is time for at least a checkpoint system on the missions, in addition to autosaves and player saves at safehouses. Having to repeat lengthy preliminaries multiple times on the hard missions is nothing but frustrating tedium.
Even with the problems, I think the game is exceptionally good. There is too much brilliance here to allow the shortfalls to bring it down into the 80% pedestrian level. I know scores are subjective, and I don't like quibbling about the numbers. Perfect the game is not. That we can agree on.
"Why should it bother them? It shouldn't. But it seems you guys singlehandedly knocked the aggregate at Metacritic from 99 to 98. That will make you some enemies. :)"
Already has, don't worry.
The way I see it, if we're making enemies, then we're doing things right.
Look, I had no problem with you giving GTA4 a 8.5. If you want to be a site that levies harsher scores, cool. My problem was with balance. You stated the reasons to give it a 8.5. Why in the world did you give SSBB a 10? It is basically the same game from 1999! The added characters make the gameplay unbalanced, and the online portion had lot's o lag. I liked that game. I thought it deserved an 8. But a 10! Now that one felt like you went with the popular thing to do, and 1 up'ed the score to a 10. The same with super mario sixty fo.....I mean galaxy. It is the same game! Yes, it has pretty graphics, and the attack button is now a waggle of the wii mote. And the level design is awesome. But how does it push the genre? It does not. You gave the dressed up game from the 90's a 9.5. Again, maybe an 8 or 8.5 if you are feeling generous, but come on. Games like Galaxy, SSBB, and GTA4 are no brainers as far as picking them up goes. But for the lesser known games, if you give them an 8, I would be on the fence about it. I picked up Condemed 2 (you gave it a 9) and I could have taken or left it. Talk about repetitive. I just think you need to be just as harsh on the other games. Is not that what reviews are for. You guys play the ok games, so we don't have to.
Just as an aside, Mario 64 was released in 1996 for the N64. GTA was released in 1998 for the ps1. Same generation of consoles. You baulked about how little GTA has changed. Compare the 2. Keep in mind your review scores. Just food for thought.