I bought GTA4 late Tuesday on its launch day. Since then I've clocked in just over 20 hours of game play. I'm 34 missions into the game, which consists of around 90 missions. I still have a lot of game left to finish, but thus far I've been damn impressed by what I've seen.
The detail the designers have put into Liberty City is astounding. Just about every block, every building, every person looks completely different. You actually feel like you're driving around in what could be a real city, not a lame half baked imitation of a city. Every street block has its own personality.
The game play is a blast with the newly revised targeting system. The missions are a healthy blend of gun play and driving. The missions are varied and rarely feel repetitive.
I only have a couple gripes with game. A lot of the stuff I loved about San Andreas (the previous installment) has been eliminated from this game. The crazy melee weapons (chainsas, katana, etc.), the ability to buy property, car customization, and certain character customization options. The rest of GTA4 is extremely polished and so much fun, that its not hard to overlook these omissions.
All in all the core gameplay that gamers have come to love, is still in tact and as fun as ever to play. You may be notice a few missing features from other games, but this game does everything else so well that it won't be too hard to forgive Rockstar for leaving them out.
The detail the designers have put into Liberty City is astounding. Just about every block, every building, every person looks completely different. You actually feel like you're driving around in what could be a real city, not a lame half baked imitation of a city. Every street block has its own personality.
The game play is a blast with the newly revised targeting system. The missions are a healthy blend of gun play and driving. The missions are varied and rarely feel repetitive.
I only have a couple gripes with game. A lot of the stuff I loved about San Andreas (the previous installment) has been eliminated from this game. The crazy melee weapons (chainsas, katana, etc.), the ability to buy property, car customization, and certain character customization options. The rest of GTA4 is extremely polished and so much fun, that its not hard to overlook these omissions.
All in all the core gameplay that gamers have come to love, is still in tact and as fun as ever to play. You may be notice a few missing features from other games, but this game does everything else so well that it won't be too hard to forgive Rockstar for leaving them out.
That graphic engine you showed me today looks amazing... can't wait to play the game!