Grand Theft Auto: Sentenced

TomChick · 05-05-2008, 10:21 PM

After 50 hours and 22 minutes, 15,036 bullets (9,172 of which actually hit what I was aiming at), 857 murders, 206 pedestrians run over, 211 cars stolen, an average speed of 31mph, 9 exterminated pigeons, and a single soda, I've finally finished the story mode in Grand Theft Auto IV. And I'm only 71.25% done.

Note: The above link has my impressions after having finished the game, but it's free of any specific spoilers. However, any discussion below this post will be fair game for any and all spoilers.

Zuwadza · 05-05-2008, 10:45 PM

I'm glad that someone else agrees that the last half of the game was pretty terrible. They did such a great job avoiding dull Italian mobster baloney for most of the game too: Eastern European gangsters, Puerto Rican drug dealers and one fucked up Irish family. The McCreary family were the high-point of the game, in my opinion, story wise and could have been a great jumping point for a much more gratifying final act. I was really hoping for more to come out of that arc.

Anyway, I'm doing the text message car missions now and I agree that there should have been more like it. Why not assassination missions like these? You're given a picture of the target, some info on their habits and such and then left to it instead of having a big fat red arrow over some dude's head.

BTW, speaking of things we've found while wandering around: there's a skatepark in an alley in Fishmarket South but sadly no skateboard!

forgeforsaken · 05-06-2008, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zuwadza

Anyway, I'm doing the text message car missions now and I agree that there should have been more like it. Why not assassination missions like these? You're given a picture of the target, some info on their habits and such and then left to it instead of having a big fat red arrow over some dude's head.

Yeah, this is how Saints Row did it.

zengonzo · 05-06-2008, 06:31 AM

I think it could have been a little better implemented in Saint's Row, however. More detail on the target. I got one by accident, actually found one of the guy's but ended up having the wrong pistol (doesn't seem tell you which you have in slot).

I did like the idea of not being too blatant, but a few personal details would've made it more interesting rather than wander around an area and hope it shows up on the minimap.

Still haven't gotten up to them in IV.

forgeforsaken · 05-06-2008, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zengonzo

Still haven't gotten up to them in IV.

It's just the most wanted list on the Cop Car computer I think.

zengonzo · 05-06-2008, 06:41 AM

I think there's actually a contact who doles them out later. But I could be misunderstanding. I'm only just up to the McReary section.

WarrenM · 05-06-2008, 06:45 AM

Nice review, Tom. I enjoyed reading it and I agree that the city itself is such a fantastic character. It's great to just drive/walk around and experience it.

Niko is a great character as well. He's so well acted and so personable that you just have to like him. Sad to hear about the plot degenerating though and the crappy end to the game.

Oh, and what you said about the indoor environments really rings true for me as well. Whenever I have to go inside a building during a mission I cringe because I know that somehow, in some way, the horrible camera is going to get me killed.

Omniscia · 05-06-2008, 07:10 AM

I've not reached the endgame yet, so I can't comment on the whole of the review, but for the most part I think you've got it, Tom. Spot-on.

So far, there hasn't been a single mission I've played that I've wanted to dedicate a save slot from just beforehand to. In Vice City and San Andreas, there were several show-stoppers that were so thrilling, or just plain enjoyable, I just had to replay them. Hasn't happened yet this time around.

It's a shame that a gameworld so beautifully realized can have such little resonance. It's just flat. I've seen tech demos with more spirit!

Finally, I don't see the complaints about the game being too profane. I'm fairly certain I've dropped a good number more F-bombs than anyone in Liberty City during certain missions. The game pales in comparison to what it manages to draw out of the player.

zengonzo · 05-06-2008, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omniscia

So far, there hasn't been a single mission I've played that I've wanted to dedicate a save slot from just beforehand to. In Vice City and San Andreas, there were several show-stoppers that were so thrilling, or just plain enjoyable, I just had to replay them. Hasn't happened yet this time around.

Not even Three Leaf Clover?!

guidoguido · 05-06-2008, 07:14 AM

Your review definitely makes me feel better about stopping when I did. I'm one of the people they lost in the first ten hours, by the way.

Omniscia · 05-06-2008, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zengonzo

Not even Three Leaf Clover?!

I'm not that far in yet! I'll get back to you on it.

WarrenM · 05-06-2008, 07:20 AM

Based on what I've read, I don't imagine that I'll be finishing the game but I'm still going to have fun.

BDGE · 05-06-2008, 07:33 AM

I was really turned off when San Andreas went from a respectable urban gang story to the wacky hijincks of blind triads and nerd wars with David Cross, almost for the sake of expansiveness where it didn't feel needed. Shame that this game takes a very substandard turn in the lategame with a closing that left some of you limp. I'm relishing in the sluggish early hours(still on island 1) and have adored the tone and personalities thus far and have been hoping it wouldn't go either off the deep-end, or into stale territory.

The bit about loving the physics and driving in the game really has given me a second wind of optimism about the cars though. As I progress farther, I hope my mood shifts to adoration as well(it still hasn't quite clicked yet).

Cal · 05-06-2008, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zengonzo

Not even Three Leaf Clover?!

That mission for me was the high-point of the game. I saved before it, and have run through it dozens of time, i just wish there was more like it. It's the most fun you can have with grenades. Ever.

zengonzo · 05-06-2008, 08:12 AM

Agreed. I can't believe there isn't an option to call Packie for Heist missions ..

thamer · 05-06-2008, 08:40 AM

I bet for DLC they'll have heist mission numbers you can call. I just wish it was more than a shootout. Something that involved a high speed chase + changing cars and dressing up differently would have rocked.

BlueJackalope · 05-06-2008, 08:43 AM

I haven't read the whole thing - fear of spoilers - and frankly I'm enjoying it so much I would like to come to my own conclusions, but I did read this far -

Quote:

Shooting while driving is terrible throughout.

Wrong! I love the driving while shooting mechanic. I know it's hard (if you are the driver), but its also very rewarding. Its visceral (as is gunfire, surprisingly and satisfyingly) , hard, and real. I love having to pull to the left to get a good shot. Give me "Bullit", "French Connection" and the "7 Ups". Keep your "GI Joe" "A-Team" candy-coated, simplistic mechanic.

zengonzo · 05-06-2008, 08:45 AM

An entire DLC pack devoted to heist missions would be excellent, and, yes, with a variety of objectives and perhaps approaches as you described, thamer.

Of course, before they bother with heists they'll have to actually put some more stuff in worth buying ..

WarrenM · 05-06-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Wrong! I love the driving while shooting mechanic. I know it's hard (if you are the driver), but its also very rewarding. Its visceral (as is gunfire, surprisingly and satisfyingly) , hard, and real. I love having to pull to the left to get a good shot. Give me "Bullit", "French Connection" and the "7 Ups". Keep your "GI Joe" "A-Team" candy-coated, simplistic mechanic.

Why does someone not liking something automatically equate to that person wanting it dumbed down to ridiculous levels? Maybe he's pining for simple improvements like an aiming reticle that doesn't require firing first.

BlueJackalope · 05-06-2008, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EpicBoy

Why does someone not liking something automatically equate to that person wanting it dumbed down to ridiculous levels? Maybe he's pining for simple improvements like an aiming reticle that doesn't require firing first.

Relax son, I'm just making a point - internet style.
That aim before you shoot thing would be nice though...

zengonzo · 05-06-2008, 08:57 AM

Handheld binoculars would've been pretty useful .. Can you use the sniper scope from the car? I hadn't even tried that.

forgeforsaken · 05-06-2008, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zengonzo

Handheld binoculars would've been pretty useful .. Can you use the sniper scope from the car? I hadn't even tried that.

You can only use one handed weapons in the car.

Omniscia · 05-06-2008, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueJackalope

Wrong! I love the driving while shooting mechanic. I know it's hard (if you are the driver), but its also very rewarding. Its visceral (as is gunfire, surprisingly and satisfyingly) , hard, and real. I love having to pull to the left to get a good shot. Give me "Bullit", "French Connection" and the "7 Ups". Keep your "GI Joe" "A-Team" candy-coated, simplistic mechanic.

Wait a minute, I don't recall either Bullit or Popeye Doyle firing a single shot during their chase scene! I must have been watching different films...

zengonzo · 05-06-2008, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forgeforsaken

You can only use one handed weapons in the car.

Oh, yeah. So, that would be handy ..

Does that apply to passengers in multiplayer?

BlueJackalope · 05-06-2008, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omniscia

Wait a minute, I don't recall either Bullit or Popeye Doyle firing a single shot during their chase scene! I must have been watching different films...

Dudes were shooting at Steve McQueen, and having a tough time of it (I loved the bad guys in that chase, just two dudes in suits and shotgun, no music, no dialogue,). I threw in French Connection for gritty street cred.

Omniscia · 05-06-2008, 09:19 AM

If you want good shooting-while-driving (or riding, as the case may be) action, Ronin takes the cake.

BlueJackalope · 05-06-2008, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omniscia

If you want good shooting-while-driving (or riding, as the case may be) action, Ronin takes the cake.

I predict thread derailment in....5.....4....3....2...

Omniscia · 05-06-2008, 09:32 AM

In the interest of preventing such an event, allow me to add that I like how Tom's thread titles have progressed from Arrested to Sentenced, without any Trial in between. Of course, that's probably substantially the review itself. Or is justice simply that swift in Liberty City?

Jab2565 · 05-06-2008, 09:59 AM

That's good to hear that the city really opens up, I'm still feeling a bit confined in the first island ( I think I'm about 5 hours in). I agree completely about not having stores appear on the full map in game, and I did actually stop a mission halfway thru to drive back to the only hotdog stand I remembered as my health was in the red.

Is there some easy way to shoot people in cars ? As the basic hold LB to fire was hard to aim with.

Lum · 05-06-2008, 09:59 AM

Justice in Liberty City is swift, lethal, with no pretense of fairness, and often delivered by gangsters of varying ethnicities.

Trivia (since we're spoiler friendly now): Roman and Niko don't speak Russian to each other, but Serbo-Croatian. Apparently this was scripted for the actors phonetically (it was pointed out by a native speaker who understood some but not all of what they were saying).

Oh, and I really want to put a bullet in Michelle. You toyed with my heart, after all the effort I spared to not get in car chases with you around!

05-05-2008, 10:21 PM	#1
TomChick Administrator World's End Supernova Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 18,200	Grand Theft Auto: Sentenced After 50 hours and 22 minutes, 15,036 bullets (9,172 of which actually hit what I was aiming at), 857 murders, 206 pedestrians run over, 211 cars stolen, an average speed of 31mph, 9 exterminated pigeons, and a single soda, I've finally finished the story mode in Grand Theft Auto IV. And I'm only 71.25% done. Note: The above link has my impressions after having finished the game, but it's free of any specific spoilers. However, any discussion below this post will be fair game for any and all spoilers. Last edited by TomChick; 05-10-2008 at 07:23 PM..

05-05-2008, 10:45 PM	#2
Zuwadza Hustle Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: St. John's, NL, CA Gamertag: devonrt Posts: 462	I'm glad that someone else agrees that the last half of the game was pretty terrible. They did such a great job avoiding dull Italian mobster baloney for most of the game too: Eastern European gangsters, Puerto Rican drug dealers and one fucked up Irish family. The McCreary family were the high-point of the game, in my opinion, story wise and could have been a great jumping point for a much more gratifying final act. I was really hoping for more to come out of that arc. Anyway, I'm doing the text message car missions now and I agree that there should have been more like it. Why not assassination missions like these? You're given a picture of the target, some info on their habits and such and then left to it instead of having a big fat red arrow over some dude's head. BTW, speaking of things we've found while wandering around: there's a skatepark in an alley in Fishmarket South but sadly no skateboard!

05-06-2008, 06:31 AM	#4
zengonzo New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Panama City Posts: 8,225	I think it could have been a little better implemented in Saint's Row, however. More detail on the target. I got one by accident, actually found one of the guy's but ended up having the wrong pistol (doesn't seem tell you which you have in slot). I did like the idea of not being too blatant, but a few personal details would've made it more interesting rather than wander around an area and hope it shows up on the minimap. Still haven't gotten up to them in IV.

05-06-2008, 06:41 AM	#6
zengonzo New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Panama City Posts: 8,225	I think there's actually a contact who doles them out later. But I could be misunderstanding. I'm only just up to the McReary section.

05-06-2008, 06:45 AM	#7
WarrenM How To Go Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 11,650	Nice review, Tom. I enjoyed reading it and I agree that the city itself is such a fantastic character. It's great to just drive/walk around and experience it. Niko is a great character as well. He's so well acted and so personable that you just have to like him. Sad to hear about the plot degenerating though and the crappy end to the game. Oh, and what you said about the indoor environments really rings true for me as well. Whenever I have to go inside a building during a mission I cringe because I know that somehow, in some way, the horrible camera is going to get me killed.

05-06-2008, 07:10 AM	#8
Omniscia New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The 44th Parallel Posts: 6,895	I've not reached the endgame yet, so I can't comment on the whole of the review, but for the most part I think you've got it, Tom. Spot-on. So far, there hasn't been a single mission I've played that I've wanted to dedicate a save slot from just beforehand to. In Vice City and San Andreas, there were several show-stoppers that were so thrilling, or just plain enjoyable, I just had to replay them. Hasn't happened yet this time around. It's a shame that a gameworld so beautifully realized can have such little resonance. It's just flat. I've seen tech demos with more spirit! Finally, I don't see the complaints about the game being too profane. I'm fairly certain I've dropped a good number more F-bombs than anyone in Liberty City during certain missions. The game pales in comparison to what it manages to draw out of the player.

05-06-2008, 07:14 AM	#10
guidoguido Pillow Talk Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 27	Your review definitely makes me feel better about stopping when I did. I'm one of the people they lost in the first ten hours, by the way.

05-06-2008, 07:20 AM	#12
WarrenM How To Go Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 11,650	Based on what I've read, I don't imagine that I'll be finishing the game but I'm still going to have fun.

05-06-2008, 07:33 AM	#13
BDGE Social Worker Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chicago, IL. Gamertag: No Depth Posts: 2,968	I was really turned off when San Andreas went from a respectable urban gang story to the wacky hijincks of blind triads and nerd wars with David Cross, almost for the sake of expansiveness where it didn't feel needed. Shame that this game takes a very substandard turn in the lategame with a closing that left some of you limp. I'm relishing in the sluggish early hours(still on island 1) and have adored the tone and personalities thus far and have been hoping it wouldn't go either off the deep-end, or into stale territory. The bit about loving the physics and driving in the game really has given me a second wind of optimism about the cars though. As I progress farther, I hope my mood shifts to adoration as well(it still hasn't quite clicked yet).

05-06-2008, 08:12 AM	#15
zengonzo New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Panama City Posts: 8,225	Agreed. I can't believe there isn't an option to call Packie for Heist missions ..

05-06-2008, 08:40 AM	#16
thamer Broad Band Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 246	I bet for DLC they'll have heist mission numbers you can call. I just wish it was more than a shootout. Something that involved a high speed chase + changing cars and dressing up differently would have rocked.

05-06-2008, 08:45 AM	#18
zengonzo New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Panama City Posts: 8,225	An entire DLC pack devoted to heist missions would be excellent, and, yes, with a variety of objectives and perhaps approaches as you described, thamer. Of course, before they bother with heists they'll have to actually put some more stuff in worth buying ..

05-06-2008, 08:57 AM	#21
zengonzo New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Panama City Posts: 8,225	Handheld binoculars would've been pretty useful .. Can you use the sniper scope from the car? I hadn't even tried that.

05-06-2008, 09:19 AM	#26
Omniscia New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The 44th Parallel Posts: 6,895	If you want good shooting-while-driving (or riding, as the case may be) action, Ronin takes the cake.

05-06-2008, 09:32 AM	#28
Omniscia New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The 44th Parallel Posts: 6,895	In the interest of preventing such an event, allow me to add that I like how Tom's thread titles have progressed from Arrested to Sentenced, without any Trial in between. Of course, that's probably substantially the review itself. Or is justice simply that swift in Liberty City?

05-06-2008, 09:59 AM	#29
Jab2565 New Romantic Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 6,726	That's good to hear that the city really opens up, I'm still feeling a bit confined in the first island ( I think I'm about 5 hours in). I agree completely about not having stores appear on the full map in game, and I did actually stop a mission halfway thru to drive back to the only hotdog stand I remembered as my health was in the red. Is there some easy way to shoot people in cars ? As the basic hold LB to fire was hard to aim with.

05-06-2008, 09:59 AM	#30
Lum New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Delirium, Texas Posts: 7,750	Justice in Liberty City is swift, lethal, with no pretense of fairness, and often delivered by gangsters of varying ethnicities. Trivia (since we're spoiler friendly now): Roman and Niko don't speak Russian to each other, but Serbo-Croatian. Apparently this was scripted for the actors phonetically (it was pointed out by a native speaker who understood some but not all of what they were saying). Oh, and I really want to put a bullet in Michelle. You toyed with my heart, after all the effort I spared to not get in car chases with you around!

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Grand Theft Auto: Sentenced