Let’s face it: the previous Grand Theft Auto games were absolutely pathetic in the shooting department. Press a button to automatically aim, and then press another to shoot. Was it fun? Nope. The only reason past GTAs sell well is the sandbox-style gameplay that lets you do anything (i.e. run over pedestrians, shoot people, steal cars, etc.) you want, anytime.

When Rockstar introduced the concept of shooting individual body parts in GTA IV, it completely changed gameplay. Not only does it add new mechanics for players to toy with—the gunfights are also shortened to a great degree. If you can make headshots, at least.

To aim at a certain part, all you need to do is press the right analog stick towards the body part while locked. You have to maintain the angle of the right analog stick to keep the crosshair on target. This makes the shootouts more engaging.

However, this concept isn’t new because The Godfather, a GTA clone another sandbox-style game, has implemented it as well. I can’t really say which is better though. In The Godfather, the crosshair stays on the body part as long as the enemy is locked on. There’s no need to maintain the right analog stick angle so all you have to do is press fire when a foe steps out of cover.

In any case, the GTA IV shooting mechanics have changed from “abysmal” to “somewhat fun,” but it’s not quite Gears of War yet in caliber. I now look forward to taking on small armies of thugs using a variety of firearms because GTA IV now feels like a lightweight third-person shooter.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

The joys of GTA IV #2: GTA IV is Shooting People in the Face^TM Lite

I’ve always hated the tradeoff of using motorcycles versus cars in Grand Theft Auto games primarily because I can’t shoot from inside a car, and that chasing someone in high speeds while riding motorcycles is bad for your health. It was a vicious circle that made GTA more difficult than enjoyable.

GTA IV seems to have solved that problem now that shooting is allowed inside cars. All one has to do is press L1 (or perhaps a shoulder button on the Xbox 360) and Niko would start shooting. If the glass window is intact, our protagonist would proceed to break it. No, the windshield stays in one piece.

Niko can also shoot from inside taxis, but don’t expect your cab driver to stick around.

I originally intended to write this entry as a rave about shooting from inside cars but after some thinking, I remembered that there’s a problem: aiming the blasted cursor at your target is exasperating because the cursor is fixed at the middle of the screen. To move the cursor, you have to move the camera using the right analog stick, which brings us to another problem—the direction of the camera determines where the vehicle will steer.

This becomes a huge problem when you’re driving in breakneck speed since like real automobiles, sudden turns in your virtual car would cause you to careen wildly (i.e. lose control). Thing is—you need to make these sudden turns to keep a bead on your target. The result? An overwhelming urge to hurl the controller from the roof of a 72-storey building with the GTA IV disk right after.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV annoyances #2: Shooting from cars not as cracked up as it should be

There’s always a good chance one won’t survive the mission, so I’ve decided to create a little guide just for The Snow Storm. Beware; I’ve also embedded a video walkthrough at the end of this entry, but it contains major spoilers so watch it at your own risk.

Phase 1: Getting the coke
Getting into the old hospital is a piece of cake even in the ‘first’ attempt because the enemies involved in this part are your friendly-neighborhood dealers. Just choose any automatic firearm when approaching the place and take cover. Take note of the two guards at the door and another peeking from the second level. Make sure you’re crouched when approaching the entrance because of the hoods hiding inside.

By the way, I suggest you move the pickup closer to the entrance/exit of the old hospital, but make sure it faces the street. You’ll understand why later.

Hiding in cover from the first room, you’ll observe that there are many goons hiding in the corridor ahead. You can flush them out with grenades or just time them with well-placed headshots when they peek out. After taking all the dealers down, you can get the health pack hidden in one of the side corridors or the far room at the end of the hall. There’s also a body armor vest beside Elizabeta’s coke.

Once you get the coke, the second phase begins.

Phase 2: Getting out of the hospital
The place is now crawling with cops. There will be several SWAT team members that would be attacking in moments so it’s smarter to stay in the room where you got the coke and hide behind the square desk that gives you a good view of the door. Using the combat shotgun at this point would be wise because it can easily take down cops at one hit—even if you don’t aim for the head.

After taking down several cops, there would be a short lull as LCPD sends in more. This would be a good time to move. Do you still remember the place where the first health pack was hidden? There’s a metal safe behind it that would provide excellent cover. The room to your right is the only way out, so crouch/walk through it while pressing the aim button. There would be at least a couple of cops waiting for you here.

Remember the pickup I told you to move? It’s now waiting for you just outside the exit, perfectly positioned as your getaway vehicle. Enter the pickup and press the pedal to the metal.

Phase 3: Car chase city
The cops aren’t too happy with your escape so they pursue. Make sure you get out of the island where the hospital is located because there’s not much room there to maneuver. There is no one ultimate route to get rid of the cops. When you get to the city proper, make sure you use side streets or opposite lanes to shake your tail.

Do not try driving in a straight line to get out of the cops’ search radius because it’s a waste of time. Try turning left then right in every street corner. If you see a cop car ahead in your radar, make sure you avoid it by making a turn. Once you get out of the search radius, slow down or stop and count a few seconds. The cops would be gone by then.

Like I promised, here’s the video walkthrough. Just brace yourself for the spoilers.

One final note: the player in the video was rather reckless so I urge you to be more patient when dealing with The Snow Storm. Rushing out of a good hiding place could get you killed.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV How To’s: The Snow Storm

Notice anything odd about the clip? I did. Cliffy B. is looking buff and decides to show it off. So he finally got rid of the geek look. Yes, it took him years to do so even if he was making truckloads of money for the longest time.

The guys over at Game Videos decided to make an analysis video to go with the gameplay footage. It’s really helpful if you’ve never played Gears of War before, or are utterly indifferent clueless when it comes to the names of each vehicle, weapon, or alien in the game.

This video was obviously taken from an Xbox 360 (see the context-sensitive button controls?). The clip also gave us more proof that the dual analog sticks control scheme are terrible for shooters. See how the player couldn’t get a bead on the flying thingies (the Game Video guys said they’re called “Reavers”) that flew around?

Source: Joystiq

Post from: EveryJoe

Watch first Gears of War 2 gameplay video

What am I going to lambast this time? Artificial intelligence or the lack thereof.

As Niko Bellic, you’ve been tasked to clear a certain area of bad guys with big guns. As you proceed to the location and start shooting, you notice that your enemies are a bunch of brainless gun fodder. The Euphoria engine does nothing to make gunfights more enjoyable. So much for being advertised as having actions and reactions being “synthesized” in real time.

How bad was the AI? Thugs stand around and wait to be shot like it were a shooting gallery. Sure, enemies hide behind cover from time to time, but their actions are predictable since all one has to do is time shots. Even teammates are oblivious to gunfire and are unaware of cover.

And apparently, people in Liberty City don’t know what a grenade looks like.

Cops are another matter entirely. They resort to rushing tactics and head straight into your line of fire. Can’t these so-called professionals do basic tactics like cover fire and flanking? How’s this for stupid: policemen voluntarily jump off a building if you hide behind the edge. Don’t believe me? Watch this:

If it weren’t for your enemies’ numbers, Niko Bellic would never have the need to be taken to a hospital.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV Annoyances #1: AI? What AI?

Clearly, Niko Bellic is not the star of Grand Theft Auto IV. He may be the lead character in Rockstar’s latest murder simulator epic crime drama, but the pièce de résistance is sprawling Liberty City, which is modeled after The Big Apple, New York City.

According to Wikipedia, Rockstar sent full-time researchers to NYC twice during the game’s development. They studied traffic patterns and makeup of every neighborhood, among other details. However, Liberty City is not an exact recreation of NYC. Rather, it feels more like a caricature. Liberty City attempts to depict the real-life city’s sights and sounds, and twists it into something comical that, while grotesque at times, takes on a life of its own.

Bellic, the game’s protagonist, starts out in Broker, the “industrial” side of town. He eventually gets a chance to walk the streets of Algonquin (or Manhattan) and witness the sights of Star Junction, Liberty City’s equivalent of Times Square.

The dissimilarity in each road and borough are remarkable. The textures are different, the people are diverse, their clothing is varied, architecture is distinct, and so are the vehicles that whiz by. Detail is king in Liberty City, and it never seems to get old. For the record, I don’t think I’ve seen every detail that this virtual metropolis has to offer.

Of all the games I’ve played (and I’ve played quite a lot), there’s nothing quite like GTA IV. I may not have finished this latest installment yet, but Liberty City is just oozing with so much charm that I can’t help but get lost in its streets with a sense of wonder. And rage if I’m chasing down a runaway target that won’t keep still as I try to get a shot off.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

The joys of GTA IV #1: Liberty City is a breathtaking sight

I’ve just hit the jackpot in Grand Theft Auto IV, and it’s only going to get even better. Remember when Rockstar representatives said that the game is a progression of “rags to slightly-better rags”? I think the publisher’s powers-that-be should sack these reps because they don’t really know what they’re talking about.

At my current playthrough, Niko Bellic has already made it big. Our likeable protagonist is already getting paid thousands of dollars for whacking each of his clients’ enemies. Niko wears the most expensive suits, takes a cab to his destinations (instead of manually driving from point A to point B), pays for each taxi trip no matter what the rate, and goes about in style. I may not be able to get him a new pad since one can’t buy property in GTA IV, but Niko is practically rolling over in money with all the financial rewards I’ve gotten him.

The best part? The tedium of driving long distances is now limited to missions where Niko must use a certain vehicle. Driving around a huge virtual city may be fun at first, but it gets old soon enough—especially when you have to deal with things like traffic (depending on the time of day), cops lurking in every corner, and multiple tollgates, among others.

Interestingly, the option to ride a cab as a passenger was never given in previous GTA games even if you’ve already purchased multiple properties and achieved some sort of status. If not being able to get property were a penalty for being able to skip long and tedious driving, then I’d choose taxis any day. This is not “slightly-better rags.”

Without the driving grind, I get to focus on the game’s best parts: surviving extreme car chases and shooting people in the face with big, fancy guns. True, you can shoot individual body parts now, but I have an affinity for firing hot lead into people’s mugs. That way, enemies don’t get to shoot back.

Image for Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

Living the American Dream in GTA IV is about riding cabs ‘cause you can

One of Grand Theft Auto IV’s major highlights is the ability to roam a massive virtual city and do whatever one wants. Jack any vehicle? Check. Swim in the river? Check. Waste time by playing pool, surfing the ‘net, or shopping for clothes? Check.

On top of all these features, GTA IV is a third-person shooter and driving game at its core. Its missions put you either behind the wheel or a gun’s barrel. Because of the game’s open-ended gameplay, performing hits can be hazardous to one’s health. On the way to a destination, any player can easily stumble and earn unwanted attention from the law or run into an accident–jeopardizing a difficult mission.

One can always retry a mission, but what if it’s the kind that has too many things to do and only luck was responsible in getting you this far? This is why as protagonist Niko Bellic, you should learn to keep your nose clean. Here’s how:

• Do not drive too fast. Sudden changes in direction while driving could prove fatal or worse. One must maintain control of the vehicle at all times, and this is done by lightly tapping the breaks. Use the handbrakes only when making sharp turns.

• Don’t just jack any car. Make sure there are no cops around first. If a policeman witnesses a carjacking, Niko would automatically earn at least one wanted star. If the mission is timed, a wanted star could end your current attempt to finish said mission. Jacking parked vehicles isn’t always a good idea because there could be a car alarm that might set off the cops.
• While driving a vehicle, fight the urge to run down pedestrians or smash into other cars. A cop could be watching.
• Do not shoot any cops or civilians. One dead cop automatically translates to 2-3 wanted stars. Dead civilians would attract police attention. If you must shoot cops or civilians, do it after accomplishing the mission.
• If you inadvertently picked up a wanted star, hurry to your destination. Reaching a marker that triggers a cinematic sequence removes the stars.
• Do not walk around displaying your weapons. This could get you unwanted attention. Bring out your firearm only when you’ve reached your destination. It would help if you select your weapon of choice before closing in your target so that you don’t have to cycle through your inventory when a shootout begins.

There’s one common thread to all this: don’t draw any attention to yourself. If you keep your head down and manage to reach your target unnoticed, gunning down your hits would be way easier.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV How To’s: Performing hits in peace

Grand Theft Auto IV still feels like a GTA game. You’re treated to the familiar tongue-in-cheek humor no matter what corner of virtual New York you look at, you still drive around a massive city, you still jack cars like there’s no tomorrow, and you still shoot people in the face.

However, the act of shooting people in the face has noticeably changed—it feels refined compared to its earlier counterparts. Niko Bellic, the likeable protagonist, can now shoot like an action flick hero. There’s a little bit of Gears of War and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune in there, thanks to the new cover system in place.

Players can now fire blindly behind cover without exposing Niko and can slide to cover when gunshots start ringing. The aiming is somewhat similar to The Godfather, which incidentally is a GTA clone. One can aim at individual body parts while locked on, as a target’s health is shown on a target circle. Strangely, people can take quite a lot of punishment from gunfire. This means headshots are the way to go, but it’s easier said than done.

I’ve yet to master the game’s nuances in gunplay and try the nastier types of hardware. Like previous GTA games, it takes a while before you get a hold of the good stuff. I refuse to consider my first shotgun (picked-up from a shootout alongside Little Jacob) as part of the “good stuff.”

As of this writing, all the gunshots I hear and produce are of the sissy kind.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

First impressions: GTA IV feels fresh with improved shooting

Yes, it took a week but finally, Grand Theft Auto IV hits our local store shelves. There were no crazy lines that greeted me, no muggers out for my blood. I’ve managed to take a picture using an old phone; unfortunately, it doesn’t look so good when I transferred it to my PC.

The GTA IV case feels heftier than other PlayStation 3 games I’ve tried so far, and it’s because of the substantial Liberty City map and guide inserted inside.

Installation would probably take a while, so I might as well do some work (i.e. this post) done.

Image: FPS Rantings
Grand Theft Auto IV is developed and published by Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV is finally here!