• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Grand Theft Auto V - Review Thread | Take 2

THE GTA CYCLE

HYPE HYPE HYPE --> REVIEWS GO LIVE -> 10/10 10/10 5/5 --> ONE YEAR LATER --> GAME WAS WAY OVERRATED, THE DRIVING SUCKS, FRUSTRATING MISSIONS --> GTA VI ANNOUNCED -->> OMG THIS WILLL BE THE BEST GAME EVER

REPEAT
 
Lots of real reviews out, yet all I care about is Digital Foundry's Face-Off due out tomorrow morning. HOW DO I KNOW WHICH VERSION TO BUY WITHOUT THE FACE-OFF?!?!
 

GetemMa

Member
I'm all for the taking down a sacred cow, but the Escapist review is just pure illogical drivel.

The characters that littered GTA IV and its predecessors are psychopaths. If that isn't completely obvious to him then he has a bizarre definition of the word. In fact it seems like an honest, unromantic version of these characters, not sanitized by a loathsome and cliche immigrant story, is what bothers him most. Is his memory unclear? There are missions in every single GTA since 3 where the main objective is to mercilessly murder people in utterly grizzly ways for the sake of terrorizing entire groups of people. If that bothers him so much, there is no logical way he could have liked GTA V's predecessors so making a comparison between the two is a horrible way to say that all of sudden this game is "too much."
 

Karak

Member
Good review, very rational and thoughtful.

Thanks it was very fun to do.

Not Really.
DGg1U5i.png
Enjoyed that NPC so much!
 

Brizzo24

Member
I've watched a few comparison videos so far, and the graphical differences aren't anything to write home about. Also, the screenshot comparisons show a few minor differences, but at this point it's a matter of pop-in and loading it seems. What I'm really considered about, is performance.

Graphically the two consoles are nearly identical, and the native resolution on the PS3 isn't gimped this time around (Red Dead for example).

Since I have both a 360 and a PS3, I'm not impartial. I simply want to get the game that runs better—framerate, especially. Have there been any reviews out there that note major differences in performance?
 

Gaz_RB

Member
THE GTA CYCLE

HYPE HYPE HYPE --> REVIEWS GO LIVE -> 10/10 10/10 5/5 --> ONE YEAR LATER --> GAME WAS WAY OVERRATED, THE DRIVING SUCKS, FRUSTRATING MISSIONS --> GTA VI ANNOUNCED -->> OMG THIS WILLL BE THE BEST GAME EVER

REPEAT

You forgot the part where someone predicts this in every GTA thread in all caps like a child.
 
Polygon has posted their video review too. It's excellent. A lot of it is read straight from Chris Plante's written review but he has some more organic moments in their as well.

first time i've seen one of their video reviews. Nicely done.

Sorry that i called chris plante a girl earlier lol, but yeah i recalled his review touching on women not being much and it wasn't just the gamespot one.
 

Derrick01

Banned
THE GTA CYCLE

HYPE HYPE HYPE --> REVIEWS GO LIVE -> 10/10 10/10 5/5 --> ONE YEAR LATER --> GAME WAS WAY OVERRATED, THE DRIVING SUCKS, FRUSTRATING MISSIONS --> GTA VI ANNOUNCED -->> OMG THIS WILLL BE THE BEST GAME EVER

REPEAT

Can it be a cycle when that's only happened once so far?
 

Domstercool

Member
I was lucky enough to play GTA V. This is a amateur review from a guy who has a hobby in video games (and is unemployed at the moment, haha. :D )

http://darkzero.co.uk/game-reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-ps3/

Grand Theft Auto V marks a refinement entry for the franchise. Not only does the game go back to the thrill and scope of San Andreas, but on a technical level, having the visual quality and solid frame-rate that is on display here is an accomplishment on such old hardware. On top of that, you have Rockstar improving nearly all the mechanics of the game to such a level that everything now feels solid enough to be able to stand on its own. The story is engaging, the world is full of wonder and the three protagonists add diversity to storytelling and gameplay. Perfect is such a strong word to define something, and while no game is ever perfect, there is no denying that Rockstar aimed in the right direction to perfect the formula that Grand Theft Auto original started with in 1997.

Grand Theft Auto V is the best the series has ever been, and that’s a compliment that speaks volumes.
 
THE GTA CYCLE

HYPE HYPE HYPE --> REVIEWS GO LIVE -> 10/10 10/10 5/5 --> ONE YEAR LATER --> GAME WAS WAY OVERRATED, THE DRIVING SUCKS, FRUSTRATING MISSIONS --> GTA VI ANNOUNCED -->> OMG THIS WILLL BE THE BEST GAME EVER

REPEAT

Not really. GTAIV is the only game that a majority of people look back at with distaste, and it didn't take a year to reach that conclusion. The rest of the games have been phenomenal and warranted the hype.
 

Karak

Member
That was very entertaining.

/subscribed

Thanks man! Appreciate it.

And on discussion of NPC's. I can't wait to hear who people choose as their favorite there are a couple side characters that are easily interesting enough for their own games. Michael's son is one of them.
 
Not really. GTAIV is the only game that a majority of people look back at with distaste, and it didn't take a year to reach that conclusion. The rest of the games have been phenomenal and warranted the hype.

Majority seems a bit strong, given it's continued popularity on the live forums and sales that never really stopped. Certainly remains one of my favorite games.
 

Orbis

Member
THE GTA CYCLE

HYPE HYPE HYPE --> REVIEWS GO LIVE -> 10/10 10/10 5/5 --> ONE YEAR LATER --> GAME WAS WAY OVERRATED, THE DRIVING SUCKS, FRUSTRATING MISSIONS --> GTA VI ANNOUNCED -->> OMG THIS WILLL BE THE BEST GAME EVER

REPEAT
I don't recall this happening for GTA, 2, 3, Vice City and San Andreas. I agree entirely that GTA IV was overrated; great game but very much overrated, because the engine was unlike anything we'd seen. It kinda blinded people to the lack of fun side distractions and that the only thing left outside of that, the story and mission gameplay, kinda sucked. Time will tell if the same will happen to GTA V, but to assume it will happen because of one game in the series doesn't make any sense. GTA IV does not equal GTA V.
 

nib95

Banned
THE GTA CYCLE

HYPE HYPE HYPE --> REVIEWS GO LIVE -> 10/10 10/10 5/5 --> ONE YEAR LATER --> GAME WAS WAY OVERRATED, THE DRIVING SUCKS, FRUSTRATING MISSIONS --> GTA VI ANNOUNCED -->> OMG THIS WILLL BE THE BEST GAME EVER

REPEAT

Except Vice City and San Andreas are two of the best games ever made.
 

Karak

Member
I liked this review, but damn i can guarantee some people are going to shit their pants when they see the spoiler at the 8:38 mark. Might want to give this a spoiler warning tag.

It should have a note on it now to skip to a very specific time now so people don't get spoiled.
 
The footage in the GT review really shot up my hype. No way I'm waiting for PC/Ps4 version.

Any chance of DF's comparison going up today? I'd like to see some proper framerate analysis before choosing which version to buy.

Edit: Nevermind, found my answer in another thread.

The Digital Foundry Face-Off - due tomorrow morning at 11am - is based on comparison of the two retail disc versions of the game.
 
T

thepotatoman

Unconfirmed Member
It's very easy to grasp.

People just see Sessler comparing a game's writing to *gasp* a book and lose their minds for whatever reason. It's obvious he's talking about the game being a window into our culture rather than a 1:1 comparison of writing quality.

It's still a weird comparison. Dickens' books aren't well known because they simply reference the debates of the time. They are known because they outright shaped those debates and transformed people's way of thinking about them.

When GTA5 satires the NSA, does it do so in a way that makes anyone think about the NSA in a whole new light, or is it just a reference for reference sake? I can accept the comparison if the reviewers honestly changed their way of thinking about these things, even if its just a small change in reasoning behind why they are for or against it and not a change of their conclusion. But simply being a "window to our culture" sounds like shallow praise that pretends to be deep, and comparing it with Dickens is an apple to orange comparison, not a small apple to big apple one.
 

Daingurse

Member
3 minutes into the Rev3 review and Adam Sessler is just blowing his load on this game, Jesus Christ. I wasn't even that hype for this game, but this man is making me. Love Sess reviews.
 

Robot Pants

Member
THE GTA CYCLE

HYPE HYPE HYPE --> REVIEWS GO LIVE -> 10/10 10/10 5/5 --> ONE YEAR LATER --> GAME WAS WAY OVERRATED, THE DRIVING SUCKS, FRUSTRATING MISSIONS --> GTA VI ANNOUNCED -->> OMG THIS WILLL BE THE BEST GAME EVER

REPEAT

They break the cycle this time.
GTA V is glorious, son.
 

Dyno

Member
3 minutes into the Rev3 review and Adam Sessler is just blowing his load on this game, Jesus Christ. I wasn't even that hype for this game, but this man is making me. Love Sess reviews.

I enjoy his efforts as well but he can be misleading. His opinions on Bioshock Infinite were equally superlative but he didn't touch on the issues that hold that game down. Is he talking all about the good and overlooking the bad here too? I guess I'll find out.
 

DrXym

Member
I thought GTA IV was a pretty crap game despite the hype. That said I thought the expansions for GTA IV were a bit better and I really like Red Dead Redemption.

I think this time around I'll wait for consensus after Rockstar are done wafting money under site's noses with one hand and threatening to take it away with the other.
 

Sothpaw

Member
Per the gamespot review Trevor says that torture doesn't work then proceeds to torture someone and gets information. I guess it works after all. I know if someone took a hot pincer to me I would spill the beans.
 

Robot Pants

Member
Why is it that ps3 versions of games always look washed out compared to 360 versions? I wouldn't think the power of a console would determine whether the image looks washed out or not, but I guess I'm wrong. And yes I know you can set the ps3 to Full, but that only crushes blacks and is not a solution.

There's a gamma slider when you first start up the game. I set mine to a little under default and mine doesn't look that washed out.
Who knows.
 

Kadayi

Banned
Damn. Escapist went for the pressure point and talked bout the Housers script.

They probably won't get shit in the future lol but I respect that they weren't fearful of it.

What's to fear tbh, save some fanboy hate. R* are still going to sell 10s of millions of units regardless. Personally I'd rather more reviewers called out games for having mediocre and problematic narrative aspects, because until they do publishers & developers are going to continue to serve up tripe a lot of the time.

No ones expecting emphasis to be given to story-line over game-play, after all it's an interactive medium Vs TV & film, but at the same time narrative shouldn't just be judged as an afterthought. Consider the ME3 backlash by fans of the series over the mishandling of the conclusion. Yet not one professional review site raised any concerns about that side of things at all. Is it not the case that review sites should reflect the concerns of their audience to some degree?
 

GetemMa

Member
I thought GTA IV was a pretty crap game despite the hype. That said I thought the expansions for GTA IV were a bit better and I really like Red Dead Redemption.

I think this time around I'll wait for consensus after Rockstar are done wafting money under site's noses with one hand and threatening to take it away with the other.

Do you honestly believe that is the reason that GTA and Rockstar are so successful and garner such acclaim?

I could have sworn it had to with almost everyone I know just loving their games and playing the shit out of them. I hardly think Rock Star would care if more reviewers gave them lower scores. Their game will sell scores regardless.

I agree, GTA IV is overrated, but I can't honestly call it a "crap" game.

Conspiracy theory is where honest debate goes to be killed by men in tin foil hats.
 

ASIS

Member
And they're really fun.
The reason for the controversy is that it is a media darling, some people just don't like universal acclaim.

The fact that it stayed relevant for so long is a testament of its quality though, unlike, say, gears of war.
 

Sothpaw

Member
Carolyn Petit of Gamespot is REALLY butthurt over misogyny in a game where you murder scores of policemen and innocent civilians. Games like this are the 18-30somthing male wet dream. That's just life babe.
 
I've watched a few comparison videos so far, and the graphical differences aren't anything to write home about. Also, the screenshot comparisons show a few minor differences, but at this point it's a matter of pop-in and loading it seems. What I'm really considered about, is performance.

Graphically the two consoles are nearly identical, and the native resolution on the PS3 isn't gimped this time around (Red Dead for example).

Since I have both a 360 and a PS3, I'm not impartial. I simply want to get the game that runs better—framerate, especially. Have there been any reviews out there that note major differences in performance?

Yeah, performance is the biggest issue for me. I haven't heard too much about the difference between consoles.
 

DrXym

Member
Do you honestly believe that is the reason that GTA and Rockstar are so successful and garner such acclaim?

In some part, absolutely yes. Gamasutra ran a piece describing the pressure Rockstar put on sites to obtain high scores and the general takeaway is you simply cannot trust reviews of their games any more. At least not during the release period.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1542/pr_and_the_game_media_how_pr_.php?page=1.

Yes they are generally good games, but the question is are they GREAT games? Are they deserving of the hype and scores they receive at release time? I would suggest that GTA IV demonstrates that the answer can be no.
 
Top Bottom