GTA 5 - ain't perfect. A list of the biggest problems.

[StriderShinryu]

You know all this nonsense hipster talk about ludonarrative dissonance? There it is. Old GTA games are a perfect example. And yet, no one cares. Why? Because those games are still fun to play. Previous GTA characters were rarely consistent in their actions and their motives and we still love them.

I think the issue is one of focus. Like it or not, more games are making it a point ot focus more heavily on characters, character development and storylines. This is especially true in the case of RockStar, though they're far from being the only ones. The more you focus on the characters and storyline, the more glaring it becomes when the minute to minute gameplay doesn't match up. Past GTA titles, for myself at least though others seems to agree as well, were basically presented as sanboxes where you could do a nunch of cool/fun/stupid stuff, oh and there was a storyline on the side. RockStar's current titles, however, make an effort to put the storyline and characters first. As such, there's little wonder when people point out the disconnect.

 

[Musclepunch]

A lot of people are saying "Oh but everyone in GTA 4 was so unlikable" I thought the whole point of the characters was that they were unlikable and that even though you had to do what they told you due to your situation, you hated them as much as Niko did and that's why it was so good

Spoiler

When you got to bump them off

I can see the three characters being annoying as maybe you dont connect to them in the way as you could with C.J or Niko but maybe its like having the GTA 4 DLC packages included in the same game?

 

[Racecarlock]

Oh no, violence in a GTA game? What's next, elemental powers in pokemon?

For the record, I like the new handling. It doesn't feel like I'm driving on a wet road when I'm on a dry one anymore.

Ok, just because characters aren't growing towards regretting murder doesn't mean they're not developing their character. Also, try using the hang out option on the phone once or twice. There's stuff there.

 

[josemlopes]

A lot of people are saying "Oh but everyone in GTA 4 was so unlikable" I thought the whole point of the characters was that they were unlikable and that even though you had to do what they told you due to your situation, you hated them as much as Niko did and that's why it was so good

Spoiler

When you got to bump them off

I can see the three characters being annoying as maybe you dont connect to them in the way as you could with C.J or Niko but maybe its like having the GTA 4 DLC packages included in the same game?

I played GTA SA recently and CJ is a douchebag. Claude from III is basicly a cardboard character for a criminal that just keeps being a criminal, he has a revenge story but that is just the beginning and the end.

GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption were the games where the characters were (somewhat) forced to do what they did, everyone else has always been a selfish dick. I really dont get the need for them to have an excuse to justify their actions other then the fact that they are selfish dicks.

What would people think if Overlord came out now?

 

[Something Amyss]

A lot of people are saying "Oh but everyone in GTA 4 was so unlikable" I thought the whole point of the characters was that they were unlikable and that even though you had to do what they told you due to your situation, you hated them as much as Niko did and that's why it was so good

Spoiler

When you got to bump them off

I can see the three characters being annoying as maybe you dont connect to them in the way as you could with C.J or Niko but maybe its like having the GTA 4 DLC packages included in the same game?

I hated Niko more than most of the other characters.

 

[unstabLized]

Is it actually more fun then San Andreas? If not, is it at least more fun then GTA4? I found San Andreas to be pretty fun, but 4 was so.. I don't know. At the end, I really pushed myself to finish it. Some of the missions were fun and the story was somewhat interesting, but it was missing something. Maybe it was jetpacks.

 

[flying_whimsy]

but it was missing something. Maybe it was jetpacks.

It is always jetpacks! I've been waiting for someone to mention if there are any in the game, but so far mums the word. I always found the difference in tone and gameplay between SA and 4 to be pretty jarring; while I found some of the emotional moments in 4 to be genuinely touching, I don't think it was worth sacrificing the fun of working for a shady government agent, pulling casino heists, and flying around with a jetpack. I was hoping V would be a return to some of the fun, but from what I've heard so far...

It's like GTA:SA did the jetpack thing so well everyone else is scared to use them.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

Is it actually fun?

I found GTA 4 awful - cumbersome, sluggish, boring dross. The controls, the mission structure etc. - it was a yawnfest and the actual feel of everything felt rank IMO.

I found Saints Row 2 brilliant - far more playable, far less sluggish, and far more fun.

Where does GTA V stand?

As someone that totally agrees with you I can confirm it's much better than GTA 4. Pretty much everything taken out from san andreas has been returned and then some. The world feels really alive in this one and there are a lot of interesting things to do that get integrated into the missions, and there's a lot more pre-planned heist type missions. The Euphoria engine is still the euphoria engine though and cars still handle pretty crappy, but the characters and animations look and feel better.

 

[WWmelb]

I'm always wondering in these threads that talk about the characters in GTA games why everyone only seems to get hung up on the player character.

Sure C.J in San Andreas was a pretty good player character, and kept you engaged, but it wasn't that character that made S.A so damned awesome.

It was the NPC's that were amazing. Officer Tenpenny, Wuzee, can't remember his name off the top of my head, but James Woods' FBI agent... These characters were some of the most amazing characters in games that i've ever seen, and what made SA one of my favourite games of all time.

How do the NPC's stack up in V compared to SA? They were all dull as shit in IV in my opinion, but others may have liked them.

 

[Amaror]

Oh for f**** sake. Why does this ALWAYS happen when a really anticipated game come out.
There's a few threads like: "Isn't game x great!"
And then there's thousands and thousands of Threads going:
"I won't be buying game x", "I don't like game x", "Game x isn't perfect and here is why!" and so on and so on.
Really really annoying.

 

[Bat Vader]

I love GTA V but one of the biggest things I dislike abut it is the aiming reticle. I have used it on both simple and complex and it is just way too small. Trying to aim while driving is next to impossible for me.

In GTA IV the aiming reticle was perfect. I could hit anything while aiming even while driving.

 

[shootthebandit]

One glitch ive noticed that really bugged me was everytime someone is in a car and i crash it interupts the conversation then they start the conversation again when the car starts driving normally. I dont know if its supposed to happen or not

 

[Vegost]

1) Vehicle handling. While it's labeled as more precise and "enjoyable", it's not. GTA 4 had it almost perfect, just needed additional tweaking. GTA 5 brought this too far.

I like the car handling. Super realistic does not equal fun to play. Driving around in GTA IV was no fun, in GTA V it is. For me, it's as simple as that. If i want realistic driving I'll go out and drive my own car.

2) Disconnection between storyline and actual gameplay. This was explained in Escapist review. Bunch of enemies from all directions are thrown to kill without any thought. Average mission design, it is. Why so much killing? To increase overall playtime and add some "variety", people!

Here I agree completely. Even after finishing just a couple of missions, I had the same feeling as I had during Tomb Raider. It simply doesn't make sense.

Spoiler

A good example is one of the first Franklin-missions where you go looking for a bike to repound, and get jumped by a bunch of thugs. I found it really difficult to believe that two street thugs working for some crooked car dealership could kill 10+ guys shooting at them without problem.

This being said, I think it's a really good game. It is, quite simply, fun to play. The city feels vibrant and alive, picking up random conversations from pedestrians is amusing, some of the references really make me chuckle. Of course, I don't mind the whole "being evil"-thing, quote the opposite. I revel in getting to play as morally bankrupt bastards. Woo!

 

[beez]

I don't mind the driving part, I think it's fine. I don't know how you get your cars to slide around, I only managed to do that in rain. I was surprised to see the handling and the crash model changes, but it doesn't really matter that much. The cars are more controllable now, as in a game and I like using Franklin's special, to be honest. I think the main reason the physics is changed to be like that is the races, because they are now a part of the game, that you can play enjoyably. Also, the getaways.

And you can drive a Bugatti Veyron, so I'm completely satisfied.

I don't have any problem with the story / characters. It's a video game, also I didn't expect much. The random events are awesome and can contribute quite a lot to your fun between missions. After I saw the weapon wheel in the trailer, I knew it was to be C.O.D.-y game. I personally could have used a bit more of the heists, stealth, etc. Especially since both systems are new, compared to IV

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Is it actually fun?

I found GTA 4 awful - cumbersome, sluggish, boring dross. The controls, the mission structure etc. - it was a yawnfest and the actual feel of everything felt rank IMO.

As someone who really didn't like GTA IV, I can say that I'm enjoying GTA V much, much more.

OT: My biggest complaint is that aiming while driving is a pain in the ass. Although that could be due to me being more used to a mouse and keyboard. This is the first time I've touched my Xbox in like 2 years. Also I don't like how it's turned into more of a cover based shooter.

 

[IronMit]

2. There's no disconnect. It's standard GTA. Guys want to kill you so you have to kill them first. That's what violent games are about. It's never been realistic to just keep killing dozens of people in missions. But that's pretty much every third person shooter ever made.

That sounds like a possible disconnect to me.

disclaimer/ have yet to play but I feel like contributing. I don't disagree with your GTA opinion as I have not played it but I still disagree with your reasoning;


It depends how story driven the game is and if it is aware there's a disconnect.
Far Cry 3 is a metaphor for the male power fantasy and white male story trope. It is aware.
Tomb Raider however is story driven but she goes Rambo on everyone very very quickly. Was a bit off.

To suddenly demand games to change is absurd.

Some Games seem to be getting more and more story driven so the disconnect is more obvious.
Other games are gameplay first and the story is there to simply have fun - no1 complains about the disconnect in skyrim Just cause 2 or borderlands.
It's not always black and white, uncharted walks a fine line.

As I said I disagree with the reasoning, simply because if you analyse another game by those standards you might end up justifying TLOU being an FPS with the same story and cutscenes.