I hate myself for saying this but its all on my blog, pm me for link
Yesterday I officially finished the main story mode of the popular xbox 360 videogame Grand Theft Auto 4.
For those of you who are not regular with the gaming industry, let us just say that Grand Theft Auto IV is a big deal, The game received a review of 10/10 from IGN and many other critical review sites, and sold 2.5 million copies in the United States on the first day it was released. It is one of the most highly anticipated titles of the last 5 years, and probably also the most controversial.
The Grand Theft Auto series is known for controversy and scandal. The reason being that each game follows the story of a violent criminals rise from petty thug to criminal kingpin, over a series of missions, most of which comprise of regular murder, car theft (hence the name Grand Theft Auto), destruction, and the most reckless insensitive driving you could imagine.
Developer "Rock Star" and its parent company "Take Two" have been sued dozens of times by a whole variety of organisations includding MADD (mothers against drink driving) (the latest game allows you to drive drunk, though it is extremely difficult (standing up straight is hard enough) and most of the times I just took a cab, just like IRL OMG!) and the nuisance game-hating-ambulance-chasing-jerk-face Jack Thompson
I will get back to that controversy later.
Now as I said, I just finished the story mode. IGN gave the game a 10, I think this is the only game I have ever played that could be worthy of that unspeakable perfect score.
Heres why, briefly. I am not gonna go too nuts, if you want to read a review, check out ign or some other site that has actual talented writers
1. Living, Breathing, Amazing City. GTA 4 is set in liberty city, an alternate virtual recreation of New York, New York. The game is amazingly detailed, and beautifully drawn, it is the closest to photo realistic I have ever seen in a game. (I havent played crysis though). I take a chopper over Algonquin (Manhattan) and it honestly takes my breath away. Flying through the tall scy scrapers, and then immerge in the open, below you are hundreds of apartment buildings, sunlight glints off the thousands of cars caught in peak hour traffic, and in front of you the harbour stretches away, morning sunlight winking at you in the reflections of the water.
2. Open Ended. GTA invented a new genre of games they now call sandbox, basically it means you can do anything, you can go anywhere, whenever you want. It doesnt force you down a set of pre-determined missions, hell you dont even have to do missions if you dont wanna. You can take a drive anywhere in this virtual New York and New Jersey, fly a chopper, go bowling, play darts, watch actual game rendered comedy standups (Kat Williams and Ricky Gervais -hilarious) in the algonquin comedy club "split sides", take a boat out on the harbour, or just sit in your apartment and watch TV or surf the internet (yes the game has its own internet). The possibilities are endless.
3. Storyline: The Storyline is dramatic this time around, your character Nico is a real person, and Rockstar attempt to justify why he is what he is; a cold blooded killer and hitman. This is where GTA IV makes ground from its prequels (apart from the massive graphical overhaul), in vice city, you played this jerk-off gangster Tommy Vercetti, who dealed drugs and killed anyone who messed with him. Not really a character I can relate to. In san andreas you played a black guy named CJ, who grew up in the ghetto, but is a pretty nice guy, this doesnt explain how he would work as a hitman in liberty city and then come back to San Andreas and kill hundreds of people with absolutely no remorse over the course of the game. However with Nico in GTA4 you learn early on that he was a soldier as young man in the Balkan wars, and that through his experiences in war he was "ruined" and became bitter and insular. Several conversations in missions and on "dates" (with men and women, not gay, but like man-date, as in scrubs) explore nico's character, true to his nature early in the game Nico is unwilling to divulge much, but as he grows a tighter bonds with his friends and girlfriends he opens up more. In short GTA 4 is the most well written of the series.
4. Multiplayer: GTA 4 is the first sandbox game to have a robust multiplayer (saints row multiplayer was not robust, it was in fact: an abomination, so be quiet you!) Theres a whole variety of playlists that you can play, it all works smoothly, with no sacrifice to graphics or frame rate, and little lag. It can be alot of fun, I have already had several "OMG THAT... WAS... AWESOME... WOOOOOO" conversations with my team-mates, for example I got into a 16 player motorbike race, we all start out in a dense grid, this one guy gets in the lead and starts talking smack; "woo hoo, first place, Im the greatest!" we all go over a hill, and *DONG* the first placed player goes right into a lamp-post, coming off the bike, and flipping through the air over the other racing players spectacularly, everyone laughs rauciously. Also, the methods that you can kill or be killed are quite entertaining, I was playing turf wars (basically like territories in halo or battlefield) I had just capped a point, and was sneaking back to where I parked my car, being real stealthy using the sexy new cover system (Right Bumper), leapfrogging from cover to cover, I was about to cross the street, I did a left-right check, for snipers, etc. and then started to cross, I was almost to my car when *slam* a carload full of enemy jerks run me over, I flipped end over end and hit the pavement... HARD. I wasn't even mad... I was shocked, surprised, but I thought that was one of the sweetest deaths I've ever experienced in multiplayer. One thing GTA4 really needs is Halo3's saved films feature (in fact that should be in every game, full stop.) Some irks though. For some reason, In ranked I rarely join a game, it almost always makes me host, I would rather it give you the option of hosting, but also give you a list of current games going on so you can pick one of those. Although maybe it is the playlist I pick, the 3 co-op missions are always quick to get into (they have a high population because they are an easy source of XP... -you can level up your multiplayer character and get new clothing)
So its a fantastic game. But like I said it is controversial, and I had to ask myself some hard questions regarding it. The game is rated MA. There is sexual content; you can have sex with your dates and prostitutes (although I havent seen as many prostitutes as in previous GTA, where they are everywhere.) but the game doesnt show you the sex, you just hear noises of moaning and stuff. However there are several strip clubs that you can go into and get graphic lap dances. However, you can choose to go there, the game does not force you to have sex or lap dances, you do have a few missions where you have a firefight in a strip club, but there is no gratuitous graphic nudity (the most you will see is a midriff and gstring running as you shoot bad guys).
Im proud to say as a christian gamer that I have not ingame solicited a prostitute. And I avoided the strip clubs and simulated audio sex as much as possible.
My biblical reason for this is : Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery
and the clarification of adultery: Matthew5: 27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
But there are alot of murder and killing in the game as well. How as christians do we rationalise playing a game that simulates such things?
1. The game is not simulating real life accurately enough, for you to become desensitised to killing its still primitive pixels, and its not the same as taking a real gun and shooting someone in the head. In my opinion; playing GTA4 is not a sin.
2. Thats my secular rationalisation, but biblically: Romans 14:14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
Basically the context of this verse is Paul is writing about Jews and Gentiles, Jews had a longstanding tradition not to eat pork and other meat that the old testament says is unclean. However Gentiles had no such tradition. And so after jesus died and rose again he sent his disciples to make out to envangelise amongst the gentiles and there was confusion about whether they should force the Gentiles to live according to Jewish custom (aka not eat pork, etc.) but in Acts 10, god appears in a vision and tells the disciples that "no food is unclean".
Basically in Romans 14:14 Paul is telling you that for those grey areas where the scripture could be interpreted either way; if in your heart you think something is a sin, then for you it is a sin, and if you have no honest qualms about it, then dont worry.
So in this context, in my heart; I have no issues playing GTA4. However alot of other christians do, and so if a close friend of mine, becomes distressed and is really worried that me playing GTA4 is a sin, then I would stop playing it so as to not be a stumbling block to my friend.
Cool, thanks for reading, leave me a comment, feel free to debate any of my biblical justifications, Im still a new christian and I may have this all totally wrong.
Yesterday I officially finished the main story mode of the popular xbox 360 videogame Grand Theft Auto 4.
For those of you who are not regular with the gaming industry, let us just say that Grand Theft Auto IV is a big deal, The game received a review of 10/10 from IGN and many other critical review sites, and sold 2.5 million copies in the United States on the first day it was released. It is one of the most highly anticipated titles of the last 5 years, and probably also the most controversial.
The Grand Theft Auto series is known for controversy and scandal. The reason being that each game follows the story of a violent criminals rise from petty thug to criminal kingpin, over a series of missions, most of which comprise of regular murder, car theft (hence the name Grand Theft Auto), destruction, and the most reckless insensitive driving you could imagine.
Developer "Rock Star" and its parent company "Take Two" have been sued dozens of times by a whole variety of organisations includding MADD (mothers against drink driving) (the latest game allows you to drive drunk, though it is extremely difficult (standing up straight is hard enough) and most of the times I just took a cab, just like IRL OMG!) and the nuisance game-hating-ambulance-chasing-jerk-face Jack Thompson
I will get back to that controversy later.
Now as I said, I just finished the story mode. IGN gave the game a 10, I think this is the only game I have ever played that could be worthy of that unspeakable perfect score.
Heres why, briefly. I am not gonna go too nuts, if you want to read a review, check out ign or some other site that has actual talented writers
1. Living, Breathing, Amazing City. GTA 4 is set in liberty city, an alternate virtual recreation of New York, New York. The game is amazingly detailed, and beautifully drawn, it is the closest to photo realistic I have ever seen in a game. (I havent played crysis though). I take a chopper over Algonquin (Manhattan) and it honestly takes my breath away. Flying through the tall scy scrapers, and then immerge in the open, below you are hundreds of apartment buildings, sunlight glints off the thousands of cars caught in peak hour traffic, and in front of you the harbour stretches away, morning sunlight winking at you in the reflections of the water.
2. Open Ended. GTA invented a new genre of games they now call sandbox, basically it means you can do anything, you can go anywhere, whenever you want. It doesnt force you down a set of pre-determined missions, hell you dont even have to do missions if you dont wanna. You can take a drive anywhere in this virtual New York and New Jersey, fly a chopper, go bowling, play darts, watch actual game rendered comedy standups (Kat Williams and Ricky Gervais -hilarious) in the algonquin comedy club "split sides", take a boat out on the harbour, or just sit in your apartment and watch TV or surf the internet (yes the game has its own internet). The possibilities are endless.
3. Storyline: The Storyline is dramatic this time around, your character Nico is a real person, and Rockstar attempt to justify why he is what he is; a cold blooded killer and hitman. This is where GTA IV makes ground from its prequels (apart from the massive graphical overhaul), in vice city, you played this jerk-off gangster Tommy Vercetti, who dealed drugs and killed anyone who messed with him. Not really a character I can relate to. In san andreas you played a black guy named CJ, who grew up in the ghetto, but is a pretty nice guy, this doesnt explain how he would work as a hitman in liberty city and then come back to San Andreas and kill hundreds of people with absolutely no remorse over the course of the game. However with Nico in GTA4 you learn early on that he was a soldier as young man in the Balkan wars, and that through his experiences in war he was "ruined" and became bitter and insular. Several conversations in missions and on "dates" (with men and women, not gay, but like man-date, as in scrubs) explore nico's character, true to his nature early in the game Nico is unwilling to divulge much, but as he grows a tighter bonds with his friends and girlfriends he opens up more. In short GTA 4 is the most well written of the series.
4. Multiplayer: GTA 4 is the first sandbox game to have a robust multiplayer (saints row multiplayer was not robust, it was in fact: an abomination, so be quiet you!) Theres a whole variety of playlists that you can play, it all works smoothly, with no sacrifice to graphics or frame rate, and little lag. It can be alot of fun, I have already had several "OMG THAT... WAS... AWESOME... WOOOOOO" conversations with my team-mates, for example I got into a 16 player motorbike race, we all start out in a dense grid, this one guy gets in the lead and starts talking smack; "woo hoo, first place, Im the greatest!" we all go over a hill, and *DONG* the first placed player goes right into a lamp-post, coming off the bike, and flipping through the air over the other racing players spectacularly, everyone laughs rauciously. Also, the methods that you can kill or be killed are quite entertaining, I was playing turf wars (basically like territories in halo or battlefield) I had just capped a point, and was sneaking back to where I parked my car, being real stealthy using the sexy new cover system (Right Bumper), leapfrogging from cover to cover, I was about to cross the street, I did a left-right check, for snipers, etc. and then started to cross, I was almost to my car when *slam* a carload full of enemy jerks run me over, I flipped end over end and hit the pavement... HARD. I wasn't even mad... I was shocked, surprised, but I thought that was one of the sweetest deaths I've ever experienced in multiplayer. One thing GTA4 really needs is Halo3's saved films feature (in fact that should be in every game, full stop.) Some irks though. For some reason, In ranked I rarely join a game, it almost always makes me host, I would rather it give you the option of hosting, but also give you a list of current games going on so you can pick one of those. Although maybe it is the playlist I pick, the 3 co-op missions are always quick to get into (they have a high population because they are an easy source of XP... -you can level up your multiplayer character and get new clothing)
So its a fantastic game. But like I said it is controversial, and I had to ask myself some hard questions regarding it. The game is rated MA. There is sexual content; you can have sex with your dates and prostitutes (although I havent seen as many prostitutes as in previous GTA, where they are everywhere.) but the game doesnt show you the sex, you just hear noises of moaning and stuff. However there are several strip clubs that you can go into and get graphic lap dances. However, you can choose to go there, the game does not force you to have sex or lap dances, you do have a few missions where you have a firefight in a strip club, but there is no gratuitous graphic nudity (the most you will see is a midriff and gstring running as you shoot bad guys).
Im proud to say as a christian gamer that I have not ingame solicited a prostitute. And I avoided the strip clubs and simulated audio sex as much as possible.
My biblical reason for this is : Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery
and the clarification of adultery: Matthew5: 27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
But there are alot of murder and killing in the game as well. How as christians do we rationalise playing a game that simulates such things?
1. The game is not simulating real life accurately enough, for you to become desensitised to killing its still primitive pixels, and its not the same as taking a real gun and shooting someone in the head. In my opinion; playing GTA4 is not a sin.
2. Thats my secular rationalisation, but biblically: Romans 14:14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
Basically the context of this verse is Paul is writing about Jews and Gentiles, Jews had a longstanding tradition not to eat pork and other meat that the old testament says is unclean. However Gentiles had no such tradition. And so after jesus died and rose again he sent his disciples to make out to envangelise amongst the gentiles and there was confusion about whether they should force the Gentiles to live according to Jewish custom (aka not eat pork, etc.) but in Acts 10, god appears in a vision and tells the disciples that "no food is unclean".
Basically in Romans 14:14 Paul is telling you that for those grey areas where the scripture could be interpreted either way; if in your heart you think something is a sin, then for you it is a sin, and if you have no honest qualms about it, then dont worry.
So in this context, in my heart; I have no issues playing GTA4. However alot of other christians do, and so if a close friend of mine, becomes distressed and is really worried that me playing GTA4 is a sin, then I would stop playing it so as to not be a stumbling block to my friend.
Cool, thanks for reading, leave me a comment, feel free to debate any of my biblical justifications, Im still a new christian and I may have this all totally wrong.
