The Next GTA: Forget the Realism Please

If there was one thing that turned off a lot of people about GTA four was the fact that it took itself way too seriously in trying to recreate true realism. The problem is realism and videogames don’t always tend to go well together and you end up with a game that could have been so much more…

[electricshadow]

I enjoyed GTA IV a lot and I didn't mind that they made the game more realistic. I got used to it quite fast. Out of of all the GTAs I've played (III, VC, and SA), I found IV the funnest. It's completely up to personal preference. Regardless if they go back to GTA IV's realism or SA gameplay style I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

[FishCake9T4]

I did like GTA4 but no where near as much as i liked GTA SA, and found GTA4 the least fun of all. No planes, no decent helicopters, no flamethrowers, no swords, no tanks, only 3 cloths shops, no custom cars, no bikes, no RPG level up elements, lack of size and no fighting styles IMO made 4 worse than SA.

[samoon]

Definitely agree. It lacked a lot of what made SA fun. Random things to do. San Andreas had a lot of RPG elements and included tons of customization.

[Cevapi88]

hell give me GTA in space and i would love it

[ThatArtGuy]

I absolutely hated the RPG elements in SA. I'm all for customization, but only when it's optional.

[NecrumSlavery]

I would love to see 80's style post apocolyptic GTA. Not the Fallout, Book of Eli, The Road style of the end of days, but maybe something more of mad max, escape from la, deathrace 2000, but something like that

[BenCrazy424]

I just hope they combine the realistic elements of GTA IV with the fun and customization of GTA SA.

[r1sh12]

I agree with fishcake.
I mean the multiplayer addition was the best, but this article is useless.
I would like to see more things in the Single Player like the parachutes, tanks and a business that makes you money once you own it.
I really loved San andreas because we could get tatoos, learn certain fighting types and body build or just get fat.
If they have the SA format with the next GTA with the realism of GTA iv.
Greatest game of all time.

[silvacrest]

when wasn't it optional?

[ThatArtGuy]

Having to drive around on your motorbike just to get your motorcycle skill up to a level where you weren't wobbling around was a pain.

Most importantly, it was unnecessary and mandatory.

[Dee_91]

saints row is that way ..
i want realism with gta san andreas/ vice city gameplay and storyline .. is that too hard to ask for ?

[josh14399]

gta4 is my favourite gta game if you want crazy play saints row. The only thing gta4 lacked was decent minigames and planes but they can be easily added in the next game. i

[blib]

Got a better idea. If you like realism so much, why not go play real life, and lets have the GTA series become a fun video game again.

[pr0digyZA]

I loved GTA IV I thought it was a way of going to GTA 3 days. GTA SA was the best overall but it doesnt detract from this GTA. I guess you wont get Mafia 2 then, because that's even more real seeing as you have to drive speed limits and fill up with petrol etc...

[BattleAxe]

@ blib

Hey, why don't you go play with yourself

[john of the dead]

Take the time to learn how to play a game that does thing differently. Gta 4 was fun as hell without the dlc, with it its off the charts fun.Its not rockstars fault you cant appreciate great game design.

[sam2236]

"if you want crazy play saints row"

...but we shouldn't have to. GTA started the 'crazy sandbox/free roam' thing. You'd know that if you had played the other games, but judging from your comment, I'd say 4 was your first.

Honestly, 4 sucked as a GTA game. There was fuck all to do and the missions were shit and boring. Why the hell would I want to go drinking with Roman when I could've litarally unleashed hell with a monster truck, a flame thrower and a jetpack?

[Rocket Sauce]

GTA is never going to be fun again. I took the fourth game as them saying, "We're embarrassed of our PS2 games."

I'd say let GTA go and at least try Saint's Row if you want wackiness. That's what I did, and I love it.

[john of the dead]

because saints row ripped them the fuck off they decided to go a different route.

[nickjkl]

didnt they take planes out because they were being criticized by the media for giving players the ability to fly planes into buildings in a city modeled after new york city

because as gamers we would fly a plane into a building just because we have nothing better to do

[Focker420]

The whole point of GTA was it wasn't realistic. Everything was so crazy and over-the-top. GTA IV lacked that element. Vice City was my favorite because of how far-fetched everything was. It never once took itself seriously, and thats what was so fun about it.

[marioPSUC]

I liked GTA IV, I got used to the feel of it all, but there weren't like any over the top missions like there were in like GTA SA. The ballad of Gay tony got it right, there were many unique missions and they were all fun. And there was quite a bunch of humor in it too.

[Capdastaro]

San Andreas is my all time favourite GTA for gameplay, but Vice City was my favourite for its storyline and characters, but GTA3 is a classic for re-birthing the series.

Lets go back to that yeah?

Saying that though, I still liked GTAIV and played way over 40 hours on single player and a long while on MP, but The Lost and Damned was pretty poor IMO and not played TBOGT

[HeroXIV]

Rockstar are kings among developers, let them get along with it. They're nothing short of AAA developers who develop AAA games.

[N2G]

that's good if it means they're going back to making the good ol FUN GTA games.

[iamgoatman]

You mean to tell me being phoned every 5 minutes by your unbelievably irritating cousin, him then requesting you go out together so you can play some darts mini game, WASN'T fun?

[spektical]

realism didnt turn off people.. what turned off people was the fact that the content of the game was less than GTA:SA.

[r1sh12]

yep

[Kick The Ass]

Which is to be frank, quite a hard claim to fulfill.

People are always comparing San Andreas to IV, but SA was the third entry with the old engine, Rockstar used the engine to it's fullest since they knew it so well.

IV was the first GTA with the RAGE engine, an engine where they also had a whole new physics engine. All of this is not easy to do.
GTA 3 was good, yeah absolutely, but compare that to SA and we have the same case as with IV.

IV was a great game, and very fun. Of course it didn't have all the content that SA did, how could Rockstar possible do that?
And to be fair, Rockstar did try to make it up to all the people complaining with the Ballad of Gay Tony.

I applaud Rockstar for GTA IV, the first next-gen GTA and await with (im)patience the next entry where I will be having a lot of fun.

[1942]

gta needs to get back to what gta:sa was. they need to stop trying to be something they're not. gta was always like a dark cartoon now they want to try and be deep. they took out everything that made gta fun with gta4 to try and be realistic and the game suffered because of it.

[nickjkl]

gta 3
drive by
fly planes

vice city
buy hideouts and buisness

san andreas
gang wars
rpg elements
jet packs
car modification
burglarys

gta4
cover system
fighting mechanic
ability to call cops paramedics and fire department
gps system
escape system

to me gta4 was the best because of how it felt the cars guns cover system story city it was all good especially bonuses for building relationships like dwaynes back up or that girsl ability to wipe youre wanted level that you had to met through the interwebs

idk about you guys but the next gta for this gneration is going to be awesome but gta5 next generation is going to be like gta4 of this generation and gta3 of last generation

[metsgaming]

Im actually looking foward to a new saints row game. They made it fun just Gta used to be. When the campaign in gta4 was over, there was nothing to do. The other gta games you could have fun without doing the missions.

[blib]

Classic Saints Row moment that could teach GTA alot. Getting hit and killed by a random speeding car and catching a glimpse of the driver pumping his fists in the air, and yelling "ALL RIGHT!!"

[fredfenster]

GTA IV is my favorite of the series, and like many, I've played them all. Niko is the man.

[Stationfan]

I just picked up GTA lost and damn and ballad of gay tony, ps3 combo for only 19.99 brand NEW!!, i didnt like GTA4 much but i heard this was a step in the right direction.

Oh and i got them by printing out the best buy reward zone coupon,

[ian72]

I think GTA4 was great. Like someone above said, realism wasn't the problem it was the missions and things to do. Having someone call your mobile/cell phone every 5 minutes or so, was a pain, but apart from that I had no other problems. Graphics, sound and story were great. I loved Liberty City in GTA4/Episodes, it felt like a real city, something new round every corner, just need more variety in missions etc.
Also like said above, If you don't like realism, play Saints Row.

[TheLastGuardian]

I pretty much agree except how is more building something new around every corner? San andreas was the peak of Rockstar's creativity. I don't wan't to play saint's row, I want the old GTA back with prettier graphics and a city that's not so generic and I want more crazy shit just like we had in San Andreas.

[silvacrest]

i'm hoping rockstar are aware of the GTA4 criticisms and wont make the same mistake with GTA5

please rockstart, just add to the content from now on, we want planes, proper tanks, more shops etc

[Bocanegra]

Still scalping for ticket less applause, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! I've defected!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RumbleFish]

San Andreas like scale and contend and diversity in a Vice City flavored icing.
Thank you very much! :D

[Focker420]

Exactly

[samoon]

Or just do GTA collection for PS3.

Like the way they did it with god of war and sly cooper. Make all the games in HD, and add online. :)

[N4PS3Fanboys]

The realism in GTA IV is what makes it easily the best game of this gen, and tied for the second highest-rated game of all time. I know Rockstar would never bring the realism back down, because they kept it in Red Dead Redemption, to an even higher extent, and they know it's what makes their games stand out from the rest.

[Skadoosh]

What's wrong with a franchise evolving? It went from silly driving mechanics to more realistic driving mechanics. I for one loved the change. Makes me think twice about trying to get away by jacking a SUV or a truck.

[TheLastGuardian]

GTA IV was a good game but it lacked in things to do besides missions. I mean you could go to see a show or get drunk but I'd rather fly around in jetpacks or do crazy shit just for fun. GTA IV didn't feel the same as the others in the series. I couldn't stand how heavy it felt and the change in controls. The Ballad of Gay Tony was better in terms of crazy shit to do but no where near the amout of fun as San andreas. And the city wasn't as memorable as GTA 3,Vice City or San Andreas.

[Kick The Ass]

People should compare GTA IV to GTA 3, not San Andreas.

They are both the first entry using a new engine, and are on more equal terms than SA and IV are.
In IV Rockstar had a whole new engine by their hands (Table Tennis isn't a freeroam, it doesnt really count), where they had to learn a lot of things about it, and A LOT of tweaking to do.
In San Andreas they had learned everything about the engine in 3 and VC.
Now they could focus on making new sweet stuff, like missions, mini-games, vehicle classes and so on.

Therefore you should compare IV with 3.

BTW people, if you do your math you would see that:
GTA 3: An awesome game although pale in content compared to VC and SA.
GTA VC: An AWESOME game with activities to do, shops to buy and more things to 'take care of'.
GTA SA: An amazingly fun and awesome game with all the things you could possibly wish for in a GTA game, maybe except wildlife.

Now, imagine the two next Grand Theft Autos, and enjoy your daydreaming! :)

[CaptainPunch]

If it has the physics of GTA IV and the fun of San Andreas I'm sold!

[Kakihara]

The sad thing is they were forced into the realism, GTA3 through San Andreas had such a huge impact on the gaming world that there was no way they could've kept the same style and been anything other than just another wacky sandbox game.

I totally respect what they tried to do but I just don't think they've pulled it off in GTA4 or RDR. They've evolved the writing and the environment to an insanely high degree but the core gameplay and overall game structure are so dated it's annoying.

Their trouble is that they need to come up with something as groundbreaking as the 3D crime sandbox idea was when GTA3 came out. If they want their next game to have the same impact GTA3 had they need to show us something we've never seen before, something like the ability to choose any job imaginable and have a storyline evolve from that or .... I can't even think of anything, that's the problem. They need to show us something mindblowing and they originally set the bar so high it's gonna be hard to do.

[MysticStrummer]

I loved GTA4. I wish they would keep that style with the next one, but I know they won't because of all the whiners.

[metsgaming]

Also make it less hazy. The graphics were so hazy it was horrible, make the colors vibrant like in vice city.

[swishersweets20031]

i would like to see them bring back the pills that made the bullets whiz by slow, the rampages, have it when you collect items like the packages, u get special items again.. like i think in the 3rd one it was 10 packages and u get granades.. something like that. Go back to the old star wanted level system. Bring back amnunation. change the driving a little, even driving slow the car just wouldnt turn corners worth a damn to me.. bring back those random RC missions, i thought those were fun.
If they keep the series going the way it is, it will be the first GTA out of the series that i wont buy. But for everyone else that likes part 4, all the power to ya.

I think my biggest wish of all, is a HD remake of the original games.

[Immortal321]

it makes the game a little harder.

[samoon]

Depends on the game imo.

[Immortal321]

I hate games without a sense of realism, I grew away from nintendo.

[Xi]

I think GTA should increase the realism. What they should do though is bring back a lot of the more fun stuff, and give side mission which cater to the unrealistic features of older games. Like selling coke out of the icecream van, if anything realism will only push the comedic value of the action.

I also hope they add more of a cinematic flare to some of the smaller things.

[NnT3291]

GTA has always been realistic, even in Ps2 era. The problem with GTA4 was that It didnt have all the cool stuff we loved to do in GTA games. Just ask anyone who's new to GTA and they'll say they love GTA4.