Sweating the small stuff
Man, I never faced so many tough decisions. I’m not talking about the choice of bread rolls in the Xbox canteen, but the scrapes in GTAIV!
Before playing GTAIV you look forward to the big stuff – the heists, car chases and those large scale shootouts. But the real magic of Grand Theft Auto IV is in the detail, because it’s the small stuff that triggers the major events… just like in real life. One thing leads to another, such as a favour you do for a mystery caller, or ongoing piece work for Brucie down the garage. I guess ‘networking’ is the word – Liberty City really feels like a living, breathing web of corruption and deceit, with reluctant hero Niko Bellic always in the middle. And the most outstanding new feature is Niko’s mobile phone that, again just like real life, keeps him connected to Liberty’s beating heart at all times. Niko receives plenty of missions via mobile phone, directives sometimes as blunt as a short line of text. He’ll arrange nights out with friends too, so it’s not all work, work, work. A couple of times Niko can lure a target out into the open by dialling their number. For me the coolest feature is the camera, used to snap proof of a job well done, or to identify felons by uploading the image to a squad car’s onboard computer. Neat! Probably the least expected but most emotionally rewarding aspect of GTAIV is the ever mounting sense of pressure. With Niko so busy, and only ever able to be in one place at a time, you risk upsetting the big fish while dealing with small fry. My advice to you is never keep them waiting too long! Luckily for you GTA IV is out now on Xbox 360! Out This Week Graeme Boyd, Xbox.com Community Manager, Gamertag: AceyBongos |
