Grand Theft Auto IV graphical comparison with real life
May 14, 2008 7:13 AM Subscribe
...and on stupid flickr.
This is pretty cool. I've never played GTA, so at first I thought this was in the nature of an expose. But the statue makes it clear that this was already known to everyone but me. Having the side by sides was still pretty cool.
posted by DU at 7:25 AM on May 14, 2008
This is pretty cool. I've never played GTA, so at first I thought this was in the nature of an expose. But the statue makes it clear that this was already known to everyone but me. Having the side by sides was still pretty cool.
posted by DU at 7:25 AM on May 14, 2008
Just what I was going to say grouse. Some of them are right on, very hard to tell the real from the virtual. Good on Rockstar.
posted by yellowbinder at 7:36 AM on May 14, 2008
posted by yellowbinder at 7:36 AM on May 14, 2008
Comment on the Bank Of America/Bank Of Liberty one:
"Last night I blew up a cab with my rocket launcher here. Bodies were everywhere."
Heh. It really is amazing how closely they duplicated New York City, though. What critics of the series don't get is it's less the wanton violence and more the crazy level of detail of the city simulation and the endless things to do that makes the games so popular. Many knockoffs (Saints Row, Driv3r, etc.) have copied the violence and the basic gameplay, but in a crappy, generic "city" and have totally failed.
Fun GTAIV fact (unconfirmed, I haven't actually tried this yet): I am told if you click around on one of the net cafe computers for long enough, you will find a website for a child beauty pageant. If you look at it, you will immediately get a six star wanted level upon logging off.
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:37 AM on May 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
"Last night I blew up a cab with my rocket launcher here. Bodies were everywhere."
Heh. It really is amazing how closely they duplicated New York City, though. What critics of the series don't get is it's less the wanton violence and more the crazy level of detail of the city simulation and the endless things to do that makes the games so popular. Many knockoffs (Saints Row, Driv3r, etc.) have copied the violence and the basic gameplay, but in a crappy, generic "city" and have totally failed.
Fun GTAIV fact (unconfirmed, I haven't actually tried this yet): I am told if you click around on one of the net cafe computers for long enough, you will find a website for a child beauty pageant. If you look at it, you will immediately get a six star wanted level upon logging off.
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:37 AM on May 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'll admit, the first time I saw faux Times Square at night, I was floored. Just so bright and pretty and tall. Overall, I think the team did a really great job of hitting the city's recognizable high points and compressing everything in between.
I'm one of the (relatively) few who really hated GTA III: San Andreas. Aside from the story being lame, and there just being too much to keep track of (dating? turf wars? eating?), the landscape was just too big. There was too much featureless terrain between locations (and sometimes within missions). The hyper-compressed New York in GTA IV leaves just right right amount of land to cover.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:43 AM on May 14, 2008
I'm one of the (relatively) few who really hated GTA III: San Andreas. Aside from the story being lame, and there just being too much to keep track of (dating? turf wars? eating?), the landscape was just too big. There was too much featureless terrain between locations (and sometimes within missions). The hyper-compressed New York in GTA IV leaves just right right amount of land to cover.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:43 AM on May 14, 2008
Fun GTAIV fact (unconfirmed, I haven't actually tried this yet): I am told if you click around on one of the net cafe computers for long enough, you will find a website for a child beauty pageant. If you look at it, you will immediately get a six star wanted level upon logging off.
It's www.littlelacysurprisepageant.com and it only gives you a four star wanted level (which is still a bitch to get rid of). It's a pedophilia sting.
posted by unsupervised at 7:45 AM on May 14, 2008
It's www.littlelacysurprisepageant.com and it only gives you a four star wanted level (which is still a bitch to get rid of). It's a pedophilia sting.
posted by unsupervised at 7:45 AM on May 14, 2008
Aside from the story being lame
Man, I've gotta disagree there. The story in SA was my favorite out of any of the series pre-IV. Officer Tenpenny was one of the greatest video game characters of all time.
and there just being too much to keep track of (dating? turf wars? eating?)
I agree on the turf wars being an annoying chore, but I never found eating to be as much of an annoyance as everyone else seemed to. There were maybe 3 or 4 times in the like 60 hours I played it for that I remember having to eat. They bowed to public opinion and removed it, though, and now eating just refills your health when you need it. Dating was somewhat annoying, but they've made it more fun in IV, since all the minigames are pretty fun. The addition of male friends is ever-so-slightly irritating, since they seem to call you more frequently. No, Roman, I don't want to go play pool, I'm trying to steal shit and shoot people here. And then it lowers your points with that person when you refuse them. On one mission where I had to tail a drug dealer on foot, I got one of those calls, and the cell phone conversation spooked the dealer, causing me to fail the mission. It would have been annoying if it weren't a cool detail that the dealer actually "heard" my conversation.
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:59 AM on May 14, 2008
Man, I've gotta disagree there. The story in SA was my favorite out of any of the series pre-IV. Officer Tenpenny was one of the greatest video game characters of all time.
and there just being too much to keep track of (dating? turf wars? eating?)
I agree on the turf wars being an annoying chore, but I never found eating to be as much of an annoyance as everyone else seemed to. There were maybe 3 or 4 times in the like 60 hours I played it for that I remember having to eat. They bowed to public opinion and removed it, though, and now eating just refills your health when you need it. Dating was somewhat annoying, but they've made it more fun in IV, since all the minigames are pretty fun. The addition of male friends is ever-so-slightly irritating, since they seem to call you more frequently. No, Roman, I don't want to go play pool, I'm trying to steal shit and shoot people here. And then it lowers your points with that person when you refuse them. On one mission where I had to tail a drug dealer on foot, I got one of those calls, and the cell phone conversation spooked the dealer, causing me to fail the mission. It would have been annoying if it weren't a cool detail that the dealer actually "heard" my conversation.
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:59 AM on May 14, 2008
Can't you put your phone on vibrate?
posted by grouse at 8:05 AM on May 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by grouse at 8:05 AM on May 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
I dunno, I just remember Vice City being a lot more fun than San Andreas. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the flying, the parachuting, the variety of terrain... but as a whole, it just wasn't as much "fun" for me.
The only in-mission call I've had in GTA IV so far was while I was driving a truck full of explosives. The response was, "No thanks, Roman, I am driving truck full of explosives for [so-and-so]." Which was clever, if it doesn't happen every time you run the mission (which I suppose it might).
posted by uncleozzy at 8:15 AM on May 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
The only in-mission call I've had in GTA IV so far was while I was driving a truck full of explosives. The response was, "No thanks, Roman, I am driving truck full of explosives for [so-and-so]." Which was clever, if it doesn't happen every time you run the mission (which I suppose it might).
posted by uncleozzy at 8:15 AM on May 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
I've been spending quite a lot of time just wandering around in Liberty City and cruising down the (largely empty compared to real-life) avenues on Algonquin/Manhattan. It's like they took NYC and just chopped out everything that was repetitious or unremarkable, so it's like driving around NYC - The Edited Highlights.
Not got to the New Jersey analogue yet, so yet to see if that's the same, although I've not been there in real life, so not sure how I'd know. To a Brit though, it feels accurate somehow.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:17 AM on May 14, 2008
Not got to the New Jersey analogue yet, so yet to see if that's the same, although I've not been there in real life, so not sure how I'd know. To a Brit though, it feels accurate somehow.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:17 AM on May 14, 2008
I am told if you click around on one of the net cafe computers for long enough, you will find a website for a child beauty pageant. If you look at it, you will immediately get a six star wanted level upon logging off.
Oingo Boingo's Little Girls was playing at the moment I read the above. Spooky.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:31 AM on May 14, 2008
Oingo Boingo's Little Girls was playing at the moment I read the above. Spooky.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:31 AM on May 14, 2008
DecemberBoy -- If you accept a friend's invitation for a date and then immediately call back to cancel, it does not lower your score with him.
posted by Perplexity at 8:31 AM on May 14, 2008
posted by Perplexity at 8:31 AM on May 14, 2008
To a Brit though, it feels accurate somehow.
This struck me yesterday when I stumbled upon the metro art museum that I automatically recognised... from all the movies it's been in. They've effectively recreated the New York of the movies.
posted by slimepuppy at 8:34 AM on May 14, 2008
This struck me yesterday when I stumbled upon the metro art museum that I automatically recognised... from all the movies it's been in. They've effectively recreated the New York of the movies.
posted by slimepuppy at 8:34 AM on May 14, 2008
On one mission where I had to tail a drug dealer on foot, I got one of those calls, and the cell phone conversation spooked the dealer, causing me to fail the mission. It would have been annoying if it weren't a cool detail that the dealer actually "heard" my conversation.
That's actually scripted. It means you were too close.
posted by linux at 8:35 AM on May 14, 2008
That's actually scripted. It means you were too close.
posted by linux at 8:35 AM on May 14, 2008
It's not on the photoset, but they did my neighborhood proud with the Brooklyn Promenade.
I'm still a big San Andreas fan, though. I miss flying, haircuts and motorcycle rides in the country.
posted by Bookhouse at 8:39 AM on May 14, 2008
I'm still a big San Andreas fan, though. I miss flying, haircuts and motorcycle rides in the country.
posted by Bookhouse at 8:39 AM on May 14, 2008
The other night, I got roaring drunk (in real life) at a party. When I woke up the next morning, I had a vague memory of playing GTA IV before bed. When I booted up the game and Niko walked out of his apartment, I saw I had parked a hearse outside. Where the hell did I get a hearse?!?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED LAST NIGHT, NIKO?!
posted by yeti at 8:43 AM on May 14, 2008 [9 favorites]
posted by yeti at 8:43 AM on May 14, 2008 [9 favorites]
The only in-mission call I've had in GTA IV so far was while I was driving a truck full of explosives. The response was, "No thanks, Roman, I am driving truck full of explosives for [so-and-so]." Which was clever, if it doesn't happen every time you run the mission (which I suppose it might).
Same thing happened to me. It must be a scripted event.
posted by DecemberBoy at 8:48 AM on May 14, 2008
Same thing happened to me. It must be a scripted event.
posted by DecemberBoy at 8:48 AM on May 14, 2008
Somewhat unrelated question. Are there more interiors in GTA4? That was an area where the previous GTAs fell short.
posted by sixcolors at 8:55 AM on May 14, 2008
posted by sixcolors at 8:55 AM on May 14, 2008
Yeah, San Andreas was pretty sweet. Trying to make CJ look like Shaft, late night motorcycle rides jamming to Midlife Crisis. Ah, faux memories..
posted by adamdschneider at 9:02 AM on May 14, 2008
posted by adamdschneider at 9:02 AM on May 14, 2008
I hear the Astoria Beer Garden is in GTAIV? Any screenshots of that?
posted by muckster at 9:04 AM on May 14, 2008
posted by muckster at 9:04 AM on May 14, 2008
Cute, thanks uncleozzy. The real place is neither Irish nor German but Czech, of course.
posted by muckster at 9:18 AM on May 14, 2008
posted by muckster at 9:18 AM on May 14, 2008
Are there more interiors in GTA4?
Not really. I mean, I suppose that technically, there are probably more buildings to enter. But there's virtually no interaction with them.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:36 AM on May 14, 2008
Not really. I mean, I suppose that technically, there are probably more buildings to enter. But there's virtually no interaction with them.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:36 AM on May 14, 2008
It's not on the photoset, but they did my neighborhood proud with the Brooklyn Promenade.
I'm too old and boring to play videogames any more, but I'm really tempted to get a PS3 and GTA IV just so I can drive around my old neighborhood (Carroll Gardens) in Brooklyn and see if it looks like my old neighborhood.
Except that I don't know whether my neighborhood is in the game.
It should be, since there were two different "social clubs" on my block and we had a guy named Lou who just kind of hung out on the corner keeping an eye on things, but maybe it's not worth my spending hundreds of dollars to see if Lou and his white Jaguar with the "My Girls" license plate are in the game...
posted by dersins at 9:57 AM on May 14, 2008
I'm too old and boring to play videogames any more, but I'm really tempted to get a PS3 and GTA IV just so I can drive around my old neighborhood (Carroll Gardens) in Brooklyn and see if it looks like my old neighborhood.
Except that I don't know whether my neighborhood is in the game.
It should be, since there were two different "social clubs" on my block and we had a guy named Lou who just kind of hung out on the corner keeping an eye on things, but maybe it's not worth my spending hundreds of dollars to see if Lou and his white Jaguar with the "My Girls" license plate are in the game...
posted by dersins at 9:57 AM on May 14, 2008
Thanks, East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94.
Man, I haven't said East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 in a long time. I'd forgotten how much I like saying East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 .
posted by dersins at 10:03 AM on May 14, 2008
Man, I haven't said East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 in a long time. I'd forgotten how much I like saying East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 .
posted by dersins at 10:03 AM on May 14, 2008
East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94
posted by dersins at 10:03 AM on May 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by dersins at 10:03 AM on May 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
Can't you put your phone on vibrate?
You can, actually.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:11 AM on May 14, 2008
You can, actually.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:11 AM on May 14, 2008
Curses, ludwig beat me; yeah, put your phone on vibrate and it shouldn't alert nearby baddies.
posted by Justinian at 11:30 AM on May 14, 2008
posted by Justinian at 11:30 AM on May 14, 2008
They've effectively recreated the New York of the movies.
You mean Vancouver?
posted by inigo2 at 11:35 AM on May 14, 2008
You mean Vancouver?
posted by inigo2 at 11:35 AM on May 14, 2008
Swear to GOD, I found my apartment in this game. It's right by the Steinway Beer Garden, just like the Bohemia Beer Garden IRL. It was creepy how many details matched up, from the double fan in the front window to the empty business space for rent downstairs. You haven't lived until you've fake stolen a fake car from your fake apartment that is creepily like your real one. If only I could trash my awful neighbor's apartment in the game, I'd be able to blow off a lot of steam.
posted by piratebowling at 5:25 PM on May 14, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by piratebowling at 5:25 PM on May 14, 2008 [5 favorites]
Was just sitting in my apartment on 9th Ave in midtown and heard sirens at a distance and never did figure out if they were in the game or in real life. Weeeird.
They did so many things right in getting the flavor down that I was disappointed that Jersey (can't remember the GTA name) still had Liberty City cop cars. But, I guess, in the game it's all part of the same city. Take that, Jersey!
posted by papercake at 8:02 PM on May 14, 2008
They did so many things right in getting the flavor down that I was disappointed that Jersey (can't remember the GTA name) still had Liberty City cop cars. But, I guess, in the game it's all part of the same city. Take that, Jersey!
posted by papercake at 8:02 PM on May 14, 2008
Oh, did I mention I was playing the game when I heard those sirens? I was. Really.
posted by papercake at 8:02 PM on May 14, 2008
posted by papercake at 8:02 PM on May 14, 2008
Somewhat unrelated question. Are there more interiors in GTA4? That was an area where the previous GTAs fell short.
IGN has an interactive map - if you tick the box for 'Buildings with Interiors', there's actually a significant number. One area where the game falls down a bit actually is that it's not immediately obvious which buildings can be entered and which can't, so you need things like this map to find buildings you can enter, not all of which are mission-related, or indeed to find your way back to cool interiors from missions.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:10 AM on May 15, 2008
IGN has an interactive map - if you tick the box for 'Buildings with Interiors', there's actually a significant number. One area where the game falls down a bit actually is that it's not immediately obvious which buildings can be entered and which can't, so you need things like this map to find buildings you can enter, not all of which are mission-related, or indeed to find your way back to cool interiors from missions.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:10 AM on May 15, 2008
Just bought GTA4 last night, and so far I like it, although braking is a bitch!
And where are the bikes? And why does everyone kick my ass when I try to mug them?
posted by Vindaloo at 5:32 AM on May 15, 2008
And where are the bikes? And why does everyone kick my ass when I try to mug them?
posted by Vindaloo at 5:32 AM on May 15, 2008
Yeah the driving is very different from the previous games. It takes a lot of getting used to, but I like it now. You just have to be very conservative with the handbrake and actually slow down for turns.
Overall I have really enjoyed the game, but what's with taking out the mid-mission checkpoints? In SA if there was a mission that involved driving to a location and then doing something and you died after getting there, you could skip right to the location when you tried the mission again. Now you have to do all these 'driving to something' parts over and over. I don't understand why they would take this step back.
Having said that, the game experience is just great, the incredible reproduction of the highlights of NY being a big part of that. It does feel like playing in the movie version of the city. Like people have said, it's the little details of the game that make it so satisfying to play: overhearing other people's cell phone conversations, the radio news programs talking about your recent crimes, the cops warning sirens when you run a red light. Almost all of the characters are interesting, and I care about their stories. Like even though I dislike Brucie, I love hanging out with him because he's hilarious (and GENETICALLY DIFFERENT BABY!) That, and the fact that when I get bored of missions, I'm in Times Square with a helicopter and a rocket launcher.
posted by Who_Am_I at 6:40 AM on May 15, 2008
Overall I have really enjoyed the game, but what's with taking out the mid-mission checkpoints? In SA if there was a mission that involved driving to a location and then doing something and you died after getting there, you could skip right to the location when you tried the mission again. Now you have to do all these 'driving to something' parts over and over. I don't understand why they would take this step back.
Having said that, the game experience is just great, the incredible reproduction of the highlights of NY being a big part of that. It does feel like playing in the movie version of the city. Like people have said, it's the little details of the game that make it so satisfying to play: overhearing other people's cell phone conversations, the radio news programs talking about your recent crimes, the cops warning sirens when you run a red light. Almost all of the characters are interesting, and I care about their stories. Like even though I dislike Brucie, I love hanging out with him because he's hilarious (and GENETICALLY DIFFERENT BABY!) That, and the fact that when I get bored of missions, I'm in Times Square with a helicopter and a rocket launcher.
posted by Who_Am_I at 6:40 AM on May 15, 2008
« Older “I went into teaching full of belief and idealism.... | Just One of Our Submarines Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by grouse at 7:22 AM on May 14, 2008