Kruton9000

So where does the 'New' Liberty City fit in? The fact that San Andreas is referred to and advertised on the tv means that both must co-exist, but San Andreas residents would be familiar with the 'original' Liberty City as this was included as missions in San Andreas?? Surely there cannot be TWO Liberty Cities? All previous titles fit together superbly and are cross referenced for realism, just like to know where this city fits in as the restaurant area etc do not exist in the new.

The driving takes a while to get used to and I admit I have sort of got the hang of it for general driving around (as long as you don't use a super car or muscle car). But, my concern is, this may be fine for the here and now but what happens when Rockstar release a future episode which may include driving school tests etc! (Those cone dodging and street dodging ones gonna be tough to say the least). As for the general 'stuff to do', I turned my mission phone off and just looked around, there really is not a lot to do. Every district looks the same and there are no side stuff to do, no schools or emergency missions, dirtring/sanchez missions. There really is nothing after the missions to do except drive around. Why do the police not have bikes? this really is Liberty City! but saddest of all, drive to the airports and the Liberty City of old returns. You can see various planes but they are just for show and that frustrates especially after the freedom of San Andreas. Two types of helicopter and that's it. The water too, you cannot dive beneath the surface, are these restrictions really necessary after the amount of time and effort spent on it? Let's just hope the next installment really is a game upgrade rather than a cosmetic upgrade.

Absolutely spot on! there are not half the things that were in San Andreas, what we have gained in graphics we have lost in game-play, sad really because it could have been a hell of a lot better.

Fun? What is the point? the cars look amazing, but can you keep them, No! bring back the garage as a method of storing cars, I had two vehicles that I liked, one got nicked whilst I was there saving the game, the other went whilst I was away on a mission. This sucks as it was always the best thing about GTA, storing that special hard to get car. GGRR! Plus where are the driving schools? planes? Taxi missions? mod shops? Import/exports? or extras of any kind? I looked through the guide to see if I was missing anything and nope, that's yer lot. Main story missions and that's it. So basically once you have finished story mode it's time to trade it in because it has very little replay value. I know there are a lot of die-hard fans out there but come face it apart from the cosmetics it has moved backwards, surely?

Woah, seem to have touched a nerve there! we are NOT anti-GTA, but this is a forum and everyone has the right to voice an opinion, that's what makes the big boys sit up and take notice and see what needs improving for future releases. The 1st installation on the latest consoles was always going to be a tester and to make it noticably different from San Andreas, there obviously had to be a few tweaks to the system. Some are great, some not so. The handling is an issue and so is the lighting. Other improvements/tweaks are a matter of opinion (Police system etc). I have given this game a full days play now and whilst some areas are growing on me, the handling is not. I can make more corners now, but speed needs to be slow and handbrake is far too delicate and as for real-life, cars do not handle like that, they are far too slippery. For missions I tend to use the in-car view which seems to handle better? but pointless finding that super car as you only see the bonnet. As for fun, the game still knocks the competition into touch. Fact. But I tend not to want to just drive around the city as before and I don't think there is one mission that I have wanted to replay. But again this just an opinion.

Last one and I'm done, everytime I step into the road..WHACK! I'm a gonna. Understand the whole 'if you walk out into traffic' but most of the time I am hit from behind and mostly when I have whistled a taxi and it waits 100yards down the road on the opposite side! A couple of times I have become sandwiched between two cars and my health races down to zero. When you are being shot at and you have to wait at a crossing for a safe place to walk, or following someone on a mission that is not good. Realism sucks!

Another thing is the camera angle when in any vehicle, it's not directly behind but to the left. Now I have to drive in 1st person mode which defeats the point of getting those fantastic looking vehicles because all you see is the bonnet (and you cannot tell if you are about to explode in this view, as I have found out in missions). Plus as for lighting, for a added gripe does the game sometimes look almost black and white in some weather conditions? The handling is more realistic, but the whole point of a game is that it's a game, you are not meant to drive at 15mph and slow to a halt before turning. We want to belt up the road weaving in and out of traffic and hand-braking perfectly around corners and claiming insane stunts. And the cheats... You are being shot at by 3 cops with your two-star wanted level, you have nowhere to hide without them following you so you whip out your phone and try to key in the 'lower wanted level cheat' on the worlds tiniest buttons, a gunshot hits you... Your phone disappears and you have to start again. What the? I know cheats can ruin a game, but sometimes a little help is required, especially in them long many part missions. Imagine, just for fun, Grand Theft Auto 3 the whole game same missions but with todays graphics, vehicles and extras, top drawer. Because I think games get too big, to the point that you can't be bothered driving to a mission or place of interest because it is just too damn far. So you take a cab. Where's the fun in that. GTA3 was the right size for blasting around, taxi missions worked well. Just a thought. I have played my own San Andreas Enhanced over and over, every car changed, absolute blast, and more to the point much Fun.

I am a big lover of all the GTA games so believe me I am not just having a go for the sake of it. The graphics are supreme, the extras astounding, attention to detail second to none, but.... Is it still fun? I maybe the only person in the world to dare say anything against the might that is GTAIV, but I just cannot get used to it. The cars are near impossible to handle, handbrake..Forget it. The better sportier cars are just harder to control and this is infuriating in chase missions or bring this vehicle back in mint condition missions. Also it is so dark! playing in daytime is hard, everywhere is so dark, day or night. (I have tried brightness!), thirdly I am used to classic controls, x being accelerate etc (PS3), supported yes, playable.. not so. There are no look left/right shoulder buttons and reversing/looking behind means pressing square and R3 plus right stick if you wish to turn. I want to like this game so much but all the glamour and glitz is meaningless if the basics are forgotten, cars should not handle like real-life cars, it's a game it's supposed to be fun, you not meant to drive at 30mph and indicate at a junction (slight exaggeration) One last thing before the lynch mobs are out, where exactly does this game fit in? are there 2 Liberty Cities? this would not be so much a problem if this newer one was the 'real' one forget what went before. But San Andreas is advertised on TV, the original Liberty City was a mission in San Andreas, therefore that Liberty City exists in their eyes, but then so does the new one as it's referred to on TV programs/adverts. ? Anyways it's a great game I know and people are gonna love it because it is what it is, many will love the new handling, but I think the purists may argue that you just get the feeling of waiting for that and wanting to garage that super car as it's gonna handle like it's on something.