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14.4.11
I've always loved RPGs and open-world sandbox games. They're the ones that unleash gaming's true potential as a truly interactive experience, by placing you in a world which you directly alter with your own actions. As such a fan of the genre, I've spent a lot of time listening to podcasts, reading articles and watching interviews in which developers talk about building these types of atmospheric, non-linear games.
I've think I've found the rule for a successful open world game.
I don't think anyone can doubt that making a game with good atmosphere isn't one of (if not the) main goals for modern game designers. Any game that has a large area to explore has got to feel right; whether it's magical and fantastic or real and grounded, no matter the genre or take, all imagined worlds follow the same principles to feel alive and real. Fun, engaging gameplay is important, but if you're spending 300 hours in an unconvincing land, you won't have fun; a nagging voice in your head will always remind you that 'this isn't right'. Feeling immersed is a vital component for both basic enjoyment and that special emotional connection felt only in incredibly good games.
Graphics, obviously, often aid immersement. Most upcoming open world games look to have no lack of beauty - Skyrim is an obvious example. But it's the wealth of small, often minor features or mechanics that truly make or break a game world. Take S.T.A.L.K.E.R., for example. While its textures may be bland and outdated, its lighting is superb. When combined with other effects, like eerie scrathces and moans, it has a huge ambient effect. Why do players get so scared when, say, approaching a Bloodsucker lair? It's not just because of the streaks of intermittent lightning; it's the fact that, at night, you've wondered past the lair before, seen odd lights, and heard strange noises. You've noticed twisted corpses and blood painting walls, all of which give you a feeling of the area's history. A Bad history. You've heard rumours from NPCs about this place, so while you have an idea of what's coming, you're not truly sure what to expect. Graphic and sound aesthetics combine with narrative clues to create a place that feels frighteningly tangible.
After playing these types of open world RPGs and sandboxes for a long time, I think I've come up with my own little maxim that you can apply quite well to all those games that have truly outstanding atmosphere - the ones that truly feel real, truly engage with the player with a real, breathing world. Basically, after you've turned off the game, close your eyes and imagine the game world for a moment. Once you've envisioned it, ask yourself:
Is it possible for that world to function without a player?
Example: GTA. Take Vice City or San Andreas. Those worlds only functioned with the player inside them. If you imagined the game was still running after you stopped playing somehow, it would be utterly dead. Cars would still go round, but nothing else would happen. All its missions are simply waiting around for you start them. The cops wouldn't have to chase anyone down. The gang wars would never happen, as in the game it takes the player to press a button saying 'start a gang war'. NPCs would wonder aimlessly, without purpose. It just wouldn't feel real. The Vice City or San Andreas worlds do nothing but wait and react to one person: you.
GTA IV, on the other hand, pretty much nails it. Thanks to what you've seen or experienced in the game, you know random events can occur. So, if you imagined Niko Bellic went away for a while and Liberty City was left to it's own devices, it would actually make for a pretty convincing world. The police would still chase criminals, whizzing past you while chasing someone else as you've often witnessed, so when turning off you console you feel like 'Hey, there's stuff going on that isn't player-dependant'. NPCs would carry shopping bags home, dash between awnings in the rain, drive to work, and react to one another. Helicopter tours would fly around the city, day would turn to night, there'd be a shoot-out somewhere, the weather would change, and so on and so forth. It'd be a boring place, sure, but you still feel like things would happen, events would occur, and there'd be some purpose and order to the city without you roaming it. The game, on this occasion, isn't simply waiting for you to affect it; it's a realistic, alive place, that you just happen to have a very active role in.
This 'can-the-world-thrive-without-its-player' theory can be applied to many of these types of games. In S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Duty and Freedom patrols occasionally run into each other and have a fight in its shadowy environment. That made it feel alive, real, ever-changing, and so on. As progressed, you visited places with escalatingly worse atmospheres. As the environment became increasingly harsh and the situation more dire these sort of events happened less and less, until essentially it was only you doing the unique, world-changing things; the game was just waiting for you to accept a mission to go somewhere and do something. If you didn't play, nothing would happen.
Here's another one for you - Fable. Peter Molyneux did a good job with this. In the original, there were ships that deliver trade goods on certain days of the week, and villagers transporting those goods to individual shops. And then every night all the villagers would gather at the tavern and have a few drinks. Small details, yet it did wonders in making the game world feel vibrant and alive.
In half a year we'll be able to test this 'does-the-world-function-without-me' theory on the newest title in the Elder Scrolls series: Skyrim. I love Skyrim. I utterly adore Skyrim. And I actually have great faith in Bethesda, because despite engine limitations Fallout did a pretty good job of creating a believable environment. You'd find people fighting over a fridge, or someone crying with a bomb strapped to their chest - these made the place feel dynamic, like it would be a pretty interesting, eventful environment without you (though, of course, not as eventful as if you were there).
It'll be the small things that will make or break the world of Skyrim. Imagine, for instance, you go to a town and see Jimmy. You have a chat, and he tells you that he's going to start work soon, or that he really wants to be an adventurer. You go off and do missions and explore the world, but eventually you cross the same town again. Jimmy's there, with a lovely new piece of armour on. He tells you he did a bit of work for a friend, and earned enough to buy this really awesome breastplate. You, as a player, are thinking "Wow! While I was off doing my own things, Jimmy was actually off doing HIS own things, independent of me! It feels like this is a real place where people do new things and have experiences regardless of whether I'm here! I can't wait to see what else has changed!".
Or you'd probably just think "Wow, that's kind of neat. What's for lunch?".
Point is, the world with Jimmy feels alive, real, atmospheric, engaging, and full of wonder and change and dynamicnessosity (a word I just made up). There are loads of seemingly insignificant ways to add this Jimmy effect. A house has a broken roof, and after a while, you go back to see the house and it's fixed. A store clerk mentions getting new stock soon, and you come back later to see they've actually received it. You could even have mini-missions occurring that you don't take part in. You see a wife running down the street of the town, asking if anyone has seen her husband. You can't take it as a mission or do anything to alter the events, but you find her later, hugging her rescued husband. And you think:
"Hey... It is possible for this world to function without me"
Labels: 2011, Chris, Chris Hawke, Elder Scrolls, Fable, Grand Theft Auto, GTA, GTA4, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Skyrim, STALKER
- Chris Hawke
Oh, Grand Theft Auto, I do love you so. I love your dry wit, sharp humour, cutting satire and brilliant societal critiques. I love the fact you're so well realised, with no detail overlooked or flaw jutting out. I love your atmosphere, your dialogue, your gameplay, and - though I hate to be so shallow - your looks. You're damn near perfect.
So you can imagine that I was overjoyed when news broke of Rockstar registering new domains, possibly in connection with the next iteration of the best sandbox around. With such titles as getamexican.com, pregnantandalone.com and justcanoe.com, there was no reason to doubt their legitimacy. They just sound so perfectly in-keeping with the Rockstar style that it seems second nature to walk into an internet café, bash this into the address bar, then log off and start a rampage.
See? Video games haven't affected me one bit!
All seemed to be going swimmingly. I would soon be reunited by my darling, and off we would venture. Where to this time? London would be a favourite of mine, as it's been a while since I mounted the kerb for half a mile in Clapham. Just get me out of America, which has grown stale thanks to endless faceless virtual copycats. Then I'd be happy.
It was with an air of disbelief that I read about GTA V being codenamed Rush, to be set in Los Angeles. There was even a character list to boot, though I just couldn't believe it. How could Rockstar, creators of possible the sharpest, funniest and most playable games out there, create something so... uninspired? While I'm sure 'Rush' has something to do with Take Two, I very much doubt that it is connected with the Grand Theft Auto franchise. And here's why.
Thanks to some very clever sleuthing work by the talented Superannuation, a casting call by Rockstar’s regular agency Telsey & Company was found, which listed various characters for a Take Two project known only as 'Rush'. These resumés seemed to confirm a GTA vibe (one woman listed the part of 'inner city female'). At this point, it's a very believable setup; games are accidentally revealed on a surprisingly common basis thanks to CVs or casting calls, and thanks to Telsey & Co.'s regular acquaintance with Rockstar, everything pointed towards 'Rush' being code for a new Grand Theft Auto. Except for one small issue...
John Marston is a stunning character. Not just for video games, which often substitute story for gameplay, but in terms of any piece of fiction, he's a beautifully rounded character. Niko Bellic may have been a bit whingy, but he showed layers of complex emotion that one wouldn't find out of place in a novel, albeit one with a lot of carjacking. Rockstar is known for creating incredibly detailed, intricate characters who can evoke sympathy, loathing, pity, or any number of alternative responses.
With that in mind, have you seen the characters for 'Rush'?!
Mitch Hayes:
38 – Annoying, wise cracking, highly successful FBI agent. In great shape. Does triathlons, drinks low cal beer, but still has a sense of humor.
Eddie:
47 – Weed evangelist, guy who started smoking at 30, and is now a leading proponent of marijuana’s fantastic properties. White, awkward.
Kevin De Silva:
18 – Albert’s fat, FPS-playing gamer son. Smokes a lot of weed, has anxiety issues and a card for a bad back, very soft, very opinionated. Into making racist comments while playing online.
'Annoying, wise-cracking'. That's probably the most basic stereotype for anyone inhabiting a Grand Theft Auto world. Does 'Weed evangelist' or 'annoying wise-cracker' sound familiar? Again, this is an incredibly boring, uninspired and underwhelming description of 'Default 18+ Video Game Characer #1'. And the self-referential 'Kevin De Silva'; would Rockstar really stoop as low as to parody their very players in such a simple, overtly cliché manner?
Oh, and he smokes a lot of weed, too.
I find it hard to believe, with the writing talent on Rockstar and the smorgasbord of superb figures standing proudly in Grand Theft Auto IV, that they would revert to such petty, childish stereotyping. If you asked a random man on the street to come up a list of with character traits they think the archetypal GTA oddball exhibits, these are the kind of quirks you would expect. But not from Houser & Co.
And then things take a turn for the ridiculous with Gilbert Gottfried reportedly tweeting that he had been cast to play the main character in GTA V.
“just found out I’m voicing the lead in grand theft auto 5! also I hate japan lol.”
- Gilbert Gottfried (@RealGilbert)
I want you to listen to this. And I want you to imagine that blasting out of your speakers for 25 hours of a video game. Rockstar's leading men have always been incredibly likable, from John's strong family values and dry humour, to Niko's sly remarks and desire for a better life. Could you really ever like the parrot from Aladdin? He's comic relief, a one-trick pony, just background noise. The voice is unique, but in a fingers-on-chalkboard way, not a warm, involving lead character way.
Which brings us back to the kicker; apparently, the game is set in Los Angeles. Now, I'm not sure about this, but according to some industry insiders, Rockstar are publishing a game already set in Los Angeles. Something called 'L.A. Noire'? Despite more than half a century between the two timeframes, could you imagine Rockstar visiting the City of Angels twice, in such a short space of time? It seems nearly impossible.
I'm sure Grand Theft Auto V is coming. I'm sure, very soon, the internet will be broken all over again thanks to everyone trying to see a debut trailer. But will that debut trailer focus on 'Eddie', the drug abuser? Will the Griffith Observatory stand proud in the opening shot? Will Gilbert Gottfried provide the voiceover?
I very much doubt it.
Labels: 2011, Chris Hawke, Grand Theft Auto, GT5, GTA4, Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar, Take Two
- Chris Hawke
Jack Thompson's argument has one vital flaw; it's hard to prove that violent video games 'damage' children, because you have to let them grow up. Finding out whether a childhood obsession with Grand Theft Auto leads to the cultivation of a hooker-beating, car-jacking, tracksuit-wearing 20-year-old maniac means that you have to both actively let a child play GTA, and then wait until he's a grown adult. It's time consuming, messy, morally objectionable and a bit weird.
However, there is still a way that we can find out what kids think of this super-violent alternate reality, and what their tiny innocent minds process while brutal imagery flashes through their tiny eyes. Unfortunately, I couldn't steal a child (not after last time, and I'd let a mate borrow the cage), so it was up to one brave writer: Matthew Orona of Bitmob. This is what happens when a kid plays GTA.
You can read Matthew's article on Bitmob.
"I egged him on to take the car in front of him which was waiting at the red light. He quickly looked up at me with disgust and refused, stating that the car was already owned by the person driving it."
First, a general observation: 4-year-olds are right little buggers. They dribble, shout, scream, punch, grab, bite, scratch, and spill everything everywhere. However, their favourite thing by far is to claim that every single object is theirs. See that vase your Mum gave you? Theirs. Your brand new Honda? Theirs. That chocolate bar you're eating? Definitely theirs. So, why is this child so terrified of taking someone's car? Either he's one of the kindest and most empathetic toddlers this side of young Gandhi, or it triggers the divide between action and principle. When in the home, it's easy for a child to say that 'everything belongs to them' in front of a parent, but actually physically taking something off a complete stranger is too much for most. As far as the child is concerned, the game is synonymous to real life, and the morals that they uphold in the real world translate directly to the virtual one. At least, for now...
"At one intersection he attempted to brake, but he was travelling too fast. Instead of ploughing into the rear of the car ahead of him, he swerved to the right and popped up onto to sidewalk. In doing so, he accidently ran over a woman walking towards his oncoming car. He was incredibly ashamed of himself and profusely apologised."
Again, just as a real life tragedy such as this would render a child horrified and ashamed, so does the video game. Children blur the lines between reality and the imaginary far more than most adult gamers, magnifying the whole experience and making it more involving, and either more joyful or terrifying, depending on the circumstances in the game.
"Only seconds later, he witnessed a policeman jump out of his patrol car to pursue a criminal of San Andreas. His eyes lit up as he asked if he could drive the police car. I reminded him that it was only a game, and it was fine to take the car. As he drove the squad car, I pressed L3 to turn on the lights and siren. He asked very excitedly if he could get the bad guys too. With a huge smile I pressed R3 to initiate the Vigilante Missions. It was as if his imagination had come to life. He was taking down delinquents left and right."
Remember that lesson in school where you were told how the police are your friends, and PC Nicey would give a little speech on how they catch the bad people? That was cool. What was even cooler were the cars. "Ha! Look at them lights! Looks at them hats they wear! They get GUNS! Kewl!". Being a policeman or policewoman is the height of awesome for all kids. Grand Theft Auto now becomes their way of living out this fantasy, drifting round corners and stopping the evil-doers in the name of the law. The interesting thing here is that while killing criminals in GTA is very violent, it's violence in a good cause; you're ridding the streets of evil. The child here displays no regrets or apologies, because he knows that the police are the 'good guys'. This is, presumably, before the inevitable time when the kid grows up and gets pulled over for doing 41 on a 40mph road, has to fork out a £300 fine and realises that the police are nothing but corrupt and sadistic creatures of pure evil who thrive off the salty tears of mere mortals by extracting every last penny from their battered wallets.
Because I'm not bitter at all.
"In all his time with Grand Theft Auto he never once encountered any of the controversy surrounding this notorious title. He didn’t beat any hookers with a baseball bat. He didn’t deal drugs. He didn’t go on a murderous rampage. He certainly never once had a cup of hot coffee. He didn't avoid these things because I told him he couldn't try them. It just never occurred to him to commit these acts."
After more ambulance and fire-fighting work, we get to the crux of the matter. The kid has killed a number of people, either by accident or through vigilante missions, but all his actions have been justified morally. He never stole a car from someone, because that's not the right thing to do. Sure, he took the police car and the ambulance, but only because no one was in them and he hasn't quite got the hang of property laws yet. He killed, but only for a good and righteous cause. And he never once did the sort of evil things that plague an adult's playthrough, simply because he never thought of it. Why, in this world, should he beat up a hooker? Yes, all the necessary tools are there - weapons, hookers, dark alleyways - but there's no reason to commit such a grievous act. If anything, Grand Theft Auto has enhanced the child's morality; unlike most players who kill and steal for the hell of it, the kid only does what he thinks it is right to do, even if it provides him with some escapist fun in the form of a police chase. Do you really see this player growing up to kill and drug deal in later life?
Dr. Hawke has reached his conclusion. The 18+ rating is there for a reason; games are much more involving for children than they are for adults and, obviously, that means they're more dangerous: I have no doubt the same experiment with Dead Space 2 would produce endless nightmares. But as for children immediately turning into bloodthirsty murderers: it's doubtful. As a general rule, children shouldn't be allowed to play videogames so violent or repugnant as GTA, but if this toddler is anything to go by, they don't look at games with the same cynical eyes we do. As soon as you booted up GTA IV, you wanted to run someone down, didn't you? But for this child at least, it's just a fun way to become a policeman, and not much else.
Please don't take this as proper medical advice, as my BSc in Medical Sciences is actually written in crayon on the back of some tissue paper, but feel free to have a discussion of the findings below, and follow our Twitter.
Disclaimer
Quotes in this article are taken from Matthew Orona's original article on Bitmob.Use of these quotes is for illustrative purposes only, and the Gamer's Guide to Life Network does not claim to own, in any way, the quotes used here.
Quotes shown here may have been edited or abridged to better fit the context of this article.
Labels: 2011, Bitmob, Children, Chris Hawke, Gaming Addiction, Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto IV, GTA, GTA4, San Andreas, Study, Videogames and Violence
- Chris Hawke
Grand Theft Auto.
It sends a small shiver down your spine, no? You can forget your Modern Warfare and your FIFA; if you want a game that encapsulates all that's great about gaming, you look straight to arguably the most popular, loved and revered series ever made. From the breathtaking and ground-breaking GTA III, to the hedonistic overkill of San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto IV, the highest rated game ever made - Grand Theft Auto was all that gaming needed to be.
But was it worth it? Now that the hype has all but disintegrated into ashes, and days spent roaming the vicious streets of Liberty City are all but a distant memory to most, we can clad Niko Bellic in his trademark tracksuits and set out once more, beneath overcast skies, to cause some havoc. It's all so 'noughties'.
Nearly every detail is perfect. That's the first thing to hit you. You survey the typical Mohawk street, from the bin bags left out in the rain to the businessmen sprinting home, and absolutely nothing looks out of place. The cars queue, fumes rising from their dirty exhausts; the outdoor vendor expertly squirts condiments onto hotdogs; people run from the downpour, holding up newspapers to protect their receding hair or charging to the nearest awning with shopping bags in tow. The graphics might be a little blurry, but Rockstar have studied every detail of the city that never sleeps, and somehow crammed all the trappings and activities that happen into a single disc. The whole place just feels alive.
And let's not forget how important that is. Mafia II was criticised for feeling sterile and lifeless, and reviewers pointed to Liberty City, more than two years Mafia's predecessor, as an example of a city that feels teeming with life and energy. When you steal a car, people react. When you pull a gun, people run. Bags get dropped, screams ring out, the world explodes into panic. This gets taken for granted, but it's so vital for an enjoyable experience; remember how depressing it is when you shoot an enemy in a videogame, only for them to just stand there and soak it up like a slightly 'slow' superhero? Aiming a shotgun at a passer-by, only for them to glance up, look back down and keep walking? Doing something extraordinary only for the world around you to look on with indifference? It snatches that atmosphere, that feeling of realism and believability (yeah, it's a word), and crushes it with a sharp stamp of the lacklustre. In GTA IV, every action has a reaction, just like Newton's third law.
Which brings us neatly and smoothly onto GTA IV's best feature: its physics. The Euphoria physics engine, familiar to any gamer, allows for the most realistic movement and horrific ragdolls. Forget scripted animations when a cop gets shot; instead, he stumbles, clinging onto anything he can find, before collapsing in a crumpled heap on the cold pavement. Just as the AI has the intelligence to react to what the player is doing, the physics engine allows characters to react to bullets and objects. The effect is exactly the same: no two shots are ever the same, allowing for infinite replay value and endless fun. Watching a hapless bystander tumble and fall, or seeing - I hate to say - static civilians suddenly thrown into the air, cartwheeling several times before face-planing on the damp road as your stolen Infernus careers into the U.N. is unbelievably boisterous activity, despite the questionable morality.
For a minute, focus solely on the sound design. Forget about the glorious physics or the vibrant graphics, and just keep your ears open. The hustle and bustle is all there; car horns in the distance, constant chatter down cellphones, a police siren storming past as birds sing and water laps against the concrete barrier. It's goddamn perfect. The slightest details, even the most gruesome, are meticulously recreated: the sound of some poor soul's head smashing into the windscreen, or a gut-churning scream from a terrified passenger of the vehicle you've just jacked. The care and attention that Rockstar have put into something as small as sound design oozes out, clear for all to see (or hear). Each facet, each tiny detail; each seemingly unnecessary area of the game has been perfected and mastered.
Of course, you can focus on the tiny details until your face goes blue, but it's medically inadvisable and, frankly, a little creepy. Ask any player what the main - possibly only - fault was, and they'll simply say "it wasn't fun enough". Now, 'fun' is an incredibly odd and subjective word; it can mean a plethora of different things to different people. Prod a bit further, and eventually you'll get something like: "Well, couldn't that have put harrier jets in there too?".
Ah. There it is. After San Andreas spoiled gamers with harriers, jetpacks, tanks and all manner of improbable luxuries, it was a shock to some that Rockstar then created a game which was so... grounded. Literally. Helicopters were your only set of wings, and you didn't even go higher than the tallest building in the game. People will put this down to the game being 'too realistic', but without realism, we wouldn't have that beautiful physics engine or that perfection of detail. No: Grand Theft Auto IV suffered one crippling flaw. After the dark and engrossing plot had tied itself up, there was bugger all to do.
Roman wanted to go bowling. Brucie wanted to hit a strip club. Some random woman wants to do god-knows-what. You can scrape together half an hour's worth of enjoyment from slow-mo driving along vast stretches of sidewalk, clipping poor souls and watching them fly through the air; or even doing a good deed and finding some crimes to swiftly and gruesomely stop with your Police Cruiser (crime doesn't pay, kids), but they're shallow and meaningless. The excellent assassination missions were only 10 in number, and extra-story missions are non-existent. Can't we be a proper vigilante, stopping bank robberies and security van hijacks? Can't we have a near-endless supply of assassination missions from a random generator? Can't we have something to do, rather than aimlessly wandering the streets and jumping off high buildings? The lack of a proper lobby system meant the multiplayer died out quickly, and while there is certainly fun to be found even now, you'll find yourself longing for activities with more depth, more purpose.
But when a game's only misstep is the player simply wanting more, you know you've got a winner on your hands. Ever since that beautiful teaser trailer threatened to break the internet with the sheer volume of rabid gamers trying to view it, the world knew Grand Theft Auto IV would be special. Lo and behold, almost three years on, you can still slide the disc back in to your platform of choice, load up a save and find Liberty City as breathtaking, stunning, wondrous and alive as it was all those years ago.
It's like you never left.
Want to reminisce about times gone by? Put your comments below, and follow our Twitter - tweet us and we'll do our utmost to reply.
Labels: 2011, Chris Hawke, Feature, Grand Theft Auto IV, GTA4, Looking Back On, Retrospective, Rockstar
- Chris Hawke
So, you've most definitely driven, flown and shot your way though the gritty streets of Liberty City as Niko Bellic. And, chances are, you've done your fair share of riding down the highway with the Lost in tow, blowing a lot of shiny things up for a man named Gay Tony. That's enough Grand Theft Auto IV for most people. But not us. We're really hungry. Hungry for more sights and storylines in the most crime-ridden city in video games. So, we've compiled a lovely neat list of possible settings for a hypothetical third piece of GTA IV DLC. Enjoy!
Keeping It Kosher
Niko was at the diamond sale that went south. Johnny, star of Lost and Damned, was also there. And, would you believe it, so was Luis, of Ballad of Gay Tony fame. So, the only other group left unplayable are the Jews selling the diamonds.
We already know the older man who gets shot is called Mori. And, the man who runs away with the diamonds is called Issac. Astonishingly, for a game with so much murder, Issac only gets knocked out by Luis. Here's what we think; You play as Issac, a member of the Jewish faith who is caught up in the seedy crime underworld of Grand Theft Auto after a simple diamond sale goes wrong. Johnny Klebitz was Jewish, so there's a perfect chance for Rockstar to include some familiar faces, and we all know the developer doesn't shy away from the 'dangerous' areas - Issac must fight gangsters, police, and anti-Semitic bad dudes as he attempts to keep his faith... and his life.
The Tall Tail Of Little Jacob
Certain people seem to run Liberty City, and Niko, Johnny and Luis have met them all. However, one man and his crew seem to have been left out of the current DLC releases. Little Jacob, second in command to Real Badman, helps run the Hillside Posse, a group of drug dealers and Rastafarians. The Tall Tail Of Little Jacob would see the player taking the role of a member of the Hillside Posse, with drug running and minor crimes the order of the day. However, Little Jacob needs a few men to help him out with something big, and soon you're riding with the big boys (including Niko) in an attempt to fight off local gangs and rise to the top of Broker.
Perestroika
The Ballad of Gay Tony deals with the high and mighty nightclubs of Liberty City, but what about the poorer places scraping an income? Perestroika is the theatre in Hove Beach that Faustin owns, which the player can visit to see some dreadfully hilarious magic and cabaret.
In the self-titled DLC, you play as just another bodyguard for the place; however, Faustin tasks you with his 'special' jobs of assassinations and dealing with the opposition. You can manage the club by throwing the low-life out, and take part in the main missions of helping the performers with their acts and even organising 'Porn Idol', which is mentioned in passing in a Niko Bellic mission.
Hangman's NOOSE
We've only had a a tiny look at Liberty City's Finest when Niko helped out Francis McReary, and even then he was basically as bad as the criminals you also worked with. What GTA IV needs is the story told from the perspective of those getting mowed down by Niko, Johnny, Luis, and pretty much everyone else.
Hangman's NOOSE take place in the Liberty City Police Head Quarters as you and your small anti-drug unit organize and take down local drug operations, uncovering moles, rats and corruption in the force as you go. This DLC probably has the greatest scope of things to do; an updated 'Current Criminal Activity' mini-game has difficultly levels and 'boss-fights', and you can plan out massive 50-man raids on huge drug hideouts, much like Gang/Drug Wars in the previous games. Obviously, Niko pops up from levels like Snowstorm, and Armando and Henrique, Luis' best friends, will probably appear at some stage.
Alderney State Correctional Facility
Couldn't think of a catchy name for this DLC, which is basically an epic and much less confusing Prison Break. Amazingly, there hasn't been a prison break mission in all of Grand Theft Auto IV - it's just waiting to happen. Rockstar will work their magic in providing a charismatic inmate jailed for the wrong reasons, and the early part of the story takes place in the updated prison, where you can watch TV, fight other inmates or pump your guns to gain respect, before you and your two friends (one of whom, as ever, is really stupid) escape. The rest of the story then follows you as you try and stay out of prison, and stay alive, by helping the crime bosses of Liberty City.
The Six Families Of Liberty City
This is just perfect. Late on in GTA, Niko learns that there are six mafia families in Liberty City: The Pavano, Lupisella, Gambetti, Messina, Ancelotti, and Pegorino families. Now, aren't they just begging for a Soprano-style Mafia War? It's simple, really. You play as a member of one of these families in a quest to own the city entirely. Take part in Mafia Wars, back-stab other families, bribe the cops, and organize 'sit-downs' that, inevitably, go horribly wrong. All that while wearing a sharp suit and dark sunglasses.
Those are just six suggestions for possible third pieces of Grand Theft Auto IV DLC. Got another great idea, or thought of a good title for the 'prison one'? Add it to the comments and follow the Twitter.
Chris
Labels: Chris Hawke, DLC, Feature, Grand Theft Auto, GTA4
- Chris Hawke
Rockstar creative director Dan Houser also recently announced that the upcoming expansion, as well as the previous downloadable installment, will be released on a stand-alone disk. The package has been named Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, and will not require the original game to be played. This bundle, as well as its downloadable counterpart, are set to be released on 29 October 2009.
Tyson
Labels: DLC, GTA4, Rockstar, Tyson, Tyson Breen
- Tyson Breen
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Some of the very best articles dug out from deep in the GGTL archives, written by some of our past and present wordsmiths alike.
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