GTA IV: "OMG THE WRITING"

[Kroms]

So I'm very excited to start playing GTA IV but every review I've read so far marks the writing as incredible. Which is great, let games grow-up. But what's really pissing me off is that everyone is treating GTA IV as the first game to have good writing.

 

I've been trying to shove Grim Fandango at people all week because of that. It's just pissing me off. I'm like, "What have I been playing all term?"

 

"Sam and Max."

 

"Why?"

 

"Because it's good."

 

I honestly feel like punching them because I've been talking about the writing all year, and here I am being subjected to "Hey Kroms, if you really want to become a good game designer you should play this. The writing is amazing."

 

I think I'm going include a desire, in my will, that everyone in the world plays some Telltale and then shoot myself. Then people will take pity and make it law.

[elTee]

I think the point is that the GTA games are so open-ended that constructing a well-written story is very difficult. It's hard to write a compelling plot when at all times you allow the player to shoot hookers and fire missiles at the police - in adventure games it is 'easier' to have good writing because the game is more storylike. But I know where you're coming from, man.

[Kroms]

Trust me, I know it's harder. But it's not like GTA is the only quality writing out there. I actually won't get around to GTA IV until June but San Andreas wasn't as funny as, say, Reality 2.0. And I wish people acknowledged that.

[The Tingler]

San Andreas was downright dull. Vice City was great fun.

 

And I'm not playing GTA4 'til it comes out on PC.

[Kroms]

I succumbed to MGS4's seduction. It's like Scarlet Johansson and three weeks of free, endless honeymooning. Ah well. I get to play Brutal Legend that way at least.

 

I liked San Andreas but the writing was not up to par. The countryside, however, and the gang parts were great. Vice City was a good game, but the story was -- yeah.