Grand Theft Auto 4: final review

GTA 4 and its add-ons are worth playing if you like the GTA series (especially if you get them on sale), but they're mostly unmemorable.

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I can hardly even remember the core game, about Niko. He seems like a mostly sad character, with occasional bouts of rage. There were a lot of dopey missions, mostly involving extended shooting sequences. There were surprisingly few car and racing missions (for a GTA game), for which I am grateful.

If Niko is a sad character, the guy from the first expansion, Johnny, is downright depressing. His story started by wallowing in an empty existence weighted down by nostalgia for days gone by, and ended with even that being taken away. His missions were a little more interesting than the core game, and it was an interesting experiment to slip you, the player, into a far more defined persona. Characters like Niko, and like Claude from GTA 3, are little more than puppets, and you can make them your own. With Johnny, I'm often wondering, well, how would I play this out if I was in his shoes. It was an interesting way to play.

I think they got the balance right with Luis in the second expansion, as far as character, and range of activities. Despite the diversity it was still mostly shooting, but with some surprises. The story seems a little too good for the environment it is in. It actually has a little depth, what with Luis being between worlds and trying to define himself, and almost everyone around him wanting to influence him in some way for their own purposes. But that's almost too big a concept to fit into the GTA sandbox.

GTA games are like a carnival where you wander around, enjoying the sights and sounds, albeit on a prescribed track between attractions. And yet GTA 4 was starting to offer hints of you controlling the story line, like when Niko chooses to execute someone or let them go. You'd think they would push that thread further, but it was dropped. It could have made the add-ons great, instead of just good.

I've been somewhat spoiled by games like Fallout 3, with its mix of RPG and FPS elements, and a seemingly endless world of interactions. But unlike those RPGs, GTA games are action first, not story first, and its a whole different kind of vibe. I accept that. But the GTA games can't be ignored, as they are out there pushing the boundaries of gaming all the time. You can't be any kind of gamer if you're not keeping up with the Grand Theft Auto series. So I enjoyed this carnival, and I may revisit, but I won't linger.

System Shock 2: review

If System Shock was a handful of raw inedible peanuts, then System Shock 2 is a handful of delightful roasted peanuts. Which makes Deus Ex the transcendent peanut butter in this analogy.

I'm still stinging a bit from the ending, with its crass winks at the viewer, but it is fading quickly. It feels jarring because of the urgent and dire atmosphere, which is suddenly broken with silly Hollywood-style cliches. It's like being immersed in Lovecraft, and then suddenly Freddy and Jason stop by. And then you're back at the main menu, dumbfounded. For lack of anything better to do, I check the credits. An unexpected train wreck, which was fun for the crew, but its even more disturbing on another level. Curiously, the goofy ending and credits do little to distract from the majesty of the game.

I'm glad I don't have to just say this old classic was great for its time, as it is still a good game for today. While System Shock 2 doesn't look like it to belongs to the modern era, it actually marks the start of the modern era. Some day, some other game will start a new era of first-person role-playing games, but right now we're still living in System Shock's world.

I'm also very glad that I no longer have to avoid conversations and spoilers about System Shock. I should have played this years ago.