The new Grand Theft Auto launched on Tuesday to much fanfare and predictions that it would break Halo’s first week records of $300 million (haven’t really seen numbers on this yet). It has been deemed the best reviewed game in history, surpassing the N64’s Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, getting basically perfect 10/10s from every reviewer. There was also a story that it is the most expensive video game ever made, costing $100 million. Well, I thought I would throw out a few initial impressions here, and maybe Teddy Salad will jump in with some thoughts as well. No spoilers are in here, because it’s really not necessary. If you’ve played one GTA, you kind of know what’s going to happen. People are going to get shot, there will be double-crossing, friends will be enemies, etc.

I would say pretty much if you enjoyed previous GTA’s, then you will love this one. I will also say it is probably a good one to start on if you are new to it, because it seems a little more forgiving than some previous installments (so far). There is a mission retry feature where you can instantly retry a failed mission, and avoid going from the hospital all the way to the location of the mission start, then doing the whole thing all over again. It is a nice touch. It is accessed from the phone in the game, which is now the central point of contact with everything. It is kind of nice because it is a good source of information, and it is not as annoying as it was in the previous installments, when it was just people calling to waste your time. I think the text messages are what make it work, because now there are texts instead of a call for every little thing.

The gameplay is pretty much the same as prior installments. The aiming has been improved, so combat isn’t quite as frustrating. Though I have gotten smoked a few times trying to get my guy to aim the right way and he is auto-targeting the wrong person while I’m being blasted in the face. Altogether I think the aiming is better though. The car driving is much, much different and will be the first thing people notice as a difference. After playing for a while I’ve gotten used to it, but you certainly can’t quite fly around the streets with reckless abandon like you used to be able to. You kind of have to drive more carefully, especially if you are on a mission, because it is really easy to slightly brush a cop car and then be in an instant high speed pursuit. There is also a driving line to guide you on the map, which I don’t think they had previously (not positive on that). They have removed a lot of the side activities from San Andreas that you would do regarding your appearance, such as the working out and the ability system (ie. driving more improves your driving ability, not any more).

Graphics are much improved, and it really helps set the mood much better. The atmosphere is greatly improved, and the world is way more immersive than it was previously. The game translates a much better feeling of being in the world than previous installments. The music/radio stations are top notch once again, with LCD, Justice, Black Keys, Simian Mobile Disco, Les Savy Fav and !!! included, and it is always funny when driving around and they pop on with a news brief killed the guy you just killed a few minutes ago getting shot. It all goes to complete the experience.

The multiplayer is also pretty damn solid, and I think the area of the game that shows the most promise. It is not as refined and perfected as Halo or COD, but the lack of polish is made up for in sheer nutty carnage. Pretty much every game there is some gigantic explosion or car crash that makes everyone on their mics go “AWWW SHIT”. It is a lot of fun and it all takes place in the game world, so it is certainly unique as far as multiplayer goes in that respect. There is nothing like rolling 4 deep in some car with everyone blasting out the windows at the other team. Greatness.

So far I am really impressed, it is an incredible game and you can really tell and appreciate the effort and detail that went into making the game. It is a truly awesome game. In terms of the single-player, they haven’t really reinvented the wheel in any way, but they have certainly perfected the same style of gameplay that they have been fine tuning since the first game. It is really the perfect culmination of this series of games, but I think what makes it even more remarkable is that not only did they perfect the single player experience, but they have brought in a very fun multiplayer experience that really shows a whole new potential for this game beyond the single player story mode that could really even become greater than the single player mode.

Drop off your thoughts in the comments, or in the forums we have been discussing this topic for a while so chime on in

LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous! - From Sound of Silver
Justice - Waters of Nazareth - From Cross