I’ve been playing GTA IV the past couple weeks and, as I’ve progressed through the game, I’ve found it to be not nearly as great as people say it is. Sure it’s a good game, and definitely fun, but does it really deserve 10 out of 10? No, it doesn’t, and here’s why:

1. Gameplay – This is essentially the EXACT same game play we’ve experienced over and over again with the GTA series. There’s nothing new here, the same “steal a vehicle” or “bust a cap in some gangsta’s asses”. I really haven’t experienced ONE mission where I could say I’ve never played that before in a GTA game.
2. Controls – We are STILL dealing with the same screwed up controls GTA has always had, with some additional problems. One specific issue, which I swear I want to kill whatever developer decided this was a good idea in the first place, is putting the “crouch” on the left stick press-in button. I don’t know about you, but when I push forward on the left stick, I WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, not go into a crouch. Usually, I want to move forward QUICKLY, but many times I accidentally press in when I’m rushed to react to something and end up doing exactly the opposite. I’m crouched, and then, screwed. WTF? I also for the life of me can’t understand why they have such a fast cycle on the controls menu setup. I somehow got myself into first person mode on my vehicle and I couldn’t find the control that took me out of it. I was stuck trying to read the exhausting number of controls for this game to try to locate the one that gets me out of first person mode. Even the “hailing cabs” feature is busted. Half the time I’m trying to hail a cab, I end up jacking it instead. Why do this??? Don’t get me started about the “action” button being both x AND the left button control. I could go on and on. I’m sure there were many logical reasons why they did what they did, but maybe it would have been nice spending all that time they saved making innovative gameplay to maybe implement a custom controller implementation, or perhaps rework the controls so they’re not so screwed up
3. Tank-like movements – I swear to God, this drives me insane. I feel like I’m moving a tank around the world, having to control both movement AND camera, AND attacks. I have two hands….not three. Can Rockstar figure out after all these years to implement a better control scheme??
4. Pop-Up, refresh issues, and various bugs that pull you out of “the game experience” – They’re everywhere…the game is littered with lots and lots of obvious problems. Every game has these issues, but for some reason GTA always gets a free pass?
5. Environmental obstacles – There are SO many obstacles that get in the way of moving around. You’re essentially punished for doing the one thing you’d really like to do in a automobile-theft simulator….and that’s drive fast. I understand in the “real world” you’d experience many of these types of obstacles, but I don’t remember controlling a vehicle with a game controller in the real world either.

Those are my major issues with this game. They’re the same issues that arose during GTAIII, but because that game was so innovative at its time (the first real sandbox game), Rockstar got a pass. Now, the mindless, slave-like devotion of game journalists to major game brands such as GTA, Final Fantasy and the like, really annoy the hell out of me. There are plenty of games that go out on the market with innovative controls and actual gameplay that’s been polished and play-tested to perfection that get NO press or the kinds of accolades these game “journalists” (aka, fanboys) give to these popular brands.

That all being said, I’m still enjoying the game. I’m just not as impressed in the same way that everyone else seems to be.