JosephConley.com Wastin' more bandwidth everyday.

I spent a lot of quality time with GTA in the last two days, and it's really starting to set itself apart from previous entries in the series, in some really good and interesting ways.

 

The importance of interpersonal relationships has been increased a lot. You're encouraged to spend time with your business partners, and doing so generally reaps some benefits. Once you're in someone's favor enough, you'll be able to take advantage of their unique special ability. You also can date characters in the game. From time to time, your contacts or love interests will give you a call, or you can give them one, and you go for a date. You can take them bowling, to play billiards or darts, to a cabaret or comedy show, or you can just go out drinking. But, (and I echo this statement for real life) be sure to call a cab if you do the latter though, it's very difficult to drive drunk, but it's a fun minigame to try once or twice.

Grand Theft Auto 4 has to be one of the most anticipated games of all time. Maybe it's thanks to all the criticisms it gets from the mass media (any press is good press, right?), or maybe it's because it lets you do everything you can't do in real life, or maybe it's just that good of a game.