Will Old-School GTA Fans Be Satisfied With Grand Theft Auto V?

This is a question that has been bugging me for years.

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but Grand Theft Auto IV almost split hardcore fans of the franchise into two separate camps: One that loved the new, gritty, more realistic style, and one that preferred the old-school, totally over-the-top, arcade-y structure.

Now, if you want over-the-top open-world insanity, you should probably turn to Saints Row. GTAV...? Hard to say. There are so many elements of the game that appear to hearken back to the good ol' days of GTAIII, Vice City and San Andreas. At the same time, we all kinda know in our heart of hearts that Rockstar probably won't completely ditch that more authentic grittiness we had in GTAIV, just so they can return to the "old-fashioned" way of presenting an open-world crime drama. Going backwards? Nah.

I've already heard a great many fans say they're actually hesitant about purchasing GTAV, and that's because they just didn't like GTAIV. Personally, I loved GTAIV for what it was; I loved it for different reasons than I loved the previous three, but my appreciation and satisfaction didn't change much. However, I also recognize that I'm in the minority; I will support both styles but many just want one or the other. Therefore, for those who are in the anti-GTAIV camp, are they totally psyched about GTAV or do they remain skeptical...?

Related Game(s): Grand Theft Auto V

Tags: gtav, grand theft auto v, grand theft auto games, grand theft auto sequel

11/9/2012 12:34:47 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (30 posts)

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buckoboy1
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:49:57 AM
Reply

I loved the over the top-ness of previous GTA's before IV but since saints row 3 came out there is definatly no beating that for GTA in terms of crazy stuff you can do. I like the realisticness of GTAIV, that mixed in with the freedom of san andreas to do whatever you want will make a winning combo.

Day one purchase for me anyways.

2 up, 1 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:56:12 AM
Reply

Quick PSA: Sorry for the late update, I was...preoccupied. And as I've mentioned on Twitter and Facebook, the ACIII Liberation review is done. Just bypassing a little technical hiccup and it'll be up.

3 up, 0 down

tes37
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 1:30:30 AM

Was the poll intentionally left up for an extra week, or are things really hectic at the moment? Just curious, I'm not complaining.

Edit: I always forget to use question marks when I ask a question. I don't know why either, I don't have anything against them.

Last edited by tes37 on 11/9/2012 1:33:09 AM

2 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 1:50:38 AM

The poll was left up intentionally. It'll change when I put up the user reviews to vote on for the contest.

3 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:03:51 PM

Either Ben found a woman or discovered beer ;)

5 up, 1 down

LimitedVertigo
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 1:07:02 AM
Reply

GTA4 was the first GTA I didn't put 100hrs into. I'm optimistic about GTA5 though. The news that came out today about the size of the game world blew me away.

Last edited by LimitedVertigo on 11/9/2012 1:07:07 AM

2 up, 3 down

frylock25
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 1:07:05 AM
Reply

when i played 4 it felt like it have a slightly weird feel to the way he moved. i still played the hell out of it though. i feel i may have been bored of it for a while. i got the dlc earlier this year and it took me like 6 months to play it. when i did play it again it kind of was like a friend i hadnt talk to in a while.

im wondering if the 3 characters have different stories or interweaving story lines. still love gta and i cant wait to hear about gta5.

2 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:04:49 PM

Probably related stories like Yakuza 4.

0 up, 0 down

Jalex
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 1:18:36 AM
Reply

Personally, even though I enjoyed the sixth-generation 'Grand Theft Auto' titles, I didn't really think they lived up to the hype (maybe 'Vice City'), while I absolutely loved 'IV.' Now, I think 'Vice City' was a pretty huge improvement over 'III', but I seem to be of the minority opinion that 'San Andreas' was rather bloated. All in all, I trust Rockstar North to strike the right balance in 'V.'

Last edited by Jalex on 11/9/2012 1:19:11 AM

1 up, 1 down

BikerSaint
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 1:21:44 AM
Reply

I'm in the "newer, gritty, more realistic" camp.

I've put over 85 hours into GTA4 alone, but it was on the other console.

That reminds me, I've still have the other Lost The Damned, & Gay Tony disc to do too.

3 up, 1 down

LegendaryWolfeh
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 1:52:08 AM
Reply

The idea that GTAV is going to be bigger than RDR, GTA4, and San Andreas combined is going to be an interesting thing. How long is it going to take to get around I wonder. Is it because each character might be centered around a specific area? It all seems very interesting and regardless...it's Rockstar. It will be quality. I do miss Vice City still though :p

2 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:05:49 PM

I hope there's fast travel without needing to locate a taxi.

2 up, 1 down

AcHiLLiA
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:20:39 PM

The Cheetah will be a great choice.

Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 11/9/2012 12:26:49 PM

2 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 2:14:52 AM
Reply

The biggest problem I had with GTA4 was that it was so *depressing*.
The idiot of a brother, the annoying phone calls, gambling problems, stupid girlfriends, war crimes, hopeless lives... Even the radio stations were more ironic than funny!
It was raining or dark almost ALL the time, it was all so God Damn Depressive.

But seriously: I think Rockstar has realized this too. I got *so* high hopes for GTA5. I believe such small signs like the new mini-games indicates a change of style; Sunny outdoor surfing instead of pool play in dark Irish pubs? Hell yeah!

Last edited by Beamboom on 11/9/2012 2:15:29 AM

2 up, 5 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:06:28 PM

The mini-games made me want to shoot myself. Yes some were optional but when you want to get people to like you to open up more possibilities you are kind of forced into it.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 11/9/2012 12:07:46 PM

2 up, 1 down

556pineapple
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 2:29:08 AM
Reply

I liked IV. It felt more immersive than the older ones, but that also made it feel much heavier and darker than it ought to have been. My main complaint was there wasn't much to do once the story was done. The other games, SA especially, left a lot open for you to explore and there were plenty of ways to make money still. I think a nice balance between them would be perfect.

Also, I just felt there was no escaping the city. In SA, and to a lesser extent, in VC and III, there were areas that felt more open and inviting. I'm glad that will be returning. San Andreas was my favorite map by far.

2 up, 1 down

Undertaker575
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 2:56:07 AM
Reply

can someone please explain to me why everyone is hating on gta iv?! i loved it soo much!! after playing gta 3, vice city and san Andreas i understand it took a back step from that freedom and the arcadey structure but gta brought something new and different to the table, and i am proud to say i believe gta iv had one of the best storylines of any gta game

7 up, 0 down

frylock25
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 7:11:22 AM

i think a lot of people did not like the character and story as much. also there seems to be a division of players that like that it went more realistic and the players that wanted it to go more saints row goofy style. i agree that it is a good game. the dlc is done even better than the game in my opinion.

2 up, 1 down

Beamboom
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 8:35:02 AM

I can only speak for myself but for me the problem was the fact that I not only found the story to be quite uninteresting, I did not even like the protagonist.

Personally I found just as much freedom and arcadey structure in GTA4. It was simply just too grey, dark and sad...

Last edited by Beamboom on 11/9/2012 8:36:41 AM

0 up, 3 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:09:33 PM

I liked the protagonist, and the characters, and the story, but what turned me off ultimately was that 90% of the missions were to go someplace and kill someone. The other games were much more creative with missions.

3 up, 1 down

___________
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 2:58:59 AM
Reply

you HAVE to go backwards to go forwards.
;)

if you hated IV, than of course your still skeptical of V!
simply because R* has not shown anything that proves otherwise, if anything everything they have shown proves that this is going to be another IV.
and that is just so, so, sad!
ill put my 50 bucks down now and say V will be GTA san andreas but in IVs style.
in other words what IV should of been.
IV lost so much of the scale the series is known for, so V will fix that up but it will also keep the new gritty boring style.
fun, sadly, is illegal these days.
:(

1 up, 6 down

dmiitrie
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 3:17:14 AM
Reply

I mentioned this is another thread a few days ago, but for me, the new gritty atmosphere was the only thing I liked about IV. After thinking it over, RDR and LA Noire have impressed me enough to give V a shot, as long as they don't go back to the over-the-top ridiculousness of the PS2 games. I've been watching The Wire the past couple of weeks (started season 3 earlier tonight), and I'd love for GTA to take their cues from the tone and the mood of that show going forward.

1 up, 2 down

Ultimadream
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 6:42:06 AM
Reply

The problem I had with GTA IV was that once I got past the first area, it felt like there was nothing to do, all the extra's and minigames were already introduced in the first area. I generally enjoyed the story missions, but I like my GTA to have new extras to play with as I progress. So it was more of a structure issue than anything else. I am generally interested in the game, still waiting on the trailer. I'm not sure if I'll buy it at release or not yet though.

1 up, 1 down

Knightzane
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 7:31:03 AM
Reply

I think they should have a story like vice city, freedom and choice like san adreas, and the realistic style of gta4. Just my opinion though.

1 up, 0 down

slugga_status
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 10:31:11 AM
Reply

I don't really get the problem with GTAIV. I loved it and still have to finish Gay Toney and start Lost and the Damned.

2 up, 0 down

556pineapple
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:25:32 PM

I'm playing Gay Tony as well, but I already beat Lost and Damned. I felt they made some vast improvements in these bonus stories, Gay Tony especially. The fact that they are more bite-sized might have something to do with it. I started to notice that mission types were repeating all too often towards the end of IV.

1 up, 0 down

Kiryu
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 11:07:29 AM
Reply

no buying property in GTA V.thats a huge let down for vice city and san andreas fans.

2 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, November 09, 2012 @ 12:13:21 PM
Reply

The rooster is skeptical. And the game will overship by a mile so I'll buy it cheap later on.

It can be huge and beautiful but if it's more "go here, kill that" without some creativity then blahhh. The best part about GTAIV was that HEAT robbery scene and getaway.

As far as old vs new goes, I don't think there is any reason it can't be both. Just add back in the cheat codes of old (drunk pedestrians, perfect car handling, car jump, etc) then fix the controls and bam you can turn the arcade fun on and off. I couldn't fathom why they didn't do that in GTAIV.

1 up, 1 down

Caanimal
Sunday, November 11, 2012 @ 1:52:00 PM
Reply

I'm w/ you on this one Ben, I try and appreciate a game for what IT is, not for what another game is, even w/in the same franchise. There are several reasons I didn't care for GTAIV but they are 100% based on the game itself, not any other game. Last I looked I had 50some hours in the game and haven't even touched the 2 expansions even though I do have them.

I would like to see a merging of VC, SA, and IV where they take the "realism" of IV and the over the top awesomeness that was VC (especially) and SA, while trimming down some of the exuse that was in SA.

0 up, 0 down

PHOENIXZERO
Sunday, November 11, 2012 @ 3:21:27 PM
Reply

I missed the uhh "lightness" of the PS2 era GTAs, however that was something TBoGT delivered on. Saints Row is GTA on crack, on a scale of 1-10 GTA:SA would have been a 8 on the crazy meter while SR would be an 11 and the next one will probably be even more over the top. It's not a good comparison IMO.

The issues with the main story was that it was just too dull outside of a couple characters and Niko was boring as hell with no ambition to "move up" and just uninteresting. Getting bothered to hang out with people every five minutes didn't help things.

Story aside, the biggest problem for me and a lot of people was the driving physics and that's something that's apparently going to be fixed in GTAV.

0 up, 0 down

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