GTA pt. 2

I realize as I play that I'm going to want to give a lot more than just first impressions. So after another 45 minutes playtime, here are my observations , in no particular order:

• Niko is such a swell guy that he scolds others for crank calling police. What a nice, upstanding fellow.
• He also refuses to smoke weed, which puts him heads and shoulders above most elected officials.
• The game demonstrates how difficult it is to drive while using one's cell phone. I know the game has caught flak for allowing gamers to drive while drunk, but really, if it shows how it warps perception and slows reactions, how is this a bad thing? Isn't it just a better deterrent than lame posters and parents saying not to drive drunk?
• It's touching to see how Niko is forced into being an enforcer for Vlad. Not only is it tragic to see how Niko's hopes for a new start in America are dashed, but it's also poignant to see him intimidate the laundromat-owner (not Chinese!) who wants to call the cops because of his faith in America, only to see those hopes disappear as Niko ruins another immigrant's chances for a fresh start. It's almost as poignant as seeing (in GTA: SA) African-American, descendant of slaves C.J. rescue Chinese people being smuggled in shipping containers.
• Speaking of Chinese guys, there's an antique shop owner who speaks with a faint accent. This is a more positive portrayal than Pirates of the Caribbean's Sao Feng, and the disappearing Asians from the cast of 21.
• I can't understand the Jamaican characters worth beans. I almost died while reading the subtitles in a shoot-out. Learn to speak English, guys. Niko's been in the country for five minutes and his English is better than yours.
• Cars seem to have appropriate radio stations. Roman's taxi has the Russian station, and the cabs have talk radio. Nice touch.
• I had sex with the girlfriend lady ... who is so remarkable I forget her name. Misogyny aside, it unlocked a "warm coffee" achievement. Also a nice touch.
• I got hit by a car and lost my hat. I saw it on the floor, but couldn't pick it up. Sad, and makes me unlikely to buy more hats.
• Slight foreshadowing of Niko's future: he got in trouble for blindly following orders. Is it possible that Niko massacred Croatian Muslims? That would be phenomenal in its real-world relevance. With the exception of Owen Wilson's Behind Enemy Lines, I haven't seen any mainstream American media deal with this subject.
• The radio is FUNNY: TV shows like America's Next Top Hooker? Polemical campaign ads criticizing flip-floppers? Parodies of racial profiling?
• And the cabaret show is an actual cabaret show. With magic and singing and whatnot.