GTA IV pt. 5

• The story is compelling. I can skip cutscenes (unlike Assassin's Creed), but I choose to watch them because they're poignant, humorous, or otherwise amusing.
• Drunk driving leads to cops arresting you. The media condemnation of the drunk driving is really overdone.
• On the other hand, police attention isn't too bad. I had 5 stars as a result of one mission and got away with no problem. I have been arrested 0 times, although I've died perhaps 15-20. It's easy to avoid arrest (since you can always make a break for it). And since you lose your weapons upon arrest (but not upon death) there's a concrete advantage to dying.
• The AI is better. NPCs are basically useless in combat, but they're not longer invisibily tethered to their cars. If the car's flaming and I need to bail, it's not a problem. They're actually get out and into whichever car I choose next. This has saved me from restarting a handful of missions.
• There are choices, and they apparently matter. Two former friends each asked me to kill the other. I chose to kill one rather than the other, and there are consequences to my choice.
• It's easy to damage one's headlights. And hard to drive once one has done so. Great demonstration of how important headlights are to night driving.
• I'm working for some shadowy government figure, a la James Wood's Toreno in GTA: SA. He's having me killing terrorist financiers. And really, who doesn't want to kill terrorist financiers?
• Niko is often the voice of reason. When others are bickering, or when they demand that he kills others, he generally tries to peacefully resolve conflicts. He's a bit more violence-minded when it comes to finding and killing whoever betrayed his military unit in the Yugoslav war, but his problem-solving repertoire is much more diverse than anti-video game critics give him credit for.
• Niko's starting to give small details about his war time experience. His aunt was raped and murdered (by whom, we don't know). This game is turning out to be almost as anti-war as I had hoped.
• GTA IV helps develop peripheral vision. Obviously all the information is visible on the TV screen or monitor. But trying to read the mini-map while keeping an eye out for the road, other cars, pedestrians, and buildings (not to mention the cell phone if one chooses to use the cell phone while driving).
• The cell phone is a wonderful introduction. It adds an element of verisimilitude. It also introduces an urgency that wasn't present in earlier versions. I've been interrupted from driving to missions and dates, and while it's inconvenient, it's also a lot more truthy than earlier games.
• Dating is slightly improved since GTA: SA. There's much more monogamy, which is nice for my monogamousness. The number of activities/minigames is improved, and dates give seem more particular about Niko's wardrobe.
• Niko pontificates with another immigrant on their hard life. The game cultivates an appreciation for the struggles for immigrants, both legal and illegal. It parodies accusations of stealing jobs, and portrays employers as dishonest crooks who don't pay employees unless they have to.
• One of Niko's from the old country is homosexual, and admittedly a stereotypical one. However, Niko kills a homophobic, slur-wielding loser. In other words, Niko should be a contender for GLAAD's video game award. Just kidding.
• All drug use has context. By that I mean we have some ideas of what drove the characters to drugs, and how terrible it is. Whether marijuana, heroin, crack, or alcohol, we see the desperation and futility of drug use. And not in a funny way. Just in a disappointing way.
• As an introvert, I find myself annoyed with the need to maintain social relationships with my NPCs. For chrissakes, give me a mission. Tell me who to kill or what to steal. But don't expect me to waste my time socializing with NPCs. If I find it a chore to maintain real relationships, why would I waste my time on digital ones?