[ShaneHunter]

Up until tonight i thought that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was my favorite game in the series however playing through the game for the first time since back in 2008 i think that has changed. As far as story is concerned San Andreas isn't compelling, granted that it is one of the most extensive gaming experiences ever with the contrasting cities, all the extra content, the adventurous feel and of course the nostalgia factor. But as far as story goes the "hood" thing is fine but it doesn't mesh well with what CJ does as the game progresses.

GTA IV feels like an intelligent piece of crime fiction with overlaying themes. By the end of the game you'll grow to love and despise a lot of the characters in it but in San Andreas the only real emotion you'll get is laughter. In GTA IV i felt a wide array of emotions and even when it came to laughter i laughed more in this because of characters like Roman, Brucie and even Niko. The characters in San Andreas felt far more one dimensional but despite that, San Andreas does have a special place in my heart, however my overly positive perception of it has now decreased in favor of GTA IV after re-experiencing this incredible game.

As far as gameplay goes, the game does have its technical issues but there are a lot of good things going for the gameplay as well. In my mind whilst it's more limited than San Andreas, the options we get are fleshed out properly. And with the 2 episodes we get a fuller look at the events and the i love how the characters intertwine especially the "diamond saga." The whole GTA IV experience is just immense.

Now after all that rambling my question is; Do you guys feel that it is underrated by casual gamers who prefer the outrageousness of San Andreas? And what do you guys think about GTA IV within the grand scheme of the GTA series?

This post has been edited by ShaneHunter on Monday, Jul 9 2012, 18:36

[Linki]

Completely agree with you.

While it seems on this forum SA is overrated and IV underrated, it really isn't the case on a whole. The people who prefer either game are equal in numbers, and that's fine.

In my opinion as well, most of the people who prefer IV to SA seem to appreciate and UNDERSTAND what both games are about, whilst the people who prefer SA to IV dismiss IV and believe SA to be perfect, failing to comprehend IV or appreciate it. When people can't understand something, they hate it.

IV was the beginning of the next level of Grand Theft Auto, and video games as a whole. Some may take that for granted, but it really is. It also is, like you said, a crime classic. It moved on from the nostalgic movie nods of the III games and proved that games can come up with original and engrossing crime epics on its own.

[SmileyHam]

They only say gta sa is better because they cant play gta iv

[Magic_Al]

GTA IV has more focused depth but it's also fair to say that GTA SA's open world was a bit more open. GTA IV makes you feel everything more, but GTA SA gives you a bigger choice of activities and more customization. Both games have a lot in common and a lot not in common.

[locolow2011]

I like to see it this way:

San Andreas is the hot chick with nothing interesting to say, you will have fun with her but you'll learn nothing.

IV on the other hand ain't as hot but she will leave you a lot of great things, to the point where you fall in love.

What i do is that i just play both from time to time(I.E. Threesome)

[Zulu2065]

QUOTE (locolow2011 @ Tuesday, Jul 10 2012, 00:36)

I like to see it this way: San Andreas is the hot chick with nothing interesting to say, you will have fun with her but you'll learn nothing. IV on the other hand ain't as hot but she will leave you a lot of great things, to the point where you fall in love. What i do is that i just play both from time to time(I.E. Threesome)

Funny but I agree with you.

[Hydro_PlayboyX]

can't agree with you more. until i played IV Vice City was my favourite GTA game and i didnt expect that some other game could beat VC so i didnt even want to play IV, but after a while I gave it a try and it amazed me. Big detailed city, graphics, physics, and most important of all: story and characters. Compared to SA....only thing that SA is better is the countryside

[AceRay]

QUOTE (locolow2011 @ Tuesday, Jul 10 2012, 19:36)

I like to see it this way: San Andreas is the hot chick with nothing interesting to say, you will have fun with her but you'll learn nothing. IV on the other hand ain't as hot but she will leave you a lot of great things, to the point where you fall in love. What i do is that i just play both from time to time(I.E. Threesome)

Not really.

SA is like the ditsy cheerleader who everyone likes and IV is like the shy book worm who goes unnoticed. However, when she takes off that dumpy sweater and lets her hair down, it turns out she's got a bod you can bounce marbles off.

[Miamivicecity]

As much as I love SA I do think GTA IV is a better game overall. I have put countless hours into SA so it's not as if I played it for 10 minutes and decided it wasn't as good.

Just like my tastes with most things I prefer simplicity and practicality. Take cars for example. I'm not a fan of those Japanese cars with big and flashy bodykits, neons, chrome wheels etc. I prefer a more factory looking ride that still looks nice. Just like my current SS Commodore.

I guess what I'm saying is SA is more the former. It seems to be more popular on a greater scale, but I prefer the later. The above analogies also work too and I agree.

What makes GTA IV my favourite GTA (VC is still my favourite GTA III era GTA) is its simplicity and practicality. I always felt SA tried too hard to be many different themes all in one.

GTA IV has a much tighter focus IMO. I don't care if it doesn't have as many features. I can still get plenty from the game even without as many features as SA. Compared to most games it still has a fair bit anyway.

[cp1dell]

It irks me when people and critics compare something to something else to make it seem better or worse. People never take account of what it is on it's own. GTA IV was great.

[ZoomZoom]

I play both GTA IV and SA. IV is more criminal and realistic. SA was something like "protection" and it too was realistic-only something though. Both are two games and they have their own ups and downs. That is my opinion.

[DaWiesel]

Lol, same for me. SA was always my favourite till I played GTA IV. The physics and graphics blowed me away at the start, and the characters and the story were fantastic. I just enjoy to drive around, take a heli and fly over the city, feel that magic of Liberty City. Man, I'm playing it right now.

[ShaneHunter]

Good to see that people agree with me The city is also another factor; Los Santos, the Country-Side, San Fierro, The Desert Landscape and Las Venturas all have their own feeling and atmosphere and that makes gameplay more organic. But with Liberty City in GTA IV you feel as if it's a living and breathing city. I feel as if i'm in New York. It is a highly immersive city with it's own taste and a hell of a story to back it up. I will say that San Andreas' talk shows were superior though, the material was just better. I had finished GTA IV for the second time when i made this thread, now i'm finished with Lost And Damned and i'm onto Ballad Of Gay Tony. The re-experiencing of this amazing world has been fun.