Glockstar Armani presents this game with 2 *GLOCKIE* awards for:
*BEST GAME OF 2008*
*BEST ACTING IN A VIDEO GAME*
I think everybody in the world has the exact same opinion on this game, judging by what I've read, heard, and seen since it was released. Excellent storytelling, superb acting, top-notch graphics, outstanding gameplay, near-unlimited possibilities, and a fantastic addition to the series. But...
Where did all the colour go? Where did all the light-hearted fun go? Instead, make way for a lot of over-the-top melodrama that -in an ironic twist of fate -morphs this game into the very thing previous GTA installments used to poke fun at. And all of it takes place in a city so dark, grey, and dreary that 98% of the time you're staring at a black screen until a taxi zips by to give you a quick reminder of what primary colours look like before you're thrust back into the grit soup again. I understand you're trying to be "seedy" and "realistic", but there's a line and it was crossed. I think that if Liberty City were to experience a major power outage for a straight month, I wouldn't even be able to tell the difference.
A lot of folks also nitpick (myself included, I'm afraid) about the lack of variety & customization. Gone are the haircuts, tattoos, and clothes shopping sprees that made San Andreas so delightfully delicious. Instead, Niko has about five options of pants: blue, grey, light grey, dark grey, and black, and then some jackets, and that's it. Literally.
Rockstar, if you want to make me happier than a pig at Christmas, use this game's engine, graphics, gameplay, size, scope, and control scheme, and give me another amazingly fun period piece like Vice City or San Andreas. And heck, throw in a FEMALE protagonist this time to shake things up a bit. Pwetty pwease?