Our Backyard.

I finished building the deck about a month ago. I built some stairs, added patio furniture, and a grill. Everything is blooming now and very green, and I dig how the neighbors bushes spill over the fence giving us additional privacy. The aspen trees also do an excellent job blocking out other houses. This little sanctuary is without a doubt my most favorite part of our house. I think Moo Moo loves it too!

Rock Park!

Grand Theft Auto 4 Thoughts.

Enough time has elapsed that I can freely talk about Grand Theft Auto 4 without being too spoilerific. I’m certain you’ve seen the reviews, heard the press reaction, the late night sketches (Conan had me in tears), and probably even played it for yourself. I finished story mode to completion about a week ago and I’ve had a lot of time to analyze what I liked and what needed work.

Niko is without a doubt one of the most interesting and compelling characters we’ve been introduced to in gaming for quite a while. What’s not to like, he’s charismatic, intelligent, witty, impulsive, and quite primal (when it comes down to it). Niko teeters on the edge reason, struggling to hold on to his humanity... yet at times more human than some of the people I know in real life. In an era where the reluctant hero dominates the market, Niko is a nice “anti-hero” change of pace.

The friends Niko encounters are important components that make GTA4 a memorable experience. Little Jacob and Brucie are my personal favorites. I especially like how much personality each character is given. The noticeable little touches while hanging out with friends are worth noting. Example, after a series of missions I decided to take Niko out for a drink with Packie, afterwards the pair stumbled out of the bar completely hammered. Packie was singing old irish drinking songs, and Niko was muttering mindless drivel. This makes me wonder if the actors actually got smashed to record that dialog, because they perform it so well.

The characters and environments are so well developed I also find myself adhering to the rules and laws of Liberty City. I act as if I were Niko, and play it as straight as possible. Previous Grand Theft Auto games I found myself plowing through pedestrians without hesitation. In GTA4 I find that sort of chaotic recklessness completely takes me out of the story and the experience. I find that I’m afraid of attracting unwanted police attention which puts me in danger of failing a mission.

Overall I feel like the tone of this iteration was certainly darker. The humor is still there, but it isn’t as upfront and in your face as San Andreas and Vice City. The radio stations are still hilarious, but there is something just a little off about the rest of it. I’ve also noticed the way I play the game has drastically changed since Rockstar introduced the cab system in this game. While this is a stupid thing to gripe about, I find that using cabs was an easy way to blow right through the game and complete missions quickly. I didn’t learn the city like I did in previous games, because I wasn’t forced to learn it, once I used the cab system I found there was no going back. I was tainted from that point on.

Summer is almost here.

Moo Moo straight up chilling. No one can kick it quite like her. Natch.