re: Dispatches: Opening Remarks On a (Temporarily) Verboten Subject--The Opening Credits Sequence For Grand Theft Auto IV

StolenName — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:46:13 GMT

Tongue-in-cheek, dick-in-hand. The games' story script is exceptional and all the characters brilliantly acted, however, despite the cleverness I still find myself whincing at street signs like "Shoot Your Load Shooting Gallery" or the way the bowling alley logo is designed to look like a penis and balls. I've come to expect this kind of adolescent joking in the games, and some of the slogans provide a chuckle, but I wish they'd move on from this kind of crap.

Where Rockstar shine using satire, however, is not in the environments or even story but rather via the in-game radio stations, which perfectly mock professional and underground radio shows, tackle race and sex issues in a rather amusing manner, comment on American commerce and materialism (also echoed in game by Niko's one-time nickname "Money") and even Western sub-culture, including Hardcore, Rock and Hip Hop.

re: Dispatches: Opening Remarks On a (Temporarily) Verboten Subject--The Opening Credits Sequence For Grand Theft Auto IV

errl — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:52:46 GMT

I'll be interested to hear more of your thoughts on tis now you can write about it, N'gai! One quick thought - I loved the extremely cinematic opening credits, as they somehow remind me vaguely of Will Eisner's use of title pages in his comic book The Spirit. http://willeisner.com/gallery/single_pages.html (click "the Partner page 1 for a great example)

errol