Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV was released to the public yesterday.  As the impending street date approached, I was thinking more and more about it.  I had never played any of the past GTA games except for the occasional granny that I beat down with a bat over at Ian’s house.  I could never get into the “open world” gameplay that people so love about GTA.  I guess I’m just old fashioned and like my stories linear.

Nonetheless, I had seen so many ads and previews and videos that I couldn’t help but be interested.  The fighting, cussing, shooting, what self respecting man could resist?!  I was hesitant though, the thought of a $65 investment for a one night stand was frightening.  The hype machine had won over my subconscious though, my deepest being knew I was in, it was just a matter of time.

Enter from stage left the being known only as Fred G. Meyer.  Your one stop shopping extraveganza!  It’s strange how GTA manipulated me yesterday.  It told me that I needed to go to Fred Meyer to buy light bulbs and toilet paper and pipe joint compound (for my now neverending fridge project) and a pizza.  And maybe, just maybe I’ll poke my head into that electronics section to see if they have the Precious.  So there I was in line with my odds n’ ends, looking through the haze to the back wall of the electronics gauntlet.  It was calling me, it seemed my destiny.  I was in the express checkout lane, naturally, and moved through quickly.  I was sure to be extra nice to the checker girl as my brother-in-law had been through that part of the world only hours earlier and heard the girls complaining about everyone being ‘mean today.’  (Is that a run-on sentence?)  Alas I was free and carrying my 24 rolls of TP and 16″ supreme pizza.  I entered the forbidden jungle.  Rather than ask the guy if they had it, I went immediately to the glass case.  I scanned for a good 45 seconds and found nothing, were my eyes deceiving me?

It was somewhat of a relief.  I thought, oh well, it wasn’t meant to be.  I turned and headed toward the exit.  But as I approached the end of my journey something magical happened.  I made the last minute decision to give a look at the lonely man at the front counter.  He looked straight into my eyes as if he knew why I was in there.  Before I knew what was happening the words began to flow from my mouth, “Did you guys get Grand Theft Auto?”  I have been saying the ‘did you guys get’ phrase since I was a child and damn if it didn’t feel extra good to say this time.  The fractions of seconds it takes for the worker to respond seem like eternities.  I love that anticipation.  Am I going home happy and satisfied or sad and defeated?  This time I would go home satisfied.  He quickly answered with a, ” We sure did, what system?”  I quickly responded “Playstation 3″ and he had a copy in my face in literally seconds.  I didn’t hesitate, I blurted out ‘I’ll take it’ so fast I surprised even myself.  He rang me up equally as fast and before I knew what had even happened I was in my car driving home. 

I had done it, I had given in to the hype.  Now, I know you’re all wondering, did I play it last night?  Well, of course I did, and it was fun!  I’m not going to say anymore than that because I only played for a couple hours, but at this point I think I made the right decision.  So here’s to happy gaming for me and all the gamers of the world!  Cheers!!

Tags: games, Grand Theft Auto 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, GTA 4, GTA IV, playstation 3, rockstar, videogames