Okay, I think this is not only a god topic, but an important one. For anyone who doesn't know it, there are several new trailers for The Ballad of Gay Tony, which debuts on XBox Live (as well as in conjunction with TLAD on disc) on October 29th.

Anyone who hasn't seen them, I advice you to watch the trailers, [here] specifically paying attention to the new sticky bomb weapon, new military helicopter (with MISSILES!), train hijacing mission where you lift it up with a chopper, as well as what looks like base jumping.

This has started me wondering if perhaps Rockstar wants to "win back" the great many fans of the old style GTA, and may be planning on more of a compromise between San Andreas type physics and the new style for the next GTA installment. Also check out the new weapons, including a gun with EXPLODING bullets as well as an automatic shotty!

I don't think they'll go backward in terms of the physics engine, but judging from what I've seen in TLAD and the trailer for BoGT, I do believe that they are aware of the complaints many gamers had with GTA IV, and are trying to appease us by adding more of the wilder, less realistic gameplay elements to the next DLC, elements that GTAIV was sorely lacking. As for GTA V, who knows? Rockstar obviously isn't done with Liberty City yet, as there are rumours of more DLC coming after BoGT. Whenever GTA V comes, I hope that they will continue to heed the voices of those of us who were less than 100% satisfied with GTA IV. Personally I thought IV was agreat game, but it didn't have the same feeling of "anything goes" as the GTA games of the last console generation. TLAD redeemed some of that, perhaps BoGT will be another big step in the right direction, and with any luck GTA V will be the game we were all hoping GTA IV would be.

That whole "anything goes" feel to the game was my complaint was well. By the way, I don't see going back to wild and wacky gameplay physics as "going backward."

I see it as making the game crazy and insane and adding to the whole "anything goes" feeling. I know it is fashionable in the GTA world to categorically assume that the game would devolve somehow if Rockstar went in a more old school direction regarding gameplay and physics, in other words away from realism. I reject that premise because it makes the assumption that "realism" is the only way to "move forward."

quote ChiroVette

By the way, I don't see going back to wild and wacky gameplay physics as "going backward."

I only meant "backwards" chronologically, not in terms of "de-evolution" of the physics engine. Personally though, I like the combination of the Rage and Euphoria physics engines from GTA IV as they apply to character animations, the way NPCs move and react, etc. It was hell on the driving physics though, and I sure hope they'll tighten up the driving in future DLC or box games though. If they tighten up the driving, make the missions a little crazier and more varied as we saw in older games, and throw back in some of the over the top perks like the Rino tank, Helis with rockets, truly unlimited ammo, etc., and still have the realist character physics, we could have a hell of a good game.

Oh I agree. Make the world and the ped actions as realistic as possible, bit preserve the over the top physics at the same time. And for me it wasn't just the driving that suffered in GTA, but I definitely found that as well. I hated the way that genuine rampages were basically undermined by the relative strength of the collective law enforcement, not to mention ammo caps, running (if you could even call it that) slow as hell, and the Perimeter Police system.

I think that if Rocksta preserved the realism in the environment but STOPPED imposing "realistic" limitations on the gamer, that GTA would become...well GTA again.

First of you 360 owners are f****** LUCKY! All the content we wanted and it appears in this exclusive episode. We on the PS3 meanwhile stand in the que for the NightClub waiting to see if the that Bouncer called Rockstar is going to let us in! Crazy! Despite what I think about the 360 you guys are getting a f****** awesome episode to download!

Secondly I wouldn't say they are going backwards, I think this was partly planned. Try another GTA III and give us the new content through DLC so that we can use it on the same game in the same city! So no I don't think they are going back. I think DLC is proving to work in their favour.

They should give the cars more traction, but leave the way the cars actually feel HEAVY. I think the only thing "wrong" with the driving, is how slippery it is - as if driving on ice at times.

A blend of IV (heavy cars/RAGE/Euphoria) and the ridiculousness of SA would be pretty awesome.

I would tend to agree. I remember, oddly enough, when I first played the original Saint's Row when it launched WAY back in 2006, I didn't like it at all. I felt it was too realistic when compared to San Andreas. The cars felt heavy to me, and I didn't like the forced target reticule, and several other things about the game. I shelved it after maybe an hour or two.

For some reason, about a year later, I picked it up and fell in love with the game. SR2 was actually a lot wackier and far less realistic even than the oiginal SR.

My enjoyment of the original SR was sort of a compromise if you will. I decided that not every sandbox game had to feel exactly like the PS2 GTA titles, and immersed myself into SR. Obviously when SR2 came out, it felt as if I struck gold! My point is that for me to become a "GTA fan" again I do not expect Rockstar to completely go back to the old school GTA. I realize that some realism is going to be inevitable no matter what, and probably more than my taste would prefer. But if they made GTA: Next with enough wild zaniness and insanity that the fans like me would still love it, but added in enough "realism" to make all the GTA IV fans happy, they would likely bring those of us who have strayed back into the fold without alienating fans like Game Masta and a ton of others.

i'm hoping they go back to the old style gta..give us the r3 missiosn again and the rampages...let us go insane on killing and just causing mayhem...saints row has done it right and gta needs to go back to what we enjoyed about the ps2 gtas

Thank God I've got a 360.

I ceratainly hope that Ballad is a sign of things to come. Seems like the SA fans far outweighed the IV fanbase. Maybe add the thinks Hillary mentioned and we've got ourselves a winner.

its what they need to do basically i mean i've played gta 4 and saints row 2 and i had way more fun with saints row 2 then i ever did with gta 4 and only ended up going thru gta 4 for the achievements...

I think RAGE/Euphoria combined with the wackiness of old GTA's would rock.