By Robert Farago
April 28, 2008
So much for moral outrage about the senseless (in a moral sense) violence in the videogame Grand Theft Auto. Well, at least amongst the eggeheads over at The New York Times. Critic Seth "No German Jokes Please" Schiesel hails Grand Theft Auto IV– released today– as "violent, intelligent, profane, endearing, obnoxious, sly, richly textured and thoroughly compelling work of cultural satire disguised as fun." Yeah, I bet it fools a LOT of impressionable kids. Clearly, as before, there's nothing PC about GTA IV (so to speak): "Hardly a demographic escapes skewering. In addition to various Italian and Irish crime families, there are venal Russian gangsters, black crack slingers, argyle-sporting Jamaican potheads, Puerto Rican hoodlums, a corrupt police commissioner, a steroid-addled Brooklyn knucklehead named Brucie Kibbutz and a former Eastern European soldier who has become a twee Upper West Side metrosexual." What, no 'ho's and bitches? Sure! Plenty! Uh, what about cars? Car theft? For that we must await reports from TTAC's Best and Brightest. You soldiers have your orders. Now get the fuck outta here!
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POWERED
April 28th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Well, to be fair, “Grand Theft Embezzlement: Pink Sheet Trading Desk” was FULL of white people.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I pre-ordered the game, so hopefully I’ll be able to report tomorrow (official release date). Already spotted what looks like a Lexus LS430, a Prius, Aston Martin (which one? DB9 maybe), a BMW X5, and of course lots of Crown vics and Impalas.
That review seems spot-on, as previous GTAs are amongst the smartest videogames I’ve ever played, not only full of mayhem and humor, but also fantastic social satires, great storylines.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I hope somehow political correctness becomes the new taboo.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Political correctness is the new racism. You heard it here first.
April 28th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I’ll go grab it on the way to work tomorrow. (fingers crossed)
April 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Not released today, released Tuesday.
Not that I’m counting the minutes till release or anything. Really.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:37 am
So does anyone have anything to report? Or are you all too busy playing it?