3. Limiting Our Empire
If there's one thing I was disappointed that GTAIV removed, it was the option to buy property and, in a sense, begin to build your own empire. It appeared that GTAIV was trying to tell, somewhat ironically, a smaller, more intimate story about an immigrant looking to "make it" in the good 'ol US of A, but wouldn't that journey from peasant to respected gangster feel all the more complete with a giant mansion? Rockstar were fully aware how popular this feature was in Vice City and San Andreas, so their choice to elide it was a brave one, and indeed, quite an incredulous one. However, the solitary trailer that has dropped for GTAV heavily implies that the acquisition of property will be at least part of the experience, because frankly, being able to buy some new clothes in GTAIV just didn't feel rewarding enough. Like in real life, there's a sense of pride in saving up money for something you really want, and when you could finally afford that beach house in Vice City, there was a real sense of accomplishment, and you felt like a total badass. Needless to say, with top-notch next-generation graphics, that feeling is going to feel stronger than ever when we start snapping up exorbitant properties left and right.