GTA V Driving Mechanics - what's your verdict?

W.Shakes-Beer

Mine is of slight disappointment! The game looks beautiful and the map is fantastic, such detail and realism everywhere you look. And then that sense of realism crumbles when I get behind the wheel of a car.

They handle as if on rails regardless of speed, can go from top speed to fully stopped in about 1 second and just feel like go-carts (micro machines V3 comes to mind).

I'm not the only one of this opinion but I preferred the GTA IV driving mechanics. Sure they were a bit spongy and some of the cars nearly rolled over going into bends but I felt they were more realistic. Cars had suspension. Big saloons were more heavy feeling than a sports car.

I think the GTA V handling is to suit the masses and takes from the game a bit. It's far too arcade like and makes driving a bit mundane and predictable.

This post from IGN forums sums it up well!

I for one would welcome a patch.... just saying.

The issue here is not so much the physics in my mind; rather, it's the fact GTA is inconsistent in how it handles the world in general.

Your health is low (realistic).
NPC health is low and can be KO'd by a single punch or knife strike (realistic).
Running speed is slow (realistic).
Bicycling speed is slow (realistic).
The slightest mistake on foot means death.

And now, we transition to cars:

Car health is incredibly high and you are basically invincible while moving.
Car damage takes forever to develop.
Cars cannot be permanently flipped (you can easily flip them back).
Cars are basically glued to the ground.

No matter if you like/dislike the driving in this game, you have to admit there's a disparity here. The transition from realistic to arcade is instant. And that, to some people, is problematic.

Consistency is the answer. I don't believe anyone who has played Saints Row 4 would be complaining about unrealistic physics, because the game is entirely unrealistic. However, this is not the case in GTA:V.

One moment, you die from taking 3 or 4 bullets from police on foot. The next, you're being chased for half an hour because police can't stop your car no matter their best efforts.

One moment, you die from being clipped by a car going 20 mph. The next, you're doing 90 degree turns in an SUV going full speed.

I urge everyone to think about this situation from this perspective. If the game was entirely unrealistic, I don't believe as many people would be complaining. But the game is filled with attempts at being realistic -- heck, look at the activity choices: Tennis, golf, yoga ... etc.

But then, you are taken from that "realistic" mindset and thrown into a completely unrealistic set of circumstances with no real reasoning as to why. It's as though on-foot gameplay and activities were developed by an entirely different studio than the driving mechanics.

From gta forum user "Rafe" trying to explain why challenging gameplay mechanics benefit us in the long run.
The question is one of game design. GTA 4 had great driving but it was by no means perfect. Many criticisms should not be easily dismissed regarding the exaggerated control characteristics. However this same dynamic enriched gameplay as driving at high speeds was rather dangerous, you were constantly on the edge of losing controls in turns thus the brake panel actually had to be utilized with high frequency in maneuvering. This increased the complexity of driving and made for a more fulfilling experience.

The problem is that most modern gamers want immediate fulfillment in their driving experience. I have watched many people play racing games and i don't think you will have any trouble finding examples of people going too fast into turns, smashing into other cars to slow themselves down or grinding the side of their vehicles down on buildings or walls to stay on track. At these moments you have failed, you're not playing the game you are holding down the accelerator. The mechanic of holding down an accelerator requires relatively low skill and in regards to the realism vs arcade debate it illustrates that this is really about constraints vs unconstrained gameplay, about a game vs a sandbox.

Is GTA a game or just a sandbox? Should we get punished when we fail? When there is a prospect of failure the rewards of success(escape from cops) are that much more valuable.

I think this demonstrates a general trend in teh gaming industry that as games, like movies, become more popular you integrate larger and larger populations of individuals into the market. The problem is these people have very little sophistication and gaming experience and as such you have to increase teh simplicty to make media more accessible, in the end complexity and thus game-play are sacrificed to satiate the mass market.

GTA 4 driving was still some of the best even though supercars needed better performance characteristics. Accidents were spectacular and often unpredictable when you took excessive risks and drove too fast. Ultimately this made gameplay more spontaneous and less linear which is not what arcade games tend to provide. Gameplay was less predictable which increased the replayability of GTA driving.

As for a solution they could give us an "arcade driving" button in the options list which will give us a somewhat challenging driving experience (not necessarily realistic).

SV

Is it just me who thinks that they can still be quite unpredictable? I don't know if I have settings changed differently or something but powersliding the cars is very possible as is spinning out in them.
they're a bit more arcadey in that it's not impossible to regain control of the car when you make a mistake at high speed, I prefer this..to say they're glued to the roads though, definitely don't agree.

SantryRed

GTA IV were more realistic BUT GTA V is a ****load more fun. So GTA V wins. I actually enjoy driving in this one.

W.Shakes-Beer

As said I'm maybe slightly disappointed. I also probably need to give it a bit more time and not be so hasty. But this was definitely, for me, one of the first things that kinda surprised me a bit.

Arcadey, yes.
Fun, hell yeah.

Modifying the cars, you can feel the changes.
Big win for me.

Yeah, I'd be in agreement with that quote in the OP.

The driving isn't great by any stretch. If this wasn't GTA I'd have turned it off after 10 minutes. I'm holding out hope that I'll get used to it or that I'll come to accept it, but I won't lie, as someone who owns a PS3 solely for GTA V, and who has only played pretty much GTA IV for the last 5 years, the thought did cross my head today when I was playing the game: "How much would I get if I traded this in?".


Is the handling the worst in the world? No.. Although Rockstar do have their Logo on LA Noire (which probably is the worst in the world!). Does it genuinely need a patch to improve it? Yeah, I'd say it does.

As someone on boards said earlier in one of the threads, the issue is that it has become too dumbed down. I'll probably finish the game's story out of curiousity, if nothing else, but I do think the shoddy driving mechanics will ultimately mean the replay value will diminish quickly. I got 5 years out of IV. I'm getting the feeling I'll be doing well to get 5 weeks out of V. This makes me a very sad person.

Holsten

I hated the driving in GTA 4 so I much prefer the way it is now.

Even the camera angle is better.

grizzly

Perhaps the hope for you is to wait for PC versions with mods?

youreadthat

The mechanics of IV were very fitting. Sluggish, mundane, little variety, just like the game, story, and many of the characters. It should be left there. The only good thing about GTA:IV was that the city was bigger than any GTA city before it and the graphics were decent.

krudler

V for me too, the cars do feel different, sports cars are fast, basic saloons and sh1tboxes are slow. Trying to keep a car even on the road was a chore in IV from what I can remember. I actually enjoy the driving in this, was in a brilliant chase earlier with the cops and was weaving in and out of oncoming lanes, handbraking around corners and generally enjoying it. Even driving around the block in IV I called a cab :pac:

Anyone who has a problemt with the driving, go get the car modded, it adds weight to the cars, if you get the turbo then you can spin them out and stall the engines if you accelerate too fast out of corners.

anyway once you get an ATV you'll stop driving cars full stop :pac: wheeeee!

DEFTLEFTHAND

I think my problem is that I replayed IV over the summer and really got to grips with the handling second time round, I'm finding it hard now to adapt to the dumbed down mechanics in V. IV made it a challenge and demanded total concentration, It made for some real tension while on the run or chasing down another vehicle.

I'm loving nearly everything else about V so hopefully it won't bother me as much the further I progress in the game, but I've a feeling that it will unfortunately.

IngazZagni

Having played GTA IV so much over the past 5 years I eventually got used to the driving mechanics to the point where I actually quite liked it. V is a change but I think I definitely prefer it. I too was afraid that it would be too Arcady in feel but it doesn't feel like that to me at all.

There's a "slidey car" cheat for V which brings the handling back to more like the days of IV for those that don't like V. But I remember the ****storm of negativity towards IV's handing characteristics when IV came out and I think the overall perception to V so far is much better.

You can't please everybody afterall!

zl1whqvjs75cdy

I was having a think about this yesterday as I was cruising along the Alamo Sea. In V I actually drive to missions and drive around exploring. That's partly because I love the map, but mainly because I enjoy driving. In IV I couldn't hop into a taxi quick enough. I really hated the driving in that game. Is the driving in this game realistic? No, but it wasn't realistic in IV either. At least this way is fun.

circadian

How's the Futo?

Noxin

The cars are one thing. I've not made any mods yet cause my a$$ is still broke but I found the driving of most of them to be over simple.

There was one or two motors however that were more difficult to drive.

The bikes on the otherhand. I feel like I I'm glued to the ground. Flying around near 90 degree corners at top speed without breaking? Bit silly and annoying.

What is with the car damage though? Or should I say, lack of. I'm yet to blow up a car and if I did some of this carnage during GTAIV, there'd be no cars left..

listermint

Im only disappointed by your poll choices.


They are ridiculous.

conor2469

I noticed the difference instantly, driving is certainly far simpler than IV. It doesn't really bother me. The amount of punishment that the car can take does annoy me though. I slammed head on into a stationary car at full speed, backed up and carried on. I hadn't even broken my headlights. In IV I probably would've had to ditch the car.

humanji

I noticed that myself. It was really weird. The first car you steal as part of Franklin's tutorial, crumpled at the slightest touch. But a little later I was in a fancy red sports car (it'll be awhile before I learn the names of them) and I was plowing into everything without getting so much as a scratch. It's possible it's a bug, though.

Mc Love

The mechanics seem to have gone backward to SA but i am getting used to the driving. Upgraded two cars and they are stunning.

I mostly like driving the g wagen type SUV

Basq

From an hour or two playing it last night, it's definitely changed a lot.. and not for the better IMO, found driving a little unstable tbh.

However, driving a motorbike is still as fun as ever... if it wasn't for often being hammered off it by a car at an intersection.

conor2469

I cannot wait to take part in online races. It is basically all I used to do online in GTA IV.

Shorty11857

Really didn't like the driving in GTA IV (Along with a lot of other things), it's pretty fun in V, so it wins even if it is a bit too simple

RoryMac

I much prefer the driving in this over GTA IV, in GTA IV driving seemed like a chore and I usually got a taxi where possible. I'm loving driving in this so far, nice differences between vehicles power and handling, liked that after a big crash my car would still drive but only if I went left due to a wrecked wheel.

What's it like in bonnet view? I though IV was nice to drive like that.. Not a fan of 3rd person driving.

padraiggriffin

Hard to say, ive only played a few hours so far - it will take a least a week before we can have a proper discussion, though i actually am find it harder to control cars in this compared to 4.


The centred camera angle behind the car is a welcome improvement over GTA4's off centre camera (biggest complaint about 4) - change the camera height to high in settings for the best view just like classic GTA's camera = great.

The turn sensitivity/cornering/handbraking is where Im having trouble and I find it hard not to crashing.
It is hard to pick up the controller and get used the driving quickly which I dont like as i find it takes from the enjoyment I have when trying something for the first time. - The driving in Vice City/San Andreas required little getting used to and as a result it was very enjoyable from the start.

Shooting from vehicles does seem a lot harder.



I wouldnt say that 5's driving is less realistic compared to 4, if anything The handbrake turns are too realistic - the back just goes flying out and you end up overshooting into traffic/environment - reminds me of "Grid" (less forgiving arcade) -Id rather it be more forgiving like game like i.e. "burnout", "Ridge Racer".

Basq

padraiggriffin wrote: »

Shooting from vehicles does seem a lot harder.

One of the first missions with

Franklin and Lamar where you've to chase the guy on the bike and Lamar was shouting to shoot him.. I was fumbling to get the shooting view up and just ended up pummelling him off the bike!

My name is URL

Handling aside, I'd be delighted if you could just change control settings so that x = accelerate and square = brake =p

Just can't get used to using L2 & R2 at all.

padraiggriffin

My name is URL wrote: »

Handling aside, I'd be delighted if you could just change control settings so that x = accelerate and square = brake =p

Just can't get used to using L2 & R2 at all.

that was annoying for me in 4 but then you could change to classic controls.
in 5 i dont find it a problem.

padraiggriffin

Basq wrote: »

One of the first missions with

Franklin and Lamar where you've to chase the guy on the bike and Lamar was shouting to shoot him.. I was fumbling to get the shooting view up and just ended up pummelling him off the bike!

I was the same with a trevor mission

- chasing the bikes (and van) with the jeep -just ended up cutting the bends and sidswiping.

Skylinehead

My name is URL wrote: »

Handling aside, I'd be delighted if you could just change control settings so that x = accelerate and square = brake =p

Just can't get used to using L2 & R2 at all.

I prefer the L2/R2, much more control of power application and braking.

stevenmu

I think it's a mixed bag tbh.

In GTA4 I thought the low end cars were way to slow and floaty to be any fun. The higher end cars were a lot better, and the complexity of the driving mechanics were great then.

In GTA5, I think the lower end cars are much better, you can still have some good fun in them. The higher end cars are a bit to simplistic though. And for a lot of them, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between them (except maybe the Comet/Porsche which is nice and tail happy).

Giblet

I cannot drive in first person view, can't do it.
Except for in GTAV. It's pretty sweet.

blaze1

Don't think they've changed to much tbh... Gta games are always fun to drive but nothing like driving sims.

Nuri Sahin

I'll expand further once completing the game (avoiding the other threads completely till then!).

It's better than I thought it would be, but.. it's so very easy now to swerve through traffic even without Franklin's special ability. Drifting is near pointless compared to IV where it took some imagination and thought process to execute consistently notably in races. The Mario Kart ilk here will be happy though, well.. maybe not since they didn't get a green or red shell :pac:

conor2469

Nuri Sahin wrote: »

Drifting is near pointless compared to IV where it took some imagination and thought process to execute consistently notably in races.

Agreed, I always got huge satisfaction in IV when I would be competing in a hotly contested race and I managed to execute a perfect controlled drift around a junction avoiding all obstacles.
but I'll reserve judgement on V until I get a few weeks playing under my belt and experience new online races.

bitch please

i dunno its arcadey and unrealistic and im one for realism but still i like the driving its just more fun but not being able to do donuts and drifting takes away from the experience

My name is URL

Skylinehead wrote: »

I prefer the L2/R2, much more control of power application and braking.

I'm sure it'll grow on me, but I'd still like there to be an option to change the control setting. My wrist sometimes gets sore due to all the fapping an injury I picked up a few years ago.. using the L2 & R2 controls to drive means you have to make a sort of claw shape with your hands to do it effectively.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who experiences some pain after holding a controller in that way for an extended period.

I really hope the first patch includes an option to change it.

Doge

Did anyone else find that there was horrible understeer in GTA 4?

Haven't played 5 yet, but i'd say anything would be an improvement.

Not being able to powerslide or do donuts sounds disappointing though!

chrismon

I prefer driving in V, much more fun.
I have to agree about the car damage though, no need for tanks.

Witcher

Heard people saying they can't use the handbrake to turn corners, I'm sorry but that's lack of skill, it's easily achievable. Much prefer the driving in this, I'm actually using cars now instead of taking taxis everywhere as in GTAIV..at least now when you pick up speed you're not staring at the reg plate because the camera angle dropped.

gnfnrhead

It isn't a chore in V so is automatically better. It is designed to be a game anyone can pick up and play, not one where you need to put in hours and hours of practice to do something as basic as driving. If that's what you're into, there are likely other games better suited to your desires. So far, it's great but obviously I haven't used every car type yet.

bitch please

gnfnrhead wrote: »

It isn't a chore in V so is automatically better. It is designed to be a game anyone can pick up and play, not one where you need to put in hours and hours of practice to do something as basic as driving. If that's what you're into, there are likely other games better suited to your desires. So far, it's great but obviously I haven't used every car type yet.

no every is different like the FWD cars i think are the best craic and the best for doing handbrake turns and handbrake turns are easy anyone who says otherwise must only be using Trevors truck and i do prefer the driving in V its just too easy at high speed but if you use the suspension pack its like the perfect mix of IV and V

TheDoc

First impression was it was alot easier to handle, and that has stayed with me for the following hours I put in. I was rampaging around at high speeds with very little danger.

Alot of noise was made by the general fanbase not liking GTA 4's more realistic handling, so I think they have reverted to something more casual friendly. It's definitely easier, but for a majority probably more enjoyable aswell.

Thecageyone

I like the driving. The faster the better. It's exhilarating. I find it a mix of Burnout, ridge racer and previous GTA games. I've managed to cross the whole city, at break neck speed, without crashing, a few times.

whomitconcerns

i played GTA4 and loved it all the way to where I had to complete one of two driving levels to move forward...never got past it and never played since. That was from launch day non stop to that point and loved it! Still never got past that point

So I am hopeful now for GTA5

circadian

Driving is fine. No idea what the complaints are about, I've been drifting like a Japanese kid from the get go.

Mc Love

Motorbikes are fine too! Even better than IV

krudler

circadian wrote: »

Driving is fine. No idea what the complaints are about, I've been drifting like a Japanese kid from the get go.

stick some modded suspension and brakes on nearly anything and drifting is easy, and strangely I find it easier in the slower cars, they're more weighty. there's a focus looking car that's the job for chases, drift like a boss

circadian

Yeah the blista compact, my gf nabbed one and loved it.

Glico Man

Mini's are the business in this. Mustangs too if you pop on some sport suspension.

Don't really understand the complaints from either IV or V. Love the driving in both.

dreamers75

My driving is fine, its the fcuking civilians that have the problems always getting in my way!!!!