Niko has stolen 35 hours of my life...so far...

And, I don't regret it.

I was one of the millions that stood in a line for the midnight launch of the game. That night, I put in 5 hours. Some most likely put in more than that, but I'm married. If I wasn't, I would have double those hours so far.

After playing for two weeks, I'm still pretty obsessed with GTA IV. I find myself at work eagerly anticipating my game night so I can continue my havoc upon Liberty City. My alarm is going off two hours earlier during the week for early morning sessions.

I. Am. Obsessed.

It does get repetitive at times, but for me, the missions are handled in a completely refreshing manner. Some games will have you make one moral choice, a la Bioshock. However, it's the same choice throughout the game. Save or kill the little sister. Your moral choice will begin to lose it's effect. This is what helps expunge the repetitive gameplay.

GTA handles moral choices differently. They're sporadic. You never know if your choice is going to come back to haunt you or reward you. That's the point. Otherwise, it's not really a moral choice...or a choice at all if there isn't a reaction somewhere down the road.

This morning, I spent 15 minutes having a silent debate with myself with a moral dilemma. I'm not going to give that portion away though. That's the first time I've felt invested in a game and its character.

Bring on the next 30 hours.


On a side note, my wife and I had a "discussion" about the violence in video games. The point being, she didn't understand how I could have fun with something like GTA. I understand her opinion. Some people can't separate game violence from life violence. She knows the difference, but her mind can't separate the two. Both are equally bad to her and make her uneasy.

Until she began watching me play the game. Here's a direct quote from her the other night as Niko walked out of the apartment to steal the first car of the morning.

Her - "Did you see that guy at the ATM?"

A pause.

Her - "Go back over there and beat him up to get his money."

Me - "Good idea."

I think she's coming around...