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GTA V And The History Of Driving Games
In the run up to the GTA V release we take a look back at the history of driving games and why nothing beats speeding around a sandbox for at home exhilaration.
Nobody likes to drive, and that includes you. No I’ve never met you before and I’m not a trained quality psychic like Derek Acorah, but I know for a fact that there is no way in hell you could actually enjoy sitting behind the wheel of a car. You could be stuck in hours or traffic; you could get a puncture; you could actually need to be somewhere for a specific ‘pre-arranged’ time which is just never going to happen.
You may think it’s glamorous; we all grew up watching James Bond cruising in his Aston Martin with an attractive blonde by his side, but I can tell you now, no matter how much the TV insists driving will definitely not improve your chances of sleeping with an attractive blonde. And if you drive simply to sate your need for speed well you’d be better off catching the bus, at least they have lanes for that sort of thing and you’ll have your pick of the women. Driving for fun is sadly in the past and all that’s left is the daily boring commute to work.
So why not just stay at home and drive? Leave the driving for the pros and get a taxi. Throw away those car keys, bin the nauseating pine perfumed air freshener, turn on your PC/PS3/Xbox 360 and whack in a driving game. Now, doesn’t that make you feel better?
Fantasy racers are so wide and varied that almost everyone can find something to suit their particular interests.
The brilliance of videogames that offer a driving experience is that you neither have to have any driving experience or even know what a car looks like to be good at them. They just work! Press x, steer left and hurtle around that chicane like your Lewis Hamilton without the slightest fear of ending your own life. Give it an hour or two and you’ll be winning races, leading tournaments and no matter what your better half things of you, trust me, you’ll soon be as slick as Jeremy Clarkson, with far better hair. No one is going to get in your way, the traffic lights won’t turn red and any silly pedestrian that dares to cross your path better have some good health insurance in place because when your foot hits the floor, it’s game over.
The toughest part is choosing which breed of videogame will suit your particular skills and mould you into the cocky antagonistic Ayrton Senna of your dreams. For the newcomer, the choice comes down to two simple genres – fantasy or simulation.
The fantasy racers are so wide and varied that almost everyone can find something to suit their particular interests. They’ve been going for longer than Michael Schumacher and over dozens of bad and average incarnations most of the kinks in the bodywork have by now been hammered out.
For those who desire simple speed look no further than Burnout or the aptly titled Need For Speed. Burnout in particular is a brilliant series of games that actually asks the player to cause as much damage and destruction as possible. Harking back to the Destruction Derby games on the original Playstation, Burnout is a fun and exhilarating experience that becomes highly addictive quickly – the perfect mix for any driving game.
No matter what your age Rainbow Road offers a challenge for even the most hardened of gamers.
Perhaps burning rubber and taking names isn’t exactly your cup of tea. Even the mild mannered can find a driving game to suit reflect their sunny disposition. Look no further than the legendary Mario Kart, still going strong for over a decade. Firing projectiles and power-gliding around corners never gets old, and no matter what your age Rainbow Road offers a challenge for even the most hardened of gamers.
Still not fast enough for you? Perhaps you want to feel your eyeballs bulging from their sockets as you speed around a zero-g racetrack? Then why not try a shot of science fiction with your racer – slap in Wipeout and the only thing you’ll feel is fear, brilliant exhilarating fear. Neon lights and exquisitely designed circuits in enclosed tubes leave little room for mistakes and it makes for a truly compelling experience.
If suspending your disbelief to this extent isn’t for you then perhaps you will find the traditional simulated driving game more to your tastes. Rather than simply focusing on fun and the thrill of speed, games such as Gran Turismo and Geoff Crammond’s Grand Prix series leave a heavy focus on the mechanics of racing, of grinding every possible second of speed out of your vehicle. These are notoriously difficult to play and often require hours of practise to truly begin to understand the controls and learn the quickest line for taking high-speed corners – but once mastered you’ll feel so powerful that even The Stig will be quaking in his boots.
One game that perfectly marries the two driving experiences into something revolutionary is Grand Theft Auto. GTA is about to release its sixth instalment and has over time evolved from a simple top down racer/runner to a game that offers a complete 3D world for your character to explore.
Neglecting to pay your toll on the bridge will find you arrested quicker than you can say Lindsey Lohan.
Rather than having to earn through hard work and the paying of large bills, the car of your dreams is there for you to take. No other game offers that freedom of choice, and although certainly unscrupulous, the idea of liberty and freedom is a strong narrative that runs through all of the games.
Of course it is entirely possible to play Grand Theft Auto without breaking the law. But playing it straight will leave you having about as much fun as Kimi Raikkonen and will leave you ending up looking just as sour faced. Grand Theft Auto is an opportunity to run riot without any of the repercussions. You don’t die in Grand Theft Auto, you’re simply incarcerated for a few seconds and have some of the hard earned cash you haven’t really worked hard for stripped from your pockets.
It’s possible to play just for the story, which is usually a poorly constructed flabby middled chunk of gangster rubbish, or you can simply plug in, relax and drive. It allows you the liberation of both the fantasy of freedom while remaining so life like that neglecting to pay your toll on the bridge will find you arrested quicker than you can say Lindsey Lohan. It’s a strange juxtaposition of ideas, but clearly one that works.
Grand Theft Auto succeeds because it takes the elements of a driving game and places them in a lifelike environment. We’re at home in a city like New York because it isn’t New York. We know our way around, we know how the streets and highways ebb and flow and more importantly it appeals to our anarchic nature to be able to pay no attention to authority.
Grand Theft Auto, although not a traditional driving videogame is perfect escapism and is guaranteed to more enjoyable then getting in your real car and trying to drive. So the next time you’re stuck in traffic jam or it takes half an hour to edge out onto a busy roundabout, turn around, head home and have a little drive around a sandbox, it’s much safer that way.
Other video game articles you might enjoy…
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – A History of Guns and Games
GTA 5: 5 Reasons It Will Blow Our Minds
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COMMENTS
Wow - bored of reading your article after this "So why not just stay at home and drive? Leave the driving for the pros and get a taxi. Throw away those car keys, bin the nauseating pine perfumed air freshener, turn on your PC/PS3/Xbox 360 and whack in a driving game. Now, doesn’t that make you feel better?"
This website is shit what it rants on about is shit and the people who made the website are shits
Fuck this shit
Awful article. It was bad from the start, saying that no one likes to drive. We cannot drive fast anymore? Where do you live?
u do talk don't you,, theirs 3 types of driving games simulation, arcade and free roaming ( sandbox )i for me like gta and forza that's about it to be honest i'm not a hardcore gaming fan but forza 4 to me is the best game on the xbox so far.. just in case any xbox fan boys prove me wrong, that comment is for my prefference only.. gta v i think will very quickly fill forzas space but in time i know i will slip into the aston dbs soon enough
Man the point of posting this wassss ? Weak lame an foolish talk about gta v next trailer or secrets not driving compared to other games
I only read the first paragraph, this guy has obviously not been out of the city in 5 years and not seen an open stretch of road. Whatever else this author had to say, i'm not interested in.
i love driving..if everyone hates driving,why do people spend a fortune on fast cars??
I must tell you how wrong you are about people hating driving. I live to drive. Taking drives is my way of relaxing and escaping.
Who actually red all that s**t man!!!
I'm sorry but your article kinda-uh I don't know. It got pretty boring and dumb after you said driving for fun is in the past. All of your points suck and by the way I love driving, so...
I love driving. This guy is completely stupid. I don't care if I'm stuck in traffic. I love cars, I love driving, and I love racing. You are a joke.
You sir are on FUCKING DRUGS!!!! How the fuck could u know that i dont like to drive, I LOVE TO DRIVE so fuck u buddy
Copy and pasting is boring johns.
Seriously? Nobody enjoys driving? Did an inexperienced 15 year old who hasn't even touched a steering type this up?
How dare you say the storyline is a gangster chunk of rubbish? The intertwined well put together stories of GTA tend to be the BEST of all video games out there you fat fuck whore slut.
How can you start an article like that, I for one enjoy driving and your little childish rant about driving is shameful, just because u don't like driving it doesn't mean others don't. If you want people to read past the first paragraph then I suggest u leave ur own childish views behind and just get to the point of the article which is supposed to be about gta and the history of driving games, Even that section was seemed to be written by someone who hasnt got a clue.
As someone who used to love racing games and wants to get back into gaming, I was disappointed by this article too. The personal insults in the comments are undeserved. I think there should be a basic literacy test before you are allowed to add a comment. Those of you that fail can fuck off back to YouTube. Bye! xxx
How the hell can you sit there and say nobody likes to drive? I never comment on articles, just like to read good ones, but when i read this I automatically see how sub par sites dedicated to any subject in question can be stupid as Fuck! I mean driving is one of our amazing feats abilities and pleasures! The writer of this article must not be able to drive! In its simplest form it takes us where we love to be! Or have to be if its work but still dammit!!!!!!
Yea, I actually LOVE driving. Not my daily commute, but ripping up and down the tollways over 100mph in my modded Honda Civic is exhilarating.
Man... the wait for more gtaV content is killing me... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA - (runs out crazy)
I don't usually post to articles comment sections but after reading what the idiots that read this page had to say I felt the need to let everyone know how I felt. And how I feel is that you all are a bunch of dicks.
I completely agree with the author, nobody likes to drive and if you do you're just kidding yourselves. It's boring and costs way too much money, hell there's a whole form of anger dedicated to it. You've never heard someone suffering from sitting-on-the-couch-rage have you? Driving is for punks and bitches and punk bitches who like to waste their money driving around with the window down blasting out stupid music that nobody else likes followed by other people thinking they're a complete douchebag because the driver thinks their music is the best music since the sound of sliced bread
Haaaa, That's some of the dumbest shit I ever heard. Road rage was the basis for ur dumb ass comment? How many kids have I heard absolutely losing it via headset after gettin their ass kicked.. Plenty. How many kids have whipped controllers at their tvs? Ur the fuckin douche bag. Enjoy trolling in ur grocery getter throwin dirty looks at people that are part of the 'custom car culture'. Now go see what ur mom wants..
"Nobody likes to drive" - Maybe you don't, but I love driving.
You stupid fucking bitch, stop deleting my comments.
@Master Beater, you must be a kid too, what idiot would say I don't like driving nor does anyone else? I'm not kidding myself, you're not going to tell me what I love and what I don't. You got a lot of nerve. Ignorant, that's what you are.
@Master Beater, shut up, your just as bad as the lonely 15 year old dick who wrote this useless crap. I love to drive. You're not going to tell me what I like to do, now go back to your room you annoying kid.
This article is, well I'm not going to sugar coat it, this article is crap. Who is going to tell me driving on a fucking ps3 or xbox is funner than getting out on the open road and driving. Only a freakin' low life who's life is games 24/7. And Master Beater, you're the only punk here. I reckon you better shut up because I'm not having some stupid kid tell me what I love and what I don't. Driving can be for everyone, stop using these childish stereotypes. Get out and get a life before you berate everyone for driving. What the heck, man.
Has this writer ever played gta? It has some of the most well thought out, satisfying storylines in gaming. driving around aimlessly very quickly becomes boring when you have nowhere to go. i feel sorry for you if thats all you have done in gta, there is so much more to it than a 'driving simulator'
Are you all insane? I drive my horse to work everyday and it always wanders off down the road and I have to chase after it with a carrot because it really likes carrots. You are all on drugs or something, driving is a pain in the ass and I wish I didn't need a horse to get to work but that's the way it is, no need to delude yourselves into actually enjoying it. If someone said you had to stick a pen in your eye everyday would you say you enjoy that just because you have to do it? No, of course not. Swiss cheese you people are dumb!
No video game or simulator can replicate the thrill of driving/racing in real life.
What!? I love driving! It the sense of freedom and you can be in your own space! Instead of being surrounded by people on a train or a bus or on whatever commute you use. You can have the wind in your hair or play your music, or drive at night or day, drive fast or slow, or however you feel and whatever makes you feel good. There are roads outside of cities too, and not every road is full of traffic and potholes an idiots. There are reasons for people spending massive amounts of money for their cars, some like to go to tacetracks and drive the car for real, its all about the feeling it gives you, I pick up my car keys and go for drives for no reason whatsoever apart from enjoying the drive and the car. To say nobody likes driving for the enjoyment of it is just stupid. For some it's their escape, or enjoyment and thrill. it's where they feel comfortable an it's what they want to do. Having a car and the freedom and joy it comes with is amazing, you clearly don't like the thrills of real life, and are a useless driver. You should not be writing reviews about driving or driving simulators, because frankly, you don't deserve it.
@the Driver..., Slayed it. Last day on vacation, 81 degrees. Sir, you inspired me to drive
And Masterbeater, are you still talking? Embrace your horse, I'll ride mine in Red Dead.. He wanders too but comes when I whistle. Oh, and he's on fire and burns zombies when I pass them. I bet ur friend Mr. Ed can't do that. As for 'having' to drive.. I liked your attempt at changing the subject from 'liking driving' to having to drive. Seems like you bit of a little more than you can chew. I'm not going to bash you, but I will say this; Someone has distorted your views of a great thing. The thousands of people who've bought custom wheels from me would agree. Cheers! Or, "yee-haw"..whichever you prefer.
@Urbonix Lol, touche. Good to see somebody with a sense of humour
Aside from the multitude of grammatical errors, what part of this article is about GTA V? I think this article has a huge element of troll to it. Comment baiting at it's finest. "I can tell you now, no matter how much the TV insists driving will definitely not improve your chances of sleeping with an attractive blonde" The false authority of this made me laugh. Driving a white van may not improve your chances, sure, but what about the millionaires who drive sports cars and sleep with attractive blondes all the time? I mean, someone has to and it's obviously not people who take the bus.
I take the bus all the time, and I sleep with an attractive blonde every night. I enjoy driving, but living in London I can't afford the expense/hassle. I play driving games so I can max a Veyron without spending millions, and then trash it on a corner without dying. On the other hand doing a track day sounds awesome. It's a different kind of thrill though. Chill out folks, it's a matter of opinion. Funny how all the people who say they love to drive are so needlessly angry...
Can we be a police officer with the uniform but no mod and get money oh and not have to kill the guy and just arrest him
Can we be a police officer with the uniform but no mod and get money oh and not have to kill the guy and just arrest him and the cops dont try to arrest you if you do kill the guy so it would be like a job
Sorry about the 2 same comments
Can we buy houses and cars and get jobs (at burger shot 247 market etc?)
Can you drive trains if they're are trains
We should be able to get jobs at bingo and burgershot etc.
And drive horses
Urawhore
I enjoy driving very much. The thing that I think you are probably lacking in whatever you drove was horsepower & it sure as hell feels fun as anything to go barreling down a country road that you can see for miles at night & going over rollercoaster hills. If you don't have any of the convenience that country folk do then during the winter after it snows do this: find a decently empty parking lot free from any objects that you can collide with, put your car in reverse & crank the wheel & gun it(most cars are FWD anyways so it should apply to you). Basic doughnuts for beginners & you'd have to be crazy to not find it fun!
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