The review is based on 10 hrs of the gameplay. Have not finished the story yet (the reason will be explained later). My experience with the game is mixed. I enjoyed some aspects of the game, but the rest is sub-par.

1. I quite enjoy the graphics of the game. It looks amazing, depending on the day’s time and the weather.
   
2. Some of the game mechanics are great:
   
3. The car control:
   • I had a lot of fun driving different vehicles. Some cars are easier to control, some are not, especially the police cruiser. I once tried to escape the cops with a classic van, ending up being pushed into a lake.
     
   • The intrusion system (looting houses & sticking up stores) I love that the house owner will call the police if they see someone trespassing and casing their house.
     
   • Part of the wanted system: there are so many reasons to be wanted by the police. It could be carjacking, property damage, failure to stop, etc. Sometimes, it forces me to be careful when on a mission.
     
4. Ordered list

1. Getting used to the combat system takes some time. Once I am familiar with it, it does not bother me anymore.
   
2. The score/soundtrack of the game is nice but short. There is no car radio, though.

1. DO NOT PLAY ON THE WINDOWED MODE and then ALT + TAB. If you alt + tab to do something else when the game is in the main menu, there is a chance you will start a new game and lose all your progress. For me, I lost 10 hrs worth of progress.
   
2. The bug: When you hit properties, your vehicle can be stuck on objects it hits. Sometimes you can free the vehicle by re-entering it, but sometimes it won’t. In extreme case, the player will also be stuck if the driver’s side of the car is very close to a non-destroyable object. When you leave the car, it will spawn you in the tiny space between your car and the non-destroyable object.
   
3. The storyline: I finished the storyline up to the mayor being arrested (that is when my progress was reset). There are too many fetch quests that seem unrelated to the storyline. It only serves as a means to get some cash and upgrade point(s). I feel he deserved to be framed, with all the dirty work the main characters do. The storytelling is not engaging at all.
   
4. The logic: The police want the main character. His wanted posters were everywhere across the city, and his photos were in the newspaper twice. However, the police won’t recognize you when you stand in front of him.The main character will only be recognized during one story mission, which involves rubbing a bank, and when you enter a police station in the open-world (Funnily enough, not in the story mission. In fact, you can go to a police station during one story mission and the police will let you in). It does not give you the feeling of being a fugitive.
   
5. The wanted system:
   • If you let cops be on your tails long enough, your wanted level will reach the highest 6-stars for no apparent reason. A tank will be dispatched for what was originally a carjack.
     
   • You can enter the crane operating room in the scrapyard, and police won’t drag you out. My wanted level rose from 4 to 6 for hiding inside. A tank was dispatched, and it killed all the police & military that gathered in front of the operating room and destroyed all their vehicles.
     
   • It is too easy to escape from the police. All you need to do is to drive on the train track to escape the search area. A police car can drive on the road parallel to the train track, and they won’t chase you.
     

Overall, this is an average open-world game that is inspired by classic GTA. There are some good designs, but the flaws in the game will prevent me from replaying the game or restarting the game.

The review is based on [u] [b] 10 hrs [/b] [/u] of the gameplay. Have not finished the story yet (the reason will be explained later). My experience with the game is mixed. I enjoyed some aspects of the game, but the rest is sub-par. [h1] The Good: [/h1] [olist] [*]I quite enjoy the graphics of the game. It looks amazing, depending on the day’s time and the weather. [*]Some of the game mechanics are great: [*]The car control:[list] [*]I had a lot of fun driving different vehicles. Some cars are easier to control, some are not, especially the police cruiser. [spoiler] I once tried to escape the cops with a classic van, ending up being pushed into a lake. [/spoiler] [*]The intrusion system (looting houses & sticking up stores) I love that the house owner will call the police if they see someone trespassing and casing their house. [*]Part of the wanted system: there are so many reasons to be wanted by the police. It could be carjacking, property damage, failure to stop, etc. Sometimes, it forces me to be careful when on a mission. [/list] [*]Ordered list [/olist] [h1] The in-between: [/h1] [olist] [*] Getting used to the combat system takes some time. Once I am familiar with it, it does not bother me anymore. [*]The score/soundtrack of the game is nice but short. There is no car radio, though. [/olist] [h1] The bad: [/h1] [olist] [*][b] DO NOT PLAY ON THE WINDOWED MODE and then ALT + TAB. [/b]If you alt + tab to do something else when the game is in the main menu, there is a chance you will start a new game and lose all your progress. For me, I lost 10 hrs worth of progress. [*][b]The bug[/b]: When you hit properties, your vehicle can be stuck on objects it hits. Sometimes you can free the vehicle by re-entering it, but sometimes it won’t. In extreme case, the player will also be stuck if the driver’s side of the car is very close to a non-destroyable object. When you leave the car, it will spawn you in the tiny space between your car and the non-destroyable object. [*][b]The storyline[/b]: I finished the storyline up to the mayor being arrested (that is when my progress was reset). There are too many fetch quests that seem unrelated to the storyline. It only serves as a means to get some cash and upgrade point(s). I feel he deserved to be framed, with all the dirty work the main characters do. The storytelling is not engaging at all. [*][b]The logic[/b]: The police want the main character. His wanted posters were everywhere across the city, and his photos were in the newspaper twice. However, the police won’t recognize you when you stand in front of him.[spoiler]The main character will only be recognized during one story mission, which involves rubbing a bank, and when you enter a police station in the open-world (Funnily enough, not in the story mission. In fact, you can go to a police station during one story mission and the police will let you in). [/spoiler] It does not give you the feeling of being a fugitive. [*][b]The wanted system[/b]:[list] [*]If you let cops be on your tails long enough, your wanted level will reach the highest 6-stars for no apparent reason. A tank will be dispatched for what was originally a carjack. [*]You can enter the crane operating room in the scrapyard, and police won’t drag you out. My wanted level rose from 4 to 6 for hiding inside. A tank was dispatched, and it killed all the police & military that gathered in front of the operating room and destroyed all their vehicles. [*]It is too easy to escape from the police. All you need to do is to drive on the train track to escape the search area. A police car can drive on the road parallel to the train track, and they won’t chase you. [/list] [/olist] Overall, this is an average open-world game that is inspired by classic GTA. There are some good designs, but the flaws in the game will prevent me from replaying the game or restarting the game.