I ate a hot dog today. If you know me in the real world, that’s probably not a huge shock — I have a diet like an eight year old. But this wasn’t a real world hot dog. It was a wiener from a Liberty City vendor, and it tasted even better. I love the taste of mixed meat in my mouth just about as much as I love the flavor of Liberty City.

You see, Liberty City isn’t just another virtual world. It’s a place that actually feels like home. Can I get all ex-Serbian military on some dudes for fucking up my cousin? Sure. But I can just as easily call up a friend to play darts, pick up my best girl and hit the bowling alley, or just hang out at home and watch TV. That’s right — watch TV. They’ve put together a whole whack of programming for the airwaves of Liberty City, all of which is worth an afternoon of channel surfing. Plus I hear there’s a faux-internet that’ll be popping up sooner or later. If I can barely peel myself away from the real one, how am I going to break off from the Rockstar equivalent?

But not all is great here in Liberty. The 360 controls have a bit of an overhaul from the previous PS2 button scheme I’ve grown used to. Every time I want to use my handbrake I end up switching off my headlights, and every time I want to peel off I hit the handbrake long enough for the car’s owner to get brave and pull me right back out of the car. As well (and this could just be my 360 set up — it’s a crappy repair-center refurb that I’ve had trouble with in the past) I’m finding the visuals a little choppier than anyone seems to be mentioning. But still — small gripes be damned. This is a living breathing world Rockstar has invented. And did I mention it’s a world in which combat works? Yeah, they finally figured that one out.

I figure I’ll close out this, my first postcard from the world of Liberty, with a quick snippet from a behind-the-scenes e-mail I sent to the team my first night here;

“So I’m on my way to my first date with Michelle, and Roman calls me. Some dudes are roughing him up and he wants my help. I figure fuck it — I’m almost at Michelle’s house, I’ll do the Roman mission afterwards. We go on our date (which unlike San Andreas was an actual date, up to and including a bowling mini-game) and drop her off. All of a sudden I get a call from Roman. It’s not the same mission anymore — now he wants me to pick him up at the hospital. Turns out those guys weren’t going to wait for my date to finish before laying the beats down on my cousin. I couldn’t believe it — Liberty City was such a complete real-world experience that events were going to happen whether I was there or not? As if the game needed to confirm my disbelief, Roman gets in my car and says “I can’t believe you, choosing cooch over your cousin.” Not only did he get the beats, he knew I ditched him for Michelle. Christ almighty Rockstar, I’m all in.”

Hugs and kisses,
Jim