Okay, THAT trailer makes me a lot more confident about the game. It's not necessarily the graphics or the environment (although they're both cool as shit), it's the characterisations. The protagonists and NPCs seem more interesting than in IV - not that I hated Niko, but most of the other characters were sub-par. This time we have cultural and generational gaps that look as though they'll provide a lot of depth and some laughs (something sorely lacking from IV). As KJ said too, it's more action movie-like and not so 'gritty realism' kinda thing - like the original SA, swinging on boat masts, jumping off crashing trains, etc. This is what I like to see in an action game.

"Bounce? We're bouncing now?" - awesome stuff.

I just wanted to rekindle this thread, as I've only recently been catching up on Season 7 (the Misses and I got swept up in Sopranos for a spell). When I watched the season opener, I thought it was an adequate opening to a Dexter season, but as I've been catching up I've gradually become more and more disappointed. Now I actually tend to agree with draguN's initial opinion that the writing is getting lazy - it is. So far season 7 is coming across as a poorly written thriller that doesn't seem to have any real idea where it's headed. The things that have just had me rubbing my head so far are these:

- Why didn't Deb arrest him immediately? I'm guessing this is why they established her having 'feelings' for him at the tail end of the sixth season, but it still doesn't make much sense. Akin to this question: why have Dexter spin some bullshit story about killing Travis if it wasn't gonna matter one episode later - he admits to Deb that he's a serial killer. It just makes the entire opening episode seem like filler.

- Why did Masuka's apprentice (or whatever, can't recall his name) die so abruptly? A good deal of time was spent in the sixth season establishing this character as a potential threat to Dexter, only to have his character completely change in the seventh season and then bump him off incredibly casually. It strikes me as a situation where the actor couldn't continue in the role (for whatever reason), and the writers had to quickly compensate - I don't know how many here remember the debacle of Michelle Rodriguez's character on Lost.

- Why hasn't Deb asked whether or not Dexter killed Dokes (sp?) ? She's established that he was the Bay Harbour Butcher, but hasn't mentioned Dokes to him at all - only to Laguerda (sp?). It just seems odd that she wouldn't make that connection.

- Would you really shoot yourself because a crime boss promised to take care of your family if you did? You could argue he figured they would kill him anyway, but the entire scene just didn't ring true. What was to stop the guy from shooting all three of them right there - he was the only one with a gun in his hand. This one's a minor complaint, but with all the major flaws now, even the small ones are standing out.

- Why, in the name of fuck, would Dexter go to visit this crime boss in prison? Not only that, but he talks to him - in an incriminating fashion. Police record those conversations - Dexter would have to know this. Taking six years to establish Dexter as someone incredibly careful not to get caught - having him do this just makes him look like a dumbass who should have been caught decades ago.

The writing so far is - as draguN suggested - just plain lazy. So far the season has just ambled here and there and not really given us anything meaty to sink our teeth into. I'm assuming it will culminate with Deb being killed, cancelling out the problem of her constantly being at odds with Dexter's true identity. Again I argue that the show should have ended with the current season and wrap it up all up nicely. Now, alas, it seems like the show will just slide slowly into mediocrity and be remembered for that.

It seems odd that you would be able to switch characters whenever you wanted (I'm assuming outside of a mission) - how would that work with the game's mission structure? I don't know if I doubt the information above, but that one point just sticks out like a sore thumb. Does each character have their own story? Do they ever cross paths? Why was only one protagonist hinted at in the teaser?

Once again, the official launch trailer should (note: SHOULD) answer a lot of those questions. I just can't help but think Rockstar would be aware that the simplicity of the game is one of the reasons it became so popular.

It's a bit lame, sure. But the character's kills are almost always the same - a knife to the heart. Knowing that, I can forgive them for at least changing up the locations of the kills, even something as improbable as an airport. My concern with the new season is that it should be show's last. There's been no indication that it isn't the last season, but typically the final season of a popular TV show will make a point of saying so. I love the show, but can't help but feel it's run its course, and Dexter should be caught. Instead of that, what it feels as though will happen is Masuka's understudy will kill Deb and that'll be the end of that conflict.

I'm hoping it doesn't go that way, but I'd be willing to bet it does.

I enjoyed this one a lot. Very creative use of otherwise useless terrain. Sometimes it takes a car to do a bike's job. The editing was nice and relaxed, which suits car stunts better in my opinion. My only teeny tiny problem was the song, which I thought just didn't get things going. It's wierd, because it seems like it should've worked (and probably did for others watching), but I just found it hard to marry to the stunts.

Apart from that, excellent work from everyone involved.

After initially being disappointed, the movie has grown on me after subsequent viewings. It's an incredible example of a movie that's made well. The direction is great, the editing is fantastic and the look of the movie is flawless. Ignore the nay-sayers and armchair critics and give it a watch. Purely as an execution it's near perfect.

7.5/10.

^ Agreed.

The apparent need for replay checkers just strikes me as overkill. As does voting for the song to be used. These are things you place in the editor's hands. If you're confident with your choice of editor, you should be equally confident about his choices.

Oh, and hey UL.

Well they wouldn't limit themselves to a PC only release (I know you didn't say that) so there's little doubt it will be an Xbox720/PS4 release. They'll need to really pull something special out of the bag for this one, because FF titles have been waning both in popularity and suitable execution. I think they need to drop the emo element, which has been way too strong lately, in their FF releases and get back to more macho heroism like in VI.