Why no underwater swimming?

[Thomas Hall]

I think it could have been to do with, not missions in the water. They probably wanted to focus on the city, and landscapes and cars and characters. In this one the focus was on game play, and increasing the graphics and making it interesting.

 

[GlacialDoom]

Definitely limitations, but also the fact that swimming underwater was pretty useless. I never found a true appeal to it when I played San Andreas.

 

[silverborn]

I don't really see the point of it now but back in the days where everything was new, I used to spend a lot of time exploring around the sea.
It was really exciting swimming around corals and going from island to island underwater .
If they were to bring it back, I hope they add like submarines or something.

 

[rightct]

Well, for me, personally, it wasn't that bothersome. I always thought that underwater swimming in-game was quite a caprice to ask, and that we wouldn't spend that much time actually swimming, anyway. Of course, it's a little add-on that would've been categorically accepted if it had been implemented, just like in San Andreas... but I don't see why people were so bothered by it.

 

[gadin210]

I dont really see the need nor the fun of swimming underwater. There is no need for that in GTA i believe.

 

[guruproto]

The two reasons I can think of are technical limitations and it being unnecessary. San Andreas had deserts, sweeping countrysides, mountains -- basically more outdoor locations. Naturally, swimming underwater and deep sea exploration is something that caters to this type of sandbox. Compare this to GTA IV, which takes place exclusively inside Liberty City. Most of the gameplay happens on city streets, interior buildings, and around landmarks. Since most interactions are on land, things like swimming at the bottom of the ocean don't have a real place. Deep diving has no real precedence in the urban sandbox that is Liberty City.

 

[evelin]

I've honestly asked this question myself, too. I don't understand why they didn't bother to put underwater swimming in the game at all. It would've made things a lot better, but you know... each to their own, haha!

 

[OursIsTheFury]

Yes, GTA 4 was kind of a let down, since San Andreas really spoiled me with all the fun you can have with a GTA game. Parachutes, heat seeking rocket launchers, monster trucks, hydra jets, heck, planes in general. GTA 4 lacked all the fun of San Andreas in exchange for a more serious and realistic theme, and I think that's why it is one of the least favorite GTA games when you ask long time fans of the series.

 

[erook7878]

It is odd that you can't swim underwater. I guess they just felt there was no point to it. There isn't a whole lot going on underwater. It is weird that it wasn't included, considering San Andreas had it.

 

[mauricioq]

That's a question that remains unanswered to this very day. It was possible in SA, so it's very strange why they took it away. It's not a very essential part of the game, and I didn't like to swim that much but it's good to know you can do it.

 

[Dante848]

Honestly a lot of limitations perplexed me about this game. Like no planes, no underwater swimming, things like that. I always chalked it up to it being the first game on the PS3/360 gen so they weren't confident in all that stuff (the consoles just came out a couple years ago also). But who knows.

 

[spectre456]

Maybe they just couldn't figure out anything worthwhile to add to any underwater sections. I love that you can dive underwater in GTAV, but I also feel like there's nothing exciting to do once you're down there.

 

[FuZyOn]

That honestly bummed me out a lot, seems like a lot of features present in San Andreas got left out in GTA IV, pretty weird.

 

[ltomama0945]

Some of the most influential members of our society don’t have an official title that designates them as a “community leader.” In any given neighborhood or municipality, it’s quite likely that individuals who hold certain roles, such as elected officials, are de facto community leaders

 

[AlexZ]

Gоin undеrwаtеr wаs сооl, but it wаs kindа pоintlеss. аll u nееdеd it fоr wаs thаt missiоn in Sаn Fiеrrо, аnd gеttin аll thеm аnnоying оystеrs. Likе sоmеоnе sаid еаrliеr, it sаvеs disk spасе, im surе pеоplе will fоrgеt аbоut it аs sооn аs thеy plаy thе gаmе.

 

[Terry1]

I thоught gоing undеrwаtеr wаs сооl in Sаn Аndrеаs, surе it mаy hаvе bееn usеlеss, but it gаvе mе а hugе sеnsе оf frееdоm, аnd I likеd tо rоlеplаy gоing wаy оut in thе осеаn thаn gоing snоrkling аnd sееing sсhооls оf fish аnd suсh, а brеаk frоm аll thе сity-gаngbаnging lifе. This is vеry disаppоinting.
Whаt if yоur саr fаlls intо thе wаtеr? Will it just flоаt оn thе surfасе оf thе wаtеr unrеаlistiсаlly? оr will yоu diе likе in GTа3, Vс, аnd LсS?
Wоuldn't it bе сооl tо just divе intо thе wаtеr sо yоu саn еаsily lоsе thе соps?
аnd thе usеs gо оn, sо I tаkе bасk whаt I sаid еаrliеr, it's nоt usеlеss аt аll. f*сk missiоns+undеrwаtеr, GTА wаs mаdе fоr frеееrоаm, with а stоryаddеd tо it.

 

[Sosi]

Whаt аbоut whеn yоur саr gоеs in thе wаtеr? Whаt hаppеns? Dо yоu diе? Dоеs it аutо gеt оut fоr yоu?
Whаt hаppеns with thаt?

 

[Kieranlewix]

The most likely reason why the underwater swimming feature was excluded is because the game developers went broke.It is not that they did not remember to add the feature because they were focused on improving the graphics of the outside.I mean sure, the graphics are great,but I think by the time they were getting to the swimming part of the game their funding pool was running dry so they had to improvise.

Maybe it was because of the fan demands.I remember we were so eager to get the game and many comments were posted on their website encouraging them to finish making the game and release it.

 

[holmes22]

I always wondered this but was quick to assume that it was unnecessary and probably a whole lot of work to include for nothing really to do with the game. That said, though, it would add a cool new element to the game.

 

[Slashman8]

I would say because it would cost more money and time for the developers to make you swim underwater for nothing, with little areas to explore.