I know I'm late, but I'll respond to these things from last thread anyway:
[quote name='corrosivefrost']I don't agree at all. Developers leaving free will to players in a sandbox is necessary as part of the design of that genre and as such, the player can do things that aren't in line with the story in most cases.[/QUOTE]
I think you are reading my post from the wrong direction. I'm saying the story in GTAIV kinda sucks because it doesn't fit with the gameplay, not the other way around. The story they wanted to tell isn't best told in a sandbox game. Other stories can work in a sandbox game, like Saint's Row 3 as icebeast pointed out.
[quote name='corrosivefrost']
Don't want realistic games, just want games that incorporate their story into the mechanics. SR3 knows exactly what it is and it doesn't give a

and lets you do whatever the

you want. GTIV knew what it wanted to be, but didn't want to change it's fundamentals, and it's kind of stupid because of it.
If we want this medium to continue to be a piece of shit for storytelling, than let's keep it that way. Let's not tell Lara Croft stories and just keep telling Nathan Drake stories. It's the same game anyways. [/QUOTE]
Exactly. You and me are on the same page here. I feel like people are misunderstanding. It's not about realism exactly, it's about making a unified game. If your story doesn't work with your game, just leave it out. Put it elsewhere, in a game or movie or wherever it actually works.