Grand Theft Auto IV

10 Review to this product

• 

  Matthew S. Beckman
  April 29th, 2008 on 1:50 am

  Rating

  This game had a lot of hype to live up to, but it has not only lived up to those expectations, it has greatly surpassed them. This game has set the bar for the gaming industry so much higher. One of the most common things you hear about the game is the size of the city. It is smaller then San Andreas, but it feels twice as big. The city is so detailed that you are always finding something new. Every street, building, and person is different. The new social life aspect that you would expect to find in games like The Sims is amazing. I am sure many hardcore gamers will overlook this aspect and just stick with the missions, but this feature adds hours & hours of game play. I hear the number 100 hours of game play tossed around, but I am sure it can easily get more use than that. That is the wonderful thing about the GTA series, the ability to sidetrack from the main missions, but still feel as if you are in the story. There is a reason this game has gotten 10 out of 10′s on almost every game review website, because to date, this is easily the best game title out there. Others try to compare it to games like Halo and Metal Gear Solid, but fact of the matter is that the GTA series is in a league of it’s own! This isn’t to say it is bug free though. The game can suffer awkward camera angles, visible texture loading, and controls that have a fairly steep learning curve (can be changed to classic). With that in mind though, all of the other great things make up for it, still surpassing every other game out there. I have to give Grand Theft Auto 4 a 5 out of 5.

  Note: I have yet to complete the game entirely (17%) and have only been playing for a day, but this is my review of it so far.
• 

  Brandon Lee
  April 29th, 2008 on 4:54 am

  Rating

  First, I like to admit something. I never really liked GTA series before. I can’t quite put my fingers on the reasons. Maybe it was the ugly graphics(/art directions). Or perhaps, their clumsy control in general threw me off. In any case, past GTA games never really appealed to me at all.

  However, I finally decided that I am gonna give it a try once more even though I only barely finished half of San andreas and was too bored to go on. And wow, I have to say I am so glad that I gave this game an another chance because this game fixes whatever problem I had with the series and improved beyond my expectation.

  Graphic
  
  -While I would not say this is the best looking game on Xbox 360 platform, I have to agree that it still looks fantastic. Especially, fictional liberty city looks absolutely stunning.If I consider the freedom that is given to player to mess around the city, this game might be the most impressive technical achievement on console side so far.

  Simply, this game looks gorgeous. Even though I did notice some texture pop up here and there, it is not constant as it was with mass effect and it is likely that you won’t be bothered by it unless you are one of those people who obsess over minor graphical flaw. It really is a minor thing and doesn’t effect game play at all.

  Control
  
  -I hated shooting in 3D GTA games before GTA IV and I don’t think I was the only one. Well. REJOICE!! Shooting mechanic is better in GTA IV. Okay. It is sooooooo much better. Two major additions (Lock-on and cover system) works pretty well and makes combat a lot more fun rather than frustrating. Unarmed combat has some depth as well but I won’t get into that since I usually just prefer shooting or blowing things up. The control for driving is not exactly racing game level but it is serviceable and you get used to it pretty quickly (different cars indeed handle differently)

  Story
  
  -I think I won’t say anything whole a lot about story since it is even more subjective than other issues and I don’t want to spoil anything but I will say this. I personally liked the story. It is driven by cut scenes before each missions just like how Rockstar did with previous title. Voice acting is excellent as expected from Rockstar(Although I was having some trouble understanding some characters due to heavy accent. I had to turn subtitle on. I actually recommend this.)

  And I actually cared about Nico as main character. I don’t think I can say the same for previous GTA main character. Personally, that prove to me that story is done well.

  Multiplayers
  
  -I can’t mention anything on this since I haven’t gotten too much into this. perhaps, I can add more in the future but not now. I am just impressed that they actually added multiplayer mode for the first time on top of excellent single player portion of the game. By the way, I found a promotional card for one month of free xbox live inside of the game case. It was a nice surprise and kudos to Microsoft on that one.

  Conclusion
  
  -If you played previous GTA games, then you know the basic gameplay of GTA4. It is a sand box game that allows you to utilize a whole city as playground. GTA IV is fundamentally a highly refined game that has improved upon GTA formula to near perfection.

  I can’t say for sure if this game can convert those players whom never liked GTA series ever. But I doubt anyone would disagree that this game is indeed a great improvement over past GTA games. As for me, GTA IV in fact did just that. It turned me into GTA fanboy. If you are a gamer, I wholeheartedly, recommend checking GTA IV out. Maybe you will like it or maybe not. But I guarantee you that you will be impressed one way or another.
• 

  Lisa Shea
  April 30th, 2008 on 9:24 am

  Rating

  I adore the GTA series and have been looking forward to the release of GTA IV for a *long* time. The developers know that a very high bar would be set for this one, and you can see the time and effort they poured into every last detail from the very first moment of the opening credits. It is more like a movie than a game. This “immersive movie” quality stays with you through every moment of gameplay.

  You walk down the street and the shadows dapple through the overhead bridge grid. Dusk begins to fall and the sky gets that orange golden glow, the shadows lessen.

  Voices show the same attention to detail. You’ve got a variety of languages thrown in, plus accents galore. There’s the Long Island drawl, the Rastafarian’s lilt, and of course the hard edge of eastern Europe.

  Your main character is Nico, fresh off the boat and coming in to Liberty City (i.e. New York City) to see his cousin Roman. They are eastern European and rather poor. This of course is going to change soon, as Nico moves his way up in the world.

  My boyfriend’s from New York City so we were amused at how they kept the landscapes identical but renamed Brooklyn to Broker, Manhattan to Algonquin and so on. There was one time we were walking down the streets and had lost track of where we were. “Looks like the Bronx” he commented off-handedly. We zoomed out. Sure enough!

  I do have to say that the people on the streets of this game swear far more than the average people we pass in the real NYC though!

  Which brings up an important point. GTA IV went straight for the “Mature” rating with this one. This is clearly meant for mature gamers ages 17 and over. There are strip clubs. There are violent battles. There is more swearing than pretty much any other game out there. Adults love this as they love the Sopranos and Scarface – but any parent getting this for a minor should know what they’re getting into.

  But that being said, as a game for adults, this is *awesome*. There are just so many little touches that shine. You can play bowling games with your date. You can make choices between alternate choices which affect how people feel about you. When you get near a railing, you can side jump over it, smoothly. You carry a cell phone and gather contacts for use. You can visit internet cafes. You have a variety of radio stations to listen to, plus TV stations to watch.

  This is easily a game you can play for hundreds of hours – then go back and start over again and get another new experience by making different choices.

  I can’t get over how gorgeous the game is, and how smoothly it plays. You grab a knife from an enemy and use it to take him down. You drive along the Hudson and watch the lights of the carnival shine. You listen to your favorite songs on the radio while the neon lights of the city drift by. You really begin to relate to the characters, to understand their personalities, to connect with them. It makes the choices you make have meaning and emotion.

  As much as I adore many other games – Halo, Mass Effect, etc. – I really think this is the first game that makes you feel that you are in a movie. The graphics draw you in. The voices are amazingly well done and varied. The plot draws you in, having you wonder who to trust, having you wonder what is going on with the characters.

  Highly recommended. I’m doing a full walkthrough for the game so feel free to ask any questions you wish!

  I want to add a note – some players are having trouble with understanding the dialogue. I watch a ton of international films so I didn’t have any issues. However, if some of the language is too accented for you, there is a subtitles option. Just turn that on and you’ll always know what they are saying.
• 

  Raul Duke
  April 30th, 2008 on 9:09 pm

  Rating

  9.25/10

  When Grand Theft Auto III came out(the reason i got a PS2 way back in 2001), i knew something great was in the mix. it was a sign of change in the gaming industry. it showed us there could be more to games than levels, more than high scores, and more than even a good story. it showed us a virtual world you could become totally engulfed in(outside of RPG’s). a world where you could go anywhere and do anything(although that was just mostly stealing cars and shooting pedestrians in those days). over the years they’ve made some serious improvements, from the bikes and helicopters of vice city, to the jets and ability to duck and roll/ manually aim in san andreas(finally!) and now their first venture onto this generation has finally arrived, and its a great day in the gaming world

  the series continues to awe with this installment, even in this day and age in video games. Graphically speaking, it is simply beautiful. its amazing how much attention went into every aspect of this world. theres cracks and pot holes ranging in depth in the road, and varying curb heights. vehicle damage is very impressive, from dents and scratches to a hole for each bullet that hits. the lighting system is amazing, with day/night cycles and a rotating sun throughout the day. naturally the game doesnt have the detail of say Call of Duty 4, but you could fit like 50 Call of Duty 4 maps in this city! its that huge. you have to take the size of a game into consideration when rating the graphics, thats been a given for how long now?? just to clear things up for the clowns complaining the graphics.

  when you walk out the door theres so much to be done you might want to keep a checklist for the days. although what you actually choose to do is up to you. causing chaos is always an option. you can go bowling, play pool, play darts, get drunk, go to a srip club, get some food, check out the in game internet, and tons more. you could always just surf the channels on your TV.

  your cell phone is a pivotal part of the game. you can call friends and girlfriends for various activities(some are listed above), and if you neglect them for long enough, they’ll call you. you can also call potential employers for jobs.

  theres the standard “go kill this guy” and “go get this” but they have been very entertaining anyway so far. theres much more depth to many missions, including stealth. one example is having to steal a cop car, then proceed to pull over different shipping trucks until you find the one full of TV’s.

  gameplay is vastly improved. the cover system is great, allowing you to quickly roll and protect yourself behind random cars, trash cans, and basically anything else thats big enough.

  the game has a much more realistic feel than previous entries. you’ll find yourself making sure theres no cops around before committing crimes. the star system is still here, but this time your wanted level is radius based, and if you can get far enough away from all cops, or at leased out of sight, your wanted level will go down. its honestly genius. i narrowly escaped one by jumping the guard rail and running down a steep hill, only to see another driving my way in the distance. quickly ducking into the alley behind a dumpster, i watched him roll by and waited for my stars to begin to fade. some cars are locked and you’ll need to break a window to get in and proceed to hotwire it.

  -for all you parents out there, the content is more mature than previous entries. you get a pretty good look at the in-car action with the street workers.. hehe.. and “coarse” language is used every couple minutes(at leased). the violence and blood looks more realistic now too. thats usually not what you guys worry about so much though.

  my only real complaints are the hand to hand combat(its the most solid of the series but San Andreas seemed to have more move depth), and the fact that you cant go into more buildings. dont get me wrong, theres TONS of places to go and things to do, but i was hoping for even more. there have been waaay too many things that made San Andreas great and were simply missing here. no car customization, less clothes, less weapons, no property to buy, and more.. in some ways its one step forward and two steps back.

  i wont elaborate on the story much, as its already been done heavily. basically your an illegal immigrant from eastern europe. your cousin convinced you to come to America with his stories of mansions and sports cars. when you arrive things arent quite as described. you start in the darkest, grittiest part of Liberty City. a pocket full of change and a head full or dreams. what happens next is in your hands..
• 

  JV
  May 1st, 2008 on 10:17 am

  Rating

  Here’s what I don’t think many people touch on in their reviews, or maybe I just don’t read enough of them. This game is Grand Theft Auto, it’s not anything else so don’t expect it to be, much like I did.

  That said, yes I was a little disappointed when I first started playing GTA IV after several very long, anxious days at work before its release. The reason being that I was spoiled by games like Saints Row etc.. and forgot how the GTA series played. Yeah Saints Row is a rip-off in many respects but it is not the same game at all.

  With this new installment I expected the GTA series to evolve, but it didn’t, it upgraded. Yes the graphics are better, the characters are more real, the physics engine is pretty darn awesome, the combat is more fun, the list goes on but ultimately the game is what it is. If no one told you this game was GTA before you played it, you would be able to tell by the way NPCs move and act, the way you learn things with on-screen dialog, the way the character controls, and just the general feel of the game. Certain aspects have been the exact same for years, ever since GTA III.

  If you found some of these aspects annoying, (like not being able to simply move a foot in one direction to get closer to a rack of clothing without passing it up entirely because there is no fine movement at all) it is irritating and quite frankly makes the game actually feel very dated.

  Instead of droning on… If you expect this to be an improved version of Grand Theft Auto, you’re going to love it. (with some possible exceptions like the driving mechanics). Everything you yearned for from previous GTA’s is back and better than ever. However, if you wanted the next-gen evolution of a sandbox, do whatever the hell you feel like it game with mind-blowing innovations and new things to learn about and do, you will most likely be disappointed.

  After coming to this realization I found the game much more enjoyable and that’s why I gave it five stars. As a GTA game, that’s what it deserves.
• 

  Thomas Foreman
  May 14th, 2008 on 7:39 pm

  Rating

  I must admit at first I was hesitant to purchase this game seeing how the recent games kind of took a turn for the worst. However this game has truly re-established this franchise. The missions are very challenging but far from impossible. The characters you meet in this game are as different from each other as night and day with only one thing in common. Being criminals but other then that they truly have their own “personalities” which I think really helps with the overall aspect of being able to get into the game all that much more. GTA IV is much more mission oriented than the previous titles. IV has fewer things to goof off and do. There are no more random weapons just lying around in alleys to collect and from what i have seen there are pigeons to collect and fewer of those ever so fun massive ramps to see how far you can make your beater fly. All in all i believe that all the fun and challenging aspects of GTA have been brought together to form probably the best game in the franchise thus far.
• 

  trashcanman
  May 17th, 2008 on 9:49 pm

  Rating

  Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R351SHCAC8PICX GTA 4′s story centers around a sarcastic Eastern European immigrant come to America to get a fresh start away from the corruption and violence of his home country. Whoops. Critics have often harangued the violence and the criminal aspect of GTA, but what flies over their heads is that satire is the premise of the series and always has been. And frankly, the violence here pales in comparison to Gears Of War or Condemned 2: Bloodshot just to name two. GTA’s immense popularity is not because of the degeneration of our society (we’ve got reality television for that), it’s because the series is constantly innovating and offering fun spot-on gameplay, brilliant humor, and is a game made by and for an adult audience. So if your child is playing this game, blame yourself for giving your child the means to get it or for not paying attention to what they are doing with their time, not Rockstar for making top-of-the-line entertainment meant for adults (see the markings on the box?).

  GTA 4 seperates itself from the past iterations in several ways. First, the arcade feel is largely gone. While the controls are vintage GTA, the overall feel has changed. In previous games, I never got into the story because I would get sidetracked rampaging with katanas and molotov cocktails or hunting for a tank. Now a lot of the distractions like crazy weapons and vehicles and building up your character stats are gone and the story behind the madness is a truly engaging one for the first time. The city is more alive than ever and there is more to do. The characters you meet are all brilliant and interacting with them is seriously fun. Take your girl out to a bar and watch her serious issues surface as she stumbles around slurring curses about “that fu#*ing whore” she thought you were checking out. Or challenge your buddies to bowling, pool, or a friendly game of darts. You ca even head to the comedy club to check out actual routines from Ricky Gervais or Katt Williams. The dialogue during these bonding activities is varied and reveals much about your Liberty City aquaintances, many of whom have special services to offer you should you become close. The entire game is so well-written that one often gets the impression that they are playing a Tarantino flick. Oh yeah, it’s that good. The multiplayer aspect is also fun and varied allowing you to battle stangers for Liberty City dominance or just drive around with your friends wreaking havoc. Taking into account the amazing single-player game this really wasn’t necessary, but the fact that it is even included just makes this game that much more awesome.

  Now all of that is well and good, but what makes GTA 4 the second work I’m upgrading from mere video game status to an official work of interactive fiction (the first was Mass Effect) is the sheer depth of the world in which you exist. So far I have spent multiple hours just surfing the game’s internet. That’s right, there is a virtual worldwide web in-game complete with dating sites, a Craig’s List parody, advertisements, personal blogs complete with flame wars, email, and much more. Hell, you can even download custom ringtones and themes for your cell phone! That is nuts. Do you know how ridiculous it feels to spend that amount of time in a video game surfing a fake internet? There are also several satirical television shows you can watch in your apartment (go Republican Space Rangers!), and naturally there’s the radio; the sweet, sweet, sounds of GTA radio stations. There’s a rock station featuring Iggy freakin’ Pop as the foul-mouthed DJ, classic hip-hop and R&B, smooth jazz, techno, LCHC (Liberty City HardCore), and even an all Bob Marley station just to name a few. Then there’s the thinly-veiled talk radio parody station Weazel News featuring the funniest Rush Limbaugh impersonator you’re ever likely to hear. You even hear news reports about incidents you were personally involved in as you drive. This game is DEEP.

  Honestly, if you like video games or digital entertainment of any kind then this as good as it gets. And if you don’t like those things, do your best to hide your ignorance and don’t go spouting off about things you don’t know anything about. GTA 4 is a brilliant satire full of jabs (and a few haymakers) at American politics and any violence is incidental in comparison to the brilliantly crafted story and interactivity of the in-game world that Rockstar has created. I’ll say it again: this is not just a video game, this is interactive fiction on par with some of the great works of modern storytelling. If you own a video game system and you think you can handle some naughty language without getting all hysterical, buy it. It’s that simple.
• 

  Greeko
  May 25th, 2008 on 7:05 am

  Rating

  Let’s start off with the negatives of this game, shall we?

  The documentation/instruction manual state that, to climb, one must use the “X” button. That is not true. In order to climb, one must use the “Y” button.

  OK, moving on!

  Grand Theft Auto IV is a visually beautiful game. Given that there are no loading screens, the amount of detail given to the world of Liberty City is, well, impressive. The various burroughs and locales of the LC are each given their own unique look, from a passable Times Square knock-off to the industrial wastelands of the fictional counterpart to New Jersey. Vehicles and characters are also well-rendered and, as I write this, it strikes me that I don’t recall seeing many duplicate pedestrians. To be sure, there are many such duplicates, especially in Booker and Bohan, but the only time I’ve really noticed it is with “specialized” characters, like policemen and prostitutes.

  Something that really impressed me was the effort Rockstar put into things like the Split Sides Comedy Club acts and the Perestroika Club shows. I’ve sent Nico and his friends to the Perestroika at least half a dozen times, and I’ve yet to see a duplicate act. I’ve sent him to Split Sides four times, and I’ve seen only one duplicate act. Having said that, I wasn’t THAT taken by the comedy acts… but I will also fully admit that I have never been able to enjoy stand-up comedy as much via radio–and my reaction may be endemic of that.

  One critique on the graphical side: it IS a very nice-looking game; a more flexible camera, perhaps one with a zoom feature, would have been welcome. Many of your conversations with other characters are outside of cutscenes, and such as a feature would have only added to the overall immersion.

  Combat is drastically improved from the last GTA game I played (San Andreas). The cover mechanics are good for a non-shooter specific game, but what really helps is the ability to just hold down the left trigger halfway and use the left thumbstick to flow from target to target. This is MUCH better than locking on to a specific target–not necessarily the one you want to engage–and having to auto-lock through every other sequential foe until you find the one you want to shoot.

  Vehicle combat is still tough, even ackward, but has improved. The new little touches, like smashing out a window to shoot, are nice. Driving is also improved, though I noticed it took a little getting used to turning and braking when going in high speeds. A recommendation: keep good care of the Comet you get after your first race with Brucie–it’s the only legit race-worthy car at the beginning of the game, and it’s your best ticket for generating other fast vehicles at the beginning of the game. Once Algonquin is unlocked that’s no longer an issue, but for the first few days of gameplay, the Comet was money.

  The storyline is very well done, with only a few hick-ups. Most of the plot twists are well connected, with one character introducing you to others and so forth. I expect the next logical evolution for a game like GTA will be storylines that affect other storylines–e.g., doing something for Packie McReary affecting what missions Francis offers you, etc. My one complaint in this department? Bernie/Florian is so flamboyant and outrageous as to almost disrupt the suspension of disbelief the game offers. More on that below.

  The voice acting is, for the most part, very good–at times, excellent. The use of foreign languages and dialects is also very welcome. One of my favorite parts if the game are Nico’s war-cries in the middle of gun-battles. Guttural, and reminescent of Pacino in Scarface… if not as prolonged.

  Character interaction goes to new levels this time around. Between missions, you can take friends out for meals, drinks, shows, races, etc. This is fun at first, but later, at times, seems more like a chore than a choice–at least if you’re motivated in maintaining good ties with all the characters out there. In a bizarre twist, online dating is also an option. I’ve only had Nico pursue two of the ladies on “LoveMeet.com”; both offered benefits for maintaining a relationship with them (one, a nurse, provided you with a phone-calling option to get a health boost; the other, a lawyer, could reduce your wanted level on the fly), but both also came with baggage, to say the least.

  The soundtrack is tops, but this has long been a source of strength for GTA games. The talk shows and commercials are especially hilarious this time around, if a bit over the top. More on that below, as well.

  The game is rightfully rated “M” for Mature. Bloody violence aside (including point-blank execution choices and the option to shoot helpless, wounded opponents crawling away), there is some rather graphic content. I have yet to notice outright nudity, but the encounters with prostitutes no longer involve two occupants sitting still inside a shaking car; and the exotic dancer cutscenes get progressively more risque.

  I’m afraid there is room for one more half-criticism. GTA IV has been built so realistically and has, at heart, a serious enough storyline for its protagonist, that it sometimes strikes me as being at odds with some of its more humorous/outrageous elements. Bernie/Florian is so over the top–both in terms of character and in terms of his missions–that he almost comes off as a distraction from the other mission sets you have available. Similarly, depending on what radio station you have playing, it may be difficult to appreciate the bloody family tales Packie or Kate recount when commercials for “BabiesOvernight.com” are playing.

  Things I’d like to see in GTA V:
  
  1. Shows and comedy clubs were made a reality; how about the often-mentioned local sports teams? How cool would it be to see LC’s, VC’s or SA’s teams go at it against each other–steroid-fueled football or hockey brawls?
  
  2. Totally random vehicles. No more letting the vehicle you drive determine what types of vehicles you run into. I have to admit that it’s kind of odd driving into Booker with a top-of-the-line sports car… only to another dozen just like it.

  All in all, GTA IV is a very entertaining game–easily the best of the series–and is sure to keep you occupied for a long time. It’s easily worth its price-tag; if rumors of entire new cities being available from X-Box live come true, it will likely be the best bang for your buck ever on this game console.
• 

  Evan
  October 27th, 2009 on 6:12 am

  Rating

  I read a lot of reviews for this game. It was, to me, the game that would sell me into the current generation. I’ve completed the missions, but haven’t reached 100% yet.

  There are some things that I haven’t seen mentioned much that I want to start with. I can’t say that I was playing GTA when it was an overhead isometric game, but have been around long enough to remember when the first 2 parts came out. I jumped in when GTA III came out.

  The first improvement for me is the way the police attention is dealt with. On the past games, you had numerous ways to escape a “wanted” status. One, Pay and Spray. Two, pick up the stars laying around the maps which were rarely in places you could get to easily while police cars rammed you.

  On GTA IV, your mini-map flashes when a wanted level is present and you have an outline around it. This is the police’s view of you. If you can escape the circle, which does increase in size depending on the number of stars, you will lose your wanted level. Another improvement, no more sliding into Pay and Spray with the cops right behind you. If you do it, the game will respond, “The cops saw you”. How many times did we all laugh at the old GTA games as cops were still outside the Pay and Spray, suddenly dumb and forgetting that you just pulled in with a 4 star wanted level?

  The AI overall is much better though not without flaws. Everything is more realistic now. Which can be a good or bad thing depending on your position. The dating returns, which was one of my complaints in my San Andreas review here on Amazon, it has improved a great deal though it seems pretty pointless.

  Pointless why? Well, I have tried calling Carmen 4 times for health. It goes through the whole dialog of “Stay calm, hold pressure on your cuts” but no health. A glitch? It works when outside of a mission. But not in a mission. Why would I need health while walking around or driving around not in a mission? See. Pointless. I haven’t tried calling Kiki to get the wanted level removed or reduced. A great deal of the fun of this game for me is trying to outrun the police.

  The return of the boneheaded missions. Thank goodness they rid the game of the RC missions. The bad news is, you will still find yourself doing missions that are what I call boneheaded. You will see things happening that are boneheaded too. Like in one mission, you go into a strip club, assault the managers, one runs. If you get outside and get a clear shot at him, you will end up with wanted stars. So, while you’re trying to drive, shoot, keep control of your car at a high speed, you also have cops coming from every angle sliding into your car. The mission, like many past missions in the GTA series ends up being a matter of luck. In this mission, I ended up playing it 5 times before beating it, takes from 20-30 minutes to play including drive over to the scene of the mission. No, I don’t use taxis unless it is something that has to be done in a certain amount of time. On one of the tries, I had shot the escape truck enough to make it blow up. It blows up, the driver runs across the street on fire. I run over him while he is on fire. The damage addition, had to take at least few bullets during all the shooting. His vehicle exploded with him in it. He was on fire. He was ran over. As I’m driving away from the scene, I realize the red dot representing the target was still on the map. I drive back to run over him again. The guy must be Superman as it is. As I am driving at full-speed right at him he fires ONE shot through my windshield and kills me. That nearly cost the controller its life!

  Most of the missions though have a logical way to finish them. I finally realized on the aforementioned mission to block the door the guy ran out of to escape. Pull a car in front of the door before entering the club and he isn’t going anywhere.

  Unlike others, I was glad to see the paramedic, pizza delivery, truck driving, vigilante and taxi driver missions…gone. I found all of those to be major drags when playing San Andreas, Vice City and III.

  The good news for me at least. The characters in this game are great. Niko is not only a lot of fun to use, but has some great lines. Little Jacob is probably the best supporting character of the series. His Jamaican slang adds some humor to the game, especially watching Niko try to understand him. Roman is the type of guy you have to like which makes later missions genuinely sad. The girlfriends are better than San Andreas. And no, I don’t mean in looks or in those ways. Just the way they fit into the game. For some reason, I have preferred the spoiled brat Alex to the others though Kiki and her obsession with Niko, constant texts and “dirty” texts is great too. Carmen’s love of herself is also good for a laugh, “Niko, is this not the face that belongs on a magazine cover?”

  Some complaints I’ve read that I don’t agree with. People expecting more than drive, shoot target, take car or money. It’s named Grand Theft Auto for a reason! All video games will fall into the category of possibly boring after awhile. I know of no games that truly allow 100% freedom. If they did, how would you ever know you had finished it? There has to be some basis and structure. It is hard for me to criticize a game about stealing cars for asking me to steal cars. Sure, there are redundant parts. How many times will Roman call you during the game and ask you to go to a strip club? It gets even more frustrating later in the game. You’re way over in the 3rd island and he is calling you from the 1st island. You have no choice but to take a taxi and skip the ride over. It does go into drive from point A to point B and back or to point C in Roman’s case. I’ve always thought these parts were in the game to improve your driving ability, not a stat, but your actual in-game driving ability and to see the cities without having a cop chasing you at high speed.

  The graphics are some of the best and most detailed I’ve seen. Right down to the cars having markings on the bumper or grille to tell you the maker. Speaking of the cars, much more recognizable than in past games. You also get a more realistic experience from the different cars. My stats show that my favorite car has been the Oracle. A run on the higher end BMWs. This doesn’t surprise me since I prefer good speed with excellent handling over excellent speed with average handling.

  Though you can’t modify the cars, you can find modified versions of the cars around the game. The modified Sultan is twice as good as the regular Sultan. Giving you something new to look for or hunt down. Most of the higher-end cars have a modified or rare version for you to search for though it is not part of the game. You can find many lists on the internet to let you know what to be looking for. GTA IV rare cars search will show you them.

  The weapons in this one are very good as well. I went with the Desert Eagle/Combat Pistol over the traditional 9 MM. The AK-47 is a marked improvement over past renditions of this powerful weapon. The grenades are still not as good as I thought they could be and I don’t like the “drop” a grenade ability. I’m sure everyone that has played this game has at least dropped one on accident and saw Niko play like Rocketman.

  The physics of the game are much more realistic. No more of those falling flat down kills. Now you see enemies or you even, grab their leg, crumple into a heap, fly through the air when hit by moving cars AND their legs and arms flailing. Old GTA games, the ran over enemies would just fly into the air and somehow die in mid-air and lay down in the air. One this one, they bounce, jump out of a helicopter to get the full effect as you bounce off a building only to then wrap around a telephone poll.

  The drunk part is funny the first few times you do it. After that, you’ll find yourself dodging the bars as much as possible.

  The game has a lot of depth to it and if played to 100% is long. As of right now, I have completed all of the story missions and some of the side missions, my completion percentage is 61%.

  Speaking of the side missions. Though Vigilante and its 12 levels of capturing “bad” guys is gone. You can do side missions that require a police car and police computer to hunt down wanted criminals. There are also random characters that show up on the map that have separate missions for you from the regular story. There are 3 sports activities, bowling, darts and pool. Though I thought they blew it by having a putt-putt course on the game, but not allowing it to be used in the game. There also are side races for the hilarious Brucie to do. Stealing certain cars for Stevie.

  I’m guessing you are getting the point by now. I really wasn’t for sure that I was going to be that happy with this game because of the reviews that talk about “Dark, less humor, more serious”. I don’t see that completely. There is a lot of humor in the game’s dialog, though some of it is dark humor or potty humor. The game does seem to take a serious turn later in it as you start to realize that Niko has been in places and situations most people haven’t had to face. He all but meltdowns late in the game with screaming fits during shootouts. Think Al Pacino in Scarface. You most likely will come away from the game really liking the character. I refused to read a walkthrough on the missions and recommend the same for anyone buying the game. This allowed me to experience the plot twists and turns without a walkthrough spoiling it for me.

  Definitely not a game for the little ones. Besides the language, some of the killings are just brutal. Wait until you accidentally hit someone in your shiny white car and see their blood splattered on your hood and bumper.

  One last complaint, did not care for the soundtrack. There are maybe 4 stations playing original songs by the original artists. Tuff Gong is probably the best as it is a reggae station that has nothing but Marley songs on it. I have broad taste in music and think they missed the boat by not putting a country station on it. Who wouldn’t like listening to maybe Johnny Cash? Put his song, “13″ in it or the original Danzig version of the same song and you have Niko’s theme right there. The rap stations are okay. The Classic Rap station is much better than the newer one though I thought they picked the worst possible Gangstarr song to use in it. That annoying scratch/squeal sample has no place in a video game. Probably the biggest fault here, one of the more enjoyable songs in it by Rick Ross, is only used in a comedy sketch. Liberty Rock is okay too, I had forgotten all about the song, “Evil Woman” by ELO as it was one of the better songs on the soundtrack.

  That may explain the 4 star on fun. A big part of the fun for me is driving around listening to the different music. You can put your own music in it, but it doesn’t synch with the game like on Vice City on the original Xbox. You have to turn the sound effects down all the way.

  Still, I couldn’t at this point, recommend a game for the 360 any higher than this one. I’m getting ready to grab the two DLC episodes Ballad of Gay Tony and Lost and the Damned. Making it an even deeper game. I was never a big fan of Liberty City in the GTA III days, but this version of Liberty City is much improved with more open streets. I did miss the areas from San Andreas, like Back O’ Beyond and Mount Chiliad, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.

  I do recommend saving it to your hard drive and playing from the hard drive. The game’s sounds and music are nearly blocked out by the 360 loading the disc if you play it straight from the disc unless you blast the volume. This is my first game on the 360 so some of the opinions in it like about the graphics and depth should be thought about in that sense. I have very little else to compare it to at this point.
• 

  Bryan Creel
  March 3rd, 2010 on 11:02 am

  Rating

  I did several side tasks and achievements along the way and my time played was somewhere between 35 and 40 hours. You will definitely get your money’s worth for this game. There are plenty of reviews out there so you don’t need me to tell me how great the game is. Instead I will just list the things I loved and a few gripes I had:

  Liked So Much

  * There are yellow cabs all over Liberty City. You can hail a cab and hop in. The driver will take you to any point of interest or waypoint that you have marked on your map. You can watch the ride or be instantly transported there (well, after a loading screen). This is so awesome. There are many times I want to drive around, but sometimes I just want to get there.
  
  * You can set waypoints on your map. If you are in a car it will show you a GPS-style route on your mini-map that you can follow to reach your destination. This is a massive help to getting around this large city.
  
  * The city is very much alive. GTA has always been known for having an active environment but this latest installment really takes the cake. There are tons of little details that you will notice and be amazed by. An example: I was standing in the road and a car stopped so it would not hit me. The car behind it ran into its bumper, and the driver hit his head on the steering wheel and was knocked out. His head was on the steering wheel sounding his horn. It was just a cool non-scripted event.
  
  * As it is often mentioned, the plot and characters are excellent. I was reallly drawn into the world and the plot.
  
  * The graphics are excellent.
  
  * The difficulty is pretty good. The missions do ramp up in difficulty, but I seldom had to repeat a mission more than once. There were a few tough ones, but nothing that just made me despair.

  Liked Not So Much

  * Previous GTA games had hidden packages. If you found them, you would get weapons to spawn at your safehouses. GTA 4 has pigeons that you kill instead of packages, but there is no reward for finding them. There’s no way I’m going to hunt down all of them for no game benefit.
  
  * I would have enjoyed a little more control over the camera’s default position when you are driving. It tends to be a little too low for my preference.

  If you want to play GTA 4, here are a few tips that might help you out:

  * Take some time and learn the driving mechanics. The brake and emergency brake work very differently from other GTA games. You have to use a combination of them to skid around a corner and that combination differs based on the car type you are driving. Learning how to handle them will serve you well in the later missions.
  
  * You will meet people over the course of the game that want to be friends with you. They will call you on the phone and ask if you want to do stuff. Saying “no” will decrease their Like score. To avoid this, say “yes” and call them back to cancel immediately after they hang up. This will keep their Like score from going down.
  
  * When the missions start getting harder, keep your body armor maxed out. There’s nothing to spend money on besides armor and weapons, so don’t worry about that. Get Lil Jacob’s Like score up and he will offer you discounted armor and ammo.

  Obviously I really liked the game and I’m giving it 5 stars. It’s is very, very good and an excellent value for the money.