Grand Theft Auto IV
The American Dream
Admit it. Last September when all the talk was of Halo 3, sales records, and gaming finally hitting the big time, the actual big time, you thought your hobby had reached its zenith and would struggle to ever regain the same 'real world' impact, the same acceptability, the same clout. You were wrong. Master Chief may have a certain something, but when it comes to titillating the masses, en masse, there really is only one game that has it all. The launch of Grand Theft Auto IV isn't so much like celebrating the arrival of a major new videogame, as it is like welcoming an old friend into your home, probably your best friend, and realising that those other loafers you've been hanging-out with lately just aren't as quick, aren't as witty, and just aren't as outright entertaining.
Poor Niko. He's just off the boat from eastern Europe in Liberty City, and already the American Dreams that fueled his passage are collapsing around him. The cinematic introduction that also pays stylish credit to the game's makers, introduces us to the star of the show, his hopes of a better life in the States, and subsequently crushes these hopes on the mean streets of this virtual psuedo-Big Apple.
Niko's cousin Roman has a big mouth, and equally sizable American Dreams of his own: big money, big cars and, err, big breasts. Unfortunately, he's fed lies of his successes (non-existent ones) to Niko, who discovers the harsh varieties of real life in the metropolis from the off, stumbling across Roman's seedy apartment, gambling habits, financial problems and miserable job. Cleverly, Rockstar North use this introductory period to teach us the game's controls (key elements such as driving and the mobile phone, in particular), as well giving us a little insight into the world you'll be a part of, the characters you'll be interacting with.
Your first mission will be saving Roman's skin from some particularly irate loan-sharks, and responding to in-game calls and texts to your mobile phone, you'll engage in your first shaky car-chase, a few early fisticuffs, and start the process of making your mark on Liberty City.
Things have changed. The visuals have moved up the scale several notches, offering us a next-gen world more rich, immense and diverse than anything we've come across previously. A few key gameplay alterations have also been ushered in, the mobile phone being the most important. This serves as a hub to all the possibilities open to you at any given moment. Fancy a date with sexy office lady Michelle. Why not? Drinking with Roman? Again, just pick up the phone. This handy gadget will give you access to guns, help you make contacts, and more than a handful of times, will also see you saving Roman's bacon from an assortment of unfriendly types. As your standing increases, of course, bigger jobs involving bigger fish will make their way to you via this all important device.
Given this new organisational tool, you might have forgiven Rockstar for making GTA IV just a little more tightly scripted, in order to control and push those cinematic sequences that were so popular in past games. These story instances do still make it in, and are better realised than ever, but the core sandbox dynamic also remains untouched. Should you just prefer to ride around town wreaking merry hell with cars, cops and pedestrians, you most certainly still can. What's more, you'll find the big city more 'alive' than ever, the world and its inhabitants responding to your crimes realistically. Just driving around town, there's a wonderful sense of being part of a rich, living and breathing world, a feeling that everything is there for the taking and nothing is out of bounds. Eat a hot-dog to repair your health, mug a pedestrian, steal that Hummer-alike and cruise around listing to the radio's hilarious shock-jock parodies. Everything is at your finger-tips, nothing is wasted.
Having played GTA IV extensively, I can also now appreciate the time, resources and all-out blood, sweat and tears that must have gone into the game. The myriad of in-car radio stations are a perfect example. They were always a highlight, but now they're better than ever, offering more eclectic musical choices, some inspired audio accompaniment, and some occasionally laugh-out-load funny DJs. Thousands of man-hours must have gone into such a feature, and much of it could pass the less explorative player by, yet the developers bothered anyway, ensuring that that those that do take pleasure in this touch will never be let down. This is the breadth of GTA IV. Some of the entertainment venues around town are another example (go bowling and actually go bowling, watch a cabaret show, et al), or the television back at your seedy safehouse (more parodies galore). The level of thought and detail put into every feature is frankly obscene, deciding what to do with your time is perhaps now the biggest problem.
Comments
Oh yeah, joint highest score ever... with Bioshock.
This really does look better and better by the minute... :)
I'm waiting for my Amazon.co.uk copy as I type this.
Damn, I hate living in Germany with it 'let's cut games to ribbons and limit the regional soundtrack options to German only' ethos.
Nice review btw, Luke.
GTA IV is good! Not only you got side missions you also got side-side missions and people that want you to do things. There is so much in this game.. you can play this for months and still find something new!
Cracking stuff Luke. Games have fallen off my radar for the past couple of months and I genuinely believed that, god forbid, I was growing out of it all. GTA4 represented the 'last chance saloon' for me and it's paid off. I can't get enough of it. I haven't sat down with a game for a five hour session since I was 16 with Metal Gear Solid.
I love it, and Rockstar.
This game is so cool i can play it 247
Agreed, amazing stuff. I love the mobile phone and how you can use it to phone people on the opposing team to warm them of their impending demise... genius ;¬)
Alas, I can no longer get any of my Rock buds to come jam with me via Rock Band as they're all playing GTA IV. Completely understandable as I recall how engrossed I became in GTA: Vice City and that was 2 proper installments ago.
There is not one game I can not play....
BRING IT....
PLEASE....
BRING IT....
Good Game But Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Is The Best Game Ever Made You Cant Beat That!!!!
OH great now rockstar make a perfect action game that i want thanks
plzz put this game on ps2 polzzzzz
No strip clubs work while playing online. Can't play pool online, they even forgot a military base this time too... What a bummer I expected better from Rockstar
Developer: Unknown,
Release Date: 1st half 2008
apparently.
how do u play
how do u play
GTA IV is only for next gen systems, they are not releasing games for the old systems anymore- sorry time to upgrade its worth it believe me.
AT least yal get play my sorry A Xbox wont even play the dang thing
I hate the new controls, other than that absolutely gorgeous!
saya mahu game gta grand thef auto
What a damn fine review.
98% would be my choice also, game of the year save a miricle (a miricle by the name of Ninja Gaiden 2?) and the benchmark for next-gen games.
Yeah, the streets are alive with realistic inhabitants - as long as you don't try to interact with them in any social way. These characters are just as lifeless and empty as in any other 'realistic' gameworld. When will we see truly living social beings, full of emotions and personal agendas...?
good game
does ne 1 no were a demo is??
I have the game so yah yyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh yahhhhh
This is the greatest GTA game ever!!
xhnysdsdkdhsoldggsdkid]g0osbdfhsdk,l
xhnysdsdkdhsoldggsdkid]g0osbdfhsdk,l
hola
There is not one game I can not play....
BRING IT....
PLEASE....
BRING IT....
it is really class
ffhjklmngjmknvb l,vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv2vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv22vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv2vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvdvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
HI USE I AM A NEW COMESR SPEAK TO YOU LATER
WHAT THE HELL WE GETTING HELP FROM:we not
nice i love this game but gets boring when the story is done :'(
hi,I am ahmed I want to play the game
hey this game looks cool ive seen the videos i want to play gta 4 ive played all gtas gta 1,2,3 vice city,san andreas and completed the games.now this one here is a superb by rockstar.but i have to get a new system to play this game.but i will not buy a new system now i will wait a few years because new gta will come and intel and nvidia will also release some new stuff to handle high games.
hey guys...i have problem to play this game ...when i wana start game it opening a black page and write there ctrl+c closed this page when done start...but nothing matter plz help me i wana play :((((((
CENTER SCURFIER