Grand Theft Auto IV

Pros

* Graphically and aurally outstanding.
* Engaging story and characters that you'll actually care about.
* Improved combat and driving.
* Still as funny as ever.
* Terrific multiplayer.

Cons

* More radio stations, but what feels like less music in them.
* Customization buffs will feel disapointed given the decrease in options from San Andreas to GTA 4.
* Minigames (Drinking, Darts etc) aren't available in multiplayer freeroam.
* No System Link


It's been around seven years since GTA3 came out and spawned two successful pseudo-sequels in the form of Vice City and San Andreas. And of course after GTA3 and Vice City spawned further spin offs in the form of Liberty City and Vice City stories.

GTA3 represents a high point in gaming that many have attempted to emulate and clone.
Some with a good amount of success (Saints Row) and a tonne of others we'd probably rather forget. (True Crime series)

And now GTA4 is out the door and the cycle starts anew.
GTA4 isn't the revolution that GTA3 was, but an evolution.
And it improves on all the right things and from that we can no doubt see a new wave of imitators.



The game stars Niko Bellic, a Serbian Veteran of the Bosnian War who moves to America after hearing from his cousin, Roman, how great it is there. In his letters, e-mails etc Roman speaks of his mansion, gorgeous women and loads of cash. When Niko arrives he finds the truth to be severely stretched. But he makes do being that there are other reasons he decided to leave his homeland.

The game takes place in a re-imagined Liberty City, the city most will be familiar with due to GTA3. And Liberty City has never looked so good.
Pretty much everything in the game looks good, really.
With the possible exception of some of the plant life, which can still look a little bit cardboard cutout but it's less noticeable this time around.
Theres a lot of details that'll catch your eye.

When it rains, the road will noticeably wetten - become slick.
Walk through the rain and your heels will kick up tiny splashes wherever you go.

Car damage seems better modelled then ever.
Not quite to Burnout extremes or anything like that, but it's a tonne more noticeable.
Tires burst after being shot a bit.
Headlines smash, possibly leaving you in the dark.

Neon Lights have never looked so good as they have in this game.

Thats not all.

Random passers by on the street seem more full of life then ever.
Pulling out umbrellas or running to shelter if it's raining.
Sweeping up the sidewalk.
You've got buskers playing for money.
Hobos going on insane rants.
Everyone has something to say.

Offline and off.

GTA4 adds an interesting Internet component which works as a driving force behind some missions. Some of the news sites also add something of a followup to some of the missions you might've done, commentating on whoever you might've killed - whatever you might've blown up and so on and so forth.

A good amount of the sites there are only there to serve as humor fodder, which is great too.
It wouldn't be GTA without a healthy dose of satire - most of which is found via Internet, radio or TV. While the humors still there, this iteration of GTA is somewhat darker and more serious, probably to go with the fact that it's the most realistic GTA yet, I s'pose.
Some will like it, some will hate it. I'm all for it.
Theres enough humor in the game that it isn't constantly depressing and there will be parts in this game you find depressing.

The game forces a lot of tough choices on you and whilst the changes that come from the choices are - usually - subtle, you'll care a great deal regardless when you have to make them - because they'll effect characters you'll care about.
Not many games have characters you'll care about, but with GTA4 it's hard not too.
Pretty much all the characters have a certain charm, which'll make some decisions harder then most. But be assured that no matter what decisions you make and who it effects - the games ending is fundamentally the same.

Lets talk about game play.

GTA4's gunplay has been vastly improved.
It adopts a kind of Gears of War cover system where you can slide too and stick behind most objects, allowing you to peek out and take shots or just blindly fire.
And contrary to what some reviews have said, cover is something you'll want to use.
Body armor or no, I've personally found that being in the open with a sufficient amount of folk taking shots at you is a pretty good way to die - I've read quite a few reviews that have said you could go Rambo on every ones ass, but it seldom works out that way.



The game still uses a lock on system and as such you'll still occasionally lock on to someone you didn't mean to lock on too, but the games better now at picking the most immediate threat.
You can free aim by just holding the L-trigger down slightly as opposed to all the way, but I personally don't find it to be especially accurate. Good for shooting out tires - vehicles in general - larger targets, not so great against individuals.

It also has an improved melee combat system, but honestly aside from the tutorial where it teaches you, well you'll probably never use it.
As neat as it is it's generally just easier to shoot dudes in the head, even when in close range.
It's why god invented the shotgun, right? Heh.

Vehicles feel heavier then they used too, which I guess is more realistic, but it'll probably take some getting used too. I had to play a few hours before I came to terms with it, but it ought not be too much of a hassle.
I've heard a lot of commentary on the vehicles supposedly lack of speed and I just gotta ask if they're playing some alternate version of GTA4 that I'm not, because whilst the cars are heavier as I said and probably feel somewhat slower then they used too they can still go pretty damn fast and render pretty much everything around you a literal blur.

So GTA4's the first game in the series to have a proper multi player component.
Obviously I'm not including the mods applied to the PC version or that cruddy same-screen schtick they pulled in San Andreas.

And the multi player works pretty well.
Theres a good variety of game modes, though it's often equally fun to simply tear up Liberty City in free roam.
With my shocking connection I'm quite surprised I can play the damn thing and suffer very minimal amounts of lag.
I don't get how i can play a deliberately paced game like Rainbow Six Vegas, with nowhere near as much going on in a game and lag like hell but GTA4 - with it's numerous car chases, explosions, shootouts - all happening within a huge city, well I can have no noticeable lag sometimes.
But I digress.

In multi player you get to customize your character, but no a terrific deal.
You choose your gender, pick from a small pool of a few different faces and clothing and thats it.
Playing in ranked matches unlocks more clothing, but thats the extent of character customization.

Speaking of which theres a small amount within the single player game too.
Theres around three different clothing stores you can go too, but theres not an awful lot that in my opinion actually looks good so I oft find myself alternating between the default clothing with the addition of an army hat and a classy suit.
If you were looking forward to San Andreas amounts of customization you'll be disappointed, unless you're waiting on the inevitable PC version in which no doubt extra clothing will be modded in.

Well lets get to wrapping this up.

Graphically the game is pretty superb.
The environments look great, with the exception of some plant life.
Even the citizens of liberty city look like more fully realized characters.
Explosions are also immensely satisfying to look at.
Best explosions I've seen in a while.

Aurally the game holds up well, largely thanks to it's terrific voice acting cast.
If any character annoys you, it won't be because of voice acting for once.
The sounds of city life are faithfully recreated.
Theres 18 radio stations, I think the most in a GTA game yet.
Though to be frank, whilst the music in said stations are good I think you'll find the music looping more noticeably then before because I don't think theres quite as much in each station as there used to be. I think I'd have preferred fewer stations with more music as opposed to more stations that have less music, but all the same what music is there is good and if nothing else the extra stations offer a little bit of variety.

I've pretty much already been over the game play.
It's fantastic.
Combats improved, drivings improved, the mini-games have improved, the dating component has been improved. Improvements across the board.
And the action translates well into a multi player environment.

If you're a GTA fan this game is a no-brainer but I think theres enough overhauled that if previous GTA games weren't up your alley then you should still try it.