Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand theft auto Iv feels plays and sounds just like any other in this illustrious series produced by Rockstar games. From the word go GTAIV puts you into the action in the inner suburbs of . The play plays as the protagonist Nikko Bellic, A Russian immigrant who has come to in search of fortune. He quickly learns that this is not what his cousin (Roman) had promised it to be. It is from here Nikko must work his way up through the ranks of the underground mafia, gang and corrupt police to realize the dream which he had imagined Liberty City to be. You must drive, shoot and fly your way around the massive city. This has been made much easier due to the games new waypoint system accessible from the pause screen. Just like the waypoint system found in Saints Row it’s as easy as point-click and drive. highlights are easy to find as well as side missions which are indicated as blue blips on the map. The HUD in GTAIV is second to none, never does it get in the way of the action nor does it withhold valuable information. The ‘menu’ in the game is accessible from a mobile phone, It is here players can; Call their friends and go out with them, Read text messages, Access multiplayer and enter cheats. Getting around city can be a hard task which is made easier by the many taxi’s which cruise around the city. After entering a taxi players are taken into a first person mode of which they can look around and wait out the cab ride or skip it at an extra cost. This prevents lots of frustration of having to travel large distances all the time.

The driving in GTAIV is superb; Cars perform more accurately than they do in any of the other GTA games in the series. Sliding around corners and dodging incoming traffic will become second nature after a few hours of gameplay. The damage on the cars, trucks and bikes looks fantastic. Lights will be blown out as well as large dents and scratches on the roof after tackling on of the 50 hidden stunt jumps in the game. If your car takes too much damage will try to restart the car to no avail. Air transport in GTAIV is made available by the rare helicopters around the city. It’s obvious that Rockstar put extra effort into these vehicles because of the out-cry from gamers at the announcement that there would be no planes or jets in the game. The left and right bumpers control sharp left and right turns and the left and right triggers control the height of the choppers. Player control is mapped out the same as the other GTA games. The only change is the inclusion of the cover system. Players must now his behind objects and pop out and shoot or blind fire without exposing themselves. The mechanic works very well just as it does in Gears Of War. A circle appears above enemies heads indicating their health levels and if they are wearing body amour or not. A problem with this however is the momentary lag there is between buttons presses to ‘get on’ and off cover this can produce enemies simply walking around a corner and shooting a who just stands there. There is also the option of not having to lock on to things all the time by squeezing the trigger only slightly, Which can become a bit touchy at times when theres a barage of cops closing in on you.

Speaking of looking great, is one of the most realistic cityscapes I have ever seen in gaming. The depth of detail and polish rely shows as the player continues through the storyline and general exploring. The weather which hits looks and sounds fantastic, The rain effects especially look great with water bouncing off cars and creating small pools of water on the road which is harder to drive on is a nice touch. Perhaps the pinnacle of graphics in GTAIV is Star Junction, Advertising and Neon signs line the criss-cross junction and will leave the player staring and reading what each advertisement has to offer. Pop-in textures and boxes, cars ect detract from the polished feel of GTAIV as well as situations which are so dark the contrast and brightness must be turned up making the game look bricky and almost Playstation2 or the first generation Xbox level of graphics. The character models are up to par with previous games in the series. and other main characters all look great, but pedestrians and side mission characters look a bit sloppy in some circumstances.

The voice acting in GTAIV is one of the games highlights. Each pedestrian has their own lines of dialogue. There are many small touches everywhere which make for “I can’t believe I just heard that” situations. The radio stations are so in-depth I found myself sitting in a car, turning on the radio and doing my house work. Radio announcers are hilarious and talkback radio adds a touch of class. Song selection is great for the radio stations with many classics and indie music. Television is also accessible from the player’s apartments (safe houses) with complete; Stand up comedy acts, Celebrity shows, Advertisements and Knife sales shows. Just like the radio it is easy to get immersed and simply sit and watch TV.

Rockstars Grand Theft Auto Series is known for its long and immersive story lines, And GTAIV is no different. The main story line will take players roughly 30-35 hours to complete. There is an achievement for completing the game in under 30 hours which doesn’t cause a rush to skip cut scenes and speed every where, But it limits exploration of this vast city which rely deserves and screams to be discovered. The playtime of GTAIV is lengthened again by Multiplayer over Xbox Live. Players can join with up to 16 players and partake in various game types around the city. That range from typical death match, team death match to cops and robbers which the crooks must get their ‘boss’ to a waypoint and the police must stop them. The only downside to this type of play is that games usually turn into a game of Big Team Slayer on Halo with people leaving halfway through a game or not playing at all, These minor frustrations may turn off a few people.

The end of the game may leave players asking “Where to now?” I would personally like to see the next GTA in or a poorer country to provide a completely different take on the series.

Despite a few minor bugs and glitches Grand Theft Auto IV is packed with many quirks and tweaks that beg to be discovered, A massive immersive storyline which sucks the player in and 16 Player online multiplayer GTAIV is a must have to any fan of the series.