Developer: Rockstar Games
Website: www.rockstargames.com/IV/
Genre: Action Sandbox
System Reviewed: Xbox 360
Score: 9/10
Overview: A sizzling and action packed sandbox game worthy of everyone's time. Story line is the game's strongest selling point, a must play game for the summer
Pros:
1. Top notch voice acting adds to the well written storyline
2. Greatly improved movement from older GTA games, Niko can scale walls now!
3. Multiplayer is a blast to play with people you know
4. So many things to do.. not enough time to play
Cons:
1. Hanging out with your virtual friends becomes a chore
2. No ambulance or firetruck mini games :(
3. Ability to Parachute. San Andreas had it, Just Cause had it... We can fly helicopters but no parachutes? C'mon...
4. Lack of imission check points, especially the longer ones
Introduction:
The Grand Theft Auto Series has always been a satire of American Culture. It deals with issues regarding immigration, prostitution, drugs, violence, and poverty. Never has a game covered such issues in a matter that really affects the player. This is due to the fact that the game has a great storyline and unforgettable characters coupled with a very involving and fun gameplay.
Graphics:
GTA is a visually stunning game and mostly on par with the current crop of games out there. But the visuals go beyond great architectural and artistic direction, the fact that people are not clones of each other anymore is the x-factor in adding believability to the game. Nothing breaks you out of your suspension of disbelief faster than an army of one doing the same thing over and over again.
Sounds:
The sounds used in the game are also what a gamer expects of games these days, but with the exception of GTA IV going the extra mile to add an extra dimension to the world through random dialogue and the radio stations.
Controls:
I never enjoyed playing the older GTA games on consoles due to the fact that the shooting control scheme sucks, I've always played on the PC up to San Andreas because the mouse offered a better job at it. GTA IV somewhat alleviates that with better targeting controls, but implements a very unreliable auto aim functionality.
Gameplay:
Driving in the game has transitioned from an arcade like physics to a more realistic driving physics. It's fairly realistic in the sense that you can easily spin out of control if you mash down the accelerator while turning. The new physics definitely makes braking and easing off the throttle an important part of the game. But don't let this detract from the fun because once you learn what works in driving and what does not it becomes very rewarding to do high speed chases down a freeway.
Story:
Add a dash of Soap Opera, a sprinkle of an action flick, the writings of homer and we get a journey for our illegal immigrant as he weaves through the intricate relationships that the city of Liberty holds. The characters Niko meets on his journey are well thought out and 3 dimensional even if the character is based off a popular cliche of modern society, GTA IV gets to make the mundane everyday joe intersting in more ways than one.
Multiplayer:
If you are looking for a hardcore structured multiplayer environment, then GTA IV is not the game for you. But if you are looking to goof off with friends in city, then this is the perfect game for you. Everything in this game is designed to make you experiment on the different ways you can enjoy the game. It always 100x more satisfying to kill your opponent in the most non-standard way possible, especially if he is your buddy that you can rag on after the match for the next week or so.
