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15.1.2012

Niko Bellic is a veteran of war and ethnic strife in the Balkans. Tiring of a life of violence and brutality, he receives an invitation to move to Liberty City, where his brother Roman reports he has made a new life for himself involving fast cars and beautiful women. Moving to the States, Niko finds his brother's stories were exaggerated. He runs a cab firm and is in debt up to his eyeballs with various shady characters. Proving his usefulness in eliminating opponents, Niko finds various factions in Liberty City vying to employ his talents and his new life in a new country becomes even more violent than the one he left behind.Grand Theft Auto IV was released in 2008 and at the time of itsrelease was reportedly the biggest-budgeted game of all time (a record later lost to The Old Republic) and the fastest-selling (since outstripped by Modern Warfare 2 and 3). Despite the title, it was the sixth 'main' game in the Grand Theft Auto series and the first in the series to appear on current-generation hardware, featuring massive advances in graphics over the previous games in the series. It was greeted with near-unanimous critical acclaim but fan reaction was more mixed, with criticisms over the toning down of the wackiness of the series and the reduction in game size and character customisation from the colossal San Andreas.In general terms, the game plays in an identical manner to Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City and San Andreas. Your character has the freedom to pick from one of several missions from one of several characters at a time, or can go off and do odd jobs for money or can simply chill out and explore the city. Given the leap to the next generation of hardware, it's surprising how similar the gameplay is to the previous titles in series. Of course, graphically the game is a massive leap forwards in quality and players will likely spend early parts of the game simply gawping at the sun rising over the ocean, or the monumental size of the city and its dozens of skyscrapers when seen from a helicopter. On PC, adding a graphics mod (like the mighty IceEnhancer mod, if your PC can handle it without instantly exploding) can make the game even look semi-photorealistic and absolutely jaw-dropping. Liberty City's fidelity to the real New York City is also startling: one of my NYC-based friends reported even finding his apartment building in the game, let alone faithful renditions of the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, MetLife Building, Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building.A noticeable addition to the game is a cellphone, through which your character can receive missions and call up contacts. The cellphone (which also doubles as a camera and MP3 player) is a handy addition to the gameplay and provides the game with its biggest single step forwards over previous titles in the series: the ability to interact with other characters. In previous games, you could only interact with characters in missions and cut-scenes, and had no say over how your relationship with these people developed. In GTA4, you can ring up contacts and arrange to meet them outside of missions for drinks or going to shows or playing games. This improves your relationship with these characters, and at a certain point you can call on them for resources or favours. Additional depths to these characters are also revealed in conversations that take place during these meetings. The game essentially gives you some control over how interpersonal relationships develop during the story, which is fairly remarkable for a non-RPG.Unfortunately, a potentially paradigm-shifting mechanic bogs down into a minor annoyance when, whilst clinging to the roof of a truckfull of heroin with the driver trying to shake you off to your imminent death, you get a phone call from a friend asking you to play darts with him. When you say no because you are about to die in the face, they get the huff and your reputation points with the character go down. By the late-game period, when you have more than half a dozen friends and contacts, the calls and texts begging for you to hang out with them become a constant stream of annoyance, and this results in them being ignored by most players. Fortunately they are purely optional.The meat of the game, then, is the plot and the missions, and both are well-executed. The storyline is excellent, probably the best in the entire series, and is depicted through convincing writing and strong voice acting. Niko's character development is great, as he tries to be a good person but all too easily is dragged back to a life of violence and crime. This is Rockstar's latest attempt to present a three-dimensional protagonist who is realistic and complex but must also be capable of committing whatever mayhem the player wants him to and is their best attempt yet (Vercetti in Vice City being an unredeemable villain and CJ in San Andreas being too nice, conflicting frequently with the player's lunatic actions). Other characters are also excellently developed, with Niko's brother Roman and Jamaican friend Jacob being notable. For a game with an ethnically diverse cast (the game has lots of satirical commentary on American immigration issues), however, it is disappointing that the game's only gay character of note being presented as a mincing, effeminate cliche, although his role as Niko's conscience in several missions is important.The missions are great, ranging from assassinations to massive all-out battles to car chases to helicopter duels amongst the skyscrapers of the city. Towards the end of the game (the single-player missions will take about 25 hours to complete) things start getting a tad repetitive, but generally speaking the missions are varied and fun. Combat has been given a big overhaul, with the addition of cover mechanics. However, enemy AI appears to almost be unchanged from previous games in the series, with them being worse shots than Imperial Stormtroopers, and rarely challenging. Car handling has also been made more realistic, with the cars being heavier and more difficult to stop (aside from the best sports cars). This makes the choice of which car to take on a mission far more important than previously. The game's handling of police pursuits has also been made more realistic, with it being possible to escape the police's attention by getting out of a search zone and lying low. However, it's also much easier than before, and the police are much less of a threat than in previous games.Where the game succeeds is in its depiction of a modern city riven by competing interests (corporate, government and criminal) and its portrayal of Niko as a bewildered individual caught in the middle of it all. The game is a lot of fun, if not quite as insane as the previous instalments of the series, with occasionally effective musings on the nature of violence and its eroding effect on the soul. The game is also heavily satirical, passing commentary on the USA and the issues it faces on many levels (the war on terror, corporate power, the economy, immigration, civil rights) through dialogue and also the game's numerous, entertaining radio stations (and yes, Lazlow returns to Liberty City with a new show).Overall, Grand Theft Auto IV (****½) is an impressive, engrossing game. It lacks the tonal variety that the different cities and cultures of San Andreas brought to proceedings, but it has more depth of character and a stronger plot than any previous GTA game. It's also a tragedy, a rather startling choice for Rockstar and a genuine risk for them to take with one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world. Artistically, it pays off handsomely.Technical note: The PC conversion of the game has been criticised in many quarters, particularly for its performance on dual-core machines. Running the game fully patched-up on a brand-new quad-core with 8GB of RAM and a 1GB nVidia 560ti graphics card, I had exactly zero technical issues. Gamers with older PCs may encounter problems, however.
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4.5.2008

Hype is hype, people get drawn in and then are dissapointed as soon as they play the game because it's not the "simply perfect" in every way game they were promised. Of course the game isn't perfect. But if you love GTA then there's no question you will love this game.The positives?Well the map is great. Graphics are fantastic, I did find the city a little dark for me and my tv so I simply changed the in game brightness to a level my eyes liked.If you have played GTA before you will know the mission layouts. Go somewhere and kill a guy or two. We all know that. But Rockstar have tweaked things a little this time. The missions can overlap, some take time to complete.In that time you can choose to go off and do a different mission. Also at times in the game you are given personal choices to make on who lives and who dies, sometimes that choice can be a pretty tough one too! There is also an alternate ending to this game, depending on what choice you make in the last mission.The main thing I have enjoyed so far is the storyline itself. The common theme of GTA games is to start from the bottom and finish at the top. This is still the same but it's not so easy this time to get from one to the other. You will suffer setbacks along the way and at one point you are actually in a worse position than when you started. I liked that.The social aspect of the game has been hugely improved. You can still take your girl out on a date like San Andreas. But this time round you can take your friends out. As you progress you pick up a fair few friends and taking them out for a drinking session or perhaps a game of darts can really benefit you. Get your friends to like you enough and you will unlock their special talent. One friend will sell you guns at cheap prices, another will provide you with a few goons for back up if you need it.The mobile phone! I love this new way of connecting with the GTA world. You can do everything via your phone. Call your friends for nights out, call them for jobs, call them for guns or back up like I said above. You may also use the internet. You can apparently date girls off networking sites (haven't dabbled too much into the net myself). But I love the way I can prepare for a mission by calling my man Jacob up and requesting him to meet me somewhere so I can buy a collection of guns and grenades off him.An if you haven't got a car to go meet Jacob with? hail down a taxi. This is actually something I find myself using alot more than I would have thought. They really are a great way of getting around. You can skip the taxi journey by pressing X. Also in the early days when your bank balance is not so large you can call your cousin Roman up and ask him to send you one of his cabs to pick you up and take you to your destination for free, as he owns a taxi company.The cover system is a great addition too. It takes getting used to. But give yourself time and you will be using it very effectively. Shooting itself has been improved too. Also if in a gunfight or just beating up a poor bystander you can leave them half dead. What I mean by this is you can beat them up until they have only one bar of health left and then sit back watch them as they stagger this way and that and then fall over in a heap. They don't die until you finish them off but it can be a great feeling playing out a mission, chasing a guy all over the city, killing all his goons and then have him half dead in an alleyway, unable to move and just begging to be shot one last time. Maybe I'm just cruel.Multiplayer!!!! Finally GTA has the ability to go online and it's pretty damn good on first impressions. You can choose different gametypes etc. You've got deathmatch, team deathmatch, cops and robbers just to name a few. I went straight into a team deathmatch and loved it. We were able to go anywhere on the map and cause as much chaos as we liked. You generally start off with an uzi gun and have to search for other types. But don't worry about that as there are plenty of weapons around every corner. The team deathmatch can be summed up by the vision of a team mate pulling up his car to pick you up, you get in and go commit a drive by shooting on the nearest enemy on the map. Great stuff. Also I got a thrill out of playing "cops and robbers" and the racing was interesting lolPositives? man I feel like I've forgotten some. Oh yea, the games are quite good. Darts, bowling and pool all serve as nice additions.OK negatives.Business owning. I always loved having a business make money for me in the past GTA game. It's not been put into this one so I'm a little dissapointed with that and I'm kind of left thinking there is less to do after completing the missions, compared to previous GTA's where I never felt bored of the game even after completion. There is a feeling of "well what do I do now?" once you have completed the game.Safehouses - Now I've done all the missions I'm a little confused as to why I don't have more safehouses than I do. After San Andreas where you have houses all over the map. That's not the case here and you never really achieve that mansion style house we all want.Driving? This to me isn't a negative. But I'm going to put it in the negative pile because I think most people won't enjoy the driving on this one (until they get used to it). It's basically more realistic. You can't fly round a corner so easily. You have to slow down and turn with caution. The cars themselves are fantastic. They take damage brilliantly and the "flying through the windscreen" is a nice touch. Also people will get killed in car crashes now, just tonight I hit a car side on at full speed. I was ok but the other driver slumped out of his car door and died on the pavement.Review long enough? lol overall a great game. Definately worth buying and I have had no problems with bugs at all. I think after completing the missions there may be an issue with if there's enough in the game to keep you playing. But it seems Rockstar have sacrificed that for a very good online multiplayer. So if you do play your console online that's where the longetivity will come from I believe.
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14.1.2010

I have played this game, and it is simply mind blowing. I do not understand why so many people have such negative comments about it. As a matter of fact, i am writing this review because i think it is unfair that the game get such reviews just because people don't have good PC or get the real idea of the game itself. Here i would like to tackle some issues people have pointed out. I hope it helps people who want to buy this game in the future, and not get scared by previos comments.Hardware;For those with hardware/lag issues, i would like to remind this is a whopping 11 GB game, twice the size of GTA:SA. It is actually a pretty high end game and unless you have decent graphics,you will have trouble playing this game. Even in hardware, there are many things to consider.Processor: Everyone with a core 2 duo can not play this game. Just because you installed the new line of intel processor chips, you will now be able to play any game possible. There are different models in C2D. For this game i recomend any with processor above 2.4 Ghz and atleast 3mb Cache size. I have seen many base good PC with Core 2 Duo processor of 2.0 GHz or 2.2 Ghz. In my case, it is not enough for this game at all. Core 2 Quads are generally safe because event though they might have low precessing power, they will have more number of processor. However it can still be a bit laggy if you have the base model of Core 2 Quad line as well. Just because its named Core 2 Quad, doesn't mean it can now run all the things in the world. I would advise check on each specs of each model before hand.Graphic: GTA 4 does not actually require high graphic processing. It is a actually a mid level Graphic game. However the most common reason for lag is the size and immense of graphic data that has to be processed at one time. I actualy have a 4650 ati, (for nvidia user it is equivalant to 8600/9600 series. The reason i am able to play it perfectly is because my card has 1 GB of memory. It is able to process the huge amounts of data without any compromise. I do not run the game at full high but at medium high, and it is more than enough for me.As again with processor, please check which graphic card you have. Just because its the new series, like Nvidia 9 series, does not mean it can run anything. 9100 to 9400 will NOT run this game. 9500 or 8500 Nvidia and above will. I know 8500GT will play this game because it has 512 memory and plus i have installed and played this game on my desktop (which currently has this card).RAM: As for RAM, it depends on your Windows operating sytem. Generally Vista requires more because Vista uses bit more RAM itself to run proper not leaving anough for the Game. In my opinion, 2 GB Ram is enough on a Vista Capabale machine.I have tested and played this game much extent on the following Hardware configurationsDesktop (First PC on which installed and played most of the game)Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHZ 4mb cache size2 GB DDR2 RAMNvidia 8500 GT 512MB* On this configuration, i was able to play the game at medium level with ease and not a single lag.I currently now play this game at time on a this PC ( which i a laptop, am in uni now )Core 2 duo 2.5 Ghz 3mb Cache4 GB DDR2 RAMAti Radeon 4650 1 GB Graphic CardFinal Comments: For people who want to buy this game, please just make sure you have enough hardware specs to handle this game proper. If you think its too high, you can be better off on a console then instead of using your PC for work and game as well.As for the people who are dissapointed with the GTA franchise of not making the game so good. I would like to remind them that this game is known as GTA, which stands for Grand Theft Auto. The basic meaning of this game is to give you freedom in a city to do anything, and as the game implies, steal cars, drive around. If you do not like the idea/game or now are bored of it, you can then just switch to some other game such as Call of duty 4: Mordern Warefare 2.This game/franchise is being carried on with the same basic idea, because thats what the people want. They have greatyl impreved on the graphics int his game and much mroe gameplay. The hours of fun you had back in GTA3: Vice Ctiy and San Andreas, you are garunteed to have it here as well with much more abilities and Grpahics. Its just the matter of how the gamers wants to play it, and if he is not already tired of the gameplay.i am a graphic designer and i know how these graphics work and on which hardware. My part time job is to help out people build their custom PCs and i hear about such people complaining almost everyday. All they want are cool names such as Core 2 duo and Nvidia 9 series with 3 GB RAM. It sounds as if the PC would handle anything in their way. They forget how much they paid for that hardware, and got only the base models. ( I do tell them what it is capable of and what not.)In the end i would just like to say, it is a good game. If you like such games, then appreciate it. If you do not like such games, then you do not have to talk negatively about it. Just because you dont like a certain flavour, you would start talking bad about it and recomend other people not to try.I am ordering this game again here ( i moved to uni in a different country ) because i do not have my old Game Disk with me and i just ended up reinstalling new windows 7 64 bit. I also assure you that it will work in 64 bit version of any OS. I had vista 64 bit on both desktop/laptop and the game worked just fine.Edit: For those people who think they have to be ONLINE to save this game is NOT TRUE. You do NOT need internet connection at all. Make a offline windows account in the game itself (all it asks is a user name) and those who think its such a hassle to do that, can just ... i don't know. I do not really understand what the hassle is with it.Hope this review will help any future buyer.
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6.5.2008

I am not much of a reviewer, I am not even that much of a gamer only own cod4 but I was impressed with this game so id thought id have a try of reviewing.First of this game isn't revolutionary. Don't buy it of you think it will be completely different from the other GTAs and on an unprecedented scale. It is the same old same old GTA but with a different style that divides opinions. In addition it has not expanded upon the GTA franchise like san andreas did. In away it's taken a few steps back but is that a bad thing? Depends on what angle you approach it fromThe game feels more like GTA 3 (though it is the same team who made both) in that it's more dark, realistic and serious than recent outings.No jet packs or 747s to fly around, no mini-guns or tanks. The huge country side and the character development, numerous vehicles, side quests are absent. So I guess your wondering, what's the point in purchasing this game that features less content than on a PS2.Well like I said it depends what angle you take. I find it to be a refreshing change and in my opinion a better example of how GTA should be. GTA SA is a great game make no mistake, it pushed more boundaries than GTA4 does.It had a lot of ideas but some never were really well implemented and became tedious after a while. It's easy to see why GTA4 has been over hyped and criticised as departure from the previous games. It's cut out the content, that I felt was mostly riff raff, time wasting gym trips and other unnecessary features that bogged the game down.This time around GTA4 is a no nonsense affair, it keeps what makes GTA so great and cutts out the uneccerssary riff raff that has been overloaded on us. It pulls you into its world by its simplicity, attention to detail and realism.Though nothing is ground breaking in this outing, its the little touches I like, cars failing to start after numerous accidents, flying through the window screen after hitting an object at high speeds, hotwiring cars, police taking other vehicles to chase you with, being able to hide from the cops without them knowing where you all the time.I like the fact that guns are not easily accessible and it takes more to kill people, the combat system is immensely improved. Though one flaw is that sometimes Nico hugs the wrong wall but it could be on my part that it happens. The mobile phone is a great feature i really like it. The missions are more realistic and i suppose less fun but like I said I prefer this mode of play. Like I said these features don't expand the horizons but they add depth.As for the graphics Iv heard the PS3 has got the short end of the deal with a poor resolution but more effects. Im not going to get into that argument, its hard to judge GTAs graphics. They are not brilliant but what do you expect for a game that has to load a hell of a lot content.Having said that they do fit the purpose of the game fine and have a noticeable improvement over the old ones but I wouldn't say they were any more breath taking, except the water effects are pretty good and the lighting effects are good. However it's the attention to detail that makes the game look awesome.The bullet holes and blood splatter on the car are a welcome addition, the rubbish blowing down the street; pedestrians answering their phones and interacting with each other are a nice touch. A real living breathing city that needs to be watched over time. But as pure eye candy goes no GTA4 doesn't deserve a 10/10 but that's not the point its a detailed game that you have to spend time to look at to really appreciate it.The multiplayer on gta4, though broken, is a significant upgrade to that of the liberty and vice city stories. In terms of ground breaking being used at least once in gta4, then this is where that term belongs. Its not just a condensed map that cuts out a lot of the features of one player.Its literally GTA online, you and upto 15 others can explore the whole city, with cops, traffic, pedestrians, all the vehicles and the rest of the bells and whistles of the one player. Plenty of modes to keep you occupied and hours of outrageous fun, a number of possibilities of the game may happen, all out street warfare, intense car chases, helicopters roaring overhead and more.It really is a slice of gaming heaven and will be fun for many months to come.So in a nutshell, GTA 4 takes away the content and expansion that SA gave us but it gives us an added layer of depth and realism that we have not experienced since GTA3. It all depends on what you fancy, its not a perfect game, its not hype worthy or a complete overhaul from its predecessors and it doesn't raise the bar. I guess we were hoping for something completely new.Its still the same we have come to expect from the GTA series but is that such a bad thing? No but don't be expected to be balled over by it. Its still a lot of fun and the multiplayer is best fun iv had online. If you're not sure about he one player buy it for the multiplayerAs for the freezing issues, I experienced it once and logged on without signing in, since then its never happened, But I have to say its appalling that it happens to the extent of not being able to play the game and yet its been released as a final product. I can't say iv noticed that many glitches. However the only way i can get online is if im hosting other wise it disconnects constantly. Iv yet to work out if its a broadband issue or a gta issue. So I am not too pleased about that but its still fun.Worth a purchase, since there wont be much out for a while, as one reviewr quite rightly states.This game isnt perfect but prerfect doesnt mean exels in everything it just means its a 10/10 for innovationb
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15.7.2008

The good........The graphics of GTA4 are simply outstanding, especially in high def. This is best illustrated when flying in a helicopter or viewing the city as a passenger in a taxi cab.On the subject of taxi cabs, their enhanced capability's make for much better gameplay. In such a complex city of narrower and more congested roads, driving across liberty city can be a time consuming task. Taxis allow one to either get in and allow the driver to take care of the road, or even better get in to the cab and then select skip journey. From a to b in the tap of a button.The new shooting options are excellent. Drive by's now require a bit more skill as you need to manually aim. On the up side,you can now shoot at a much greater range of targets in front, behind, on either side, high, low.Also the new blind fire, and shoot behind cover techniques make for much more exciting and skillful battle. The tossing of grenades to lure people away from cover is particularly clever.The auto save. How many times have you just completed a hard mission on GTA SA, only to get attacked on the way back to your safe house by a rival gang, get killed and lose a wonderful and expensive hoard of weapons. Now your game just auto saves after every mission.Friends / girlfriends - The special skills of friends is very useful, particularly little Jacob who sells you cut price guns near your location (he could park closer though).The car damage / explosions. The car eventually catches fire and you can watch as it slowly gets engulfed in flames and explodes. Even better is to sit on the highway, wait for the car to ignite before speeding off and watching the action in slow mo. Fantastic.The railway system, its brilliant with interchange stations, and different lines. It might not be the quickest way to get around, but its scenic and just fun to do.The decision making processes. Being able to choose your final ending to the game is genius. I have chosen the Deal ending, and the story has been absolutely pulsating. Having the finale over 3 missions also makes sense.The revamped police vigilante missions are brilliant, and there is not the annoying 12 consecutive mission constraint like in previous games. Now one can attend to normal crimes, or carry out special assassinations on criminals on the 'most wanted' list. One can even call for (not always helpful) backup.Random characters provide a humorous and refreshing break from the main story, brilliant.New online multi player mode is brilliant, allowing fierce battles with friends to take place within the grounds of the alderney prison. Or perhaps a race across the streets of broker? The choice is vast.The not so good.....Sometimes the game gives you a bit too much help, like telling you the locations of Brucie's cars he asks for via e-mail, directing you to most wanted characters etc. The traditionalist in me would rather the player has to find the car (or check it up in a guide).No aeroplanes, I guess that as it is just one city, and not the vast state of SA it makes sense. However aeroplanes were great fun, and always a welcome addition to any GTA game.Sometimes the missions do not always feel like they fit into the overall plot. Niko does many missions just for money which are not directly related to the plot. Whereas characters like CJ or Tommi V seemed to often be working towards a goal in addition to the money.Statistically I believe there are less missions than in SA, and the size of the city is slightly smaller. Critics of SA argue that there was too much dead space like the deserts, however I think that sense of openness and size of area to explore was part of the brilliance of SA.Player cannot buy safe houses or property. Once the safe house in Broker is closed, there are no safe houses on the entire island. The property and entrepreneurship of previous GTA games was a fun extra.Conclusion......An absolutely awesome and outstanding game that will be noted as one of the most successful and advanced games. It really has set a new level in open world gameplay. It is a game that is brilliant for the occasional gamer or the hard core GTA master alike.Overall : 5 StarsGameplay: 5 StarsGraphics: 5 StarsPlot: 4 StarsOnline Capabilities: 5 StarsRealism: 4 Stars
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4.5.2008

Looking at the other reviews it seems unfair that many people have judged the game after a very small amount of play time in comparison to the size and length of the game. Having said this, if I had written a review after a similar amount of time with the game, I may have held some of the same opinions.Upon first playing it, I was not immediately struck by it being the most awesome creation of all time packaged up in game form as all the hype had suggested. I had been following the preview coverage and it seemed by their words that Rockstar had plucked dreams and miracles from the heavens and shaped them into a game. But when you start the game it is something of an anti-climax.It is night when you arrive which by no means shows off the graphics of the game in the slightest. You get in a car with apparantly horrible handling and set off across a district with nothing particular to look at, feeling like you're in a new version of GTA III with slightly better graphics and mysteriously worse handling. And so the game begins in a manner entirely lacking in spectacle. You begin with no weapons and it is a while before you get one. The 18 radio stations are the only thing which initially left me overwhelmed, everything else leaving me distinctly under.I was thinking at the back of my mind, but trying not to consider it as true, that perhaps it wasn't, after all this time, all that it was cracked up to be.However I have now invested a significant amount of time in the game and am somewhere over 50% completion and can say with absolute confidence that it is a magnificent game. And it does take a certain amount of time to realise that to a full extent.It is particular features and places along with "GTA moments" that make the game. And it does take a while to be able to experience these. It is only once the game is fully opened up that you will be able to fully enjoy it.Star junction. First time I went there I just stood for a while, looking around. And often have to stop and do so again when I drive through there.The new combat system. I feel powerful and capable now of clearing a room full of angry enemies, with whom I am battling with rather than the controls.Flying a helicopter over the city at night. Who needs planes?Explosions. Oh such beatiful destruction. Also, the RPG launcher.As for joyous, unique moments here's two from the past two days:Taking a moped, and having an NPC standing next to me grab onto the handle as I drove off making for an amusing and difficult escape with them hanging off the handle and pulling me in one direction until they fell off.A hectic police chase through Middle Park, then suddenly seeing a large taxi had joined in on the chase and was ramming me, and realising that four police officers had acquired a taxi to chase me in.It does not need all of the features of San Andreas, those which it has are entirely sufficent to make it a wonderful game. Rockstar has kept in the ones that really matter to the experience. They have kept the core experience of GTA and ramped it up many notches. It is GTA but the things I loved to do in the past are even more fun now that they have better mechanics and look beautiful. Although on the subject of visuals I did put the contrast up to maximum to make it look more vibrant.Now that they have the foundation there, perhaps they will expand on the boundaries again in future GTA's. As it is, I'm quite happy with GTA IV the way it is.Perhaps if it had a more spectacular beginning more people would appreciate it, and play through to the point where it all comes together beautifully. I guess Rockstar were using it to portray the fact that an immigrant coming into the country will not have a spectacular start, which is all very well for the story but may have lost it a few fans.On the subject of it having so many "perfect" scores, 10/10 doesn't mean perfect as some people seem to think. As gamesTM magazine says on its reviews page:"The elusive ten is reserved for games of irrefutable quality, but please be aware that a score of ten in no way professes to mean perfection. Perfection is an unattainable goal, and on a ten point scale nothing should be unattainable."With this in mind GTA IV definately deserves 10/10.
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12.5.2008

Being one of the three hundred reviewers previously mentioned, I felt it necessary to have a good crack at GTA IV first, and listen to some other perspectives before largely slating this game, which was what I was about to do.Because, initially, I found myself particularly underwhelmed with GTA IV. I seemed to spend the whole time (first night) slothing around with Niko's annoying cousin Roman, saving his skin and popping off his enemies with little conscience.You see, the problem with the GTA series, is that the 'sims on wheels, guns and drugs' style of gaming that I've become accustomed to has been, largely, stripped. It is about Niko, not you. You can't go around buying which houses YOU like,you can't go around customising cars the way YOU like, and you can't have the girlfriends YOU like. You have to start (and finish) things in an unceremoniously grotty manner, and according (largely) to how Niko would do things. Even his European accent can at some stages make you want to grate your teeth. It seems to be case of better technical depth, in exchange for the experience.This put me off for quite some time after I bought it and, as I'd done with San Andreas, nearly sold it after only a short time playing it.Another area I found to be somewhat irritating was the number of people Niko meets. He seems, initially, to be just stuck with only with a few, annoying, useless allies, and then all of a sudden you get invaded with all of these characters and their life stories.The shooting system, in my opinion, is improved from the previous titles, but nothing revolutionary. However, it is still satisfying to pick a precise shot with the PSG-1, and even more so when you take down a chopper with an RPG-7. But in the long run, I found it to be, for the most part, somewhat monotonous. Mission after mission of going into buildings and wiping out lots of trash-talking bad boys who think that their inconsistent trigger finger is going to out-gun your M4 left me feeling a bit deflated. I didn't know what I was expecting, but what seemed like more of the same with better graphics and no parachuting wasn't what I was hoping for.I found myself simply pushing to finish it and move on; and I still haven't quite got over that.But I have learned get over most of my jitters about this game, and to appreciate the finer things in GTA IV, such as the depth of Liberty City; whilst I feel a bit 'boxed in' compared to San Andreas, it is simply exhaustive. It must've taken, what seemed like, forever to get every shop and every street light positioned and ready for exploration.I have also learned to appreciate the delicacies of the SIXAXIS function, and the handling that feels much less arcade-y, and much deeper and simulative, and yet still quite fun. It is actually quite rewarding to burn rubber and escape a three-star manhunt.The story, whilst in a generally more linear game, does actually seem to leave more room for the player to input themselves into, which is strange, but also a comfort from a fear of a do-this-do-that style of game. There are a few great twists that can really hook you in, and which is one of this game's strengths. The characters have depth, some are irritating (which I feel contributed to my lethargy towards this game), some you look up to and some you can't help but just lol at. It seems to run on a similar engine to GTA III, but it's much better, and more malleable.I guess the underlying point of this review is to point out that GTA IV is what it is, and (if you're like me) it's up to you to come to the table and enjoy yourself. If you are looking to hit the gym, order salad and have a little you run around the new Liberty city, then you are likely to be let down. If you're hoping to spend most of your time playing with a vast library of toys and side quests, you are likely to be let down.But I've hardly stopped playing this game since I got it. With brilliant presentation, a new next-generation experience via an epic story on an epic stage, Rockstar have done alright.
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2.5.2008

It was very short sighted of Rockstar not to bring out a PC version of GTA IV in parallel with the console versions. Apparent from reading the reviews that many purchasers are those with the PC versions of previous GTA's and only purchased the PS3 or XBox versions because that is currently the only way to experience the next GTA instalment. If ever a game was crying out to see what a Dual Core CPU, 8800 GT graphics card and maybe even DX10 could do with it - that game is GTA IV.Starting with the graphics engine, these are much improved over previous GTA's, less cartoony and much more lifelike. Smoke and steam effects are everywhere, litter blows around the streets and really creates the impression of a grungy,lived in city. Initially running the game on a 42" plasma, however, I found the graphics a little blurred and some items (such as text messages or the map) very hard to read. I've since hooked the PS3 up to my PC monitor and the graphics look much better, albeit still a little soft.Gameplay is similar though slightly different to previous GTA's. It still largely revolves around meeting various characters and accepting missions that advance the story. In a departure from previous GTA's though the story can branch at certain points, depending on what decisions you make for the character. Many of the side missions and role playing elements from previous GTA's are gone or tightened up (no firefighting or paramedic) and more closely linked to the main story. As other reviewers have commented on, financial gain plays less of a part and money along with weapons is quite hard to come by during the early part of the game. Unlike previous GTA's you can't just go out and do some street robberies without attracting much more police attention than before. Nor are missions like taxi driving, pimping or courier available straight away. The melee combat system is much harder, pedestrians do not go down after two or three blows and on foot the PS3 "waggle" sticks make movement much harder than keyboard and mouse of the PC. This is possibly a sop by Rockstar to the "too violent" brigade but if you haven't bought the Brady guide which details the location of weapons and armour these are very hard to find - unlike San Andreas where you could find both within a few yards of CJ's house in Ganton.While controlling Niko on foot is tricky compared to the PC, maybe I'm a lone voice in actually appreciating the new car physics. It's the difference between Richard Burns Rally and Test Drive Unlimited. I actually evaded a (inadvertent) 4 star wanted level quite easily.At present I'm only a short way into the game so sure there's much more to explore and discover. Despite the dark and brooding advertising that preceded its release, there's a fair bit of humour with the verbal byplay between Niko and his cousin Roman particularly amusing. Surprised no one else has commented, but this time round Rockstar seem to have unknown voice talent rather than the famous actors and personalities in previous titles.In conclusion, at this stage I would say IV is good bordering on great GTA but maybe not the classic that San Andreas became. Time will tell but I must repeat my plea at the beginning of this review - Rockstar, you absolutely must get a PC version of this game converted and released sooner rather than later. No matter how good the console it will always have hardware and control limitations compared to the PC!Update/Edit:Unfortunately Amazon don't allow you to change the star rating but after encountering the now infamous PS3 network bug with this game, I now consider this a 3 star not 4 star game (Amazon mods, if you can amend the stars please do so). It is inexcusable of Rockstar and their publishers Take Two to release a game with such a glaring problem. Please tell us you actually beta tested this before release! Some sort of compensation/reparation to inconvenienced users would be appreciated along with a patch to fix the problem...
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16.6.2008

GTA 4 is a brilliant game. Theres no denying it. As many people reviewing this game are lauding it, there are just as many decrying it. As usual the truth is somewhere between the two.Most of the games fiercest critics tend to focus on the lack of open space, sparse amount of activities available after completion, and the driving.Well the drivings really not an issue. All you need to do is spend half an hour with the game to get the hang of it, and the game is much, much better for it. Theres much more skill involved and it makes the police chases much more tense.As for the lack of open space, well thats really down to personal preference. I know many San Andreas fans really liked the whole reams of land with nothing-to-do-in-it style,but I can really take it or leave it. If you loved San Andreas because of that though, you will miss it because its not here. The emphasis is much more on action than free roaming. In fact, I think I explored this game much less than any of the other GTAs - I just didn't feel the need to. Im not sure whether thats a good or a bad thing.As for the lack of activities after completion, well its quite ironic that many of the 'hardcore' gamers of today are screaming out for mini games on GTA, and yet on the other hand blasting the Wii for the same reason! Still, they are right. After you've finished it, you'll probably stick to the online play and not really bother with single player. There are no stock car races, Dirtbike challenges or the like. Plus theres no additional little completist fetishes like owning property, selling drugs from Ice Cream Trucks etc.In fact, many of the novel and innovative parts of GTA have been totally stripped away altogether. There are no radio controlled missions like in the previous games, which is a real shame. The whole game goes for a more realistic and gritty angle though, so it would be hard to fit them in.I dont know if I missed them, but there doesn't seem to be any rampages included either, which is a bizarre decision as they have been a GTA staple since the beginning. Maybe its down to the whole realism thing again I guess.For all these negatives the positives just completley drown them. Finally the game has decent controls. Trading in a lot of the features I mentioned above for a decent combat system is something any gamer would have done. You can duck behind cover and lock onto to realisitc targets for a change, and the camera is much improved too. Combat is now actually enjoyable, as opposed to a way to see the next cut scene.Secondly, the story is just fantastic. The characters are much better than in previous iterations of the series and the game will actually make you laugh out loud at Brucie and Romans quips. And if that doesn't, you can always go and see Ricky Gervais and Kat Williams in the Comedy Club.There are also many other features that have been implemented such as taking friends out to bars, to play darts, pool, go on helicopter tours etc. Which is fantastic, and needs to be done, as when these characters begin to really like you they will come to your aid during missions, offering guns, bombs, extra firepower, cars etc. You can even date a lawyer who will reduce your wanted level.These are all excellent features but the novelty really wears off after the game ends. In previous GTAs you could always go back to better your stock car racing or bike times, or just fly a plane into the air and parachute out of it. None of that is here.All in all, its a fantastic game. The story is the best yet, the whole thing handles brilliantly and you cant help but be emotionally connected to the characters. The thing is though, we've been spoilt by the great variety GTA has given us in the past, and after its all over, especially after the utterly pointless third island (theres just nothing there!) it all just feels a little generic. I would still thoroughly recommend it though.
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14.5.2013

I bought this game when it first game out, Christmas 2008. I've completed it a couple of times but mostly just cruise around having fun, popping caps and chasing 'ho's. It's fun.Like many other reviewers I had quite a struggle to get the installation right. First off the process is lengthy and annoying. If you do anything slightly offbeat or your machine is under par then it is a certainly that you are in for a world of pain. However, as ever, this is a case of caveat emptor. Amazon, for all their faults, are very up front about what you sort of PC need to run this game so take heed. NB in this case the minimum requirement MUST be exceeded to avoid a disappointing experience.Meet it half way for a worthwhile result!As to the DRM and Windows Live, I can't say I'm happy but it is par for the course these days. If people were honest and didn't steal copy write materiel we wouldn't have these problems. Having said that having to save your games on line is a PITA, especially if, like me, your internet access is intermittent.Once you have jumped these hurdles it soon becomes obvious that it was worth it. Right from the start the graphics are good, even now they stand up, the textures are crisp and don't dissolve to low-res as you approach. Set on high you get a good field of view and obstacles in the distance are easily spotted. The lower the res though and the more objects pop into existence which can be a pain if you are travelling in a helicopter at speed and suddenly a sky-scrapper apparates in front of you.The physics of the game are good and the cars drive like a charm. It is a real pleasure to zip around town in a sports car dodging traffic to escape the Rozzers. It is though next to impossible not to power slide into the general public but that has two advantages in game; one they tend to drop a lot of money as they die and two it shuts them up. Liberty City must be the foul-mouth capital of the USA the way these people talk. Surprise them and you get a stream of invented invective. At first this is quite funny, like the shop names, but after the fortieth time you've heard someone say 'cheesy vaginas' it pales.When on foot the port from console becomes obvious as the player character walks quite strangely. I've lost track of the number of times I've tried to enter a building only to veer sideways into the door jamb. On foot gun fights, and there are plenty, become frustrating until you learn to cope with this.The missions are varied (ish) and challenging and move the story on but if you can't be bothered then there is a whole city to play with and much of it can be. Another issue here though is save points. Now at any time during the game you can save by sleeping at a safe house, the number and quality of increases as you progress. This is fine and dandy but you cannot save during a mission. This can be really frustrating as many of the missions run like1. Find a car and drive to point A.2. At point A watch cut scene and chase bad guy to point B.3. At point B kill bad guy and his mates.4. Escape the police.Fail at any point and it is back to step 1. Some of these steps are really long and quite tricky - at its hardest it is difficult to survive each step never mind all of them and having to repeat them over and over and over again ...ahhhh!Finally, if you are easily offended don't buy this game as there is much to take offence at. From the general premise of playing a lying cheating, drug running, 'Ho murdering son of a b**** to the casual swearing and general violence this game is not at aimed you. Oh, and don't go to the strip clubs, no, really don't ...In total this game is one that needs to be persevered with. The installation can be tricky and coping with ported physics takes adjustment time but it is definitely well worth it.
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2.5.2008

This game gets a 5 start rating because there is no game out there of the same calibre that is better than GTA4. Saints Row is way below GTA4, what else is out there ?To all GTA fans lets assess GTA4 on its merits without prejudice. Will this game keep u playing for hours without turning it off ? Yes. Will it stay in your console for days, weeks and months on end ? YES. If your answers are yes, then it definitely is a great game. Let's look at the high and low points of this game.Let me first start with the lows.U can't buy, sell or own properties and businesses. The car handling takes a lot of getting used to. U cant drive in GTA4 like u did in all previous GTA series.Would have been a plus if u could decide who u want to play as like in Saints Row.Playing as Niko Bellic is not bad but would have preferred to play as eg Tommy Vercetti, CJ from San Andreas or someone else of my choice.Not been able to go to the gym and bulk up is a minus, loved the sight of CJ in Tank tops and t-shirts, made me feel like a bad guy. So far, don't have a safe house with a drive-in garage where I could store my own cars, all I have is residential parking and I'm at my second safe house.I feel the hand to hand combat is too slow, I prefer the faster pace of the previous GTA games.On the flip side, the highs make up for the lows:U can now watch TV, buy food from lots of places, street vendors etc, u can get drunk and Niko starts finding it difficult to walk or drive, having a girlfriend is easier now, mobile phone, smashing car windows and hot-wiring cars to steal them.Cars don't explode instantly anymore, Sat Nav, cover system, graphics, less cartoony characters, paying toll when crossing islands, calling a taxi to give u a ride, game can be played without cheats, there's music from all over the world, no loading screens between islands, u don't lose weapons when u die or get arrested. I lost control of the car while driving Badman during a mission, we fell in the river and had to swim clear of the car, in previous GTA games, it would have been game over, mission failed, in GTA4, badman just swam out with me, climbed up a cliff with me, jacked another car and we continued the mission. The cop chases now have a radar area and u can work out where the cops are and how to escape. The graphics are really good, take a sit back and look around u when u'r parked, walking or driving, the attention to detail is amazing especially when u play in HD.Overall, it's not a bad game at all. They could have done better but they could have done much worse too.Eg the makers of need for speed went from being good to poor with the launch of Need for street Pro Street, they fixed something that wasn't broke. To those people that think GTA4 is not as good as some of its previous like Vice city and San Andreas, I think u need to play GTA4 then go back and play the previous ones. I played San Andreas recently and was amazed at how behind in time the graphics look. U won't appreciate GTA4 if u don't go back and look at the previous instalments.My greatest disappointment with GTA4 is that I do not feel any sense of achievement so far, mainly because I'm just running about doing stuff for everyone but myself. If only I could be running my own business and making my own weekly money after building my own business, everything would have been perfect.To the makers of GTA, please, when u have a good game and want to make it better, leave the things that were in place with the good one and just add more things and improvements to make a better one. Do not remove the things that made the previous game great. Eg, buying houses, own business; own my own mansion, run a crew, gyming to bulk up with muscles. If these had been in GTA4, the game would have owned the world.
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16.5.2008

Ok as along time fan of the Grand Theft Auto series barring the shockingly bad Liberty City and Vice City stories this game has got to be the best yet as im sure a lot of people have said.Now i am halfway through the game beginning to start work with Jimmy Pegorino.But please allow me to give my proverbial 5 cents on this game.Gameplay and graphics are simpley amazing, the detail on the whole damn city, the cars, the characters hell even the strippers is no reason why this game had raked $200 million worldwide on its first day.Long story short, Niko comes off a boat and arrives in Liberty City to start fresh and meets up Roman but the surprise apperances of an old foe and new ones puts Niko short and then he starts working with various people as GTA games do for money,however theres also a new catch on certain enemies you kill you can do a sweet looking execution and on some missions you can either spare their lives or walk away depends how cold hearted you people really are lol.The best cars in the game has got to be to my knowledge the Turismo which in next gen graphics look absolutely sweet and the infernus. A good thing they added on the cars, you know how on cars they have their names imprinted on them, on GTA IV they do just that. If you zoom in to either the back or the side you can see it just to add that little bit more realism to the game.Gone are garages and now you can save cars via a parking space outside your apartment.Fast food faves Clucking Bell and Burgershot make a return and even they look impressive lol.Story missions aside you can do random character missions to earn extra money which is a nice touch.Now for those like me who hate the chopper missions cause of the handling worry no more as like the cars, boats and bikes, the choppers take advantage of the new sixaxis system for easier control which is a big help.Also you can access the internet and check the liberty city tree newspaper site and see your own crimes which gives you a sense of pride, you can also do some online dating which is fun for taking time outta missions.A big feature is the mobile/cell phone, to start off with you get a crappy generic one but as your progress you get a new phone which has a camera and yes mp3 ring tones and you can ringtones and themes for the phone off the web.You can watch the television lol and see such stars as Ricky Gervais, Katt Williams aswell as Weazel News to hear about your crimes lol oh the fun you can have.The online multiplayer option is a brilliant first try from Rockstar and has many different modes to play, my personal fave is free mode so if you see a bigsteviecool20 on there, thats me:PI could go on and on about the positives which really outnumber the bad but this is a review and i cannot sugar coat it and say it has no negatives as it does, only a small one but one that can leave you cursing the tv lolThe negative is the glitches in the game, i.e: the game just self pauses for a few seconds and by the time you gain control espically if your in a fast car or a mission it can offer prove disatrous also as you can expect you get quite a bit of lag on the online multiplayer mode which again is extremely annoying but you get that on any kind online game like Call of Duty for example.Also the main installing on the hard drive is a pisser, that takes about half an hour lolBut however rockstar have done an updated patch which you can install which stops many of the glitches and plus with the game being simply a contender to Game of The Year 2008 i have to give it 5 stars to the best game ive played on in a long time.But buy it for yourself but i guarntee you wont be disapointed.
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17.3.2009

I don't write reviews, but I feel quite strongly about this. How anyone can say this is a bad port is beyond me. I think R* have done a good job with the PC version of this. (YES, I SAID IT!).It's a shame that so many will miss out on the remarkable accomplishment that is Grand Theft Auto IV, due to so much negative feedback.I played GTA4 on my friend's Xbox360 extensively, and I wasn't really that impressed with the game! (crazy- I know, I love gta, and have played all the predecessors and loved them) - but I felt that it was too much like GTA3, and a lot of stuff from San Andreas has been taken out, some good some bad, much of the RPG elements of GTA:SA have been taken out, thank god.But,even after months of reading all the negative reviews about the PC version of this, I decided to bite the bullet and get it. And I must say, it's rekindled my love for this game. This is probably the best of the series yet, some things are missed from San Andreas, but the story and game play is top notch. Nothing particularly revolutionary, but you know what to expect - awesome cut scenes, comedy, tragedy, drive-bys, gangstas, rastas - It's all here, but this time on a stunning engine with impeccable physics. (Seriously, I've never run anyone over in a car, but I think R* have managed to simulate it a bit too well).I have an Xbox360 controller for windows, and it is probably a good idea to get one, but the keyboard and mouse are sublime for shooting on foot with the new combat system. I don't think it's possible to change the controls, but the controls are pretty much what I'd have them as anyway so haven't looked into it.(edit: since update 1.0.3.0 you can now change the kb/mouse config)Performance-wise (bar a couple of initial crashes), It runs great on my Vadim system. I have a Quadcore Q6700, 4GB OCZ RAM, Geforce 8800 ULTRA, Raptor 10,000rpm HDD, Vista x64 (yes I can run Crysis well on highest settings).With GTA4, I get a stable 30fps on high/v.high settings, no matter what is happening on-screen. And it looks awesome....But reading reviews about people with systems which, on paper, sound like they would blow mine to shreds, have trouble with frame rates on low/med settings, I honestly don't know what they're doing wrong. Maybe I'm lucky, I don't know, every PC is different.I think the graphics option screen is great on GTA4. How many games show you in real-time the graphics updating in the background as you change the options, including resource usage? If it goes into the red, it means you've exceed your video memory, and hence you will get missing textures - simple.Install took about 30mins (not that I timed it). I did take another reviewer's advice about signing up to Live and Rockstar Social Club first, and this makes the installation much easier. R* Social Club, is basically R*'s version of Steam, but doesn't really work like Steam, and is completely pointless. But if you care about achievements and online scoreboard ranking, it actually all integrates very well.DRM doesn't bother me, you've bought the game - and this one has no install limits - what have you got to worry about?Video editor is really cool addition, full-featured and well implemented, if you can be bothered setting up all the camera angles!Also you can drag a shortcut to the user audio folder and have your entire music collection in-game.Multiplayer is awesome, if quite difficult! If you played the non-official GTA:SA multiplayer, it's much like that, but obviously better. Trouble is there doesn't seem to be many populated servers, so everyone stop reading negative reviews and BUY THE FREAKING GAME!
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2.1.2009

The hype for this game was immense, in the lead up to its release no other game was being talked about, every gaming mag had its own GTA4 feature and the gaming world was gripped.Upon release it became the biggest selling videogame of all time, but was this rightly so? Or is there something not so Grand about this installment of the esteemed GTA series?Well the simple answer is no. Other than a few little niggles the game is sensational.You play as an Eastern European immigrant called Niko Bellic, arriving on a boat in Liberty City, searching for the American dream and from there an epic adventure begins. The graphics are phenomenal, the gameplay enjoyable and refined,the soundtrack as good as ever and you constantly feel immersed in the sandbox environment in which the game is set.It is apparent as soon as the game's first cutscene kicks off that this is a new breed of GTA. The graphics are definitely next gen. and brilliantly detailed. For a series that usually concentrates on scale over graphical excellence it's a huge achievement. The game is also more serious on the gameplay front. Cars handle realistically, movement is scarily human and the characters have a very movie-like feel about them this time round.The controls have been overhauled too. With L2 aiming, R2 firing and R1 for taking cover behind things, it fixes the previous games' clumsy lock-on combat. Driving uses the typical next gen. racing game control setup. There has been some complaint about cars being too hard to drive but I think it's more of a case of the older GTA's vehicles being too easy to. Realism is the focus of all the gameplay aspects and with a little time and practice, they're all easy to get to grips with.The attention to detail is astonishing. You feel as if you're in a living, breathing city when you play it and I found myself just driving round looking at everything in awe of what Rockstar have achieved. They've done something which few games have ever done; made people care. You'll care about the characters, the city and all. You'll want to finish the game just to play through it again and make different decisions during the morale choice moments, to see where the story goes.Attention to detail is on another level here. There is a useable subway system, taxis, bars, clubs, fast food joints, flying rats to shoot, easter eggs to find it's simply astonishing. Dialogue is rarely repeated and the character's are all believable and brilliantly voiced.It all adds up to one of the greatest gaming experience ever and although it may not be on the same scale as San Andreas it makes up for it in atmosphere and realism. Some of the silliness is missed, but this is still a roaringly fun game.However the only blip on the game's flawless record is multiplayer. This should have been a must play online experience but unfortunately it just falls short. There are times when it's a joy, trying to do backflips off jumps on your faggio or as you cruise the streets with your mates in Infernuses is unmatchable by any other game out there. But, when you sit frustrated for ten minutes as you search for a server then find one only to get dumped back to the menu within seconds, cancels out all the fun you could be having. With a few patches this can be fixed but it still feels like a major let down from such a great game.Overall, contrary to many people's beliefs this is not an overrated game. Believe the hype, GTA4 was worth the wait and is a must have and a shoe in for game of the year without a doubt. This is a 9.5 really but I don't do halves so as nothing can be perfect:9/10
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8.5.2014

I didn't play this on release, but as I've asked for GTA 5 for my upcoming birthday, it seemed time to get in the right mood by playing GTA 4. One big advantage is that I missed out on all the hype. Any big game release is going to leave some people feeling disappointed after months of sneak peaks and rumours.It is certainly a much grittier "real" world you step into compared to titles such as Vice City, but Rockstar have done a wonderful job of turning New York into Liberty City. I had to tweak the contrast and brightness a touch which made things much easier to see and brings out the detail of the city. The main Story Mode sees you as an arriving immigrant,expecting the streets of Liberty City to be paved with gold after hearing of his cousins wonderful life there. Finding his cousin down on his luck and in debt, the reality is very different to the letters sent back home.The story really drew me in with some interesting characters to meet. The crazy story lines have gone, but I must say I prefer the new approach. The basics are still there, go meet someone who gives you a task to do, with game play jumping in and out of cut scenes as the story demands. They seem very easy to start with as you are introduced to the controls and your mobile phone which you always carry, but as you progress you have to be smarter to take down the bad guys. There is often more than one way to go about your mission, so when an all out attack fails you start looking for safer ways to achieve your goal.As ever, much of the fun comes between missions with shops, restaurants, bars and clubs to visit. In a similar fashion to Red Dead Redemption, you can also take part in games with darts, pool and bowling on offer. You have more reason to explore these thanks to the new friendship feature. Spending time with people you meet away from the main story builds a relationship that often results in some benefit. For example, a call to a new friend can remove a low wanted level to get the police off your case or they might call round with weapons for sale.Driving seems more difficult this time round when you first start to play, but you actually have great control once you get used to the driving physics. Drifting the back end out round a corner in an American muscle car is a joy to behold! Damage is nicely modeled and accidents can even cause you damage. Hit something head on at a high enough speed and your character, Niko, is sent flying through the windscreen. Bikes have some odd handling quirks, although this is addressed in the expansion Episodes from Liberty City if you do want to spend a lot of time on 2 wheels.You are also faced with a number of choices as the story unfolds, when Niko has to decide between different views of the situation. There are some tough choices which might set you thinking along with others where one option is obvious, tempting you into the possibility of doing the opposite.Overall I enjoyed the story and was genuinely surprised by some of the twists. The graphics are very nice with different boroughs very well detailed. The run down neighbourhoods, with their potholes in the road and gun carrying gang members give way to the bright neon of Star Junction where business people mingle with tourists.I spent around 70 hours over a few weeks to complete the story, about half of the side missions and generally enjoying the experience, so that's pretty darned good value! I don't tend to play console games online so I can't really comment, but there is a good mix of options available for online carnage.
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