====================Spoiler FREE review(No spoilers)
April 29th,2008.This date marked the day where gamers would awaken to news and some reviews,surrounding 1 particular game.A game that was so greatly anticipated,that the majority of the reviews for the game came out before the game released.The game is of course,Let's Yoga!,a Konami published game for the Nintendo Ds that promises to relieve your stress and make your body hawter....Or is it Grand Theft Auto IV,the successor to one of the most critically acclaimed Playstation 2 franchises out there?Yes,it is surely the latter,as Rockstar games latest installment in the seemingly endless Grand Theft Auto universe,graced store shelves and gamers hands during the wee hours of April 29th,breaking sales records of all sorts and pushing sales of Caffeine drinks to new boundaries.Did GTA 4 live up to the bar set by it's predecessor?Or is it simply another good game for your Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 console?
To answer these questions,we must first look at what a GTA game is,and what Rockstar Games aimed to achieve with their latest outing.GTA is an open world game where destruction is awarded,kindness is sneered upon,and Jack Thompson,famous lawyer against video games,hawks over eagerly,waiting for that Adults Only moment to feed upon.Since Grand Theft Auto III,gamers have had the ability to explore a massive city in 3rd person perspective,gaining access to an even massiv-er city through the completion of missions and causing chaos in the streets.This,is known to some as the 'GTA formula';A combination of chaos,missions,and a sense of humor unseen in other games.With GTA IV,it is evidently clear that Rockstar have stuck to the GTA formula,and have attempted to deliver the most realistic and engaging Grand Theft Auto experience yet.
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Story:(As this is a spoiler free review,key story elements will not be revealed nor discussed upon.)
You are Niko Bellic in GTA IV,a Russian immigrant living in Liberty City with hopes of success and dreams of a better life.Along your path you will encounter both emotional trials and psychological Stop Signs,all of this masked behind a tough,witty,and humorous persona.With GTA 4,Rockstar have succeeded in creating an engaging story and a loveable lead;A character that resonates with your emotions in a way that will surely surprise you.As the story unfolds in GTA 4,so will your appreciation for what Niko Bellic stands for and wants.
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Gameplay:
As with previous GTA games,your main goal is to advance past missions and tasks set to you by various inhabitants of the City.This time around,Rockstar have introduced new gameplay mechanics and have tweaked and tuned previous ones,with some positive results,and some negative results.
Firstly,the positive results;The Mission system and City activities work more fluidly and make much more sense this time around.Whereas in previous GTA games you were greeted with 'Come back at xx:xx time' and 'drive to the other side of the city to do something irrelevant',in GTA IV you are equipped with a Cell Phone;A device that is truly your best friend at all times.Sure,there has been a Cellphone present in previous GTA iterations,but in Niko Bellics adventure,you have full control over the Cellphone at all times;Making a Phone Call is as easy as it sounds.Accessed through the D-Pad,arranging activities and undertaking mission assignments has never been easier,organized,and more detailed,the addition of a Cell Phone in GTA introduces an entirely new gameplay feel that is sure to be mimicked by upcoming titles.
As with previous GTA games(And real life),you commit a crime;Sirens come to life.The Police are much more aggressive and accurate this time around,so running around like a Chicken expecting the Bullets to fly past you may not work in your favor.Getting away from the cops has also been revamped;The moment you commit a Crime,the Map area you're in turns into a Blue and Red color,indicating that the Police have spotted and are coming after you.The obvious solution is to get outside the area you're in to a safe zone,that is,any area that isn't Red and Blue.As expected,the more Stars you have,the bigger the area becomes,thus making it harder and more intense.This new system works very well,and will no doubt be implemented in further GTA titles.
Now,for the negative results;Rockstar were surely plagued with comments and emails concerning the shooting&aiming system in previous GTA games,thus prompting them to re-do the system for GTA IV.Will those same people who voiced their dismay with the shooting&aiming system be contacting Rockstar once more?Sadly,the answer to this seems like a 'Yes',as the s&a system in GTA IV still feels clunky and very much in need of work.The root of the problem with this is the Animation and responsiveness of the Weapon and target system,this problem becomes more pronounced when engaged in a shootout with the Police and/other gamers(Online).The fighting system is no better,and serves as a reminder as to why you need to acquire a Gun in the game as soon as possible.
Another gripe that will arise is with the Driving system and mechanics;Whilst I would love to say the driving system is a hit or miss,and that with enough time the driving will 'click' and feel natural,this isn't the case.Rockstar completely missed on the driving.It's clear that they aimed for a more realistic driving experience by tightening the driving controls,but they did not create a good balance in this.As a result,you will find yourself needing to use the Hand Brake to make simple turns and evasions,and you will also find yourself calling a Cab more often to avoid Driving.To put it simply;The Driving system and mechanics need a complete redo.
Lastly,and most importantly,a large number of the Missions,mission mechanics,and activities to do,feel too familiar.You will encounter a feeling of Deja Vu before you're done with the first 10 missions,and you will encounter the same feeling before you're done with the last ten missions.This all goes back to the GTA formula,but whilst the formula felt fresh and innovative in previous games,in GTA IV,it feels like doing that same thing over again.Missions in GTA IV include chasing down cars,robbing, ,chasing people,shooting up targets,as well as Dating and other social activities.
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Graphics:
Great graphics have never been associated with GTA games,and this is looking to be a continuing trend;GTA IV does not look mind blowing.There are low res textures,noticeable pop-in,last-gen animations,jaggies,questionable blur and draw distance effects,oddly sized bodily parts,and in some cases,character models and City elements that can only be described as 'ugly'.
But in a City so massive,with hundreds of things on screen at one time,are the present graphics a complete letdown?Not at all,as GTA IV has the best atmosphere in any game thus far this generation.Liberty City looks like a breathing,living City,and this is what Rockstar were gunning for and succeeded at.The presence of hundreds of things on screen at almost all times,are what create this amazing and immersive feel to the city,and are ultimately the very same things that make up for the lack of outstanding graphics.
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Sound and Voice Acting:
The GTA franchise has always been known for having the most diverse soundtrack,hilarious talk shows,and lolz-worthy Pedestrian comments.With GTA IV this is no different;be it whilst you drive or are being driven,the radio stations provide constant entertainment that is both memorable and laughter inducing.As mentioned before,Liberty City truly feels like it's alive,and the sound from numerous sources greatly helps in creating this level of immersion.
The Voice acting in GTA IV is good,but not perfect.Some of the characters you meet in the game feel too cliche in both the manner and words that they speak.
Also,whilst Niko Bellic carries a deep Russian accent,some of the sayings and idioms that he uses do not sit right with his character and background,this will become particularly evident during multiple in-car discussions with various people.
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Online/Multiplayer:
Being the first GTA game with an Online mode,there were considerable doubts on whether or not the Multiplayer aspect of the game would translate well in comparison to the Single player aspect of the game.
With 15 Multiplayer game modes,16 player support,Customizable characters,and a Silky smooth Frame rate,GTA IV delivers one of the most impressive Multiplayer experiences of this generation by far.
Accessing the Online Multiplayer is a snap,you simply whip up your Cell Phone,and choose the Multiplayer option.Once you're in the game lobby,you'll be greeted with the 'usual suspects' modes,such as Deathmatch,Team Deathmatch,Race,and others.Without giving out much details,I can safely say that Online Multiplayer is the strongest feature to be added to the GTA franchise ever since it's inception,not only does it add hours upon hours of replay ability,the sheer fun factor derived from this mode is off the charts.
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Conclusion:
By now you most likely own this game or have already made up your mind on whether or not to own this game.GTA IV is not a perfect game,and it shows:There are some technical problems that could have used a few more weeks/months of ironing out.The games biggest problem though,is that it has borrowed too many gameplay elements and mechanics from previous GTA games,and has implemented them in the exact same way they were done in previous GTA titles.Without a doubt,GTA IV was overhyped by both gaming media and press as the next big thing in video games,and to be frank,it is not as revolutionary nor as innovative as previous GTA games.From the standpoint of a person who has played all GTA games,GTA IV is not the best of the series nor is it the best game ever created.
With that said,GTA IV is still one of the best gaming experiences you will have this year.The Singleplayer campaign offers hours upon hours of great gaming,and the Multiplayer looks to be one of the best of this generation.Though Rockstar have not succeeded in passing the bar set by GTA III and it's Spin-offs,they have indeed succeeded in providing one of the most engaging and intense gameplay experiences available for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 platform.
Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."
1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.
It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!
I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.
Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.
Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.
Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:
- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2
I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.
Grand Theft Auto 4 is an important game for Rockstar, not least because it was the first title in the franchise to use the newly created RAGE engine.
There’s never a bad time to relive its magic, and with rumours of a potential Grand Theft Auto IV remaster making the rounds, why wouldn’t you?
Not sure tbh.. I'd say 3 was the most overrated. It's pretty rough to go back to, it was quite rough even trying it just after Vice City. Lack of humour and vehicles that had the weight of polystyrene with top speeds to match.
VC & the stories games (even LCS) were all fun. I remember there being a lot of praise for GTA 3 on TV and in game mags, saying it was a Dreamcast killer of a game or words to that effect, and honestly after playing it on PC I didn't think it was that special and kind of dull, had the odd moment of fun but hardly anything. I heard they cut online multiplayer at the last moment for PC, shame because it could've made all the difference.
Would've loved to have seen what kind of cartoony GTA style game they could've done on Dreamcast as a competitor, I bet something along the lines of Simpsons Hit & Run would've worked well.
@numberz How can the game that defined a generation and was copied by everyone be overrated? Was a asinine comment
For me 4 was better than 5 was more realistic and the physics was on another level! 5 was a major let down in that department!
@blacktar you have your opinion i have mine. I found the game dull, and it is for the most part. It set the foundation for the much superior SA and VC however.
You say GTA III is overrated because it's rough to go back to and rough to play after Vice City. Your entire opinion is in hindsight. Of course it's rough going back to it today. It came out over 20 years ago. That doesn't take away from the fact that it pioneered a lot and was a paradigm shift for a lot of trends in game development today. Vice City in a lot of ways is just a more refined version of III. It was San Andreas that took the big leap forward from a design perspective. If III doesn't release, who knows if the open world genre would be what it is now. How can that be overrated?
Not at all. My most played game of all time. Truly stunning accomplishment in gaming and with PC graphics mods it just took it to levels beyond anything that came before and possibly even after.
People who moan about it generally tend to be people who played it on under powered consoles and couldn’t handle the more realistic car physics. It was the slightly more realistic approach that made it stand out more. Absolutely love it. In fact I always said Vice city was my favourite of all time. But after going back to the remaster I realised 4 was actually the best.
I'm no critic and I consider it the best games in the franchise after recently replaying every entry it's story when paired in conjunction with it's DLC was and still is amazing.
Lol. Fun fact. That dlc cost a certain green colored console 50 million for exclusiveness. Un heard of back then. Just to point out the hypocrisy of the 3rd party exclusive agenda going on.
Anyway how the dlc better then the base game by a mile. Lol imo
San Andreas holds a special place in my heart. Honestly, I couldn't get into IV at all. Didn't even finish it. I had some pride in playing it at first because I'm originally a New Yorker, but it just didn't do it for me.
To each their own.
Gta sa for sure. To this day my favorite. My least fav is gta 4 easily. Gta 4 made me feel like the dude in next friday trying to take the cd back talking about i cant get jiggy wit this.
Maybe looking back it would be 3 but 3 did so damn much for gaming in general. . My first gta was of course the top downs so the series has came a long way.
Yeah I remembered falling asleep playing the last mission in GTA4.. the most boring protagonist (out of all the voiced protag), and the town is too small.
Not really
Overrated
Boring
Liberty City despite being a reimagined version for the HD era lacked any variety
Lacked the GTA fun charm overall
Niko was bland compared to past protagonists like Tommy, CJ or Victor
GTA 2 was the best, lol my only owned GTA game. Vice city was alright when I rented it back then. I cant really say which is the best cause those the only 2 games i played but GTA 2 was fun on PC back in the day. Closes game to it that I enjoyed was SR3 and I dont care what people say. That none serious tone was fun enjoyable.
Like hell it is. San Andreas was far better, much more fun and a better game overall.
Nah, it's a masterpiece in attention to detail and the amount of immersive systems at play. But it really isn't very fun, ESPECIALLY when compared to the previous games in the series. Like tons of things are just wonky and actively kneecap lots of experimentation, or is just lame. Like why do I take huge damage when falling into water, why can I only stand in very specific large trucks when they are moving but not smaller trucks and vehicles, why is the melee combat such a massive down grade from GTA SA and GTA IV, why is the euphoria nowhere near as reactive, why is being drunk using a rasterized animation of staggering rather than the far more entertaining euphoria GTAIV and RDR used when you were drunk, why do npc vehicles barely react to you popping there tires even at high speed, etc etc.
I've always loved playing around in GTA games world. Like the campaigns are great but the majority of my time was always spent just playing in the open world. Yet GTAV is the only game in the series I never really returned to after beating it, it just lacks that fun factor the others have, I spent more time in GTA SA remastered than GTAV
It's one of my least favourite GTA games. It's clunky, the ai is exploitable, it's far too long and the writing is absolutely awful.
Great review me personally 9.5, but it is your opinion. I actually like the driving mechanics it is difficult, but it does seem more realistic and thats why I think a lot of people do not like it. Now the fighting and shooting all though awkward at time I do believe are hands down better than previous GTA's. Overall great review though.
"The majority of the missions give off a 'been there,done that' scent"
The indoor shoot-outs have NEVER been done in a GTA game before, and NOT like they are in IV. Besides the indoor shoot-outs, there are many more that are very different than previous games, just having the phone makes it very different.
"The fighting and shooting gameplay still feels clunky and inaccurate"
Again, WAY better than any other GTA game. Cover, Blind fire, One punch KOs, Counters. It`s NOT a button masher anymore. If you want to learn how to use them properly, Fighting and Shooting WORK GREAT.
"The driving mechanics are in need of a major overhaul"
It`s more "simmy" if you play GT5:P lately, not a problem. You just actually have to use your brakes. Again, If you take them time to learn to do it properly, it`s GREAT. Makes it WAY more intense and WAY harder to get away from the LCPD, which is a great thing.
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I think people are looking for reason to NOT like this game, but the TRUTH is it`s better than anything that has came out, for either system thus far. GTAIV has never been about looking/working perfectly, it`s about being as perfect as it CAN BE. This game is NO different. IMO.
i review games how much i love and play them so gta gets a 10 for me
Great review I agree. It shoulda got a 9 or a 8.5. Problem is people are comparing gta 4 to previous gtas thats how they are getting their 10s. People should compare gta to current sandbox games like saints row. The Driving and shooting in saints row are so so much better.
Socom if you compare GTA4 to GTA3:SA SA comes out on top in every category except graphics, other than that I agree with this review, this game just plain doesn't deserve 10/10, I had a lot of fun, but in the end it felt like a cheap whore.