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A Worthy Member of the GTA Series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 109 / 139
Date: April 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I adore the GTA series and have been looking forward to the release of GTA IV for a *long* time. The developers know that a very high bar would be set for this one, and you can see the time and effort they poured into every last detail from the very first moment of the opening credits. It is more like a movie than a game. This "immersive movie" quality stays with you through every moment of gameplay.

You walk down the street and the shadows dapple through the overhead bridge grid. Dusk begins to fall and the sky gets that orange golden glow, the shadows lessen.

Voices show the same attention to detail. You've got a variety of languages thrown in, plus accents galore. There's the Long Island drawl, the Rastafarian's lilt, and of course the hard edge of eastern Europe.

Your main character is Nico, fresh off the boat and coming in to Liberty City (i.e. New York City) to see his cousin Roman. They are eastern European and rather poor. This of course is going to change soon, as Nico moves his way up in the world.

My boyfriend's from New York City so we were amused at how they kept the landscapes identical but renamed Brooklyn to Broker, Manhattan to Algonquin and so on. There was one time we were walking down the streets and had lost track of where we were. "Looks like the Bronx" he commented off-handedly. We zoomed out. Sure enough!

I do have to say that the people on the streets of this game swear far more than the average people we pass in the real NYC though!

Which brings up an important point. GTA IV went straight for the "Mature" rating with this one. This is clearly meant for mature gamers ages 17 and over. There are strip clubs. There are violent battles. There is more swearing than pretty much any other game out there. Adults love this as they love the Sopranos and Scarface - but any parent getting this for a minor should know what they're getting into.

But that being said, as a game for adults, this is *awesome*. There are just so many little touches that shine. You can play bowling games with your date. You can make choices between alternate choices which affect how people feel about you. When you get near a railing, you can side jump over it, smoothly. You carry a cell phone and gather contacts for use. You can visit internet cafes. You have a variety of radio stations to listen to, plus TV stations to watch.

This is easily a game you can play for hundreds of hours - then go back and start over again and get another new experience by making different choices.

I can't get over how gorgeous the game is, and how smoothly it plays. You grab a knife from an enemy and use it to take him down. You drive along the Hudson and watch the lights of the carnival shine. You listen to your favorite songs on the radio while the neon lights of the city drift by. You really begin to relate to the characters, to understand their personalities, to connect with them. It makes the choices you make have meaning and emotion.

As much as I adore many other games - Halo, Mass Effect, etc. - I really think this is the first game that makes you feel that you are in a movie. The graphics draw you in. The voices are amazingly well done and varied. The plot draws you in, having you wonder who to trust, having you wonder what is going on with the characters.

Highly recommended. I'm doing a full walkthrough for the game so feel free to ask any questions you wish!

I want to add a note - some players are having trouble with understanding the dialogue. I watch a ton of international films so I didn't have any issues. However, if some of the language is too accented for you, there is a subtitles option. Just turn that on and you'll always know what they are saying.

open-world fans.. our time has come!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 24 / 26
Date: April 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

9.25/10

When Grand Theft Auto III came out(the reason i got a PS2 way back in 2001), i knew something great was in the mix. it was a sign of change in the gaming industry. it showed us there could be more to games than levels, more than high scores, and more than even a good story. it showed us a virtual world you could become totally engulfed in(outside of RPG's). a world where you could go anywhere and do anything(although that was just mostly stealing cars and shooting pedestrians in those days). over the years they've made some serious improvements, from the bikes and helicopters of vice city, to the jets and ability to duck and roll/ manually aim in san andreas(finally!) and now their first venture onto this generation has finally arrived, and its a great day in the gaming world

the series continues to awe with this installment, even in this day and age in video games. Graphically speaking, it is simply beautiful. its amazing how much attention went into every aspect of this world. theres cracks and pot holes ranging in depth in the road, and varying curb heights. vehicle damage is very impressive, from dents and scratches to a hole for each bullet that hits. the lighting system is amazing, with day/night cycles and a rotating sun throughout the day. naturally the game doesnt have the detail of say Call of Duty 4, but you could fit like 50 Call of Duty 4 maps in this city! its that huge. you have to take the size of a game into consideration when rating the graphics, thats been a given for how long now?? just to clear things up for the clowns complaining the graphics.

when you walk out the door theres so much to be done you might want to keep a checklist for the days. although what you actually choose to do is up to you. causing chaos is always an option. you can go bowling, play pool, play darts, get drunk, go to a srip club, get some food, check out the in game internet, and tons more. you could always just surf the channels on your TV.

your cell phone is a pivotal part of the game. you can call friends and girlfriends for various activities(some are listed above), and if you neglect them for long enough, they'll call you. you can also call potential employers for jobs.

theres the standard "go kill this guy" and "go get this" but they have been very entertaining anyway so far. theres much more depth to many missions, including stealth. one example is having to steal a cop car, then proceed to pull over different shipping trucks until you find the one full of TV's.

gameplay is vastly improved. the cover system is great, allowing you to quickly roll and protect yourself behind random cars, trash cans, and basically anything else thats big enough.

the game has a much more realistic feel than previous entries. you'll find yourself making sure theres no cops around before committing crimes. the star system is still here, but this time your wanted level is radius based, and if you can get far enough away from all cops, or at leased out of sight, your wanted level will go down. its honestly genius. i narrowly escaped one by jumping the guard rail and running down a steep hill, only to see another driving my way in the distance. quickly ducking into the alley behind a dumpster, i watched him roll by and waited for my stars to begin to fade. some cars are locked and you'll need to break a window to get in and proceed to hotwire it.

-for all you parents out there, the content is more mature than previous entries. you get a pretty good look at the in-car action with the street workers.. hehe.. and "coarse" language is used every couple minutes(at leased). the violence and blood looks more realistic now too. thats usually not what you guys worry about so much though.

my only real complaints are the hand to hand combat(its the most solid of the series but San Andreas seemed to have more move depth), and the fact that you cant go into more buildings. dont get me wrong, theres TONS of places to go and things to do, but i was hoping for even more. there have been waaay too many things that made San Andreas great and were simply missing here. no car customization, less clothes, less weapons, no property to buy, and more.. in some ways its one step forward and two steps back.

i wont elaborate on the story much, as its already been done heavily. basically your an illegal immigrant from eastern europe. your cousin convinced you to come to America with his stories of mansions and sports cars. when you arrive things arent quite as described. you start in the darkest, grittiest part of Liberty City. a pocket full of change and a head full or dreams. what happens next is in your hands..

If you can make it here you can make it anywhere.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 38 / 50
Date: May 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R351SHCAC8PICX GTA 4's story centers around a sarcastic Eastern European immigrant come to America to get a fresh start away from the corruption and violence of his home country. Whoops. Critics have often harangued the violence and the criminal aspect of GTA, but what flies over their heads is that satire is the premise of the series and always has been. And frankly, the violence here pales in comparison to Gears Of War or Condemned 2: Bloodshot just to name two. GTA's immense popularity is not because of the degeneration of our society (we've got reality television for that), it's because the series is constantly innovating and offering fun spot-on gameplay, brilliant humor, and is a game made by and for an adult audience. So if your child is playing this game, blame yourself for giving your child the means to get it or for not paying attention to what they are doing with their time, not Rockstar for making top-of-the-line entertainment meant for adults (see the markings on the box?).

GTA 4 seperates itself from the past iterations in several ways. First, the arcade feel is largely gone. While the controls are vintage GTA, the overall feel has changed. In previous games, I never got into the story because I would get sidetracked rampaging with katanas and molotov cocktails or hunting for a tank. Now a lot of the distractions like crazy weapons and vehicles and building up your character stats are gone and the story behind the madness is a truly engaging one for the first time. The city is more alive than ever and there is more to do. The characters you meet are all brilliant and interacting with them is seriously fun. Take your girl out to a bar and watch her serious issues surface as she stumbles around slurring curses about "that fu#*ing whore" she thought you were checking out. Or challenge your buddies to bowling, pool, or a friendly game of darts. You ca even head to the comedy club to check out actual routines from Ricky Gervais or Katt Williams. The dialogue during these bonding activities is varied and reveals much about your Liberty City aquaintances, many of whom have special services to offer you should you become close. The entire game is so well-written that one often gets the impression that they are playing a Tarantino flick. Oh yeah, it's that good. The multiplayer aspect is also fun and varied allowing you to battle stangers for Liberty City dominance or just drive around with your friends wreaking havoc. Taking into account the amazing single-player game this really wasn't necessary, but the fact that it is even included just makes this game that much more awesome.

Now all of that is well and good, but what makes GTA 4 the second work I'm upgrading from mere video game status to an official work of interactive fiction (the first was Mass Effect) is the sheer depth of the world in which you exist. So far I have spent multiple hours just surfing the game's internet. That's right, there is a virtual worldwide web in-game complete with dating sites, a Craig's List parody, advertisements, personal blogs complete with flame wars, email, and much more. Hell, you can even download custom ringtones and themes for your cell phone! That is nuts. Do you know how ridiculous it feels to spend that amount of time in a video game surfing a fake internet? There are also several satirical television shows you can watch in your apartment (go Republican Space Rangers!), and naturally there's the radio; the sweet, sweet, sounds of GTA radio stations. There's a rock station featuring Iggy freakin' Pop as the foul-mouthed DJ, classic hip-hop and R&B, smooth jazz, techno, LCHC (Liberty City HardCore), and even an all Bob Marley station just to name a few. Then there's the thinly-veiled talk radio parody station Weazel News featuring the funniest Rush Limbaugh impersonator you're ever likely to hear. You even hear news reports about incidents you were personally involved in as you drive. This game is DEEP.

Honestly, if you like video games or digital entertainment of any kind then this as good as it gets. And if you don't like those things, do your best to hide your ignorance and don't go spouting off about things you don't know anything about. GTA 4 is a brilliant satire full of jabs (and a few haymakers) at American politics and any violence is incidental in comparison to the brilliantly crafted story and interactivity of the in-game world that Rockstar has created. I'll say it again: this is not just a video game, this is interactive fiction on par with some of the great works of modern storytelling. If you own a video game system and you think you can handle some naughty language without getting all hysterical, buy it. It's that simple.

Adds Little to the Franchise

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 40 / 63
Date: May 06, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Short Review

Gameplay 6/10 - in essence a glorified GTA III with almost all the same features, some new minigames and side quests, but realism kills a lot of the fun

City 9/10 - incredibly well thought out and realistic city, massive, detailed, has everything that a metropolitan city should have

Vehicles 4/10 - very unimaginative, horrendous driving capability, many cars will roll on turns and will skid on dry pavement, only two special vehicles (helicopter and speedboat)

Controls 5/10 - sloppy, unintuitive, running and walking are nearly useless, weapon cycling is difficult in a firefight

Graphics 6/10 - great visuals on the city, very realistic / cars and other moving object look ok / people and clothes look slightly better than old xbox games rough facial features

Story 8/10 - very good story, considerably different from previous games, a lot of thought put in here

----------------------------------------

Critical Review

Grand Theft Auto IV is a game that was years in the making. However for such a highly touted title as this I really expected more. GTA IV follows the story of an eastern European immigrant to Liberty City named Nico Bellic. He and his cousin Roman start off with small time crime and then Nico moves to more serious stuff such as grand theft auto, arson and murder. All the previous mainstays from the original GTA III are present here, massive city, immersive story, a good amount of weapons and tons of cars.

Gameplay 6/10
There is not a whole lot different in GTA IV from previous GTA games in essential terms. You can jump in any car, truck, motorcycle or van and steal it. You can: run over anyone you want, run into anything, beat up anyone and do all of these things with little virtual and no real consequences (well most of the time). However there are a considerable amount of minigames within GTA IV. You can go to cabaret shows, play darts, play pool, go to strip clubs, go bowling and even use the internet in cafes.

Also you are given a cell phone which helps you keep track of your contacts, text messages and allows you to call people up to get jobs or just to hangout. The phone also serves as the cheat interface. This is one of my favorite features. Instead of having to drive to the person's house or wondering if you were supposed to talk to them, you can just call them up on speed dial. They will also occasionally call you to see if you'd like to do things. It is akin to The Sims ® in this respect, because you'll get a thumbs up or down based on how the date or whatever went. Also, you are able to meet women whether on the internet or through other friends.

There are a ton of missions. From what I can tell you just work your way up through small mobs up to larger ones. This is what happened verbatim in the previous GTA games. There is more story here though and I'll get into that in the story section.

Overall the gameplay I felt was good, but nothing new or revolutionary. I've played other games with minigames such as these and I played GTA III when it first came out. The sad thing is that Rockstar managed to set the bar so high with GTA III that it would be difficult to top it. I was expecting this really over the top GTA IV that would just have so much stuff to do that I wouldn't be able to quit playing. Instead they ended up on the other side. In my opinion the gameplay is bare bones and in terms of pure fun it really falls short. Another thing that is very apparent after playing for a few hours is they wanted to create as realistic of a game as possible. In the process they made the game so realistic it has many of things that suck about real life. When I play games, I want to escape

City 9/10
I must applaud the attention to detail and realism the game designers took to create Liberty City. From the slums to the high rises, you really feel like you're in a metropolis. Graffiti, misshapen fences, partially lit up buildings at night, dirty old carnivals, trash and variety of buildings are just some of things that add to the masterpiece of the city. You'll actually run into traffic on the tollway bridge. People will talk to you as you pass them by. There are four areas and you are only able to get to the other parts once you have completed certain missions. It is referred to as a terrorist threat in the game.

I think what makes the game truly realistic is the minigames and side quests or activities. The ability to get on the internet in a web cafe and go to something like 40 websites is astounding. The time to create the content for this must have taken weeks to come up with. Even the police vehicles have a database where you can look up people and the most wanted in the city. In terms of realism, this city is by far the best recreation of a city and by extension the closest thing to virtual reality. The only problem I have is that you can't get to the other parts of the city until later in the game (without immediately becoming public enemy no. 1).

Cars / Vehicles 4/10

I'm sure plenty of people will have a problem with my take on this, but I really feel this is a weak point in the game. Granted there are tons of vehicles-something like 200 in total. My problem is not with the variety, it is purely with the controls and drive of almost all of the cars in particular. It seems as if all but 10% of them are is severe disrepair or are in need of maintenance. I've never seen so many sloppy turning vehicles in a videogame. There is so much body roll in many of the vehicles that you can go around a reasonably normal curve and easily flip a sedan. This harkens back to the realism.

Unfortunately, they developers based few of these on actual physics and attempted to show that normal cars can't take a turn at 75 mph. They can however take them at 45 mph without flipping. Oh and yeah there was an invention a couple of decades ago called ABS. I had some rather high end cars skidding for half a block. If you don't believe me try it for yourself in the game and you'll find it to be true. My qualm with the cars is directly related to the fact that they are obvious replicas of some very common cars. If the cars resemble the real thing, they should drive like the real thing.

The engine sounds are ok. The V8 engines don't sound bad, but the 6 cylinders have very little variance between cars. The cars also seem very slow, even if they aren't. The Comet and Turismo are a couple of the top end cars which very closely resemble some German and Italian carmakers. The only difference is acceleration can be felt between a car and a dump truck. You can always go back to the argument that they are just artificial and this is a moot point. I don't remember how the car's drove in previous GTA games, but I know they were somewhat easier to drive and much faster. It makes it considerably more difficult to run from the cops when you have a dog of a car that has a high chance of rollover, can't turn properly at over 15 mph and will slide on DRY pavement.

By far the worst part is that there are only a few special vehicles (as far as I know). There is a speed boat and the Annihilator - some sort of military helicopter. The only thing I can think of here is marketing. Rockstar planned on selling better vehicles (and weapons) on Xbox Live in the near future. It is brilliant, but I'm one of those crazy people that think for $60 you should get a good amount of extras built-in.

Controls 5/10
I'm not really sure what they were going for here. Controls are clumsy, slow and hardly intuitive. The jump button is X? Your character actually leans when you turn while walking or running. I don't know many people that do this. The part I like the least is that Niko does everything so incredibly slow. He walks as if someone laced his drink with Ketamine. Running is not mush faster. Going along with that, if you happen to get thrown off your bike or out of your car while chasing someone you lose at least 10 seconds getting back into the car. In essence there is absolutely no point to walking if you don't have to. Controls for the cars are not bad. The triggers are the accelerator and the brake.

Weapons control is ok. You can lock on to people with guns, but you also have to lock on to people with a grenade. How exactly does a grenade lock on? It takes a great deal of time to cycle through weapons if you have more than two. The helicopter is a joke. To speed up you hold the trigger and you'll simultaneously raise altitude while moving forward. You need to push the nose down to get it to go faster. This is all well and good until you try to land it. It is nearly impossible to land as you can't get the thing to stay in one position for any length of time. I almost always trash the blades. There is hardly anything different from previous GTA games. Controls are mediocre at best.

Graphics 6/10
The city graphics are really breathtaking. They are very detailed and quite well done. Everything looks very crisp and believable. The water especially has amazing reflective qualities. The cars look decent for the current gaming generation. There was obviously a good amount of time spent here. More importantly it is hard to fault the designers on the visuals of the vehicles because there are just so many of them. I was considerably impressed with the movement of the vehicles on the suspension.

Character detail is average at best, maybe even poor. Even the main character has a very unrealistic graphic quality to it. The faces remind me of Halo 2 from the original xbox which was about four years back. The clothes look really lame. It appears as if the people are wearing construction paper. Everything in general on the people leaves a lot to be desired. They look polygonal and don't have much human quality. Despite this, the animation as always is very smooth and realistic, which I don't understand. If you are going to spend that much time on the animation mapping, why not spend more time on the people's faces.

Story 8/10
I was pretty impressed with the story from GTA IV. It has the makings of a good criminal story. Niko-a former Russian (or eastern European) sailor with an infamous past comes to Liberty city to get a new start and for revenge. Without giving away too much information: Niko plays the role of saboteur, hitman, hired gun, lackey, car theft extraordinaire and just all around criminal. The story follows him and his cousin Roman who owns at cab service. Along the way you'll meet new people who will have various "jobs" to do and some of the story will overlap with other parts of the game.

Each mission has a rather lengthy movie attached to it; probably about five minutes on average. This was the only downside I could find to the story. Other than that, the movies are very informative and give you an insight into the character's personalities and life. The writing was very well done and a lot of the movies had hilarious jokes in them. I will admit I skipped a few however.

Conclusion
Am I happy with my purchase with Grand Theft Auto IV? No, but I was kind of expecting this. With the current trend in games moving towards ultra realism Rockstar was following suit. They are catering to an older crowd which demands more of a top notch entertainment experience instead of swing a remote at a TV. However, I'm a pure gamer and to me any of the previous GTA games is better in relation to exhilaration, which I just don't get with GTA IV. The first day I played the game I became bored very quickly after realizing there just wasn't much to do if you don't play the mission.
Unfortunately there seems to be a divide between these ultra realistic games and one that are purely for fun. GTA San Andreas I felt had a great mixture of both. Sure you can still steal any car, run over people, shoot people, beat them up, but the game just falls flat on its face when it comes to heritage. Where are the insane vehicles, where is the innovation? This game is not revolutionary in any way in my opinion. In fact, when you put this up against current games on this system it is quite inferior in most ways except for playing time. But if you're bored while you're playing who cares how long the game is? Grand Theft Auto III was. It is an ok game, plain and simple and I'd give it a 6 out of 10 overall.

GTA, but prettier and more dialogue

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 20
Date: May 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have read too many reviews saying how "GTA IV is going to redefine games...GTA IV one of the best games ever made...etc." I finally decided I should share an objective view of GTA IV to those of us who aren't GTA fanatics.

Before I get slammed for my views, I would like to mention that I have played all the GTA games (from original GTA for PS thru GTA San Andreas).

Is GTA IV a great game? Yes.
Is GTA IV game redefining or revolutionary? No.
Is GTA IV worthy of a next-gen tag? Probably.

Was GTA IV worth the hype? Not really.

GTA IV is a great game. That's it. End of story. It is not going to challenge the way future games are made. It's not going to raise the bar. This is basic GTA formula, but prettier, more dialogue, and a cell phone. There is a tremendous amount of detail that has been put into this game in terms of graphic and sound, however, that doesn't mean it brings anything new to the table. GTA III was a truly revolutionary game and redefined what 3D action games could do and should do when it was first released on the PS2. On the other hand, GTA IV is basically a rehash of the same formula from GTA III thru San Andreas. Sure, there's a cellphone and the physics have been revamped in this game, but that's not enough to say it's one of the greatest games ever made. I ask those who've played GTA III to think back to how original and innovative that game was and how it fundamentally changed all future games that came out after it. In my opinion, you could probably take GTA IV, dumb down the graphics and cut out some dialogue, and it would probably be playable on PS2. Some call this a next-generation game, but what defines a next-gen game? If you base it on graphics and gameplay, GTA IV does not meet those requirements. There are numerous games out now that look better than GTA IV and the gameplay is the same since GTA III. Not even the misssions types are different! Also, I have major gripes with the camera while you are driving; frankly, it is all over the place. However, the sheer size of Liberty City and the scope of presentation definitely puts the game beyond what the PS2 or XBOX were capable of.

Now beyond that, if you are a GTA fanatic, you will love GTA IV. It will give you everything you love and 1,000 times more! But, if you've played previous GTA games and found they may be too repetitive or they weren't your cup of tea, then don't worry. You're not missing out on much if you don't play GTA IV. Although I haven't beaten the game, I'm about 5 hours into the game, and so far, I haven't had any of those "WOW!" type moments that truly memorable and historically classic games give you. GTA IV will go down in the history books for shipping units, but it definitely won't go down in history as one of the most top 10 influential games. GTA III still holds that crown.

I gave GTA IV 4 stars because it is still a fantastic game, however, not worth the ridiculous hype it is recieving and extraordinarily high reviews it is recieving in gaming magazines and websites. This is definitely not a 10/10 game. There are way too many issues with it to be labeled "PERFECT."

Game Of The Year

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 23 / 34
Date: April 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game had a lot of hype to live up to, but it has not only lived up to those expectations, it has greatly surpassed them. This game has set the bar for the gaming industry so much higher. One of the most common things you hear about the game is the size of the city. It is smaller then San Andreas, but it feels twice as big. The city is so detailed that you are always finding something new. Every street, building, and person is different. The new social life aspect that you would expect to find in games like The Sims is amazing. I am sure many hardcore gamers will overlook this aspect and just stick with the missions, but this feature adds hours & hours of game play. I hear the number 100 hours of game play tossed around, but I am sure it can easily get more use than that. That is the wonderful thing about the GTA series, the ability to sidetrack from the main missions, but still feel as if you are in the story. There is a reason this game has gotten 10 out of 10's on almost every game review website, because to date, this is easily the best game title out there. Others try to compare it to games like Halo and Metal Gear Solid, but fact of the matter is that the GTA series is in a league of it's own! This isn't to say it is bug free though. The game can suffer awkward camera angles, visible texture loading, and controls that have a fairly steep learning curve (can be changed to classic). With that in mind though, all of the other great things make up for it, still surpassing every other game out there. I have to give Grand Theft Auto 4 a 5 out of 5.

Note: I have yet to complete the game entirely (17%) and have only been playing for a day, but this is my review of it so far.

Impressive.... Just Impressive.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 18
Date: April 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

First, I like to admit something. I never really liked GTA series before. I can't quite put my fingers on the reasons. Maybe it was the ugly graphics(/art directions). Or perhaps, their clumsy control in general threw me off. In any case, past GTA games never really appealed to me at all.

However, I finally decided that I am gonna give it a try once more even though I only barely finished half of San andreas and was too bored to go on. And wow, I have to say I am so glad that I gave this game an another chance because this game fixes whatever problem I had with the series and improved beyond my expectation.

Graphic
-While I would not say this is the best looking game on Xbox 360 platform, I have to agree that it still looks fantastic. Especially, fictional liberty city looks absolutely stunning.If I consider the freedom that is given to player to mess around the city, this game might be the most impressive technical achievement on console side so far.

Simply, this game looks gorgeous. Even though I did notice some texture pop up here and there, it is not constant as it was with mass effect and it is likely that you won't be bothered by it unless you are one of those people who obsess over minor graphical flaw. It really is a minor thing and doesn't effect game play at all.

Control
-I hated shooting in 3D GTA games before GTA IV and I don't think I was the only one. Well. REJOICE!! Shooting mechanic is better in GTA IV. Okay. It is sooooooo much better. Two major additions (Lock-on and cover system) works pretty well and makes combat a lot more fun rather than frustrating. Unarmed combat has some depth as well but I won't get into that since I usually just prefer shooting or blowing things up. The control for driving is not exactly racing game level but it is serviceable and you get used to it pretty quickly (different cars indeed handle differently)

Story
-I think I won't say anything whole a lot about story since it is even more subjective than other issues and I don't want to spoil anything but I will say this. I personally liked the story. It is driven by cut scenes before each missions just like how Rockstar did with previous title. Voice acting is excellent as expected from Rockstar(Although I was having some trouble understanding some characters due to heavy accent. I had to turn subtitle on. I actually recommend this.)

And I actually cared about Nico as main character. I don't think I can say the same for previous GTA main character. Personally, that prove to me that story is done well.

Multiplayers
-I can't mention anything on this since I haven't gotten too much into this. perhaps, I can add more in the future but not now. I am just impressed that they actually added multiplayer mode for the first time on top of excellent single player portion of the game. By the way, I found a promotional card for one month of free xbox live inside of the game case. It was a nice surprise and kudos to Microsoft on that one.

Conclusion
-If you played previous GTA games, then you know the basic gameplay of GTA4. It is a sand box game that allows you to utilize a whole city as playground. GTA IV is fundamentally a highly refined game that has improved upon GTA formula to near perfection.

I can't say for sure if this game can convert those players whom never liked GTA series ever. But I doubt anyone would disagree that this game is indeed a great improvement over past GTA games. As for me, GTA IV in fact did just that. It turned me into GTA fanboy. If you are a gamer, I wholeheartedly, recommend checking GTA IV out. Maybe you will like it or maybe not. But I guarantee you that you will be impressed one way or another.

Can I give it 6 out of 5 stars?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 27
Date: April 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

First off, if you're reading these reviews, trying to decide whether to get this game, stop reading now and BUY IT!! You will NOT be disappointed.

FIRST IMPRESSION
This must be one of the first reviews because I must be one of the few who can tear myself away from playing long enough to write a review. I purchased GTA IV at midnight and only got to play a few hours before the thought of getting no sleep before work the next day caught up with me.

First impressions: does it live up to the hype? Yes! I was afraid GTA IV would be over hyped and would be a disappointment. It has the same feel as previous GTA's. I was also afraid they would change the controls too much in going to a new system, but the controls are very comfortable and feel familiar.

I haven't had a chance to play any of the multiplayer content, but any time during single player all you do is hit up on your d-pad to bring up your cell phone and select multiplayer. (I accidentally did this trying to change the radio)

Based on what I've seen so far I will be spending many hours playing through the single player campaign, playing online multiplayer with friends and beating up hookers when I'm frustrated with either one.
END FIRST IMPRESSION

Update: As impressed as I was with the beginning of the game, it only gets better and better. GTA IV is EVERYTHING you love about the previous GTA chapters, but EVERYTHING is bigger and better. The actions of NPCs are more realistic too. For example you can't pull into Pay n Spray right in front of a cop and get off Scott free. You have to make sure no cop sees you pull in. To start a vigilante mission you come to a complete stop in a police car and access the onboard laptop. From here you can pull up crimes in progress, the most wanted list and even call for backup. Unlike previous games, when you're hunting criminals as a vigilante the police are actually on your side instead of trying to stop you.

You can watch TV, access the internet at internet cafes. You can go bowling, play darts, watch an on stage performance. You can even pick up bricks from a construction yard and throw them through shop windows.

Story: This is a very deep drama. For the first time in a video game I heard the mention of a soul. You no longer come in contact with one dimensional caricatures. All of the main characters are complex individuals. If the GTA III series was a goofy cartoon, then GTA IV is a serious dramatic action movie.

Sound: The song list is awesome! You wake up in your crappy apartment to the sound of Smashing Pumpkins - "1979" or ELO - "Evil Woman" playing on the radio. The internet café has the song from the first trailer playing. While playing Vice City I would change the station every time the Giggle Cream commercial came on. I haven't heard anything on the radio annoying enough to make me change it.

Graphics: The graphics are awesome! GTA IV won't dethrone Gears of War or Assassin's Creed as the best next gen graphics, but if Gears of War is a 10 then GTA IV is a 9. Of course keep in mind that GTA IV has a HUGE draw distance and NO load screens while in Gears of War you have to wait for relatively small maps to load.

Gameplay: This is what matters the most. Is the game fun to play? YES! You are set loose in a huge adult playground where you can do just about anything you can think of. You want to punch someone for looking at you funny as you walk by? Go for it! You want to steal any vehicle you see? Do it! You want to go on a date? Call up your girlfriend. You want to go shoot darts with Roman? Give him a buzz.

Controls: I played all of the previous GTA's on PS2 so I can't compare the current controls to Xbox controls. (From what I hear you had to have a third hand to do a driveby without the extra shoulder buttons) On foot the controls are about the same as San Andreas. You use LT (L1) to auto aim and RT (R1) to shoot. A cover system has been added, which makes shootouts a lot more dynamic. Blind firing around a corner is really cool.

Driving is a LOT different though. RT is gas, LT is brake, RB is E-brake and LB is shoot. You no longer use L2 and R2 to aim 90 degrees left and right to do a drive by. You can lean out the window and use the right thumb stick to move the camera and shoot cars in front of you and to the side. This is really hard to get used to, but I have a feeling once I figure it out, it will be VERY rewarding later on. (You can pick the classic control setup, but I can't comment on this as I haven't tried it yet) Also all of the cars have REALLY loose suspension and lots of momentum. This means pulling the E-brake to make a turn causes you to do a 180 and slide past your turn. You have to actually slow down to make turns.

The Bad: After singing its praises I have to mention at least one bad thing. I've only noticed VERY minor visual glitches. For example as I crouched next to a building my face went through the wall. Another bad thing about GTA IV is that it's too good. It will totally ruin every other "Urban Shooter" out there. It has set the standard for next gen video game quality. I predict that no other game will even be able to touch GTA IV for a VERY long time.

If you're still undecided about whether to get GTA IV after reading my review and several other glowing reviews, then check out what the pros say. Check out metacritic.com. As of posting this review it is THE highest rated game on there.

Welcome to Liberty City

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 21
Date: May 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Niko is new to America. Brought by hopes and promises of his cousin Roman about how wealthy he is. Unfortunately for Niko he quickly finds the stories to be lies. Grand Theft Auto IV starts as others in the series with an anti-hero. Getting involved in doing the wrong things is all to easy in this game. From the very get go you are learning that living the American life can be difficult and in order to get your story going you must break the law. For the most part Niko doesn't have a problem with this since he has become raw after being a soldier in war.

GTA IV has probably one of the darkest stories so far in the series. This is not the type of game you will play and comment on how cheerful the story is. For those of you who have played previous GTA games you will notice many similarities. From the gameplay mechanics to the story line. Although people who are new to the GTA series will find how simple the learning curve really is in this game. The game gives you an incredible amount of tutorials and guides you thru your first several missions making things easy to understand. Most features in this game are simple to understand and keep this game from getting over anyones learning curve.

What has made the Grand Theft Auto series so superb is the story telling. Excellent voice acting with intense and exciting missions make GTA IV a true winner. From the first moment on you will notice that you aren't really playing a game as much as taking part in an intense crime drama. Think Sopranos from the former Soviet Union. The game is mission based and gives you the ability to choose what you want to do at any given point. You meet numerous characters who are all about committing crimes and they give you certain jobs. Of course these jobs increase your reputation and help progress you thru the story. Along the way you will find numerous characters. Some you will like and others you will probably want to get rid of yourself.

This game has further evolved ideas from previous GTA games. Niko can not only date one woman at a time but several. It's really up to you. Just remember how in real life this can be time consuming it can also be in a game. You will have woman calling and texting you if you ignore them to long. Then comes taking them out for dates. Each woman has different tastes and interests and it's up to you to know where to take them. Some of the activities can actually be fun like playing darts or pool as these mini games do have learning curves. The girl you are with will respond to your success or failure at these games. Obviously there are numerous other activities in wonderful Liberty City. Also it's important for Niko to accessorize and finding the best clothing to wear is important. Image is everything as as you progress you get access to better clothes. The car mechanics have improved in this game but don't expect to have similar handling to a racing game. What is cool to look at is the amazing detail they have put into the car damage. Every little ding makes an impact on the car you are in. Lastly is the music selection. An incredible 200 songs are available in Liberty City to listen to on the radio. Numerous radio stations including the talk ones belt out hit songs and comedic advertisements. Niko even has the ability to watch t.v. They covered every detail in this game and it shows.

As if a single player mode that will take you 30 to 40 hours to beat is not enough there is also online multiplayer. Yes you and 15 others can play on the beautiful streets of Liberty City. The multiplayer is truly open ended for your enjoyment. Several game modes plus the ability to create your own multiplayer. You can also invite seven friends to take on eight others. It's easy to say this game will be enjoyed for months on end. Within six months the 360 will also have it's own unique content that will be available on XBOX LIVE.

It's easy to be impressed by Liberty City. It's as close to New York City as any game has ever got. From the pedestrians that make up the neighborhood to the realistic design of the buildings. The weather changes and the days progress realistically. This is one of those games where you can just take it in and enjoy the scenery. In Grand Theft Auto you have the freedom to do what you want. This game is intended for adults. The language and content can be mature most of the time. Although that is at a parents discretion. I wouldn't suggest this game for everyone. Although I would suggest it for those who have enjoyed previous Grand Theft Auto games. I would also suggest it for those who enjoy mafia or crime movies. This game will have you sitting back and enjoying the incredible story. Just don't forget that it's your story to play.

So so game compare to GTA San Andreas

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 11 / 16
Date: May 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

In general, the game is more realistic and it a lot more difficult to play than GTA San Andreas.

These are the things that I don't like about this game. I've finished about 25% so far.

Gameplay:
1. No turf fighting? -> more difficult to get weapons and money.
2. No difficulty setting.
3. No skip trip in the mission. You can take a taxi to skip trip, but you need to pay.
4. It's hard to tell which door can be opened. In GTA SA there's a big triangle for entrance.
5. Enemy got shoot at can fall down and come back up. Making it very difficult to kill.
6. You can't tell if a random person has a weapon. So you can't ambush someone to steal his weapon.
7. Weapon swapping is difficult. I can't quickly put the gun away and fight with fist/knife.
8. Swapping takes time during a fight. It's true in real life, but it's no necessary in a game.

Character:
1. Walking is super slow.
2. Character properties (HP/Stamina/etc) cannot not improve by training.
3. No double stun rewards? What's the point of doing jumps?
4. Cannot swim under water.
5. Will die instantly when catch with fire.
6. Cannot sit on someone's pick up truck as it moves.

Cellphone:
1. Why using a grey background and black text. It's very hard to read the text.

Map:
1. I have a 42 inch EDTV, and map is too still small to read in a distance.
2. No floor plan map when you're inside a structure. Even in a mission.

Cops and crime:
1. Cops now shoot at you even if you have one star and not holding a weapon.
2. When you shoot a cop, you can get 3 stars.
3. Cannot drive around in the airport, you'll get 4 stars.
4. Cannot remove wanted level by buying new clothes in the store.
5. Cops now carry shot guns, which has a lot more damage than hand gun.
6. No stars to pick up on the street to reduce wanted level.
7. I can run over as many people as I like without getting wanted level, except running over cops.

Vehicles
1. No tanks
2. No planes
3. Vehicles skids like driving on ice.
4. No gas tank door to shoot.

Shops
1. Cannot remove wanted level when cops sees you. It's real but it makes it harder to get rid of the cops.
2. To few pay-n-spray and gun shops
3. No gym.
4. No tatoo shop nor hair salon.
5. Cannot get into police office to take weapon/armor.

Safehouse
1. No safehouse for purchase??
2. Only one safehouse?

Control
1. Autoaim sucks. I cannot unlock the aim to other non-target objects.
2. Fist fight damage is too little to enemy.
3. Can't learn more fighting styles in GYM.
4. It's hard fight with a gun in very close range with enemy without guns.
5. Take cover feature sucks. When you shoot while you're taking cover, the aim will move (when auto aim is off). How am I suppose to aim?

Money
1. No casino, where can I get rich?

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