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Worth the $60.00 - Pros and Cons.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: April 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Picked up my reserved copy yesterday after work. I spent a few hours playing it last night when my wife was out doing the shopping. So far so good. The graphics are dramatically improved, and the attention to detail in every single pedestrian is excellent. Taking into consideration that I'm only 10% into the game, this might be premature, but here are a few pros and cons:

Pros:
- Massive playing territory.
- Excellent visuals.
- Interesting approaches to new interfaces (using the cell phone, using the internet, etc).
- Variety in vehicles.
- More realism in the AI modeling and behaviors.
- Nice multiplayer.

Cons:
- Graphics aren't up to COD 4 caliber (understandably for the geographic size of GTA IV).
- Difficult to understand the over emphasized accents.
- Sub-par vehicle handling model.
- Very difficult achievement points (XBox 360 only).

All said and done, the game leaves me wanting to play more. It's worth a purchase and I'm sure to enjoy playing through it.

Potential is there, but game did not pull through. Seems rushed.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: May 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Let me say first off that I had alot of hope for this game, and expected it to be a lot more then what I was given.

If you've played games like Elder Scrolls Oblivion, or similar, you can understand how nice it is to be able to go into every building, interact with every NPC, and pretty much make the game your own.

Grand Theft Auto IV is like a big city, that is there just for show. It's a fake city, the people are useless, and you can only do stuff in designated areas along designated paths.

Where there could easily be implementation of strategic, role playing and adventure elements, there exists none at all.

Grand Theft Auto is a thriving city that has no purpose. Your money can only buy guns and clothes, which ends up being a useless commodity. I can understand if this was a game that came out last generation, and was not such a money maker, but for what it is, they could of made it sooo much better.

Imagine being able to go into EVERY building, interacting with NPCs and having a purpose to the game. I understand it's an action game, but to stick with only action when there is so much more potential at stake, I cannot understand.

You can only enter about 40 buildings in the whole game. Most of them are uselss, like eating to improve health or buying a gun, etc.

The game is fun and has its moments, but it could have been so much more and that's where the major disappointment lies.

Bethesda is making fallout 3, which will smoke this game. This game is all show and no substance. And the graphics aren't that good either.

Hooray for overhype!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 16
Date: May 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I remember that fateful day. I sat down to my PS2. Popped in the disk. Watched as GTAIII came up on my screen...and as my expectation of video games changed forever.

Fast-forward to today. Rockstar games is under pressure to sell out to EA Games (the mindless zombie gamemaker that will own all video games by the end of days), and has been resisting until the release of GTAIV.

Rockstar should have sold out. It would have been a chance for EA to review GTAIV and MAYBE stopped it before it was too late.

This game seems...forced. I am a Russian fresh off the boat complete with annoying accent that sounds like "I am toolking veeth da bouldars in da mou-tah." I have to listen to the "F" word about sixty times in the opening credits of the game. I have to hear the word TEEETIEEES and have them described as "like MEHLOHNS".

I like boobies as much as the next guy...but come on...I really don't want to hear some borscht slurping sack of crap describe them in a WAY over-done cutscene about "LIFE IN AMER-R-R-REEEKA". Well, GUESS WHAT, BORIS!? R-R-R-R-R-Ruffles have R-R-R-R-R-R-Ridges, mofo, and I'd rather eat a whole bag than pay $60 for this overhyped piece of crap! This isn't the 1940's anymore. Everyone KNOWS that America is just about as overhyped as this video game! I LOVE America with all of my heart...but I was born and raised here and have all of the amenities of this country being my home. Basically...if you come over here be ready to bag my groceries or drive the taxi that takes me where I need to go because the American dream doesn't really exist anymore for you.

Anyway...the storyline is forced upon you as if you'd gone out to buy a new sportscar to drive around and have fun in...but then you open the glove box and find out that you MUST use the car to go certain places. If you don't then there is an ANNOYING beeping that will go off in random intervals to annoy the crap out of you. Yeah...I'm talking about the cell phone. WHERE'S THE OFF BUTTON!?

Listen up, Rockstar. The little fanboys and kiddies (who shouldn't be playing this anyway) are going to bow down before you and talk about how l33t this game is and how it is so great...but you and I...we know the truth.

The real truth is that somewhere along the line this franchise got old and tired...but still worked. You felt the need to improve upon something that was already great and you screwed it up. Dates!? Is this GRAND THEFT AUTO...or is this the Sims - Real Life? I want to steal cars, run over pedestrians, and shoot police officers...I do NOT want to go bowling with an annoying Mid-West chick (I live in St. Louis...there are PLENTY of those around here).

Anyway...another over-hyped OKAY game for the X-Box 360. If you're expecting something amazing...try again (unless you're 12...and then the strip club scenes will seal the game for you as teh numberest oneest EVAR!)

TEEEETIIIIES!!!!

Edit: After playing this game a bit more...I would like to add something.

I think the previews for this game should have been edited slightly to be as follows...

A car pulls up and parks. Niko gets out of the car and, gun in hand, walks in slow motion up to a man who is facing the other direction...

A voiceover begins (with a crappy Russian accent)... *I am new here to Amereeka...eet ees strange cauntree... I have bought peepel...sold peepel...keeled peepel...I am mercenaree...I keel for mahnee...*

Niko then raises the gun and...

The scene blinks and Niko has no gun in his hand at all. He yells, "Hey...you peese of sheet...Broocie told me to keeel you so that is why I am here...to keel you weeth a gun...the gun here in my pants!"

Guy yells, "[...]!" and runs over and jumps in a crappy car.

Niko then, in slow motion, tries to get a gun out but heaven reaches down to the rusty beat-up Pinto that the target has jumped into and turns it into a rocketship that zooms offscreen faster than any other car in the game.

Niko runs over, getting stuck on some pedestrians and a tree, knocks over a hot dog stand, and then gets into his car that is now facing a completely different direction. He has to back up and move forward for a 10 point turn before he can get to chasing the bad guy, who is still flying at well over 200 mph in a rusty beat-up Pinto...until finally the guy reaches 10 of his buddies and God ceases to empower his Pinto with the fires of heaven.

The voiceover finishes... *Yes...Amereeka ees strange country. My car...eet moves by eetself and I must warn evereeone here before I keel them if it is relevant to thee storeeline...but I am now an expert in thee game of darts and can heet bullseye every time.*

The Good and the Bad

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: April 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

First Impressions (played 2 days so far)

The Good
- City is very detailed (very cool)
- No more grocery list before a mission (hunting
for all the weapons you lost)
- No more finding the stars
- Story and funny stuff (warm coffee)
- of course the music

The Bad
- (I guess I should know what I'm getting in a
franchise, but) the game's very similar to the other
games ( pick up this person, shoot up the bad guys,
etc.
- Character movement and graphics leave something
to be desired at times for such a blockbuster title
- Game locked up on me before the laundry mission
(good thing I saved)
- cars handle weird (like the steering is stripped)

Overall - It's a good game, but I wish they would have taken a bigger step and made it different than all their other titles, but as is expected with most franchise titles, they don't want to mess with a winning formula, and do a lot of the same ol'

A Rather Mediocre Entry in the GTA Series

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: June 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have been a fan of the GTA series since the 2D games back on the original Playstation. Overall, the series has had a mostly clean track record in terms of quality thus far (besides the lackluster Stories titles). Grand Theft Auto IV, however, is an incredibly disappointing next-gen debut that does not do justice to the legendary series.

The visuals are undeniably the best part of the game. This is the most realistic entry in the series by far. However, the realism definitely makes the game less enjoyable. Where's the imagination that fueled past entries in the series?

The design of Liberty City this time around is also poor and incredibly boring. GTA IV was supposed to be a Saints Row killer - so why does that earlier title have superior game design and better multiplayer?

Wait, did I mention multiplayer? Yup, I sure did. In terms of that, GTA IV does not deliver. Saints Rows' enjoyable death matches put GTA IVs varied (but ho-hum) modes to shame.

The single player storyline is also full of clichés. An immigrant comes to America, expecting great things but not getting exactly what he wanted? That's been done before numerous times. Feed us something original, Rockstar.

Overall, it seems like more effort was put into the visuals than in other aspects of the title. In terms of graphics, Grand Theft Auto IV puts past titles in the series to shame. However, this game is a step down in every other way, and it left my expectations unfulfilled.

As that classic Public Enemy song went,

"Don't believe the hype!".

More of a masterpiece than I expected

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: May 06, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Well let me start off by saying that I try not to buy into the hype of games anymore after the slight letdown that was Halo 3 and the huge letdown that was Army of Two for me. And for the most part while first hearing about GTA4 I was not all that interested in picking it up. But then the reviews started coming out and I began to read, and read some more. My interest peaked up a little bit and I decided to go and pick up the game on release night.
And seeing as how with a few trade ins I got it for literally nothing I guess there really wasn't much to lose.

Boy am I glad I did, not only does this game live up to every thing the reviews have stated about it, it pretty much surpasses my expectations by a landslide.
By far one of the most complete games I have played in quite a while and it does not leave much for me to desire.

I haven't had any graphical slowdown or popins that I have noticed as stated in some reviews. No tech problems with the game locking up as I have been hearing people talk about. The controls took a little bit of getting used to because they aimed for a bit more realism than in the past GTA games, so driving is a little odd at first.

I love the story down to the last detail and while I have not finished it yet, I have been making nightly progress.

The multiplayer is absolutely great, mainly because of the ability to wage your battles and races in any part of the entire city.
I find Team deathmatch to be the most entertaining because no 2 games are ever really the same because the fights are always in different areas.

Free roam is some serious fun although I do wish they had added some more customization options that you could turn on or off for free mode, maybe to give you different things you can do (I.E. Zombie mod anyone?)
But who knows what will come with future DLC on Xbox live.

Everything in the graphics is great down to the little details like most of the pedestrians actually appearing different in different areas of the game. You really get a feel for the economic situations in the city as you are roaming around. As well as small things some people may not even notice like when driving around with Little Jacob and seeing the smoke from his joint pouring out a car window if its broken out. To the great effects of the water on the ground after it has finished raining.

And while I can't say enough good things about what I love in this game, there will never be a review that will let you see how it truly is to play it. Go out and rent it, buy it, give it a shot.

And a side note to parents buying this game for kids, I personally would not recommend it, it is rated mature for a reason and I'm sick and tired of hearing people come on the news attacking this game for all the things it lets you do. There is continuous subject matter which really should not be viewed by younger kids. While it is up to the parent to decide, do so with caution and read up first before making that decision.

Drive, answer phone, drive, taxi, drive, answer phone....

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: May 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Ok, first of all, I liked Vice city and almost finished San Andreas, so I thought I would like this game and had high hopes! I played it for a few days and this is what the game was about:
Answer your phone, pick up guy, get this, get that, drop off guy, drive around, call guy, pick up guy, drive around, get somthing for guy or friend, drope off friend, drive to next spot or take a taxi, get what you need, drive back to shop, answer phone....you get the idea. VERY OLD QUICKLY! even if you drive around town killing people or break stuff, there really is nothing interesting to keep you wanting to do more. It is very much a BEEN THERE DONE THAT game. Nothing new, and too much the same. Multiplayer is much of the same only with real players.

It just didnt do it for me. I think the game got the perfect scores only becuase people are making more out of the game then what it really is, a C+ game.

So what if the city is huge, if it is boaring to get around it then what is the point?

Rent before you buy is my recommendation if your not sure.

Fun but VERY vulgar!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 23
Date: April 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have only played this game for about 5 hours so far. In that time I have heard - in one form or another - the "f-word" used so many times that it reminds me of the Beverly Hills Cop movies with Eddie Murphy.

Even pedestrians will pop-off the "f-word" at you.

For me, this is a turn off.

To me, the creators of the game either were not or are not "creative" enough to design a "hectic" storyline without the use of a boatload of profanity to "beef" it up. I prefer a "smart" story-line, such as Prison Break or Lost. And I can't remember hearing a curse-word on either of those shows.

Even in very disturbing games like Bioshock or in epics like Mass Effect, I can't remember a single line of curse in either one. And they were some of the best games I have ever played.

This means that it can be done without cursing and sexual inuendoes, but GTA is still as dirty and vulgar as ever...in fact I think it is getting close to being the most obscene piece of entertainment that I have ever watched or played. (Kane & Lynch was pretty bad too, but nothing was really sexual)

Parents beware. I would not let my kids (if I had any) play this game until they were at least 18.

GTA has always been borderline on being too vulgar for my tastes, but I still think that San Andreas is the best in the series. I believe that that game was a lot less obscene than GTA4.

So I guess what I am saying is that I would be careful while playing this game because it could influence you in ways that you might not desire. It could make you think that cursing is ok, sex is just some wild game to play whenever and however you like, and that getting away with aweful crimes is as simple as outrunning the circular proximity zone on your map (you might be surprised).

With all this said, I have to add that the game is a blast as always is the case with a GTA game. I just wish that they could put out an "edited" version of the game that has all the words bleeped out and sexual suggestions watered-down. All this coming from a 24 years old.

I'll also add that this time around, the storyline really makes you care for the characters more than in other attempts. If you can get past all of the cursing, killing, and sexual stuff, there is a pretty good story packed into the game. I guess this is why I continue to play the game; that and the fact that the city looks amazingly real, the cars handle more realistically, and it is fun just to drive around and play the minigames like pool, bowling, and darts.

Still, I do miss the RPG-like element that San Andreas had (lifting weights, running, ect). I guess this is why I liked that game better than the new one, although GTA4 does have and tell the best story of them all.

First Impressions...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 19
Date: April 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

So far, I gotta say "meh". It's a fun game, but nothing really new. I'm not impressed by the graphics at all, especially after COD4; in game and cut scenes look like last gen to me, kind of blocky and a lot of sharp edges. So far the hand to hand fighting sucks, but the shooting is much improved. Everything that I've seen so far, Saint's Row did better and made it look better. Over a couple of hours, I've made like 4 cab trips, took out some drug dealers, and went bowling. Whoopee! Please tell me it gets better...

Stop reading reviews. Buy immediately.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 8
Date: May 06, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game has many problems including occasional problems with AI (especially friendly characters), some less-than-pristine graphics and cut scene motion capture, among other things.

However, all of those things are completely irrelevant. The problems the game does have is like having a small smudge on a diamond the size of your head. I've been an avid gamer, playing games since the 80s. GTA IV is without a doubt, the most polished, fun, and nearly flawless in all aspects. It's not my favorite game I've played, but it comes close.

It is pointless to go into specifics because you shouldn't have read past the title of my review.

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