Gamertell

Title: Grand Theft Aufo IV
Price: $59.99
System(s): Xbox 360, PS3
Release Date: April, 28, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar)
Rating: “Mature” for blood, intense violence, partial nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of alcohol and use of drugs.
Pros: Great game play, great narrative story, great mechanics, great online, long game play length, great city details and nearly bug-free.
Cons: The game ends eventually, not as funny as past titles, removal of past additions, some system crashes, not enough of the city is used.
Overall Score: Two Thumbs Up, 95/100, A , * * * * 1/2 out of five

I had a lot of doubts going into the fourth installment of the series. I’ve never been a big fan or saw why the Grand Theft Auto franchise appealed to so many people. I’ve always felt that if most developers released games with as much bugs, glitches, slow frame rate, poor AI, bad cameras and horrible controls, that those developers would be castrated by the gaming community, but Rockstar has always been given a lot of slack.

Fortunately it doesn’t take more than an hour playing GTA IV to know that this game is a dramatic improvement over any previous GTA game.

Llet the Good Times Roll

GTA IV returns players to the fictional city of Liberty, the mean streets featured back in GTA III (aka the game that revolutionized open-world game play). Aside from the name, however, this Liberty City doesn’t have much in common with its original namesake. Instead, Liberty City has been completely redesigned and based around New York City, including many of its famed landmarks (the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Central Park to name a few).

You play as fresh-off-the boat, Eastern European immigrant Niko Bellic who has come to America looking for the good life. Upon joining his cousin Roman, however, Niko quickly learns that the American dream isn’t all it is cracked up to be.

Ultimately we learn that Niko isn’t in America to start a new life, but is in search of two people that he believes are responsible for betraying him during some nameless war back in his home country. This narrative is good and adds some weight to the overall story but, like most GTA games, the story takes a back seat to all the other stuff that will consume Niko’s life.

Unlike the rest of the GTA games, Niko’s introduction to the criminal underbelly of Liberty City is more believable. This isn’t about Niko’s rise to the top, like we saw in Vice City and San Andreas. Niko, being an ex-soldier and a man that knows how to get things done, is more of a hitman, a man called when the various villains in GTA IV need stuff swept under the rug or done off the books. This makes Niko, in my opinion, a more likable and understanding guy than the previous characters.

Like all GTA games, IV is filled with all sorts of typical drug kings, crime bosses, corrupt cops and government spooks. Each is wonderfully voiced and, at times, the dialogue sounds like it belongs on the big screen. This makes the frequent cutscenes highly engaging and not just something you skip through. However, don’t expect to hear many celebrity voices this time around. It is clear that Rockstar was aiming for a more natural and believable feel.

Dramatic Improvements

Weapon controls is the most improved. Like most games, Rockstar brought a duck-and-cover mechanic to the game play. While this system isn’t as refined as Gears of War or Mass Effect, it still works very well, even though it might take some time to get use to.

All the vehicles handle exceptionally well, better than any of the previous games. Depending on what car, truck, van, bike or sports car you choose, each will all respond differently and have its own damage setting.

Instead of just blowing up, damaged cars will just shut down and die, which adds a new twist to outrunning the cops. Noticeably missing, though, is the Rhino tank and a variety of helicopters.

Rockstar has also added a new element to the police. You still can get anywhere from one to six stars, but now you are able to outrun the police once you have gotten outside their range.

Cops also won’t always just be gunning for you whenever you commit a crime. If you attack someone out of view of the police and they respond, they’ll only search that area where the call first came from. It’s not until they spot you that they’ll give chase. There is just so much more dynamics to the police this time around then before.

Missions aren’t altogether different than what players have done in the previous games. You’ll still go from contact to contact, taking odd jobs or assignments from them, but now you’ll have to contend with keeping people happy as they become your friends.

NPC’s will ask you to take them out on a night on the town, doing any number of activities including bowling, darts, pool, drinking, shows or hitting strip clubs. These additions to the game are great as most of them are engaging minigames.

Even turning on the television you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy hours of shows created for the game, from a History Channel style documentary of Liberty City, to talk shows and wacky commercials that are actually worth watching. Even the internet has been included, where you can do online dating or buy new ring tones for your cell phone.

Missions are still fun and there are a lot of them. You’ll spend anywhere from forty to fifty hours just doing the story-based quests. Add in side missions, freedom and random acts of violence and you’re looking at a game that reaches nearly a hundred or more.

A Few Bumps in the Road

While there are so many great things added and improved upon in GTA IV, there are still some issues. In the grand scheme of the game, hese are really just minor oversights.

While the graphics are the best in the franchise, they do feel a bit dated compared to when the game was first shown, then seeming very realistic and at the standards of “next-gen” quality.

Textures and details are quite nice but there aren’t as many jaw-dropping graphics as those seen in other open-world games such as Saint’s Row or Crackdown. This is easily overlooked thanks to the sheer volume of details.

Considering that players aren’t likely to see sixty percent of this city, if taking the time to explore every ally way, subway tunnel or bridge over pass you’ll be amazed by the attention to detail Rockstar has put in, making this Liberty City feel more alive then ever before.

The weapon selection is the worst the series has had so far. There are only two of any weapon class, assault rifle, submachine gun, sniper rifle and pistol along with the RPG and a couple melee weapons. Gone are the really fun toys to play with including the flame thrower, chain saw, sword and duel weapons.

Also missing is the Sims type elements that were introduced in San Andreas. While you are still free to shop for cloths, everything else from customizing your hair, adding tattoos, working out or leveling up your weapon and driving skills is gone. Even the clothing options are dramatically limited to a few combinations.

One of the bigger problems I did have was that this Liberty City has so much going for it and so many famous landmarks, yet almost none of them are used during game play.There are entire sections to the city that you’ll never cross into and most of the great landmarks (eg the World Sphere in Queens, Firefly Island, UN Headquarters, Empire State Building and others) are never used. Even those you do enter, like the Statue of Liberty, you only go to for a few minutes at the end of the game. Let’s hope that Rockstar is going to better use these locations in the upcoming downloadable episodes.

There have also been some option trees added to the game, where Niko can pick and choose if someone lives or dies. These are spread so far throughout the game that they don’t have any implications to the overall story.

Strangely, too, this GTA isn’t as funny as the previous games. Its not that the odd ball humor isn’t still present, it’s just that this GTA is far more dramatic, serious and darker than the previous games, making the humor seem a little out of place. Even drug use, which was always exploited with a humorous twist, is more serious as you really see how it can destroy people’s lives inside the game.

Even the city seems friendlier as there isn’t much in the way of open crimes being committed on the streets. Some pedestrians even run up to you to see if you are okay after a car accident. Niko will even apologize for running someone over. 

Revolution or Evolution?

With every little bump or minor complaint I’ve had with this game, it doesn’t in the slightest way detract from the overall experience.

With an online element that really allows players to experiment and create their own modes of game play GTA IV has more under its hood then any five games. GTA IV may be an evolution that doesn’t add much that we haven’t already seen in previous titles but it certainly takes everything we’ve played before and perfects it into a truly epic experience not seen since GTA III.

With downloadable episodes still to come, there is no doubt that gamers will be playing GTA IV for the foreseeable future.

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