Grand Theft Auto IV

Title: Grand Theft Auto IV
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3
Dev: Rockstar North

It's GTAIV! Finally arriving to our consoles this month of may is Rockstar's highly anticipated next entry into the GTA realm with Grand Theft Auto IV.

Players assume the role of Niko Bellic, an immigrant who has just flown in to New York and is now falling in with the local criminal establishments. Between the 20 plus hour or so story line, you'll get to engage in GTA's most familiar activities, like carjacking, fights and of course, murder. The whole of Liberty City is one giant sandbox, and Rockstar has really gone a long way to ensure detail. People around you react as you go about your business, the radio and TV shows feel very very real and the whole of the city just feels very alive and not like some scripted area where you are dumped into to carry out task after task until the credits roll. Interacting with the people of Liberty City is extremely engaging.


Missions given to you on the superb storyline carry some form of choice: for example, if you're asked to take out a target, you can either commit the act of murder or make the person promise to disappear. Each path carries its own implications, such as your boss finding out the person whom you are supposed to have eliminated is still around, but this makes the game proceed in many different directions that would make you want to play it over again after you're done. Furthermore, this variety is seen in small activities like carjacking. If the car is parked, Niko will walk up to it, look around for any passers-bys, then smash the window in and hotwire the car to get away. Sometimes car alarms sound, which leaves the headlamps flashing and is a sure fire way to get cops after you. Even more of note is carjacking when the vehicle is in motion. One instance saw the driver whom previously occupied the car i stole being dragged along the road as i tried to make my getaway.


You can't get very far in the city without noticing Rockstar's attention to the graphical presentation of the city. Be it day or night, the overall look of the city feels just right. The soundscape is not too bad as well, it compliments the scale of the city and sets the mood for game events.

Multiplayer is awesome by the way. There isn't any waiting in lobby rooms for the game to begin. You're actually put inside an online version of Liberty City with up to 15 others and you're free to do anything. With the weapons scattered around it isn't hard to just pick one up and start shooting.


When the game does begin, it offers up some of the classic GTA modes like deathmatch and Race, which pretty much do what it says on the tin. Co-op missions, like the carjacking mission adds plenty of new content to the GTA multiplayer arena and judging by the amount of online response, it seems to be taking its place very well in Xbox Live.

Some final closing comments. I highly advise not purchasing the PS3 version due to the fact that it has a 10 minute installation time, but now i'm just nitpicking. Both versions share most of the same gameplay (and bugs), so there isn't much difference to set them apart, other than the fact more players would be on Xbox Live then PSN.

All in all, GTAIV is a solid new title in Rockstar's arsenal of games, and i'm highly looking forward to its release on PC (if any. Pleeeease Rockstar?)

You'll like:
True blue GTA gameplay
"Real"-feeling city
Immense attention to detail
New multiplayer gamemodes

You'll hate:
Exploring the nooks and crannies of Liberty City again and again just to find every juicy detail Rockstar has included.
Getting caught by cops.

Score: 98%