Game Review: Grand Theft Auto IV

Game: Grand Theft Auto IV
Console: Sony Playstation 3
Developer: Rockstar
Release Date: 29th April 2008

This should technically be Part 4 of my Grand Theft Auto series review, but as with San Andreas I feel that this game has such a large scale and choice of things to do that it's only fair to give it it's own review. The first main series installment since San Andreas, IV is set in Liberty City which is based on New York, complete with its own "Statue Of Happiness" and other famous landmarks. Just like other games in the series you're set a series of missions which see you transform from a low status thug to a rich (former) gangster.

New additions since San Andreas include a phone and internet system through which you get most (if not all) of your missions. Acquaintances will ring and ask to hang out as well as giving you missions by phone, and the internet is used to set up appointments, dates and to make a couple of missions easier. Police now have a search area, outside of which you're able to escape from them. The more stars you attain, the larger the search area is and the more force the police will use to arrest you. There's also a new subway system and a lot of interiors which can be accessed without a loading screen popping up.

The story follows Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant who has been told of the wonders of America by his cousin, Roman. Upon arriving he finds that not everything he has been told is true and has to work for various small time gangsters and friends in order to find someone from his past, who betrayed him. The storyline itself can seem to drag on during the middle parts with 88 storyline missions in total, however the two endings are worth getting to.

Controlwise, the game is similar to other titles in the GTA series; shooting features a lock-on mode (although this can be disabled) and there are a selection of weapons available including pistols, shotguns, rocket launchers and grenades. Driving is slightly different with acceleration and braking set to the R2 and L2 triggers. The viewpoint whilst driving and handling of the vehicles are both very different to previous games and take a lot of getting used to. Missions which involve driving and shooting at the same time are extremely difficult due to the controls.

Most missions get the player to drive somewhere, shoot something or a combination of the two, but the most impressive missions in this game are those which think a little outside of the box. There's a mission where you're asked to set up a job interview via the internet and then kill the interviewer, as that's the only way to get to such a busy businessman. There's another mission where you're allowed to execute someone Hitman style and change into doctor's clothes to turn the life support machine off. These, along with a few other selected missions (including the complex final missions for each storyline) redeem the mostly typical GTA style ones.

The police don't seem to be as concerned with arresting you as in other games from the series, as I managed to complete the game without ever being busted. Instead, I was killed quite a few times by the police even with a simple two star wanted level. Luckily as a new addition, hospitals don't take away your weapons unlike police stations, so I was able to hold onto my best ones. It did seem a little unrealistic to have such violent police though, especially with other areas of the game focussing on realism.

At a few key points in the plot, the player is given moral choices to make such as choosing whether or not to kill a particular enemy or who to kill out of two choices. While these do give slightly different results, only the final decision matters particularly in terms of gameplay and missions. These decisions seem to enrich the characters and plot, however and you feel as if you are really in control of Niko and his actions.

One new system which was only used once in the game is the ability to throw objects, such as bricks. This could have been incorporated into more than one mission and perhaps used as a way to deal with enemies from above. The cover based shooting system in the game is used quite a bit throughout the missions, and for the most part it works well. A lot of enemies also use the same type of movements and so things can get into a bit of a stalemate at times, but the only real problems are when Niko won't get behind cover, or comes out of it without the player meaning for him to.

A minor addition to the driving experience in the game is the GPS system which shows you the fastest legal route to waypoints and mission locations. This can help immensely when you want to travel between islands as there's no confusion as to where to go. Also added since San Andreas is the ability to hang out with friends and acquaintances. They'll call you from time to time and ask if you want to go bowling/drinking/for a meal etc. and through becoming friends you can use their special skills. Roman for instance owns a taxi service which can take you anywhere for free, once he likes you enough.

The final minor addition to gameplay is the hand to hand combat system which now includes the option to block and kick as well as push your opponents to the ground or down a flight of stairs. Whilst targeting them, the player also may counter an attack if their timing is good enough. This adds more realism and difficulty to street fights as previously they were fairly one sided. Of course this system isn't handy for long as weapons make fair more efficient killing machines.

Graphically the game is much improved from San Andreas and the "Stories" sidegames as you'd expect with the move to seventh generation consoles. There's a lot of detail on almost all of the locations, vehicles and people in the city. My only real complaint is the amount of grey that is used in the city's colours; sometimes it can feel like a very large, dreary place. The sound in the game is fantastic with superb voice acting and effects; explosions and gunfire sound pretty much spot on. The in-game radio also offers a large selection of genres and music with some notable highlights.

Overall GTA IV is a highly enjoyable and engaging experience with many highlights and good new features. Although the driving feels a little off at times, some missions near the end can feel extremely demanding and the city is grey and not as much fun to explore as the areas of San Andreas, there's still plenty to enjoy. With deeper characters than ever before, far more interactivity between the player and them, and a stellar storyline this game only really falls short of San Andreas on location and the ability to fly fixed wing aircraft.

Rating: 87/100
Grade: B