{tag [News]} {tag [PS3]} {tag [X360]}

Here it is...my long overdue review of Grand Theft Auto IV.  This game is just so huge, I didn't feel good about writing this review until I felt I had put my time in.  I think I have reached that point, so on with the review!

In GTA4, you play as Niko Bellic, an east-European immigrant and a veteran of the Bosnian War, who has just arrived in this country.  Staying with your cousin, Roman, who you find is indebted to some local thugs, you quickly find yourself immersed in Liberty City's underworld.  And that's when the fun begins.

Graphics: 95%
The graphics in Grand Theft Auto IV are amazing.  They are reasonably clear and certainly not as crisp as titles such as Lair on the PS3 or Bioshock on the Xbox 360, but clarity is not the only measurement of visual quality.  Additionally, the game’s default brightness and contrast settings were initially too dim.  I played the game on a plasma TV and my LCD TV, which sports 15,000:1 dynamic contrast, and could not play on either screen until I adjusted these settings.

Where GTA4 exceeds like no other game before, is in creating a visually amazing, living city.  Nearly every detail of the streets of New York (Liberty City) are lovingly recreated to a scale of such mammoth proportions, I personally could never have imagined it.  The city is truly alive.

Sound: 95%
Nineteen in-game radio stations and over 200 songs: the soundtrack is huge and varied.  The variety is stunning.  Granted I only live in the Milwaukee area, at last check the 26th largest metro market in the country, but I think we only have around sixteen music stations.  For a game to reproduce this many stations, is, in my mind, incredible.  And don’t forget to sit down for a bit to see what’s on the tube.  Although a visual medium, the television programming is what it is because of the scripting and voice acting.

The voice acting is also top notch, although the accents may get on your nerves after hours of play.  After a while, your cousin, Roman, began to sound more like Balki Bartokomous, than an east-European immigrant.  And if I have to hear him speak of a woman’s breasts one more time, I think I may puke.

Gameplay: 95%
The gameplay of GTA4 is what you have come to expect of the series.  You can play through the missions and the elaborate story line, but are also free to roam about the city exploring or wreaking havoc.  It’s really up to the player.

Playing through the missions, I found that a little too often I was forced to chase some fool down in a car at ridiculous speeds.  Other than that, the missions are reasonably varied.  I really enjoyed blowing up a warehouse, and having Little Jacob (a Jamaican arms dealer I befriended) at my side in a warehouse showdown.  Another nice feature is the option to immediately repeat a failed mission, although it would be nice if I didn’t have to hassle with driving to point A to accept the mission once again.  Other than these minor nuisances, it’s difficult to find any fault in GTA4’s gameplay.

The plot is arguably the most elaborate and detailed yet.  I really connected with Nico the more I played, and being the storyline lover that I am, this made the game very enjoyable.

The game’s new physics model is incredible: realistic enough, yet forgiving as to still be enjoyable.  Watching Nico fly through the windshield the first time you strike a stationary object at high speed will really take your breath away.  For the PS3 version, loading times were a bit excessive, but were reduced by the patch released shortly after launch.

Multiplayer: 95%
Sporting fifteen multiplayer modes, GTA4 was nearly everything you could want from a multiplayer experience.  I could write for pages to try to describe them all, but I can’t really do games like “Cops n' Crooks” any justice.  Even “Free Roam” is fun, as you wander around Liberty City with up to fifteen new friends, exploring, destroying, and generally having a great time.  Simple as it seems, “Race” is still my favorite mode.  Matching up a Police Swat Team Armored Vehicle against an ice cream truck: it just doesn’t get any better than this.

I was very thankful to find that voice chat was supported, something that is lacking from some PS3 online titles.

Cut Scenes: 100%
The cut scenes perfectly complement a great storyline.  In-engine rendered, so as not to destroy the immersion, the cut-scenes are seamless and interesting.  Long enough to be worth watching yet not drawn out, these videos are excellent, and explain in a concise fashion the player’s motivation for the next mission.

Controls/Interface: 90%
The controls and interface are excellent in this game.  I docked a few percent from this score for two reasons.  First, at times I had real difficult making out what was displayed on the mini-map; sometimes it seems as though there is just too much detail displayed on the thing,  Second, the cell phone that Roman gives you in the beginning game is impossible to read in certain light.  While this may have been intentional to exhibit the realism of a crappy phone, I found it annoying to have to turn Nico from the sun just to read it.

While the display had its problems, the controls were spot on.  Driving has been fine-tuned to the verge of perfection, and the new cover system is great.  Everything has been tweaked, and made accessible, without over-simplifying it.

Summary: 95%
Grand Theft Auto IV is one the best games for the current-gen consoles that I’ve played, with one of the most unique multiplayer experiences available.  It is no wonder it sold 6 million copies in its first week.  Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gamers owe it to themselves to pick up this game.  You won’t regret it, “cousin”.  I promise.

(This review is based on the PlayStation 3 version of the game.)