Up until now Vice City was always the pinnacle of the Grand Theft Auto series for me. It kept a perfect sense of style, improved upon everything that made GTA III great and added everything you could possibly want (at the time) in a crime game based in Miami. GTA IV has easily taken the throne in my eyes. This is a true sequel to GTA III and should be a complete wake up call as to what this generation of hardware can produce. The graphics are absolutely fantastic. The vehicles control perfectly, not to mention completely individually from each other. The damage is unbelievably accurate and the variety is spot on. Character models are ridiculously detailed and the animations (facial and otherwise) are the best I've seen in a game. Ohh, and by the way, Euphoria is easily one of my favorite game engine tools. It's unreal to see as you gently bump pedestrians and they accurately place their hands on the hood of your car and weave their body out of the way. Or when you push/ murder somebody at the top of a stairwell for instance. Nothing ever happens the same way twice... but everytime you see an animation it feels completely lifelike. For once it feels like there are little virtual people walking around with real little virtual lives (talking on their cell phones, unpacking groceries, talking with friends, window shopping, etc...). I don't even know how to approach the gameplay department. Uhhh well remember the combat in the other GTA games? Yeah it sucked. Now it doesn't. In fact, gun fights end up being a hell of a lot more fun than they are in most focused 8 hour shooters (I'm thinking of Three Leaf Clover and Snow Storm right now), but not only are the scripted missions fantastic, varied and creative, but you can start one of these epic firefights anywhere at anytime, triggering a full on Heat like experience as you take full advantage of the new and near flawless cover system. Police officers will take a bullet to the shoulder and stumble backwards accidentally firing their weapon as they attempt to catch their balance (or not). A shot to the stomach will send a man reeling to the ground in agony, often puking up blood that realistically stains the environment, and then desperately crawling away to save himself. A shot to the leg will make a man stumble and even lean against a wall to stay upright and continue the fight. Finally a headshot will do exactly what it will do in real life. The characters head will snap back as blood covers the area behind them. The Euphoria engine causes the character to lose 'muscle' control and collapse realistically as if there were real bones and organs inside manipulating the fall. The audio is amazing as well. Gunfire is menacing and satisfying and the radio stations are top notch. They may not be as distinctive as those of Vice City, but it is still pretty damn awesome. Voice acting... Wow. Niko is the man. Every character is performed perfectly with the exception of maybe Kate and... Pedestrian 403. The story is engrossing and has higher production values and characterization than pretty much any form of media I have encountered. Some people will complain about a few of the things that were taken out from San Andreas, but it was all done for a reason. Atmosphere. Who would believe, or more importantly care, about Niko flying around in a jetpack, shooting some hoops, flying a 747 (?!?!?), or carrying a... big black **** as a melee weapon. This game is a work of art and a realistic commentary on modern society and culture. Rockstar made the right decision in cutting off the fat. All you are left with is a nice juicy filet of a game. I'm a little tired and I'm getting off track a little so I'll throw a few more little details in randomly. The several choices you are given throughout the storyline vary in consequence from a simple phone call, to a game changing tragedy. Everything is up to you and every decision, no matter how miniscule they may seem, all add to Niko's character in a substantial way. Kill the man you've been sent to wrongfully assassinate by a despicable bear of a man who is paying you, or spare him and inform your employer of your 'success'? All up to you. What may seem like a minor twitch of a gameplay decision may fill out to be a pretty damn important plot point. Who knows. The executions are awesome too. See, I really am off track. But still, there is one, I wont say who dies, but you get the opprutunity to put a bullet in your targets thigh, he stumbles and you plant one more in his sternum. He coughs up a bloody mist and falls over the balcony. Or a point blank shot to the eyeball or throat. It never ends. Okay that's enough. Buy this game and love it.
Well, it's been about a month since I picked up GTAIV. A month of mayhem and debauchery and murder. I read the reviews when this initially came out and figured this was a must own for the 360 and that I was going to be... Read Full Review
Gaming has given us many unforgettable, immersive, soul-sucking settings in which countless gamers have lost themselves in for months, even years sometimes. GTA IV, the entry of the acclaimed (and notorious) open-world s... Read Full Review
