The GTA series comes around full circle in the most refined example of a crime simulator.
This game really doesn't do anything wrong but if you had to fault it somewhere it would have to be in the originality department. After so many games the ideas just start to run dry so don't expect a revolutionary experience here with GTA IV. The high points of this game is the incredibly imersive environments, presentation values and game design.
Graphics are a large step above San Andreas with much more realistic textures, lighting and effects. Liberty City has never looked better and it's the accumulation of the details such as graffiti, garbage cans, papers, signage and so on that you see on literally every street that brings the city to life. There is even weather effects so realistic you can see the rain drops splashing when they hit the road and Nikko's (you) clothes getting drenched. It also says a lot considering I actually felt a bit guilty a few times after murdering innocent people in the game due to this realism.
Everything animates so well too as you will see the rag doll physics kick in when you plow through a side-walk full of pedestrians (or more likely crack addicts). The vehicles smash up really well similar to what you would see in a Burnout game which makes causing mayhem in your favorite ride even more sweet. The vehicles are however very floaty and slide around corners as if they're on ice. Another fairly noticeable problem is the in-car camera views which don't pan left and ride fast enough when you turn making it hard to see what's coming ahead.
The missions are going to be very familiar to anyone who's played the GTA series a lot but they're still fun. Actually gunning people down is quite a bit more enjoyable this time around due to enhancements to the aiming system. Nikko can auto-lock onto enemies and just shoot or you can tweak the aim just a bit after locking to go for head shots or target other portions of the body. You can also take cover, shoot from cover, roll, pick up and throw objects etc.
Another new addition is the ability to surf the internet, pick up chicks from online dating sites and carry on relationships. The relationships can happen with guys or girls. Why would you want to hang out with a guy you say? Well actually taking your buddies out to the strip bar, cabaret, bowling or playing darts will allow you to earn their trust which will open up more missions and weapons.
Let me just tell you, when you first gaze across the river during the night to see the impressive skyline of Liberty (New York) City, you will be stunned. There are just so many insane moments in this game and you can even go online for even more multi-gangster fun. When you add up the whole package GTAIV turns out to be the best in the series and as a result, one of the best games of all time. It's not perfect but very few games approach this level of greatness. I sure hope that this is the final chapter in the GTAIV series at least for a while because it is the perfect way to go out with a bang.