An instant classic, GTA IV has something for everyone. It's not a bunch of gratuitous violence. It's a top quality game.
And then came GTAIV. At first my reaction was the same, but when I saw it got a Perfect 10/10 on Gamespot and 5/5 on Gamespy I knew something had to be VERY good about this. And it does.
This thing is a masterpiece. There's no actual senseless killing in this game. You follow the story of an eastern european immigrant that fought in the war and came to "Liberty City" to find answers and make a better living. With time, he is dragged into a world of organized crime, narcotics and deceit, and tries to make it through.
The main character is actually ambiguous: He does NOT smoke. He does NOT do drugs. He even advises other characters to stop their habits. In fact, he sometimes even gets dramatic and rants about the horrors of war and his past mistakes.
Throughout the game you can FEEL the main character. You can feel he is a good guy, and you can feel his troubles and his pain. The story? Brilliant. Full of drama, action, sorrow, comedy even. Some sudden, unexpected situations will mess your head real hard. You'll be "WTF'd" many times when you figure out some people you trusted deceived you. Sometimes you'll be amazed how an apparently ordinary character turns out to be one of your best allies. The game has it all: customizable mobile phones, internet websites, cars, trains, buses, boats, helicopters and bikes. And why not walking and running too? You can pull off some serious action rolls.
This game isn't a messed up pile of gratuitous violence, like some think. The story alone is worthy of a top class movie. It's a 5 star story combined with 5 star gameplay, and a little bit of every flavor you could ask for.