One of the best games I've ever played. Stunning graphics, great multiplayer, hours of gameplay.
The first thing you'll notice about this game is the stunning graphics. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Rockstar took Liberty City as we knew it and gave it an extreme makeover. In GTA IV, Liberty City is an extremely accurate representation of New York City. The three main boroughs of Liberty City, Bohan, Broker, and Algonguin represent the three boroughs of New York City, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, respectively. There is also a fourth borough, Alderney, that represents northern New Jersery, as well as Happiness Island, which as you can imagine, is Rockstar's interpretation of Liberty Island.
So after a few minutes of letting the graphics sit in, you find yourself thrown right into the first mission: The Cousins Bellic. In this mission, we learn that you play as Niko Bellic, a European immigrant who has been drawn to America by his cousin Roman. Roman has convinced Niko into believing he has made it big in America; money, cars, women. But upon arrival, Niko finds that Roman has been lying all along. He lives in a tiny, dirty apartment and owns a small taxi business. Niko is furious upon learning this, but instead of heading straight home, he decides to stay in Liberty City and make a new life for himself, while also trying to help his troubled cousin and find what the American Dream means today.
GTA IV features a different kind of story than other GTA game. Instead of becoming "king of the city" like in Vice City and San Andreas, the goal of GTA IV is only to make a better life for Niko. Personally, I think this is a lot more realistic than other GTA games. In fact, GTA IV is the most realistic game I've ever played. From the way Niko opens a locked car, to the way he crashes through the windshield. These types of things make the game seem so lifelike.
There has been a lot of improvements from previous games, but also a lot of things have been taken out. GTA IV replaces quality for quantity. Liberty CIty is physically smaller than San Andreas, but Liberty City has a lot more to offer. Although many of the features from GTA: SA have been taken out, such as getting a haircut, diving underwater, and riding a bicycle, the features that have been kept have been improved upon greatly, such as clothes shopping and changing. But you'll find that the things that were taken out are not really needed in GTA IV. The controls have also changed, but not too much. They are easy to get used to, and you'll end up liking them better.
The multiplayer in this game is great. It's the first real multiplayer in a GTA game, so we didn't know what to expect. There is 15 modes, including Deathmatch, races, and a free mode. Overall, the multiplayer is very fun and it will give you tons of extra playtime.
There's not really anything bad to say about this game, expect occasional glitches. You will sometimes walk through a wall or something, but 99% of the time, it runs smoothly and efficiently, so don't let it stop you from buying this game.
Music has always been a part of GTA. In GTA IV, Rockstar really outdid themselves. There are about 10 great radio stations, ranging from jazz to metal. Whatever type of music you like, you'll be able to find a good station.
Overall, this game will give you a lot for the money. It has fantastic graphics, a great storyline, great multiplayer, and lots of replay value. So whether you want to play through the story over and over, or just go on a killing spree during your offtime, this is definitely a great game.
Specs:
The bad:
- Very rare glitches
The good:
- Stunning graphics
- Great, fun missons
- 15 modes of great multiplayer
- More replay value than you could imagine
- Interesting characters
- Fantastic representation of NYC
- Great soundtrack
- Overall very realistic
- Detailed scenery