So how 'bout that GTA IV huh? That perfect 10, "oscar worthy" experience that has been hailed, lauded and pretty much akin to gaming nirvana...

Ah screw it, I can't keep this up.

I'm sorry, but I can't see the brilliance in GTA IV. I really can't. This is not the game of the year. It's not even close.

It's been over six months since the game came out. I've sunk at least a good 20 hours into the game across two files. Why two? Because the recent trophy patch that just came out made it impossible for me to achieve most of the end game trophies, and made me several kinds of furious.

It's replaying the game from the start that made this realization possible - that the end of the game is a huge problem compared to the way it start, which is excellent and fun and original (at least, for a GTA game)

Now, before I go into this, I'll be talking extensively about end game stuff. I won't mention anything story related, but if you're the kind of person that cannot have gameplay elements mentioned, then I'm going to try go around it as much as possible. Don't say I didn't warn you.

First big problem? The mission cutscenes. This sounds rather vague, but let me explain. You're on a mission to try kill another character (plenty of this, but that's irrelevant). You get to the destination, and you get a cutscene of Niko spooking whoever it is you're about to kill, and they run off - forcing a chase.

I cannot express in words how much this makes me furious, but not only is it incredibly stupid, BUT IT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE BLOODY TIME.

This could have been allieviated by making the person spawn when you get to the location, and then if you're skilled enough - kill them before you get on the bike/car/whatever. You mess up, you do the chase. Make it a challenge to beat the mission easily, rather than forcing the player to engage in a chase.

Then there's some other stupid parts in some missions by having police officers swarm your location THE SECOND you finish off an objective. How in the bloody hell does that work!?

Lastly - some missions conclude with Niko executing another character. Now, this isn't a problem, but the way it's handled is. The first one you do, you pull the trigger to execut him, and you get a cutscene of Niko shooting the character in the eye. Now why couldn't I do that? It's not that hard to make a headshot...

Next, the random missions. Not so much the idea of them, but how poorly implemented they are. Here's one example of how this happened to me (admist many). I do a particuarly brutal mission. I've been playing for long enough, so I decide to head back to my apartment to save the game, and turn off the PS3. I get to my destination, to which I recieve a phone call.

I accept it, and at the end of the call, I'm in a mission. I have no opportunity to save my game, heal my health (well, that much can be allievated) and forced to play longer than I want to. The sad thing? It's happened to me every time I want to save the game.

Not cool. Not cool in the slighest.

I can understand if the mission trigger was a text message saying that "we're ready when you are", and then you call the person to start the mission. It then gives me time to save the game and pick up the game later. How this doesn't bother anyone is beyond me.

Then there's the new police system. It's good to see that now there's a system for getting away from the cops, and it's clearly defined. 1-2 stars is easy, 3+ stars? Get ready for frustration. It's far too difficult than it needs to be to escape from the cops - there's a HUGE jump from 2 stars to 3 stars and makes it far harder than it needs to be.

The cops just spawn at the most inappropriate moments, and it's just stunning to see that no matter what you do, THE ENTIRE LIBERTY CITY POLICE FORCE IS AFTER YOU. Frustrating as hell, and makes some of the later missions more difficult than they need to be.

One of the cooler additions in the game, the phone, is also poorly utilized. Specifically, there's one instance where you need to use your phones camera to take a picture. That's the ONLY time you use it. Why? Apparently Niko has the worst phone in history as although you take pictures, you cannot save them. AT ALL. It braks the illiusion, and hey, it'd be really cool to send pictures to friends.

Shame though, the phone also lends itself to one of the cooler and more innovative missions in the game.

Why make this? With many websites and publications considering their GOTY awards - and given all the critical wankery upon the game's launch (in particular, IGN), it's hard to not see GTA IV given game of the year over something far more deserving (like Burnout Paradise). Same goes for MGS and LBP.

Though there are plenty of positives (the driving, the soundtrack and the new combat/cover systems), they're outweighed by far too many negatives.

I could be wrong, and not playing the game right, but honestly - with things like this, I find it hard to believe anyone could still consider it for any major awards.