My Score: 9.3

All in all a really great game - very likely the best in the GTA series. The graphics on the X360 look top notch and the gameplay is loose and fluid - the way a GTA game should be. The main character (Nicco) is easily the most fleshed out and interesting lead character in this series...he's almost sympathetic in some ways compared to the usual murderous deliverer of digital debauchery. The sounds are incredible as well; the whole city feels alive and is incredibly expansive and seamless.

However - some folks have given this game a '10' so I wanted to explain why I can't grace it with the 'holy grail' of gamer scores. The driving controls remain touchy; you can actually flip a vehicle going around a turn at 30 mph which is ludicrous (ok maybe if you were driving a Suzuki Samuari but in an Escalade? No way). Also, there are a few minor bugs some folks have discovered which require a game update that is, as I have heard, already in the works (though these are far more common on thr PS3 than the X360). Also, the 'punching / fist fighting' is almost supernaturally slow compared to real life. You hit the B button and about 1.5-2 seconds later, your Russian goon takes a swing. This means you need to time your fights correctly (which is possible) but detracts from the overall realism of the game and is actually a step back from the earlier titles.

The new 'mini-games' and aspects such as dating are fun and add to the overall realistic feel of GTA4 but also slow the game down a bit. I'm torn - I do like the realistic approach but I find that mini-games can often be distracting from the core joy of the game...especially when that joy is free-for-all mayhem.

With all that said, GTA4 is truly a must own for X360 owners...especially for those of you who loved 'GTA San Andreas' or the 360 title 'Saints Row' - this serves as a major improvement over both games.