Rockstar. The kings and Queens of controversy are back with a bang from the long lost GTA series. It’s been a while since the last main instalment. 7 years ago GTA III hit the shelves with mind blowing proportions and GTA IV is here to drive by our house, throw a Molotov at us and have sex with our mothers in the car.
Liberty City, present day is the setting for GTA IV. Liberty City has been brought forward from the scum of America to the scum of the Earth. The city is bustling, crime is out in the open on every street and no-one can be trusted especially if your Niko Bellic. You do happen to be Niko Bellic so you'll have to watch yourself out there. Niko is an illegal immigrant fresh off the boat from the great (if you say so) nation of Russia. He has come to live in Liberty City with his cousin Roman Bellic in hope of pursuing the great American Dream. Things don’t go quit to plan though a Roman has not been entirely truthful with Niko and is not a wealthy businessman but actually living in poverty, owing money to criminals and working at the local taxi rank. Niko promises to help him out of such troubles but ends up getting deeper into the criminal underworld and having to beg, steal and kill in order to get his and Romans lives back on track.
As per usual from a R* game, the first 2 hours is a tutorial…more or less. After then the story starts to get some gravitas and shit gets real. GTA IV has one of the best stories in a game on current gen consoles easily due to it being a R* game, the kings of sandbox and story. But this one steps into the real and out of the silly. GTA Vice City and San Andreas were all about being OTT whereas GTA IV is a more grounded GTA game. Niko is a human like the rest of us, not a superhuman gangster, not some beach boy that hangs around with the mob for giggles but a genuine person that has made the wrong decisions in life and wants to start a fresh. The way you play GTA IV is much different from previous games. You will try to obey the law as much as possible in order to progress, you will generally be a nicer guy and you will even have moral choices that effect the game in ways that GTA has never had before.
Gameplay is a lot slower, you move more like a human. The cars are heavy and feel like they belong in a simulation racer. Helicopters take minutes to learn but forever to master. Gunplay is a lot more tactical as you duck behind cover and take your chance when the AI is otherwise occupied. The game feels more human and so do you. Though these changes may sound bad they are definitely for the better. A console GTA has never been this good. Yeah it doesn’t have SA’s planes or jetpack or VC’s beach buggies and chainsaws but this is all because it has come out of its adolescent stages and flourished in a functioning member of society. GTA has finally grown up a bit.
The radio stations are back and funnier than ever. The show hosts constantly commenting on each other either sexually, hatefully or happily. They will also be commenting on recent events in the LC area and even the songs they are playing. The commercials are hilarious, the songs are great and the commentators are hilarious. The graphics are astounding for a game this big in size. Smooth textures, quick loading times for game start-up and beautiful lighting. Liberty City feels more part of the real world thanks to this much needed update in graphics and lighting from the cartoony days of yore.
So GTA IV may not be everybody’s bottle of vodka due to it removing many mechanics popular from VC and SA but if a more mature, longer, better GTA is what you’re looking for the IV is your choice.
GTA IV – 9/10
+Story
+Three Leaf Clover mission
+Graphical Standard
+Realism
