Grand Theft Auto IV (PC & PS3)
If you’ve
played any of the Grand Theft Auto series before you will know
what to expect, but if you haven’t then you’re in for a rollercoaster ride
in
this action adventure based in Liberty City, a fictional city based on New
York.
The makers put a lot of expense into this game, so was it worth it?
Gameplay:
94%
From the moment you arrive in the game, standing in your apartment, and you
realize you can sit down in front of your TV, flick though the channels, and
watch various different programs, you know this game is different.
Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) follows the story of Niko Bellic, an illegal immigrant from Bosnia, who has arrived in Liberty City after leaving Europe. Here he hopes to forget his criminal past and pursue the American Dream with the help of his cousin Roman, who has made a success for himself after arriving a few years before.
Soon
after his arrival however, Niko learns that Roman's tales of wealth and
luxury are lies aimed at hiding his struggles with gangsters and debt. In GTA IV, you play as Niko, as you help Roman in his troubles, while trying to
build a new life for yourself in the city.
You begin the game getting simple tutorial missions from
Roman that teach you the basics of interaction with people and places,
driving and combat etc, and you soon get into events and missions that form
the
main storyline.
Aside from the main story there is also a huge amount of other content to get involved in; you can earn money by taking jobs from some of the characters you’ve met, from being a taxi driver and taking someone across town, to tasks of a more murderous nature! You can also visit internet café’s, bars, restaurants, cabaret shows or even lap dancing clubs! There are also places to take friends, or go on dates that involve mini games. You can go bowling, or to a bar to play darts, have a game of pool, or play games on slot machines. The darts game is a little easy to win, but bowling and pool provide an enjoyable challenge.
The PS3
controller works well, however on the PC the driving can be a little awkward
with a mouse and keyboard proving less responsive, but it’s not so bad as to
make driving impossible.
Some of the side activities such as cab journeys, or going to a bar or bowling alley, can get a little repetitive at times, however overall the storyline and gameplay are excellent.
Graphics: 97%
The graphics are superb, and it’s the minor detail that make it so amazing –
smoke coming from an ashtray while you’re in a bar playing darts, your
breath on a cold day, or the beams from a car’s headlights in foggy weather
– the city is created with an awesome amount of detail.
The PS3 handles everything well, however you require a pretty powerful PC to get the game running smoothly, let alone get the best out of it, so be warned.
Sound: 95%
The sounds of Liberty City are true to any real life city, from the traffic
noises to the people on the streets, while the character acting in both the
cut scenes and when driving or walking around are excellent.
The vast depth of music in the game is also superb. Get in a car and you have no less than twenty radio stations to choose from, 17 music stations playing from rock to jazz, and reggae through to R&B (there is even a Russian music station), plus 3 talk radio stations! A superb addition to the PC version of the game is Independence FM, a customizable radio station. Just copy music tracks from your PC’s music folder into the GTA IV game folder, and hear them in the form of a radio station, complete with DJ and adverts!
Value:
96%
There’s all the above, but we haven’t even mentioned the Split Sides comedy
club, featuring Ricky Gervais on stage, Cabaret performers you can see, the
mobile phone you use to contact many of the characters (and girlfriends) you
meet, the internet café’s you can visit. Even when you finish the storyline
there’s still a huge amount to do.
Conclusion:
This game is so vast that a review can only scratch the surface. Given the
success of the previous GTA games, the makers have thrown a lot of money
into this 4th instalment, and it shows. Porting the game to the PC without
the same care and attention the PS3 version got is the main criticism,
as is the insanely high PC system requirements. That aside, GTA IV sets a
new hurdle for games to breach, and is excellent.
Overall Score: 95%