JoeyDemon138
CAG Veteran
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
The Grand Theft Auto video game series is known for popularizing the sandbox genre of gaming. Not only that, but it has also become one of the most successful video game series in the history of gaming (with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas at number 9 on the 'Top 20 Console Games of All Time' list selling 17.33 million copies). Grand Theft Auto IV delivers what we all expected and more.
The game has received rave reviews from many video game critics and has also sold millions of copies around the world. It is one of the only games to receive a 10 from IGN in 2008 (the other video game being Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots), and has received a perfect score from many other gaming critics. GTAIV is also the VGA's 2008 Game Of The Year and definitly worth every penny you put into it. Now that I got that out of the way, onto the rating!
Welcome To Liberty City
Gameplay - 4.7 out of 5
I was really turned off by the gameplay at first. I thought Niko moved very stiffly, his jumping was kind of quirky looking and the fighting system in the game was struggling as well. The driving also didn't appeal to me at first and took some time to get used to. The turning was aweful and it seemed that in order to turn your car decently, you needed to use the emergency break constantly. With that being said, the controls are definitly not the high point of the game, or not for me at least.
We also lose a lot of what we had in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I don't know why Rockstar took these items out of the game but they did. Rockstar left out the use of Bicycles, airplanes, parachutes, lowriders (with hydrolics), customization of your vehicle, working out, different fighting styles and you got way better clothing options in San Andreas then you do GTAIV. The bicycle... I might be able to understand because in my opinion, Niko would just look stupid bmxing down the street, but all the other little tid bits really dissapointed me when I found out that they weren't included.
That is made up for in a huge way though. Grand Theft Auto IV basically allows you to do whatever the hell you want. You can go bowling, shoot darts, play some pool, call your contacts on the in game cellular, street race, and so much more. The possibilities seem to be endless in Grand Theft Auto IV. It's one of the only games where you can partake in the "fun for the whole family" event of drinking and driving. This game definitly leaves your options open and gives you quite a to do list if you get yourself involved enough.
Rockstar has also brought a new cover system to GTAIV which works beautifully with the in game action. There are lots of moments in the game where you'll be facing off with 10+ enemies and this cover system really works nicely for moments like that. GTAIV has to have one of the better cover systems around.
A Nice Look At The New Cover System In GTAIV
Story - 5 out of 5
The Grand Theft Auto series is known for it's immature storylines with loads of comical moments involved. The stories have always been somewhat cliched and as the series grew older, the storylines became somewhat of a been there, done that. That's definitly not the case with GTAIV.
Grand Theft Auto IV gives us a completely new and fresh storyline that everybody can get into. Rockstar brings back the comedy that we've all grown to know and love, but they replace the immature, cliched story with a very mature storyline with loads of adult subject matter.
As far as I can remember, the only character to return from post GTA games is our favorite radio DJ, Lazlow. Other than that, no other reacurring characters come to mind. The new cast is very good though with loads of memorable characters that you'll love instantly *cough* Brucie *cough*.
Niko Enjoying A Nice Wednesday Afternoon In Liberty City
Sound - 5 out of 5
The sound in GTAIV is great. Everything sounds really well in this game from the gunshots to the sound of exhaustion from sprinting for to long. The voice cast here is also top notch and definitly deserves a 5 out of 5.
Graphics - 5 out of 5
The graphics are flawless. Everything looks gorgeous in this game, especially from an up above view in the helicopters. The GTA games have always brought us mediocre looking graphics but not this time around. Rockstar really delivers well to the next-gen.
Typical Niko Bellic
Multiplayer - 5 out of 5
Rockstar went and did it. They brought online multiplayer to the Grand Theft Auto series and it works to perfection. There's 15 online game modes in GTAIV which are split up into three categories (Player Match, Ranked and Party Mode). The game modes consist of Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Team Mafia Work, Team Car Jack City, Cops N' Crooks plus many more. This game is almost worth buying just for the online.
One Of My Favorite Methods To Use While Disposing Of Enemies
Replay Value - 5 out of 5
Just like every Grand Theft Auto game, mostly everybody will be playing through the storyline a few times just for the fun of it. The game is also a keeper if your just into stealing cars and blowing shit up. Definitly a game with some replay value.
Overall - 4.9 out of 5
Overall, Grand Theft Auto IV has definitly become a memorable experience and a fine collection to anybodies library. Most people will definitly find this game enjoyable and worth the buy.
For those of you who want this game but don't know which console to get it for, this might make things a little easier for you on your decision. Now first off, GTAIV looks great and plays great on both systems so BLAM to all you fanboys out there.
Gameplay: Switching from the Playstation 3 version of GTAIV to the Xbox 360 version felt a lot different control wise. The controls on the Xbox 360 version seemed a little stiffer at first when it dealt with steering my vehicle but I eventually got used to it. Other than that, the gameplay is exactly the same. Winner: Playstation 3
Sound: Exactly the same on both consoles. Winner: Both
Graphics: Graphic wise is ALMOST exactly the same. The only minor difference is, the PS3 version has darker shading in some areas which makes it look more realistic I suppose, but it's so unnoticeable that you have to literally be playing each game side by side to even notice the miliscule difference. Winner: Both
Multiplayer: Exactly the same on both consoles. Winner: Both
Downloadable Content: Here is where the huge difference comes into play. I gave my PS3 copy of the game to my friend Patrick and bought the Xbox 360 version just so I could get the DLC. With the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV, you get two exclusive (that's right, Xbox 360 only) episode packs. Yet again, EXCLUSIVE ONLY so you can NOT get these on the PS3 console (which really bummed me out at the time). Winner: Xbox 360
Overall - Xbox 360
Xbox 360 takes the cake for GTAIV only because of the two exclusive episode packs. Other than that, both games are identical and you can't go wrong with either, but in my opinion the Xbox 360 has the best version of GTAIV.
The Grand Theft Auto video game series is known for popularizing the sandbox genre of gaming. Not only that, but it has also become one of the most successful video game series in the history of gaming (with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas at number 9 on the 'Top 20 Console Games of All Time' list selling 17.33 million copies). Grand Theft Auto IV delivers what we all expected and more.
The game has received rave reviews from many video game critics and has also sold millions of copies around the world. It is one of the only games to receive a 10 from IGN in 2008 (the other video game being Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots), and has received a perfect score from many other gaming critics. GTAIV is also the VGA's 2008 Game Of The Year and definitly worth every penny you put into it. Now that I got that out of the way, onto the rating!
Welcome To Liberty City
Gameplay - 4.7 out of 5
I was really turned off by the gameplay at first. I thought Niko moved very stiffly, his jumping was kind of quirky looking and the fighting system in the game was struggling as well. The driving also didn't appeal to me at first and took some time to get used to. The turning was aweful and it seemed that in order to turn your car decently, you needed to use the emergency break constantly. With that being said, the controls are definitly not the high point of the game, or not for me at least.
We also lose a lot of what we had in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I don't know why Rockstar took these items out of the game but they did. Rockstar left out the use of Bicycles, airplanes, parachutes, lowriders (with hydrolics), customization of your vehicle, working out, different fighting styles and you got way better clothing options in San Andreas then you do GTAIV. The bicycle... I might be able to understand because in my opinion, Niko would just look stupid bmxing down the street, but all the other little tid bits really dissapointed me when I found out that they weren't included.
That is made up for in a huge way though. Grand Theft Auto IV basically allows you to do whatever the hell you want. You can go bowling, shoot darts, play some pool, call your contacts on the in game cellular, street race, and so much more. The possibilities seem to be endless in Grand Theft Auto IV. It's one of the only games where you can partake in the "fun for the whole family" event of drinking and driving. This game definitly leaves your options open and gives you quite a to do list if you get yourself involved enough.
Rockstar has also brought a new cover system to GTAIV which works beautifully with the in game action. There are lots of moments in the game where you'll be facing off with 10+ enemies and this cover system really works nicely for moments like that. GTAIV has to have one of the better cover systems around.
A Nice Look At The New Cover System In GTAIV
Story - 5 out of 5
The Grand Theft Auto series is known for it's immature storylines with loads of comical moments involved. The stories have always been somewhat cliched and as the series grew older, the storylines became somewhat of a been there, done that. That's definitly not the case with GTAIV.
Grand Theft Auto IV gives us a completely new and fresh storyline that everybody can get into. Rockstar brings back the comedy that we've all grown to know and love, but they replace the immature, cliched story with a very mature storyline with loads of adult subject matter.
As far as I can remember, the only character to return from post GTA games is our favorite radio DJ, Lazlow. Other than that, no other reacurring characters come to mind. The new cast is very good though with loads of memorable characters that you'll love instantly *cough* Brucie *cough*.
Niko Enjoying A Nice Wednesday Afternoon In Liberty City
Sound - 5 out of 5
The sound in GTAIV is great. Everything sounds really well in this game from the gunshots to the sound of exhaustion from sprinting for to long. The voice cast here is also top notch and definitly deserves a 5 out of 5.
Graphics - 5 out of 5
The graphics are flawless. Everything looks gorgeous in this game, especially from an up above view in the helicopters. The GTA games have always brought us mediocre looking graphics but not this time around. Rockstar really delivers well to the next-gen.
Typical Niko Bellic
Multiplayer - 5 out of 5
Rockstar went and did it. They brought online multiplayer to the Grand Theft Auto series and it works to perfection. There's 15 online game modes in GTAIV which are split up into three categories (Player Match, Ranked and Party Mode). The game modes consist of Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Team Mafia Work, Team Car Jack City, Cops N' Crooks plus many more. This game is almost worth buying just for the online.
One Of My Favorite Methods To Use While Disposing Of Enemies
Replay Value - 5 out of 5
Just like every Grand Theft Auto game, mostly everybody will be playing through the storyline a few times just for the fun of it. The game is also a keeper if your just into stealing cars and blowing shit up. Definitly a game with some replay value.
Overall - 4.9 out of 5
Overall, Grand Theft Auto IV has definitly become a memorable experience and a fine collection to anybodies library. Most people will definitly find this game enjoyable and worth the buy.
PS3 VS. Xbox 360
For those of you who want this game but don't know which console to get it for, this might make things a little easier for you on your decision. Now first off, GTAIV looks great and plays great on both systems so BLAM to all you fanboys out there.
Gameplay: Switching from the Playstation 3 version of GTAIV to the Xbox 360 version felt a lot different control wise. The controls on the Xbox 360 version seemed a little stiffer at first when it dealt with steering my vehicle but I eventually got used to it. Other than that, the gameplay is exactly the same. Winner: Playstation 3
Sound: Exactly the same on both consoles. Winner: Both
Graphics: Graphic wise is ALMOST exactly the same. The only minor difference is, the PS3 version has darker shading in some areas which makes it look more realistic I suppose, but it's so unnoticeable that you have to literally be playing each game side by side to even notice the miliscule difference. Winner: Both
Multiplayer: Exactly the same on both consoles. Winner: Both
Downloadable Content: Here is where the huge difference comes into play. I gave my PS3 copy of the game to my friend Patrick and bought the Xbox 360 version just so I could get the DLC. With the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV, you get two exclusive (that's right, Xbox 360 only) episode packs. Yet again, EXCLUSIVE ONLY so you can NOT get these on the PS3 console (which really bummed me out at the time). Winner: Xbox 360
Overall - Xbox 360
Xbox 360 takes the cake for GTAIV only because of the two exclusive episode packs. Other than that, both games are identical and you can't go wrong with either, but in my opinion the Xbox 360 has the best version of GTAIV.
If you enjoyed this video game review, then check out all the reviews on my blog @ http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?u=226548
