Today I want to look at a game that has received more 10/10’s than I care to count! Who’d have thought that a game that allows you to run people over and shoot them in the face would be so highly praised both critically and commercially? I am of course referring to the greatness that is Grand Theft Auto IV!

Well, at least the cover design hasn’t been completely re-done!

Released in April of 2008 on the XBOX 360 and PS3 and selling 3.6 million units in the first day, Grand Theft Auto IV pretty much re-invented the franchise by taking away the ludicrous things that the previous games added such as jetpacks, purple dildos you can beat people up with, and driving tanks through the city streets, and brought the series back to a more down-to-earth, realistic level.

GTA IV follows Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant, as he arrives in Liberty City to meet up with his cousin Roman, and go in search of the American Dream. Needless to say, when Niko finds out that Roman isn’t the man of riches and luxury he made himself out to be, and that he needs Niko’s help to get him out of ‘financial difficulties’, Niko is less than pleased. This then spirals in the typical Grand Theft Auto game with Niko doing odd-jobs with the various gangs that control Liberty City. One of the greatest things about this game is the non-linear storyline. For example, at certain stages in the game you get a choice of two missions that directly affect each other, and the mission you choose will effect how the story plays out later on! Although the entire world has played the game, I’m not going to reveal the ending in case there’s someone hasn’t actually finished yet… but trust me, the ending is probably one of the best in the series! And, of course, you’ll have your free time to go on killing rampages and take part in some general tomfoolery, just make sure you turn your phone off! As much as having buddies is nice, it should be on a ‘don’t call me, I’ll call you’ basis!

As far as graphics go, it isn’t the most colourful place in Video Game Land, but I suppose that’s a consequence of the ‘realistic theme’, I obviously wasn’t expecting ‘Noby Noby Boy’ bright, but Vice City was pretty colourful! Despite Liberty City being as grey and brown as an old man’s underwear, if you just sit back and go virtual sight-seeing, the city isn’t as ugly as it sounds. The sky and general weather conditions have also been given a major facelift, and look nothing short of sublime! Peoples faces all look a bit off, like they’ve been crushed and re-inflated, but that’s probably the only big graphical deal that has stuck out in my mind.

NEEEEEEEEEEEEKOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The controls haven’t really changed that much from the previous games, as I think they were as near to perfect as you could get without experimenting with things and pissing people off. One thing that they did change, much to my dismay, was the vehicle controls. Those familiar with San Andreas and Vice City will know that the car controls are tight and you can handbrake turn with ease to go around a tough corner, but Rockstar North, again heading towards ‘realism’, decided to make it more like how an actual car would control, if it were driven by an analog stick. All this means is that your first time in a GTA IV car will feel like it’s a goddamn tank, and the handbrake is made out of banana skins. Needless to say that you’ll eventually adapt to the changes, but if you go back to playing one of the earlier games, you’ll find yourself turning in too early and running into walls and policemen, and it would be generally unpleasant for all involved.

I know I’m picking a lot of holes in this game and making rather irrelevant comparisons to the earlier games in the series, but those games (Vice City in particular) were damn near perfect in my eyes, and I wasted many hours of my school days chasing policemen with chainsaws and running around town in a tank. I know many people thought that the series had gone too over the top, and that GTA IV was just what the series needed, but I digress: Different strokes for different folks, I guess! At least I’ll always have Saints Row 2 to give me my semi-regular dose of nonsensical mayhem.

Don’t get me wrong, the game is still fantastic, and I play it on a regular basis… but it just doesn’t feel right! It would be like my sister having a complete face lift: yeah, I’d still love her… but it’s just not the same!

I give this game a solid 8/10!

You’ll never leave me, right?!

PS: I’d talk about the Lost & Damned DLC, but I have the PS3 version of GTA IV!
Editors Note: PWNT.