Even with an array of technical mishaps getting your way, it still brings out the most believable urban experience ever.
Grand Theft Auto 4 ditches the over-the-top ridiculousness of previous titles in terms of gameplay and story. Gone are the implausible situations the protagonist always gets away from and in exchange comes a more human, realistic, and deeply moving direction in which the story takes different turns and twists along the way.
We now welcome Niko Bellic, a serbian immigrant hoping to fulfill the american dream. But like any other aspirant comes a trade-off, as he immediately learns the untruthful claims of his cousin and gets tangled in the dirty business of money-making. The story though noticeably slow at first, brings out the most memorable character progression of any protagonist in any game. Yes, the game takes time feeding you information and making them available for application. With the central theme of the pursuit for the almighty dollar, Grand Theft Auto 4 stands true as every transaction feels money well spent including the simple leisure of going to a show. Characters are wonderfully written and animated. Even with rounded albeit distinct character models, every human soul Niko gets in touch with brings to life resulting in a very rich and satisfying narrative for which the player gets himself motivated to move on and participate.
Liberty City itself is one behemoth of a recreation. Following the enormous landmass of San Andreas and the full realization of Vice CIty's vibe comes a super cohesive virtual world of Liberty City very different from the one featured in the third game of the series. Streets are wide, buzzing with cars and pedestrians. Vendors call out within a distance ensuring they get the maximum profit they can while vain primadonnas rant loudly with phones held in their ears. Every session feels alive as the dense urban environment continue hustling and bustling. Add to that the imaginative spoofs of entertainment found all around the city and you've got yourself an alternative whenever you think of being sick of your life. Comedy bars feature real life comedians in an exceptional stand-up performance filled with satirical humor and racist ones. Perfectly animated cabaret shows, lengthy TV spoofs and much more never fails to entertain even the most serious of gamers.
The biggest change comes in gameplay however, as this fourth one attempts to ground the universe in humanity. Niko is slow and sluggish, yet perfect behind sights even when blind firing putting to shame the most skillful of a marksman. The addition of taking cover while sometimes irrating, becomes a necessity early on as bullets obliviously rain towards you in an indefinite manner. Firefights become significantly strange and weird as the new RAGE engine transforms the then-blocky executions into seamless and natural motions. Car physics together with handling, collision and damage modelling servers more than just cosmetic effect as car chases become frantic, dangerous and utterly unpredictable.
An assortment of activities scattered across the map stretch the overall longevity of the game to a hulking amount of fun, pleasure and pure action. Random friends existing around the city offer subtle touches to the well-established setting resorting in to a deliver the subtle, the gratuitous and the outrageous.
However, with all the praise comes the shortcomings. The PC port is a technical mess. It is but a disappointment to see the game run at such a sloppy and unplayable rate considering even a decent rig couldn't result in a proper performance.
Never fear though, as this Grand Theft Auto is one if not, the best in the series. With a more simplified, somewhat subtle tone, the story excites effectively as much as it induces the sense of reality of the green pursuit. An exceptional protagonist, a deeply engaging and emotional narrative and a host of numerous miracles gives much testament on how Grand Theft Auto 4 continues the franchise's streak of gaming perfection.