GTA has grown up....
You follow Niko Bellic, an immigrant that grew up in the middle of war torn Bosnia, and his path to revenge and perhaps even a fresh start. To do that, he expected to count on his cousin Roman's wealth, mansions, cars... Only to find him living in a slum of an apartment and owning a cab company. From there, follows a path of mob dealings, steroid junkies, jamaicans and a wide variety of crooks, with beautiful Liberty City as a fitting scenario.
You may ask: What has changed since San Andreas and Vice City? For starters, don't expect to fly a harrier, parachute drop off a bike as it flies off a mountain. GTA IV is closer to life on the 'underworld' by maintaining its feet on the ground. Missions are what you could expect from an experienced merc, a freelancer in the mob society. His handling of guns is exceptional, he can drive, he can fly a helicopter. Niko won't invade a military base for the sake of stealing a jetpack, he won't dive with nothing but the air on his lungs to steel a jet fighter in the middle of a navy carrier. Without all those factors, he's the single most charismatic character in GTA history. Let's face it, at the end of San Andreas your character was more similar to Neo from Matrix than anything else. His feats were well beyond his capacity, and the fact that Niko's abilities have been toned down only make him more human, more similar to us. He isn't superman, every bump on the ground takes a bit of your life; his rise within the underground is marked by well placed sorrowful moments, with betrayal at every turn. You'll actually feel saddened by his vulnerability at times.
The realism factor takes down a bit of the trademark dosage of irony within every mission in previous GTAs, and combining it with a city that seems to actually feels alive, makes GTA IV's overall feel simply unique. In previous versions, some missions were driven by sheer humor. It seemed game producers wanted every action your character took to be focused on a ironic version of a real life character, or a real life practice. Here, the humor is also present, but it's spread out more intelligently. From an officer arresting you commenting "Don't worry, your a** will stretch..." to a gay friend near the end of the game running around the park in pink tracksuits. The dialogues are always filled with trademark comments and Niko is a sarcastic man if I've ever seen one. He's got an indifference to most of the trash being through at him, an innocence to regular customs of western society, that make him a cool, easy-minded individual, happy to just lay on the background and let the others do the talking. In my view, a positive change from the character-centered plots before. He's a tool, he knows it, and as long as he's being paid, he doesn't mind.
Visually, GTA IV is simply stunning. The fact that you drool over the poorer parts of the city (where you start) only amounts for the sheer attention to details this game provides. If allowed enough time, Niko will always put on a helmet when getting on a bike. Going down a flight os stairs means going one step at a time (or the occasional jump), a change from the usual game, where stairs were usually just pretty ramps. Your car can break in a immensely divirsified way. When you fire your gun from the car you'll automatically break the driver seat's window. When stealing a car, you can actually use the gun to persuade the driver more effectively, and if the car is parked and locked (a lot more common than previous versions) Niko will either kick or elbow the window until it smashes, taking his time to hot-wire it, or, if the car is old, trying again and again to start it. You'll pay tolls, eat hot-dogs, change clothes, date women, hang out with friends at pubs, restaurants, strip-clubs; playing darts, pool, or simply hang out at your house... There's a ton of things to do in Liberty City, and you'll enjoy every moment of them.
The city is a show on its own. The high number of cabs, (which you can actually take, not only steal), the train and subway stations, the traffic, feels real life. For instance, in traffic, chaos is the rule. Many are the times you'll speed through a highway only to be hurled off your bike because a car took a sharp turn. Countless times during mission chases you'll end up meeting the front of a bus, or a cab as it stops to drop off a passenger. Drivers are as infuriating as the ones on real life. From industrial areas filled with gas tubes (try taking a shot at one and just enjoy the fire coming out of the hole you just did), to a central downtown metropolis with a 'Central Park' in which you can see people jogging, chatting or practicing Tai Chi, Liberty City is more than a scenario, it's a character.
Gameplay has been dramatically improved, and gun fights are now not only more fun, but more realistic. The cover system works brilliantly and while confusing (at least to me) at first, it becomes almost an instinct on later portions of the game. Driving has become more realistic, and as frustrating as ever, with the usual race or chase mission providing the basis for the game.
Audio/Radio-wise, well... Lazlo's back, and while his show is not nearly as funny as the one on San Andreas or even GTA III (PLR, the public radio doesn't come close to the public radio at San Andreas, and eventually it becomes quite repetitive). The songs are trully varied in different styles ranging from jazz, through reggae, hip-hop, russian music, all the way to rock 'n roll. Every gun sounds different, ever fall every step sound more reallistic.
Few games are deserving of a perfect score. For having a perfect character, with a perfect scenario, with great visuals and cool sound tracks, not to mention a fantastic plot and vastly improved gameplay, GTA IV is one of those games. I've just finished, and my fingers are twitching to start anew. Time to pay another visit to Mr. Bellic.