Not a hasty 10
Well firstly, let it not be stated enough that GTA IV delivers beyond the precedents of it's immaculate track record. GTA III sent the entire gaming community into a dumbing shock with its staggering freedom, Vice City polished, stylised and improved and San Andreas just exploded, upping the ante in pretty much every sense of the game, and amongst this immense success it's hard to picture how Rockstar could top themselves again. What GTA IV does in it's first roll with the new hardware is a whole lot of recreating, and this is what makes it so special. Rockstar has rightfully broken down and reworked many fundamental elements to the franchise. The resulting product is something that weaves carefree between the classic and the fresh.
Realism appears to be the word of the day. The movement and physics in this regard have had a serious do-over as driving and even walking around feels like there's a lot more gravity to it. Practically, this means that the difficulty, or perhaps the ease of performing certain manoeuvres have been affected as fans of the series will be looking at a bit of time for adjusting to the new realistic feel of the game. Shooting mechanics (which many regarded previously as the weak link in GTA's chain) have now been improved with a new 'Gears of War' style duck and cover system which has greatly deepened the combat, making gunfights way more dynamic and exciting.
But GTA IV's 21st century context blesses it with perhaps the most profound and exciting new feature to the GTA franchise. As much of an anticlimax as this may appear to be, the revolutionary tool I'm talking about is actually Niko's mobile phone. While Vercetti and CJ both had them, what makes them so special this time around is the way Rockstar has deepened and integrated its use to make it as crucial to the game as they are to us in real life. Niko's phone does everything your phone does: receive messages, plant reminders, take photos, form a contacts list, customize themes and ringtones etc. To reveal the devilishly clever ways in which the game's missions utilize your new toy is to spoil much of the fun, suffice it to say you will find it very, very, very cool.
However, let's not neglect some of the disappointing omissions that have confounded some of us. While some features such modding cars, rampages, buying property or the RPG elements are debatable as to whether or not they'll be missed, most fans of the franchise can agree that the omission of garages was a surprise.
What of perhaps the most anticipated new feature of GTA IV, its multiplayer? The transfer of the mayhem you usually wreak solo into the competitive arena signifies a solid and visceral experience that at times can become very exciting. GTA IV's multiplayer component however, is not as essential to its own success as say, COD 4's was to its success, but it's certainly not just a distraction from the single player either. However, the online experience may vary for some. Framerate may dip here and there and dropping out unexpectedly may also be a problem. But when it works, GTA IV's multiplayer component is something exciting that has only been dreamed about until now.
But is it worth all the perfect scores it's cashed in upon the wide impact of its release? It's a superb game, there is absolutely no doubt about that, but after playing, finishing and seeing most things there are to see in the game, I'm left in a position to wonder whether or not this is the right game for such momentous critical appraisal. Now that a few weeks have passed after the release, I also wonder if the 10/10's, the 5 stars and the A++'s were just automatic amongst a thick atmosphere of Rockstar's best franchise on the new hardware. Something that deserves such staggering praise should be absolutely groundbreaking, revolutionary and unimprovable in any way. I don't think GTA IV is quite there. But let's not leave it at that. The game is an absolute rip-roaring ride that makes III, Vice City and San Andreas and the rest of the competition look like Piβwasser, and that right there is something that deserves a hearty round of applause.