Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

100 or More Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Instant classic"

Pros:
-Great visuals
-A technical masterpiece
-Good storyline and characters
-Insane amount of gameplay and variety
-Multiplayer is fun
-Driving is solid
-Solid combat system

Cons:
-Checkpoint system could be better
-Not as expansive as past installments
-Cover system is a little clunky

Rockstar has done it again! Grand Theft Auto 4 is a bold and ambitious game that shows off the power of next gen systems, and while there may be a few minor gripes, the overall experience is a must play!

Grand Theft Auto 4 puts you in the role of Niko Bellic, a slavic immigrant to Liberty City who is in search of the American Dream, however he quickly discovers that it might not be all that it's cracked up to be and ends up fighting for his survival in the criminal underworld. Your journey will take you from collecting protection money for local thugs, assassinating targets, bank robberies, full scale gang wars, and more! There is a good amount of variety in Grand Theft Auto 4, making your experience all the more enjoyable. The storyline is quite engaging and filled with strong characters, Rockstar presents the story almost like a movie, every cut scene, every line of dialog is very well done. It feels almost like you are watching a deep movie.

Another aspect that Rockstar has done very well with Grand Theft Auto 4 are it's technical elements, in a word: Masterpiece! From the way the characters walk and move, to the details of the city, from gun sounds and the way they recoil when fired, Grand Theft Auto 4 is a sight to see and play! You have never played a game this advanced before, your jaw will simply hit the floor and stay there. Visually the game is also impressive, the character models are detailed and can portray emotion in their facial features, the city it's self looks quite realistic, and the lighting is dynamic and powerful.

But good visuals are only one aspect, and fortunately Grand Theft Auto 4 has the great gameplay to back it up. Vehicles are easy and smooth to drive, combat is also very well done with shooting and hand to hand being flawless experiences. However the cover system could be a little better, it works but not as well as it should. It's a little sluggish and clumsy, especially in close quarters. But this is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, as the other gameplay aspects work so well. Liberty City is fun to explore and it's packed with things for you to do. You can be a taxi driver, engage in various side missions, go to an internet cafe and search the web, go bowling, and far more.

And while all these aspects are enjoyable, Grand Theft Auto 4 does not feel as expansive as it's past installments. For instance you cannot fly in jets, and the world size is smaller, there are also not as many side activities either. But even though this is a little disappointing, you will still find plenty to keep you busy in Grand Theft Auto 4. Another minor issue is the game's checkpoint system, it tends to restart you at the very beginning of a mission, forcing you to progress all the way back. This can be very frustrating, especially during harder missions.

Outside of the story mode, Grand Theft Auto finally goes online and it's a blast! Simply selecting multiplayer on your phone will give you a variety of different gameplay types, from simple free roam to death match and team death match, heist missions, and more! Joining a game is quick and easy and inviting your friends is a breeze. Grand Theft Auto 4's multiplayer will keep you coming back time and time again.

Grand Theft Auto 4 is as bold as they come, and it will no doubt change the way we play games. It's few issues are very easy to overlook, and it's a game you owe it to yourself to play!

Grand Theft Auto 4 get's a 9/10