GTA IV is a breathtaking experience people will be talking about for years to come.
Niko Bellic, a Serbian immigrant with a criminal history comes to America in search of the American dream. He finds his cousin Roman had been lying to him, and that he must return to his criminal ways in order to survive.
This game provides just about everything it promised with even more thrown in for good measure. The graphics are above average with detail in areas you wouldn't expect. There are small gameplay additions that make the game feel even more immersive and real, like being able to switch off your car, or ride a trolley. The story and gameplay is absolutely spectacular, with a new cover story and a chance to choose the outcome of certain characters. The game also added a new ragdoll physics engine and advanced hit detection making the game even more of a blast to play. Shooting a man in the arm or leg will cause him to grab at the wound, stumble in the shot direction, and even occasionally provide feedback on the wound (ow my arm!!!). There is also little more fun than causing a drop from a height, whether its someone else, or Niko.
Unfortunately, as much as the game focuses more on story and character as well as the little things, there are some sacrifices that had to be made. There are less cars, missions, and overall space in the game than in San Andreas (of course this might be a good thing as it allows increased detail and better focus on the important matters). There are slight technical issues that have plagued every GTA since GTA III. Some aspects seem unfinished (Such as a cable car that is completely useless, or very little accessory options). When the game is over, there is significantly less to do and less to explore. Gameplay tends to become repetitive in an effort to avoid cartoony unrealistic objectives. With all the extra time during the delay, one thinks RockStar could have finished off some of the more unfinished aspects.
Don't let the negative aspects of the game deter you though. The game coould very well become game of the year, and online is absolutely superb. You could very well spend over 100 hours playing it, and since this is the next-gen equivalent of GTA III, we can only wait for the future downloads and add-ons, ad well as the next gen San Andreas, which will be guaranteed to have everything here as well as everything in San Andreas x10!