User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2272 Ratings

User score distribution:

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  1. Nov 9, 2012
    5
    The biggest problem with the game is the controls. Could they have made driving not feel like a chore? And because they put the cheat system in the phone, its very difficult to access. San Andreas is better because it had more weapons, better controls, and better cheats. San Andreas has a jetpack and flying cars cheats and other great ones. Does GTA 4 have any of this? No.
  2. Apr 16, 2012
    0
    I don't understand the reason for that all the people love this awful game, the story is different in all the games, but all the games be same, kill, kill, kill, and kill this game is boring, Rockstar Games do better things, but GTA is one of the most boring sagas.
  3. Sep 27, 2010
    6
    3 steps foward now 3 steps back . thats the best way i can describe GTA4 . the series since GTA 3 for the PS2 was ground breaking and with GTA VC and GTA SA it was pushing foward . although by the time i got to playing GTA SA i felt the series growing alittle stale in its story mode . so when i heard Rockstar was gona try and make GTA4 abit more fresh in it story mode i couldnt wait to see what they where gona try . when i got the game and played it for awhile i was amazed how much they removed from this game . it felt like they stripped it down . all the new guns they where adding in the series are now back to the same gun selection as GTA3 . you are in the same city as GTA 3 and story just feels the same . you are just some guy who is trying to take over the city . most of the missions feel recycled . you have less vehicles in prevous GTA games . they finnaly started adding more flying vehicles in this game in GTA VC and GTA SA but now in GTA 4 we are down to just a helicopter. why are the going backwards? the new stuff they did add just didnt feel like it worked or belonged. like you can now make friends and can hang out with them which if you wana keep them happy you have to do. which for being a cut throat russian who is tryin to take over a city why the hell would you be doing that? The games graphics i thought looked pretty good not ground breaking but did its job. the online mode was ok had ALOT of different game modes to choose from . none of the game modes i felt are any thing long lasting but kept me entertained for a week or so . the most fun i had was the free roaming co op me and friends had alot of fun starting a war with the cops and seeing how long we could survive. though it makes you wish they had a story mode co op how cool could this game coulda been if you and 4 buddys coulda played through the story mode like that? i woulda probubly given this game atleast a 8 if it had that. the game as is i felt was just ok felt to recycled in the end and nothing new and exciting was really added to it . for a next gen GTA game i was really hoping they would try and redifine GTA . i dont know how this beat out Fall out 3 for GOTY. i hope rockstar does a better job with GTA5. Expand
  4. May 27, 2012
    6
    This game is so overated. The game is a technical marvel, but its not very fun. Going around, doing pretty much the same thing over and over again. Driving and shooting, and the shooting isnt very well implemented. Technical wise, I'd rate this game a 10, but fun wise i give it a 6.
  5. Feb 6, 2013
    8
    I don't see this game as the "Pinnacle of Gaming" that many reviewers claim it to be. Nor do I hate it for not being exactly that as many disillusioned fanboys have ranted. I see this game to be exactly what it is: Just another GTA game. Great visuals, great characters, great writing, and exactly what you expect a GTA game to be. Overall: Another great entry into the GTA series, that entertains, but just doesn't add too much new to the formula. A shame in that regard as you can see the potential is there. Hopefully GTA 5 will learn from this and try to be a bit more daring. Expand
  6. Dec 5, 2011
    6
    If you like any of the previous GTAs do not buy. They've taken loads of stuff out it's basically GTA 3 without the fun stuff and side missions. There's no fun in rampages anymore. The story isn't very good and missions are all the same and not humorous. However, if you are new to the sereis or did not enjoy San Andreas, this is the game for you if you want nothing but a average length story. The online has lots of choice but is fundamentally flawed due to the control scheme. I understand that this is next-gen so it's inevitably not going to be as complete as San Andreas in terms of single-player content, but the game doesn't feel like it's the greatest game of all time. 98/100 is very much overrated and unjustified. It adds nothing new to the already crowded sandbox genre. The online has co-op as well as competitive, but none of the modes are particularly fun or good quality, and there are a few glitches and technical issues with the game engine both online and single player. The entire single player content is just story based, with little to do other than pigeons, and you can't spend money on anything but weapons, which have no use anyway since you can't use them for anything but the story. The map doesn't feel well-made either, with every island and building just copied and pasted over and over again. There's no variety in the missions, map or level design. The story doesn't feel engaging either, and the lack of depth is another issue. It appears that Rockstar have focused almost entirely on the game engine rather than the game itself. Even if we ignore the San Andreas comparison and the fact that it has GTA in the title, this game is still not worthy of anything above 90. OK despite the auto-aim the action is good. The co-op game modes especially are straightforward killing. Yes, there is little skill in the gun-on-gun gameplay competitively, but it's still fun because at least there's recoil, so it's not just about who gets first shot off. The cars and driving are much improved, despite the frankly abysmal attempt at making the physics "realistic". Hitting a curb at like 50mph makes your car do 3 barrel rolls, for example. There are a number of glitches and technical issues surrounding the game too, so it does feel like an old-school sandbox game. The radio stations all suck because the music is terrible, but the chat shows and ads make a worthy return. The city itself is very lackluster. There's no variety like in San Andreas. It's not a bad attempt- certainly much better than the Liberty City of the GTA 3 era but most of the map never gets used; partly due to the lack of side missions and mostly because of the main story missions. The achievement "Liberty City Minute" sums this game up. I completed the story and side missions (excluding collectibles) in 28 hours. Despite this, I didn't feel that Nico had gone on an adventure. The story was just not up to scratch even for a normal game, let alone a Grand Theft Auto. The missions/what you do are AVERAGE for a GAME, and beyond attrocious for a Grand Theft Auto. Rockstar's creativity has completely gone out the window. In every respect, even as a game- let alone a Grand Theft Auto- GTA IV is mediocre. The online is decent but GTA is all about the single player experience. Rockstar have thrown away their creativity, variety and originality. I bought this game expecting an even bigger revolution than San Andreas. What I got was a longer than average shooter for a campaign and A miniscule 28 hours single player experience when San Andreas could easily offer triple that even without collectibles. As a shooter, as a game, as a GTA, this game is a dissapointment however you see it. Nobody can justify 98/100. No-one. Even if this game came out before San Andreas it'd deserve less than 90. GTA IV had big shoes to fill, but has failed. There's no question about it. If you truly had even the slightest attachment to San Andreas or even Vice City, you will realise what I'm saying is so true. You can't possibly think this game was NOT a disapointment if you are a true fan of the series. Of course nobody can deny that GTA IV is a good game. But it's impossible to not make comparisons and throw away expectations and past experiences. when reviewing such a highly rated and anticipated game. Expand
  7. Nov 18, 2012
    9
    Rockstar have a reputation of creating great open world games, with worlds that feel alive and interesting stories. Enter Grand Theft Auto IV, the first in the long running GTA franchise to be released for Xbox 360 & PS3. You play as Niko Bellic, a European immigrant searching for a new life with his cousin in the land of opportunity. Unfortunately for them both they live in Liberty City, Romans gambling addiction gets him and Niko in some deep **** and digs up the past Niko tried to leave behind. Yet another amazing game from Rockstar and another great GTA title Expand
  8. man
    Sep 9, 2011
    10
    Hands down THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED!!!This game is perfect in every department:Story,gameplay,shooting,driving,graphics,characters,and soooo much more!This is by far the best GTA game since Vice City and of course the best in the franchise.The missions are always new and fresh,as well as all of the characters you encounter.I truly hope this game will never be forgotten and will go down as one of the greatest games in gaming history,along with others such as the Halo franchise,Call of Duty franchise,and so much more!If you play any game at all in your life,make sure GTA4 is at the top of your list.I HIGHLY recommend it!So do yourselves a favor,buy this game and don't just play it,live in it!!! Expand
  9. Nov 29, 2012
    10
    You know, as a lifelong fan of this game, I can't help but getting a rock hard boner for this game. I mean, holy **** Some games follow, this game leads. If video games could lead, this would be like Abraham Lincoln or some ****
  10. Jan 17, 2012
    7
    overhyped,overrated. Also, xbox version looks like a donkey's butthole. Its not a bad game, but many of GTA IV's missions are pretty bland. The game gets points for good voice acting, and having a relatively large open world. I would have rated it an 8, but damn, the graphics are bad on xbox.
  11. Aug 8, 2012
    5
    GTA IV was good, I enjoyed playing and spent a good couple of days on it, however it wasn't enough of an improvment to GTA: San Andreas, they even removed the things that made that game great, you run slower and with seemingly less control, a car tapping your leg deals you damage, which is really annoying, they removed the availability to use planes, and the world was smaller. The two DLC stories weren't that good either, mediocre stories that cleared up only one or two scenarios in the main game, overall, they removed more than they added. Expand
  12. Apr 10, 2012
    10
    I was thinking of giving this game a 8 at first but then I thought: Hey, it has its corners, but I havent had so much fun since MW3 campaign! Well, that wasnt so long ago, but yes, this is a great game and its a shame that I completed it in 2012. There are some bugs, of which some can even spoil the game a bit, but if you restart a mission everything works again. Weird? Niko has some nice animations, but his run is hard to control and it happened to me to fall of a building just because that bastard didnt know how to steer. Missions are insanely fun, although predictable in the end of the game. They also added some unlinearity which made me to choose in the end of the game. My decision made me cry in the end of the game. I dont want to have spoiler alert so I wont tell what happened. I also miss airplanes, but i think that I can live without them. Much more things were added that balance the missing stuff from San Andreas. Cant wait for GTA V! Expand
  13. Mar 12, 2011
    10
    GTA IV is an excellent game with a great story and characters.It still retains much of its originality,but in a much more mature way.It does have plenty of shortcomings,but not many will care.
  14. Aug 21, 2012
    5
    this game is such a downgrade from san andres there are barely any weapons the characters are annoying the map isnt that good or big its too realistic the mini games are boring the cover system is bad and there is nothing to do in the game after you complete the story on the bright side the shooting is better in this game because it actually uses the trigger buttons instead of the O and or B button the online play is also fun and a good addition with a bunch of different modes and when you shoot people in the game where ever the bullet hits affects the person but this game is very lackluster compared to earlier installments if wasnt for multiplayer and the gun physics id give this a 0 Expand
  15. Mar 12, 2012
    10
    As with previous GTA games, this one is packed with hours of action adventure fun in a sandbox that you can call yours. Shoot an old lady, blow up a helicopter, have complete fun causing a mini apocalypse. Make sure you buy the add ons for even more fun. Lost and damned and Ballads of gay tony. This game is yes, a step back from GTA SA, like no planes, no realistic clothing changing, no getting fat, no swimming underwater, etc, but its uber fun. Do you play online? This game is online and is SUPER fun. Wreck havoc on complete random strangers. Expand
  16. Jan 28, 2013
    10
    Just in case you haven't played it yet and you were wondering if the game is still worth playing even though it's five years years old now. Yes. This game is so detailed and more expansive than anything else on the market as of today. Even though the animated characters aren't on par with today's models, the voice acting is top notch and the storyline pulls you along for quite a raunchous adventure of betrayal and revenge. You'll be looking at a total of 90 missions, give or take, so expect a game that will take you a month to play. I found myself liking all of the characters that my protagonist associated with and the main character himself. Outstanding game that only has a drawback on the "save game" issue where if you have to start a mission all over again, you can expect to spend a lot of time just retracing your path to start the mission again. If you haven't played it, now is a perfect time because you can get the two expansions with the main story for only a quarter of the cost of a new game. Expand
  17. Mar 1, 2012
    10
    GTA IV (along with Uncharted 2,3) is the best game this gen!! I dont care what people say... This game is a masterpiece! It deserves all the praise it gets
  18. Apr 28, 2012
    10
    One of the best games i've ever bought. I got this game for $20 4 years after release, but it still seems worth $60. Great classic GTA gameplay, great character (Niko) with a little touch of too much inappropriateness. This game is a must buy today, tomorrow, or anytime. I'll still be playing this game after the GTA 5 release
  19. Apr 26, 2011
    10
    10/10 = Masterpiece = Don't even get me started. I'll just leave it as . . . MY FAVORITE VIDEO GAME OF ALL-TIME!!
  20. Mar 6, 2012
    10
    One of the best games this gen! , I cant believe how some people gave this game such low scores! Its an AWESOME! game.. I recommend this game to every "REAL" gamer out there
  21. Dec 3, 2011
    10
    Grand Theft Auto IV is amazing, not only is this the best GTA game I've ever played but also one of the greatest games I've ever played. GTA IV gives an experience that is unforgettable. You control a serbian immigrant by the name of Niko Bellic who has come to Liberty City (much reminiscent to New York City) to have a better life, however his life is not easy. Niko Bellic is an interesting character, he underlines the struggle to get out to the top, Bellic captures the mood of GTA IV and he shows that there aren't just gangs or the rich but also people trying to start over again. Niko is unlike the other GTA protagonists because he is not a part of a gang, he is a man of his own that is just trying to survive and he does not keep any connections to the gangs. The story of GTA IV is amazing, one of the best storylines I have ever seen, the story will keep you captivated till the end with options that affect how the story plays out. Liberty City is an amazing place, the city is vast and huge with many interactable aspects, Liberty City is full of life with all the different types of people and all the different things you can do in the game. The last big GTA game was San Andreas, San Andreas may have allowed you to do a few more things but the story, the graphics, and the way you approach things is what makes GTA IV outshine San Andreas. The playability of GTA IV is like any other GTA game, the controller and the player become one, outside of story missions you can do whatever you want with contributes to game completion. Overall GTA IV is an amazing game, all the good aspects of the game come together to deliver this monster of a game, there are like virtually ZERO flaws in the game, that is amazing. GTA IV deserves to be one of the greatest games of all time, it smashes it's competition and it deserves the "Game of The Year 2008" Award. GTA IV is a memorable experience that is unforgetable that not only leaves it's mark in the GTA series but in the history of gaming. Breakdown for "Grand Theft Auto IV": Presentation: 10, Graphics: 10, Sound: 10, Gameplay: 10, Lasting Apeeal: 10, Verdict: 10 out of 10 "Masterpiece" Easily the best game I have ever played. Expand
  22. Nov 5, 2012
    10
    It truly smashed the hype and shocked the critics. GTA IV is a game that MUST be experienced even if you haven't liked the game in the past... And what's better is that there is more to come. The DLC will be here around August and we can't wait!!!
  23. Apr 29, 2011
    10
    I don't understand how anyone who is a fan of this particular style of genre, or anyone who enjoys gaming occasionally, cannot like Grand Theft Auto IV. It gives you the freedom to do absolutely anything you want, and gives you the tools to do it. The missions are fun and interesting, the array of guns and cars to choose from is amazing, and the sheer size of the map is something I have never seen before. I cannot wait for the next Grand Theft Auto to come out. Expand
  24. Mar 26, 2012
    10
    Grand Theft Auto IV & Red Dead Redemption are probably my two favorite games. I really don't understand how anyone could rate this poorly... Rockstar makes the best games.
  25. Sep 21, 2010
    8
    My first Grand Theft Auto game and, with that being said, I liked it. I don't think it's the best game ever but pretty enjoyable and will keep you busy for a while. The good: the story is excellent, Liberty City is huge, great music, and voice acting is excellent as well. The bad: no reason to explore LC, driving takes a while to get used to, the penalty for failure is very high, combat is meh, and I could never get multiplayer to work. All in all, I recommend a purchase for this. These days it's pretty cheap and you get a lot of bang for your buck and the story is worth experiencing. Expand
  26. May 7, 2013
    10
    Maybe my all time best game. sure the game has flaws, but it barely affect me enjoying every minute in this game. I got the key to city achievement, took me like forever, but at the end I just like to do this meaningless collective things in this game, mainly because i like to drive around the city. The combat/gunplay is not topnotch, but I dont care, the game just has massive other things to do than shooting. I gave the time a 10, maybe a little overrated. I don't think in any way this game is a perfect 10, but I just cannot think of any game is better than this, therefore, after comparison, IMO, this is how a 10 score game should like... Expand
  27. Dec 29, 2012
    0
    Don't get the hype, there is nothing "revolutionary" about this game. All I experienced was an extremely dull game with often repetitive missions and monotonous combat.
  28. Nov 25, 2011
    5
    GTA IV wasn't as good as people were making it out to be. The game lost it's sense of fun and humor for the sake of realism and it ended up being boring. The cars drove like a ton of bricks, the graphics while good made areas of the game way too dark, even with the brightness turned right up.

    The multiplayer while fun at first became very boring after a few weeks.

    I play games for fun an
    d GTA IV is not fun. I recommend playing Saints Row 2 & 3 instead. Expand
  29. Jan 19, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. GTA IV was the most disapointing thing in video game history. I mean how much more could you possibly screw the entire GTA game well the unfortunate reality between the GTA IV UNIVERSE is that it will be around forever it will never go away. For someone who is under 20 says his least favourite game in the series was Vice City because you couldn't swim in it ? Then I suggest you stop reading this before I carefully explain how much of an idiot you are. 1: THE CHARACTERS, the protagonist in IV is Niko Bellic now lets look at the first mistake (Bellic) wow I didn't know that in East Europe they use double letters the correct spelling would be "Belić" with a "ch" sound. And the first thing happens Niko's cousin Roman starts to talk to him in English, is Roman a retard why don't they talk in their language that makes, no sense. Everybody in this game is the same EXAMPLE: everyone calls Niko an Immagrant, or they keep calling him slav, what the hell is wrong with being an Immigrant or a Slav seriously or everybody don't fasten their seatbelts ever heard of safety and every cop in the game is fat and stupid. 2: THE STORY, the story is about Niko trying to escape from his past and get revenge, um thats the exact thing in every GTA why keep copying the same thing its stupid. 3: GAMEPLAY, this was a huge problem because it has nothing in it new like what about all the activity's in SAN ANDREAS they dropped all that, so lets be clear about this the first 2 GTA'S were top to down games and then the biggest improvement it became a 3D game and then years again they made another huge improvement like swiming and all those activitys and now they dropped all that out. 4: LITTLE JACOB, now this guy is something called a "JAR JAR BINKS" everything he says makes no sense but somehow Niko understands him and somehow Niko knows english already and knows every location in the city how F'd up is that. 5: THE GLITCHES, when I was chased by the cops and I was low on health, I was so close of escaping until I hit something it turns it was an invisible wall, and I died, but don't worry I'll respawn. 6: GTA TRIES TO BE SAINTS ROW, not only did this game came out in the same year as SR2 but it should have been called SRIV because how retarded the game is, people falling out of their cars, fat cops, retarded radio guy and all other that could only mean it tried to more crazier than SR. 7: THE ENDING, Niko is given a choice between killing Dimitri, or working for him, this is so retarded why would Niko want to work with him after all that has happened, I mean do you think CJ would work with Tenpenny after all he did, no he wouldn't, so if Niko kills Dimitri, the old blind idiot will kill Niko's friend and eventually Niko kills him at the end, and if Niko does the deal then a bald guy says "A GIFT FROM DIMIRTI" is the hitman a retard as well you should know better first shot him then talk, but Niko makes the guy kill Roman, YAYAYAYA, and then Niko with the help of Jar Jar, overwhelm Dimitri's people and Niko kills him, it is more boring than it sounds. Now the good things about the "game" is the Theme song that's the only thing good the only thing I hope GTA V will do better. 3/10 Expand
  30. Apr 25, 2013
    9
    Although it may not contain the amount of variety that was provided by San Andreas (which is still the best in the series) it excels in creating a living, breathing open world environment which has not been matched until the release of Skyrim. A must own for GTA fans, open world fans or fans of great games in general
  31. Oct 4, 2011
    9
    Story: 7
    Characters: 10
    Graphics: 7
    Setting: 10
    Multiplayer: 8
    Soundtrack: 10
    Audio: 8
    Gameplay: 7
    Re-Playability Value: 10
    Fun Factor: 10

    Score: 8.7/10 = A
  32. Nov 13, 2012
    6
    I suppose I understand the appeal of these open world games but some games are not for everyone. I have never been a fan of GTA or Saint's Row and this is not changing my mind. It's boring. Good story, bland gameplay. The humor kept me going
  33. May 27, 2012
    10
    A solid 30 hour+ story mode with a compelling plot, diverse and interesting characters and a beautiful, well designed world, the vehicles handle well (with the exception of the ridiculously easy to fall off motorcycles) and the new cover-based action works perfectly and seems a natural evolution for the series. The online free roam mode is endless fun with friends (seriously, four years on my friends and I are still playing this game). All that's left to do is to compare it to the previous instalment, San Andreas. And honestly, I'm not sure where I stand on this front. The gameplay is smoother and more workable than ever before. The story and characters more interesting. But the map is too generic when compared to the huge-scale, diverse behemoth that was San Andreas, and the upbeat, slightly comical elements of the gameplay and story are almost entirely obliterated in favour of a more moody, darker tone. Above all else, I like the main character, he has depth, which is a trait that no main character in the numerous previous titles possessed, he doesn't kill unnecessarily (well, not unless I make him) and when he does it is with remorse, unlike, say, CJ from San Andreas, who as I recall pushed someone into a hole and buried him under cement for no apparent reason, moments like that just made me sick. So yeah, A f*cking good game that's more than worthy of a buy (It's cheep as chips now too, so the least you can do is snag it for a few bucks in preparation for GTA V) Expand
  34. Dec 11, 2010
    10
    I've never played a GTA game before, but htis blew me away. A very meaningful and movign story, a great lead character with one hilarious cousin, tie in a love interest and it make for one great game. The driving feels very nice and realistic, and the piles of extra things to do in Liberty City means you'll never get bored, whether it's hanging out with your friends or going for gold in a street race its just pure fun. The gun-play is solid and the chase sequences between you and the police (Or you chasing after someone else) is exilherating. Mulltiplayer is incredibly fun with Liberty City being your batleground was one kick-ass idea, and the wide spread of game modes is awesome, and free-mode is very fun. This is a Must-Buy in my book. Buy this now, and if you hate this game then your either a paranoid parent or a sad little chiild who can't get any kills in multiplayer. Expand
  35. Nov 12, 2011
    1
    A definate step backwards from my personal fave San Andreas. I really don't understand how this crap got a positive score from the "Critics" bunch of shills they are. This is one of the most overated games of all time and I love GTA, but this game is a solid step backwards right into a pile of dog S*it.
  36. Feb 14, 2013
    9
    Laugh at me if you want, I just bought this game from Best Buy because one of my friends convinced me to buy the game saying that the game was good and I had to try it out. I really didn't know what to expect going into GTA 4. When I put the game in, I was blown away how pretty the game looked and this is the first game I've played where I love most of the characters in the story. Niko is a the main protagonist who went to America from Russia to seek a new life. While in Liberty City, a fictional city in Los Angeles, he meets up with his cousin Roman. Roman is a funny character that's in major debt to Loan Sharks. Niko must help his cousin out. While trying to help out his cousin, he meets a girl named Michelle and wants go out with her, but is side-lined from all the work he is doing to help Roman. The characters that you meet early in the game have their own personality instead of being carbon copies of other characters in the game. I have not gotten far into the campaign, but I really enjoy the game and hope I have more fun with it later on. I encourage you to buy this game. Expand
  37. Aug 24, 2010
    10
    Sure the shooting controls aren't perfect but overall the story and the missions make the game awesome. It's a well-crafted game. I completely agree with score it got.
  38. Oct 13, 2010
    10
    GTA IV has to be one of the best of the games. It delivers a story of Niko, an illegal immigrant with a dark past who arrives in Liberty City (An extremely-detailed recreation of New York.) at the bottom of the food chain and takes up work with his cousin, Roman, and the local mobs. At the start of the game you'll be doing tedious, boring missions that are usually along the lines of transporting someone or beating up some guy. But eventually the game hands you a gun and tells you to shoot the living f**k out of enemies in certain places, or chase after enemies AND THEN shoot the f**k out of them. While that might sound like it would get boring, it never does. The aiming system is great, and the cover system is even better. Plus, the game unlocks new areas for you as you play through the story. If you don't feel like playing through the story, that's okay, because the game features the classic GTA free-roaming that the series is known for. Tired of doing missions? That's cool, go grab yourself a shotgun and go a on a killing spree. Feeling like getting away from the cops? Go over and steal yourself a helicopter and fly into a non-unlocked area, you get an instant five-star wanted level. No matter what you do, this game will provide entertainment. Play this game. Expand
  39. Aug 14, 2010
    9
    The game isn't perfect, nothing is, but this rating by the CoDFather himself is really 9.8. The cheats are really good, the phone feature, the weapons, the storyline, all as realistic as any game ever was! Betrayal, friendship, drugs, blood, sex, money, all in the big city! What can be more realistic?! A game of the year by many companies including Gameinformer! The endless things you can do, the endless lists of combinations and things to do with fun and time- wasting events. A game of the century! Expand
  40. Oct 2, 2010
    6
    It lacks everything that San Andreas was and whenever they make a new GTA of course it has to live up the expectations of the last game. I feel like it went a step backwards. The city is dull and forgettable, Niko is boring, barely customizable and every other character is painfully plain. The DLC titles however, are amazing, instead of GTAIV, i would suggest buying the The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, as they define what a GTA game should be.. unique and a hell of a lot of fun. Expand
  41. Sep 23, 2010
    9
    After nearly eleven years of ups and downs, Rockstar has nailed it. This is the ultimate Grand Theft Auto experience, a powerhouse performance that will leave you clamoring for more, long after you've completed its story.
  42. Nov 25, 2010
    8
    This game has a great story and is very fun to play through once or twice or just mess around with codes on and blow things up. That said, after you beat it you'll probably only play through it once more and even then you may never touch it again. The multiplayer is there, but it feels really disconnected, and literally, you're often disconnected. It's a good game, worthy of the franchise, but it's not the best game ever. Expand
  43. Sep 17, 2011
    10
    The best game that I've ever played. You won't spend less than 30 hours in the amazing campaign, and there's plenty to do in Liberty City and in the well-added multiplayer. Graphics are not Crysis, but are perfectly okay. Car driving is easy and awesome as in other GTA games. I have more pleasure to play this game than any other, and while I was playing this, time flew. MUST BUY.
  44. Apr 28, 2013
    9
    The number 1 rated game on metacritic,I can see why.This game has awesome combat,fun mini-games and really cool veichles.I can't wait to see what they do in GTA 5.
  45. Mar 10, 2012
    10
    The Graphics Of This Game Is Just Unbelievable. The Gameplay is Amazing, The Sound, Lighting, And Effects Make Sound Like Your In The Game. Buy This Game Now. You Wont Regret it. I Can garuantee. I Just Keep Playin And Playin This Everyday.
  46. Mar 6, 2013
    10
    Great and almost funny game. Great why because its part of the GTA series and its one of the best in the series. Funny why because just some of the things Nico (the character) says. Also there are so many things your able to do like steal a car, a helicopter, or even steal a garbage truck or ice cream truck.
  47. May 17, 2012
    8
    What a great game, funny story, amazing graphics, interesting world to explore, lots of cool side quests like racing.

    The only negatives are the awkwardness of aiming, and somewhere near the end the storyline missions get harder and boring. But by that point I had already played for 50 or so hours, so clearly the rest of the game was fun.
  48. Nov 5, 2012
    10
    BY FAR!!!!!!!!!! one of the best games i have ever played in a long time!!!!! seriously can't wait for the release of gta v !!! but by the mean time i would just try to wait till it comes out but for now i'd just keep playin dis one!!!
  49. Apr 16, 2013
    5
    Holy hot hell what is with all these inflated reviews of this game?! The game was distinctly average at best! The best thing in this game is playing it multiplayer and just messing around with some friends. Except for that, this game was good, but not the best. San Andreas was the best of the series, this one was probably the worst.
  50. Aug 18, 2011
    6
    The graphics are good, voice acting is bad (I mean Russian accents), cutscenes look bad, no checkpoints in missions, fun to explore the city. Basically, this is just above average open world game, Just Cause 2 is better.
  51. Oct 5, 2011
    9
    I will be totally honest GTA 4 was the game that made me buy the Xbox 360 and after beating the game twice I have come to the conclusion that it was totally worth it. First of they have made some changes to the gameplay some fans of GTA may like it some may not. I think it was a great idea to make these changes and make the game more realistic rather than using the same formula Rockstar has been using for the previous GTAs. They have added a new physics engine which will be in effect while driving and walking, if you get hit by a car whe nyou are walking you fall down and get hurt, if you are driving roughly and crash into a wall or tree you may fall out of your car hurt, if you are driving a bike roughly and you crash than you may land on your head which may result in instant death. Some people may find this annoying but I for one thought these changes were executed pretty well and adds more realism and a real life feel to the game. The wanted level system has also been worked where you have to escape a region in which the cops are looking for you to escape them, going to pay and spray when you are visible to the cops will not work and if you start violence for no reason on the streets with no cops around the cops will still be alerted about your actions. Other additions are the use of the cell phone that you can use to call friends, girl friends and 911, the Internet which has fake websites which the player can use to browse some information, do some side missions or find a date. You can also hang out with you friends there a good number of places to go however they have their tastes and preferences if you improve your relationship with them you will be allowed to call them to help you or provide some services in different situations, all this is alot similar to the dates in San Andreas it is just that conversations are more deep and engaging this time around. The game's shooting has also been improved with improved camera angles, targeting system and controls along with the cover system and the enemies also react differently upon where you shoot them. This improvement definitely made the shootouts in the game more fun and realistic than the previous GTA games. The player can also hire cabs or call for a cab in order to get around faster around the city. Sadly all the vehicle missions have almost been completely removed and replaced with the Cop side missions however cop side missions this time around are more in depth, longer and more challenging. Along with all this the game also has some racing missions. The side stuff in this game despite being fun and very realistic is far less than it was in San Andreas. A multiplayer mode is in the game and it is far better than the one in San Andreas and has a good number of fun modes to keep the player's interest in the game. The game's story is also very well written and engaging and all the game's characters have a different and interesting personality, the main protogonist of the game Niko Bellic specially is a very deep and interesting character with a badass personality and an awesome accent. The voice acting once again has been done really well like most of the rockstar games the actors are into their characters. The sound effects are also more realistic this time around. The music despite being good is a let down compared to previous games but there is still enough variety in the radio stations and good number of songs to keep the player's interest. The graphics are alot more detailed and realistic, the characters models look alot more detailed and realistic, their animations are also much better and environments look extremely real and the shadow, night and daylight effects have also been very well done. This game is the only GTA game to have graphics that are this realistic and detailed. Definitely the best looking GTA game ever hands down. The game's main story will take the player around 20-25 hours in the first playthrough but after that there are enough side missions and side stuff to hold the player's interest and the game's main story also has alot of replay value specially considering the fact that you get to make some decisions during the missions which is an amazing additions and exactly something which the previous GTA games needed add to that the well done multiplayer mode which the player can spend a long time on without getting bored. Therefore the game's replay value and lasting appeal is very high. Overall GTA 4 is an amazing game and definitely one the best GTA and Sandbox games ever made. 9.5/10 Collapse Expand
  52. Mar 13, 2011
    4
    I have never encountered a game so over hyped on Metacritic before. Okay, so this game has lots of content, but the quality is **** Bad graphics (lighting is most problematic), terrible voice acting (woe betide Jamaicans, I can't understand a single thing they say in this game), poor design (start a mission-get shot-die-start over-cycle repeats). You get my drift. Just because a game has prostitutes in it does not warrant it to automatically have high reviews! Collapse
  53. Mar 25, 2011
    10
    A very good game. The story line is good, the physics are good, the characters are well planned out and have very good voice acting, and the AI is almost perfect except there are some bugs and some ways to trick them. The multiplayer is also somewhat fun, I played hours on end on multiplayer alone.

    The game is worth the money.
  54. Feb 7, 2012
    0
    One word: PATHETIC.
  55. Nov 23, 2012
    2
    Most overrated game of all time! this game sucks so bad. I only paid 20 bucks for it and I feel like I have been ripped off. San Andreas is way better this game is so bad it shouldn't be allowed to have the GTA name. I would recommend Saints row 3 if you like the past GTA's. Rockstar should be ashamed.
  56. Apr 7, 2011
    8
    Instant classic, tons of missions, fun gun play and great car chases. The story is great and this game is brutal in a classic rock star way. A few let downs about this game, no garages to store more than two cars, no gym to change appearance, and a few other things that were left out that I liked in the other gta series. But its still a great game overall.
  57. Apr 11, 2011
    10
    Grand Theft Auto IV is most likely the pinnacle of action sandboxers this console has seen. And it may even remain as one, as GTA III did before it. The story is brilliant - it has multiple endings, and whether or not you realize it, your in-game actions impact it. The main missions vary more than previous series entries, and the side-missions also are far more enjoyable. And if your not one for story, the sandbox world is one of a kind. You can load up, throw money to a tramp, get a new jacket, pay for a heli-tour, hijack said heli-tour, and stand atop a building with a sniper. Or one of the hundreds of other opportunities Rocktars beautifully re-booted and re-imaged Liberty City has to offer. And go online, with two or more friends, or on your own. That's another world of it's own. Expand
  58. Jun 23, 2011
    10
    I can understand why some people do not like this game. It is filled with flaws, which to some are disappointing, but the main reason it is such a great game because it rises above its problems to deliver such an incredible gaming experience that no other game at the time of this game's release could match.Even after 3 years in the market,this is the game to buy,even more so as you can get it now in under 10 bucks. Expand
  59. Oct 30, 2011
    1
    WOW, that game is just SO bad. First of all the story : by far the worst characters in a GTA game, and the worst story as well : Dude comes into another country searching foor another dude who has betrayed him - revenge time! but ends up saving his cousin over and over and over again , by the worst story and characters. Then there are graphics....and like always the graphics are outdated at least by a year. Music on the radio is so bad for the most part that im just driving with radio off - something i have never been doing in a GTA game. People in Liberty City are so pissed,, even if you close by somebody, he'll say "WTF?", which is just completely inappropriate. Car controls are probably the worst in the gaming history. Then there is multi-player: That's the place where i had a little fun running around with my friends and shooting everything that moves, still the game is all hype, and i still don't understand how did it get 98/100 Expand
  60. Dec 30, 2011
    9
    This game may not be an RPG, but is still quite fun to play! the freedom this games gives you is incredible... you can climb, drive, fly, steal, kill, run from the cops and pretty much anything you can do in real life haha, the story is one of the best i have seen, the main character is so charimatic too, i could rate this game a 10 but there are 2 things i hate about this game, one if the Physics and the controls, the controls are HORRIBLE BIG TIME, if you spend a lot of time playing this game on Xbox Live you would know what i am saying... some times the slightest move on the stick your char will do what the hell it wants, also the physics make the gameplay SLOW... i MEAN IT, sometimes you feel like everything is in slow motion.

    But still one of the greatest games i have ever played.
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  61. Nov 21, 2012
    10
    Just play the story missions and when your done with then roam around Liberty City with the amazing music in this game. Last but not least play the multiplayer then you'll exactly why this game is amazing can't wait till Grand Theft Auto V!
  62. Oct 18, 2012
    10
    GTA4 is the definition of perfect. This game does everything right from story telling to gameplay to interesting characters to driving mechanics and graphics. Nico Bellic is such an awesome character and his cousin Roman is so funny. You start the game having just arrived in liberty city helping Roman with his taxi business doing odd jobs, but before long you meet a ton of different characters and end up doing a variety of missions including collecting outstanding debts, driving people from place to place and killing people on demand. The missions are mixed and varied so you will never get board. If you don't have this game in your collection you should go out now and buy it today. Expand
  63. Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Liberty City returns in GTA IV, with a epic storyline that really drags you into the magic of the game. No feeling is like the one when you step into the shoes of Niko Bellic as he steps onshore the land of opportunity. Gorgeous graphics, addictive gameplay, a gritty storyline, solid multiplayer and top of the line sound (17 radio stations!) GTA IV is not to be missed.
  64. Jul 11, 2012
    10
    This game is a masterpiece, one of the few games I consider to be perfect. Easily the best Grand Theft Auto to date. A full world full of new secrets to explore and fun to be had.
  65. Jan 20, 2013
    7
    Graphics: 6/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Story: 7/10 Voice acting: 7/10 Enjoyment: 6/10 = 6.8 (good)
    The graphics are just a blurry mess, I know it came out 5 years ago but even then it just looked like a blurry mess. Although games aren't all about the graphics so lets talk about the game.
    This is not Grand Theft Auto! This is Niko's Chavy Day Out Simulator. This is nothing like the others except
    it's an open world in an American city. Where's the funny characters? Where's the funny humor? Where's the funny?
    GTA 5 please bring back the funny.
    Thanks for reading and I'll JackYaLater.
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  66. Apr 2, 2012
    7
    A brilliant, well written, fun game that has some things that bring it down a notch. It's a great game with lots to do, and combat is fun. The main issue I had was the fact I couldnt beat it because of a bug that wouldn't let me get onto a helicopter. That was disappointing. I also wish the map was bigger and you could fly aircraft. However, beyond those issues, Grand Theft Auto IV is a good game borderlining on greatness but for me was held just back a tad. Expand
  67. Oct 31, 2012
    8
    This game, the best in the GTA series to this point, is wonderful. It has great open environment play and awesome missions as well. Rockstar made a great one here.
  68. Dec 21, 2012
    6
    People need to stop living the "2008" hype and start to see this game for what it really is. GTA IV is a okay game with wasted potential. This new game of the acclaimed GTA franchise could have been even more exciting and "mind-blowingly" fun than GTA San Andreas, but it fails miserably for the sake of "realism". Dear Rockstar, if i wanted to eat a hotdog on the f#cking street, talk on the phone with people that i don't care about; going to lan houses and forced to go to extremely boring places like theaters i would have done it. Why i didn't make any of those activities ? Because they are BORING! That's why i play videogames. I admit that GTA San Andreas was compromised with reality at a certain level, but it also gave you full character costumization; the possibility of buying houses; learn karate movements; costumize cars; fly airplanes; awesome radio stations; much more cool places to explore along with interesting characters and missions. GTA IV doesnt have any of that, instead, we have boring stuff like playing darts and surf on the internet. Actually, you won't remember almost anything of the game besides the graphics, city and multiplayer. Nearly all the characters are boring or just irritating. God, i hate Roman so much that i would be able to punch a kid right in the face if that could shut Roman's mouth permanently. I also can't stand the "overweighted" accent of Niko Bellic, despite of how hard i tried to like him. Most of the other characters are always asking favors in desesperate and annoying ways. In GTA San Andreas, the missions with Sweet felt natural, like if you were helping a friend. In GTA IV, people sometimes screams(literally) for help as if you owe them a favor or something like that. Maybe i'm being too nostalgic, but the thing is that GTA SA was way more fun and had much more likeable characters (except for Catalina). The great part of the missions in GTA IV follows the logic: "get a car - go to a place - kill thousands of people - return", with that "little to no variety" you can get easily bored after a couple of hours. The city is brown and ugly, sorry but it's true. The "euphoria" thing makes Niko move sooo slow that is almost painful to watch. "Because that's realistic" - Rockstar would have think. The combat system is an improvement over the old GTA games but the super slow "pseudo-realistic" movements ruins the flow of the battles. If all of this would not be bad enough, the frame rate is always an issue. Multiplayer is multiplayer. Let's be honest, you know what to expect: "deathmatch","team deathmatch", a "sandbox" multiplayer mode where little psycopath kids can have fun by creating hell on earth on NY streets and etc. Even 7 for this game feels like a generosity, but the game can be actually fun sometimes. I'm glad to see at least a 7.9 user score on metacritic, it means that not all the people here have "half-brain". If most people out there where more critic with these game, we wouldn't be living on this "over-casualizated attack of the modern warfare clones " age of videogame industry. Expand
  69. Jul 8, 2011
    10
    Wow this is the first GTA game I played and I feel great for it. Soo It was such a great start for me, thought I never would play a mature game this one came over me and didn't feel that mature as I played it.
  70. Jul 5, 2012
    7
    Motion blur and depth of field kills the game. Even on X360, graphics are too "soapy", blurry and LODs are awful. I have both PC and X360 versions and i enjoy PC version much more. Though, the game itself is nice (everyobody must already know it). 6 for X360 version, 9 for PC version.
  71. Nov 22, 2011
    10
    This is the best game in the series and the story is about a russian name Niko Bellic follow his trip to Liberty City and make his life turned into an american dream, the city is perfect, the music was perfect and i think there could be more than 100 music i supposed on the radio, visual arts and graphic are perfect and the name of this engine is "Euphoria" makes it realistic not only that, the ability to used phone is perfect but you could play multiplayer if you're bored playing alone and want to play with friend and the decision that effect the story is awesome so the game is perfect as 10. Expand
  72. Feb 7, 2012
    10
    wow just wow this game is an instant classic, just amazing if you haven't played this game yet (don't know why) just go out and get it, it gives you a good story with unlimited replay value
  73. Mar 4, 2011
    9
    Grand Theft Auto IV is a great game, but its not perfect like some people make it out to be. Firstly there are many games that have much better visuals and character animations than GTA. Seriously, the people run and walk as though their knees are in a fixed position. There are also some issues with the gameplay as in some situations you find Niko running around in circles rather than doing what you pressed on you're controller. Other than that id say this game is perfect, excellent storyline, good soundtrack, and all you would expect from a rockstar game. I recommend it. Expand
  74. Nov 20, 2011
    10
    Niko is awesome. The campaign is awesome. The city is awesome. When I finished the game there was nothing I could do. But the physics engine alone proved me wrong. Driving cars in this game is bloody awesome. This game is to good for a review. It should just automatically get a permanent 10.
  75. Sep 29, 2012
    6
    Good: An incredibly detailed, realistic urban world for the player to explore. Driving and car chases can be fun.

    Bad: GTA IV has a terrible (at times unplayable) framerate on the Xbox 360 (I've read the PS3 version is even worse). It also has one of the worst gameplay cameras I've come across (it constantly autocenters itself, making for a very unpleasant--even nauseating--experience.)
    The lack of checkpoints in missions is a big middle finger to the player from the developer. The cutscenes are drawn out and overacted, with uninteresting dialogue.

    Summary: an outstanding *world* but a mediocre *game*.
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  76. Dec 17, 2012
    7
    This game is pretty fun, sadly, it is not as much as good as GTA: SA , GTA 3 or GTA: VC...
    Why? This game is mostly about graphics, but the gameplay is not convenient nor comfortable. The game has amazing graphics to be one of the first games for Xbox 360 or for PS3, but they failed with the gameplay, plus the radgoll is cool, but if you fall from a short length, Niko will damaged and you
    will waste time by waiting until he stands up. Also, the story was very idea to be a GTA game. Those are the problems that GTA 4 had (in my opinion). Hopefully GTA 5 is better than GTA 4. Expand
  77. Jan 26, 2011
    10
    OK, oh my god, some people are saying this game is bad????? How!? Dude if you like this one the least, out of the other GTAs, then you don't know what a good game is. Great story. Great action. Great free-roam, what more could you want?!
  78. Jun 3, 2011
    10
    GTA 4 has, since it's release, represented the high water mark in this current generation of console games.
    GTA 3 prompted me to purchase a PS2, and GTA4 did a similar job in prompting me to purchase an XBOX 360. 3 years on and everything I've played since has always been measured up to my GTA 4 experience and few have even come close.
    My friend has an 8 year old son who loves his XBOX.
    Due to the adult rating, he can't play GTA 4 (although take a trip to the multiplayer element of the game and you will find that a lot of parents choose to ignore this rating). My heart bleeds for him. If I was 8 now, I would lose the plot if I was forced to wait another 10 years to play the game.

    I can't fault this game. Kinda played it to death now, so desperate for GTA5
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  79. Nov 19, 2011
    6
    I don't get it. I really don't. I bought this game thinking it was going to be amazing because of the praise it got, but it just left me completely disappointed. It is like they stripped away all of the fun gameplay elements for a serious story and honestly, the story is not that good. I'm in no way saying this is a bad game, it is just completely overrated by critics. I tried to like it, but I just got bored after a couple of hours. Expand
  80. May 10, 2012
    7
    The actually begins to get good after ten hours and you switch to your new safe house. Before that it's just tutorials which can really drag on.......
  81. Sep 20, 2010
    5
    So boring. Unless I'm in a room full of people who have absolutely no desire to have a turn, and are encouraging me to hit that old lady with my firetruck, then it's hard for me to play this game for more than ten minutes.
  82. Sep 21, 2010
    8
    i held out on playing this game when it came out as i was sick of gta, but found a cheap copy so figured i would give it a go and it was better than i expected, but it is far from perfect. The cars handle poorly at best, the traffic can just get plain annoying and the ai can be very poor at times. Yet the story kept me intrigued and although linear the vast amounts of ways to play through the game is astonishing. MP can be quite hit and miss, but if you party up with a few friends just to mess about it can be hilarious. Expand
  83. Apr 4, 2011
    2
    I have always been a fan of the GTA series, from back in the day when I played on PC with the birds eye view. This was a classic series that was so revolutionary during the times of GTAIII and Vice City. Needless to say, my expectations for this game were very high!

    One thing I really noticed when played this game is that Rockstar have really gone for a grand storyline- and in turn the
    gameplay has suffered. The best thing about GTA was the over the top fun you could have, running riot in a city as a criminal figure. This city to me, whilst expansive and scenic, just seemed so bland and lifeless at the same time. There was just not much to do compared to other GTA games, and I felt myself just wanting to get through the missions as soon as I could. In the past, i would have spent countless hours just running pedestrians over for fun, doing the little fun side missions (which seemed lacklustre this time), buying property, starting fights with rival gangs (ala GTAIIi) and just being a general pest in the world Rockstar had created for me. This time- I felt no compulsion or need to do these things, and i put this down to the world just feeling too realistic. Bring back the gangs so i can go shoot up their hood!

    Video games are supposed to be fun Rockstar- go back to your roots!

    Anyway, many people will enjoy this game but it may be a game you hire instead, or wait until it hits the bargain bins. My personal opinion is that this game is the first GTA that i would not recommend buying!
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  84. Oct 27, 2011
    8
    Great video game, but to me, it's almost like GTA III but with next-gen graphics and a different map; this game has less missions, less vehicles, and a smaller map than GTA San Andreas, but this may be a good thing, though SA did set up pretty high standards; I don't know why critics have gave this game the highest score of a GTA game; I prefer GTA III, GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas more, but Grand Theft Auto IV is still a pretty great game; but once you finish the story missions, it just gets boring; there are side missions, but they just become redundant and a waste of time, and will probably make players resort to strategy guides and walkthroughs if they bother to try and complete this game 100%; San Andreas had lots of variety in side missions after finishing its story missions; GTA IV game is worth playing at least twice because of having two choices in some parts throughout the game; the story is great and original, and have exciting gameplay in them during its run; if GTA IV had more variety in fun side missions, and have properties that could be bought, I would've gave this a 10/10; I guess the developers were trying to stay focused with this game, especially with the story. Expand
  85. Jun 23, 2012
    4
    You will play this game for about 4 or 5 hours before throwing your controller at the wall. There is NO checkpoint system. EVERY SINGLE OTHER GAME has some sort of checkpoint system, but in this game you can die at the very last part of a mission (which could range from 5-30 minutes) and start ALL OVER. Hey though, at least I found out that the game DOES relieve stress, because after starting the same mission over again for the 14th (more or less) time, I went on a killing spree, and it made me feel more relieved. The game is also incredibly repetitive. I can give you the mission layout for almost all, no ALL the missions. Step 1:Something to do with a car. Always. Step 2.Something to do with a car/firefight. Step 3. Something to do with a car/firefight. That's how ALL the missions work. Its incredibly boring. Your phone is also a pain. About every 30 minutes mid-game someone will call you and want you to do something. If you don't do it, they start to dislike you. I would focusing on finishing the horrible story mode first so you can go and hang out with real friends. But, all is not terrible (most of it is though) because of the endgame where you can roam around Liberty City. There is hours upon hours of extra content after you beat the game. The multiplayer is also really good. Its fun to get a friend and just roam around Liberty City. But the terrible story-mode is so terrible, you shouldn't pick this up, unless you find it in the bargain bin for around 10$. Expand
  86. Mar 27, 2012
    10
    Great GTA don't understand why so many people say it's not a good game, loved it so much I was determained to complete the whole thing to 100%, something I hadn't done in previous GTA's!
  87. Jul 14, 2012
    4
    I didn't buy this game but I played it when I was at my friends house. From what I played the story wasn't very interesting. I didn't really like the shooting and as for the jumping it wasn't top notch. The only thing I found fun was driving around at high speeds and jumping off high ledges. It got boring for me fairly quickly for me.
  88. Nov 2, 2012
    10
    I don't know why people hate on this game so much, I still play it constantly , just to drive around and cause mayhem, never finished the story, just played it enough to open the city's. Just messing around in an open world, with all the freedom to do what you want earns this a perfect 10 in my book.
  89. Nov 13, 2012
    10
    best GTA ever with enxt GTA 5, its all what i can said about this game. ..............................................................................................................................
  90. Nov 27, 2012
    10
    I had never played a GTA game before this one, so I have no reference to compare it to, but I was hesitant to buy this game at first - due to the negative connotations about it in various media outlets. After getting 100% completion in the game I have to say that it is without a doubt one of the best games I have ever played - on ANY platform. As a person who prefers first person shooters & sports games, but has never enjoyed any form of RPG, I was impressed by both the RPG elements and the FPS elements. The story-line was captivating, the various missions were interesting, the achievements were top-notch. It was one of the few games I've ever played that was both open enough to explore - and interesting enough to actually want to take the time to explore. It's not many games that will get me to pause in the middle of a mission, just to listen to the insanely funny bit on the radio in my stolen cab. I'm already anticipating paying full price for GTA V (and I RARELY pay full price for a game). If you haven't played this yet, got out and buy it now!! Expand
  91. Nov 20, 2010
    10
    There not too much to say than this, Grand Theft Auto IV is with out a shadow of a doubt the greatest game ever created, played and experienced. Rockstar you have outdone yourselves. Graphics aren't the best the XBOX 360 can offer but thats a small price to pay when you get into this masterpeice of a game. Warning, though this is an outstanding game, for some the content may disgust, so here is my BBFC content warning, CONTAINS VERY STRONG LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, STRONG BRUTAL BLOODY VIOLENCE AND VERY STRONG ADULT THEMES, DRUG ABUSE AND VERY FREQUENT AMOUNTS OF LAW BREAKING (which note makes this game what is is, TRULY AWESOME). Expand
  92. Jun 1, 2011
    8
    This game really shines when you mess around in the open world and wreak havoc. Unfortunately, the 60 hour story is decent, but tends to be very boring a predictable. The driving mechanics have also taken a step back from San Andreas, but at its core, the game succeeds at what makes a Grand Theft Auto game great.
  93. Aug 1, 2011
    0
    Stupid, over rated and no good. Piece of **** This has no story meaning and nothing of attraction, just guns hookers and a lot of cars. How people like crap like this is unknown. Critics always seem to like useless and unattractive stuff such as GTA4. $9.00 on game market is still too much for this game. They should pay you to take it. This was a let down and basically a huge waste of my time. Expand
  94. Sep 2, 2012
    9
    a great game and has a very very good story line.
    hours of fun running over pedestrians in a ice cream truck or kidnapping hookers then beating them to death with a a baseball bat.
    the multiplayer is fun but has to many cheating moders/hackers mainly freezing the game and spoiling the fun.
    but still in general a awesome game
  95. rhe
    Oct 25, 2010
    5
    While this game has an excellently realised and altogether human protagonist, a brilliant cast of characters, some cutting edge graphical achievements with one of the best physics engines in gaming today and some stellar voice actors. The only reason I would buy GTA 4 is the insane amount of stuff that you can do outside of the missions and this is where it falls short because the truth is that I wanted this game to be as good as GTA: San Andreas if not better and when I popped GTA 4 into my 360 I couldn't help but get bored because there just isn't enough in GTA 4 outside of the missions to keep you busy and while some may say don't compare it to GTA: SA you really can't help it because you expect it to be better than its predecessor but even GTA: SA had more stuff to keep you busy outside of missions. Expand
  96. Apr 27, 2011
    7
    Story mode is boring, stopped 30minutes in. Basicly you are driving people around town and then shooting a couple dudes and repeating the same garbage over and over. Free roam and Online play is the only way I found any entertainment. Online is a bit glitchy but runs smooth enough to enjoy. Game is worth buying, only $19.99 now.
  97. Mar 7, 2012
    7
    It was on ok game. Definitely not the best in the series. I much prefer San Andreas or Vice City to this game. I am hoping the next one in the series is more fun. I have moved onto a far more fun game, Saints Row
  98. Jul 15, 2012
    4
    In some ways. Perhaps the worst game ever made-
    GTA IV was going to be this generations game that made the HD era worthwhile- it was hyped so much- given 10/10s and considered the best game ever made.... but what went wrong?
    the game has no soul. rockstar had a chance to make something meaningfull and challenge gaming itself- but its shareholders knew a san andreas 2.0 would sell 10 mill
    ion copies- so they made san andreas 2.0 with better shooting and less content. disappointment is an understatement.
    apparently there were 70000 lines of dialogue recorded for the peds- you wont care- the peds are bots- no purpose but to get shot- and that should be fine EXCEPT ELDER SCROLLS OBLIVION HAD RADIANT AI 10 YEARS AGO- ULTIMA 7 HAD AI 20 YEARS AGO- gta IV is a dinosaur.
    nikos story is lovely- but thats the problem- take away his story and you have an empty shell of a city- there are lovely graphics- but do the buildings have any purpose? no- they are cosmetic.... the whole world is an empty shell of nothingness coated in a HD sheen- its so disappointing when you realise after 2 hours you have seen everything this game can ever offer.
    gta 5 will be more of the same- there wont be pedestrian AI- other than "hey shoot me"- there wont be any meaningful choices and consequences- the side missions will be tacked on fetch quests that would shame an MMO- it will sell millions but the fans who were tthere from gta 1- who remembered how smart GTA 2's factions system was will not be there- wont be fooled again.
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  99. Oct 16, 2012
    10
    Bought this on release date back in 2008, still play it online on a nearly weekly basis with friends! If you're a fan of any GTA, you CANNOT miss out on this one.
  100. Dec 21, 2010
    10
    Wow. I really loved this game. It in every way blew me away. A captivating, epic, and deep storyline keeps you into it the entire way through. Me trying to find at least one thing to complain about. Nothing. This game really deserves GOTY. And I really have to say Niko Bellic is the only character in the GTA series that you can truly connect with. Understanding his difficult life and mis-adventures you can really feel his emotions. And for a free-roaming game they really knocked me out. The free roaming really is amazing. Its awesome how they can have such a nice, luminous city and still have amazing and almost flawless graphics. As for the multi-player, I didn't really play it that much but i love the fact that you can roam around Liberty City causing as much mayhem as you want. The ranked matches are good too, with death-match (etc...) it was pretty cool to see that in a GTA game. Surely I can truly say that you have not experienced free-roam/sandbox games until you have played GTA IV. Expand
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 86 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 86
  3. Negative: 0 out of 86
  1. It's got a world you believe in, a cast you care about and a script stuffed with brilliant moments... Utterly stunning in every resepct. [May 2008, p.79]
  2. Rockstar have surpassed themselves, delivering unquestionably the definitive GTA and perhaps the greatest videogame of all time. [June 2008]
  3. 100
    I could go on and on about why Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the best games we've ever seen and why even folks who are easily offended should play it, but that would be pointless. The only thing you need to know is that you have to play this game. Period.