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

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 million 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.… Expand

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

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

I was very disappointed. I have played all the other GTA games and this was the worst. First when I installed it I had to create 3 accounts just to play the thing. Second the turn radius is poor the driving is totally unrealistic. Even if you get the worst car the turn radius should not be that bad. Unfortunately this is not just my opinion because a large number of us in the game lab all had the same thoughts. Questing should be left to RPG type games. GTA is a drive down the sidewalk with the FBI chasing you game. Sorry it… Expand

This game is dreadfull, the storyline is boring and repetitive, cars still look worse than vice city, acting is ok, multiplayer is a good addition but isnt layed out anywhere near well enough, graphics look a year out of date and the whole customisation area that was brought up in san andreas goes out the window!! I dindnt w8 since san andreas for rockstar do come up with this. giving it a 2 is generous.… Expand

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.

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.

Man, I beat this game today (got an early copy) and it was something else! This was the best game ever made, past-present-future. There will never be a game better than this. After I am sick of this game (shouldn't be for a few more months) I am going to sell all my videogames and never play anything ever again because everything else will be a waste of time.

I can understand the metascore of 92 if you've played the game for an hour. Seriously, though, the game is self-repeating and more boring than San Andreas ever was. Technically, this is just a graphic and physics improvement of GTA with the expense of nothing to do but to ignore the phone calls from your "friends". The multiplayer started to bore me after a couple of hours, but the single player - the real core of GTA - was playable. If you're looking for a sandbox, GTA gives you a postal-sort of fun for 5 minutes. After which you realize there is nothing to do, little to no use for the money you earn from missions and in-game bowling and other games are as dull as they sound like. I can not understand people giving a full-priced game which only contains better graphics and physics a full 10, or even 9. Truth be told, GTA IV was successful solely because of the Rockstar's mastery of hype and the thirst for another Grand Theft Auto. Nothing more. The story of Niko Bellic is generic and the game itself isn't even close to 9/10. Fanboys aside, you'll enjoy the first playthrough but in the end it leaves you 50 bucks poorer and a bad taste in your mouth because of the praise from critics and GTA disciples alike.… Expand

This game is way overrated and should not be the number 1 game. It has good graphics and gameplay but after a little while gets extremely boring. now that its 15 bucks its a good investment but boring.

98/100 are you serious? when i was in college and played GTA 3 it blew my socks off, but i played 5 hours of this and it devolved into "find a roof, snipe people". They've been flogging this dead horse for a loooong time. speaking of horses, red dead redemption was a fantastic game. buy that instead.

Since I've bought it I cannot put it down. Whereas other GTA games grow tiresome after a couple hours of play, this one keeps you interested and entertained for multiple hours on end. And that's just doing the missions. Theres also free roaming around, side missions, relationships to tend, and the awesome multiplayer.
The story and graphics are also excellent.

10/10

This game is simply amazing. I was skeptical to purchase at first, but now I'm glad I did. There is no need to play the story. I have stayed up over 24 hours playing this game and during that time I was just picking up hookers and going to the strip club.

This is a good game for all types of gamers but it wasn't a big enough improvement on the last game to get an 9 or 10. Moving around on foot is clunky and most of the buildings are like cardboard cut outs, people dont die as satisfyingly as in the previous games, the feds are on your case in the airport and you cant blow up planes. The is plenty of good tho, the soundtrack, the characters and the drinking missions. Gameplay wise its just as good as the previous games but I was hoping for more.… Expand

All the people I see giving the low scores are all whining about the same thing: GTA IV isn't much different than other GTAs.......ARE YOU RETARDED?!?!?!? 16 ONLINE MULTIPLAYER!!! 16!!!!! This GTA is very different than the other GTAs. Very good ragdoll effects on the civilians. The vehicles are fun to use. The new police escape feature is new. So if you say that GTA IV is no different, please, do us all a favor and shoot yourself.… Expand

Style over substance methinks, missions become repetitive, not much else to do in the admittedly beautiful world. recommended for rental, i enjoyed saints row 2 more than this. what a disappointment, san andreas was awesome!

It's a pretty good game but it's the most overrated game ever. The graphics are nice but the feel in the game aren't as good as it was in San Andreas or Vice City. I sometimes play San Andreas and just drive around having fun. I have no desire to do that after i'm finished with the story in Gta IV. The special effects and the story is good but it's nothing fun to do besides the story (Killing pigeons for the hell of it isn't my idea of fun).… Expand

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

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

Being one of the lucky few to watch this game in action (at a blog's previewer version), I have to say that this game looks amazing. It seems like a clever gangster flick, but in the core is a sandbox game like the previous titles.

I have a strong feeling that this is going to be the game of 2008 on the Xbox 360, the same way Halo 3, Bioshock, and Call of Duty 4 took 2007.

Quite simply. This is as good as however you make it. If you are creative within your gameplay you can love the way you make this game look, let alone the gamplay itself. For the people who critisize things like the car camera angles and the way you cant climb up one ladder simply havent been creative enough. This game is genuis and for people who are creative with games will apreciate this to death. But hey, an opinion is an opinion. And compared to the previous GTA titles, this really brings out the lethal gangster feel, and i'm with you Benjamin, such a great movie like storyline. A winner for me… Expand

This game is incredible. Every aspect. For the people who gave it below 8.... what are you thinking. All your complaints are silly. You can control the camera angle and the several different angles should provide something for everyone....Long drives for missions??? Wave a taxi down or call up Roman....skip the scene and voila, your there!! (or stop sucking ;) and beat it first time) Repetition.... Assassins Creed yes... GTA4 well maybe but name me a game that isn't after putting 40 hours into it....getting bored.. punch in some cheats or go online...the options are ridiculous… Expand

This version of Liberty City is more lifelike than any of the cities in any of the previous titles. I miss going to the gyms of San Andreas. I miss blazing through the deserts and climbing that gigantic mountain east of Los Santos. I'm only just a few hours into GTA4, so I'm sure that there will be plenty of equivalent wonders as I continue to unlock various areas.

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 and GTA IV is not fun. I recommend playing Saints Row 2 & 3 instead.… Expand

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.

Grand Theft Auto IV is a worthy addition to the GTA series. It improves on a lot of the original GTA concepts that never came to fruition in earlier games, such as the poor shooting mechanics and lack of ability to control the plot line. Most GTA fans wont be disappointed, but it is not a game that's going to attract people who have never played GTA before.

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.

i bought this game after buying saints row 2 which was actually gun. whilst i appreciate the fact that this game is extremely realistic, i feel that is also it's downfall that they went for realism over fun. pretty much everything i can do in this game i can do in real life except be russian and shoot people and i have no strong desire to do either. the story is good but small in scale compared to other games nowadays and it didn't really feel like i'd accomplished much when i'd finished with it. imo san andreas was better and this has probably put me off the future installment because it looks just as unjustifiably dull.… Expand

Grand Theft Auto Four? More like Grand Theft Auto Poor! Or Grand Theft Auto Whore! Or Grand Theft Auto Bore! Or Grand Theft Auto Sore (bum)! Or Grand Theft Auto Snore!

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.

I agree with all the mags, but after seeing that the 360 version has sharper graphics a higher HD resoulution and far less pop up buildings when in the helicopers aswell as the easy to use multiplayer game access and I had to return my PS3 version and get the 360 version instead. and as i am lucky to have the two consols i have to say that the 360 is the better version. i understand that the PS3 version is the port of the 360 version anyway.… Expand

hey ANTHONY M. i am one of the Rockstar developers you talked about and yes i do smoke cockroach repelent on the job. giving the cops god powers was my idea. not to cover up the ai (it is fantastic), but because smoking all that cockroach repelent makes me feel like i have god powers. there was going to be an exterminator mission in the game but my idea got rejected. so then i suggested that there be 200 cockroaches randomly placed in liberty city that could be killed with cockroach repelent. in san andreas there was spray paint to leave your gang sign, so i thought that cockroach repelent spray paint could be a great way to kill the rodent and leave your mark. that was accepted but then later replaced with pigeons and there was no cockroach repelent spray paint. but yes since i will get fired if i say something bad about this, this piece of crap game is the best game in the entire star wars galaxy.… Expand

This absolutely is a great game, though I'm not sure it's as great as it's been made out to be. It looks SPECTACULAR. They have the feel of New York down to a T. Everything functions well, too.

If it's missing anything, it's the little things from the other GTA games, which I miss: fun side games, parachuettes, the ability to purchase buildings, etc. I think it's missing a few of the little things that made the old GTA games so enjoyable. That being said, this definitely is the most finally polished of the games and the plot is definitely the best developed.… Expand

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

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!… Expand

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.

One word: PATHETIC.

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.

GTA4 is one of the most overrated and quite Liberal games in history. An example, the ingame TV playing "Space Republican's" a cartoon which mocks and portrays republicans as warmongers taking over alien planets and killing their people out of stupidity and for fun. Another example, the "Talk radio" channel that can be heard while in any car portraying "Freedom loving American's" as sexist. They even go so far as saying "Men are the superior gender and women deserve whatever damage they get from men." Almost all of the plot has Liberal undertones. Almost all of the pun's are now outdated and tired. One such joke is that the "President[at the time Bush" blocked off part of the city due to being afraid of a terrorist attack that doesn't exist. This game's "jokes" makes no sense in our modern times. Only Jon Stewart watching brainwasted immature dorks would find these joke's funny. Do not waste your money for a "cinematic" experience, the gameplay just plain sucks. In a game that should be about the sandbox experience and freedom to do what you want to do- One still feels the very linear push to only do what the game's developers make you do and nothing else. Nothing even remotely fun gets unlocked unless you do pointless storyline missions with a less than immersive plot/story-telling atmosphere. The whole game feels like a giant series of tutorial missions where you do whatever you are asked and anything else is wrong. The Critic's are wrong, this game is garbage. Go buy Saint's Row 2 if you really want a fun sandbox game that let's you be in control and do whatever you feel like doing. Also, Just Cause 2 is a fun game if you get a chance, even though it is repetitive at times.… Expand

Severely over-rated game. Repetitive, extremely bland, no great story and no character anywhere near memorable.

3, vice city and san andreas were all good because they were ahead of their time and did things no other game had done before. 4 was just boring.

it's really amazing how overhyped this game is. i guess rockstar couldn't possibly have bribed all those reviewers. but still i'm wondering where it comes from, because:

the "great voice acting and facial animation" - give me a break. there's a >lot< better in e.g. mass effect or lost odyssey. the lip synchronization often doesn't fit, characters move there brows seemingly random - it's almost like back to the games where they first started using facial animation.

the "fantastic graphics" - admittedly, the city is huge but they still could've used more detailed character models and textures for closeup scenes. the "lot of detail" we're seeing in the game according to reviews look like something out of half life. objects with hardly any polygons and sometimes i'm wondering if there are even textures on them or they just colored them brown or something. once again i'd like to mention mass effect here. of course mass effect doesn't have those huge areas you can drive around in but it's simply wrong to just say that gta 4 has great graphics, period. if people would say that the graphics themselves aren't really nexgen-worthy but the huge world makes up for that - ok.

the radio stations... according to reviews there's so much great music. well, i might have different taste in music than most people but the point is - when i'm listening to a rock station, i want to hear rock and not hip-hop or something else!

now for the driving behaviour of the cars... since gta is mostly about stealing cars, you'd think that car handling would've been a major focus while developing the game. and it probably was but in my opinion they still didn't get it right. braking is way too slow.

various other actions can be performed at just the tap of a button... sometimes different depending on the context. which might not always be clear to the user, so you sometimes end up doing things you didn't actually want to do. e.g. sometimes "X" means climbing up somewhere. but don't ever to that trying to get on the ledge of a roof of a skyscraper. or you'll have to restart the mission and once more drive all the way there.
that's one more point to criticize... that you always have to drive where the mission actually starts if you restart it. very annoying.

combat handling is also somehow related to this. for example you can switch your lock-on between enemies when using the right thumb stick while being locked on. sounds great theory, in practice it often doesn't work. you're locked on to someone who's behind some wall and just can't switch to the guy standing directly in front of you putting bullets in your head. and even if you try to switch off lock-on, look in the direction of the guy shooting at you manually and then turn on lock-on again, it often snaps back to the guy behind the wall. and you're dead. and you'll have to spend several minutes skipping cutscenes and either driving back there or waiting for taxis.

then there are those "characters you care for" and the "great story". most of the characters are cliche thugs i couldn't care less about. there are some that are interesting but still the interaction is so... minimal and pointless that i'm almost tempted to skip even new cutscenes.
also, i think that the dramatic story doesn't help the fun you have while you're playing because you can enjoy killing people and such more if the game doesn't take itself seriously. of course gta 4 isn't completely serious but still too serious for my taste. especially the main character.

speaking about the main character. that guy talks to a "bro" whose slang is beyond everything i've ever seen in a movie. my mother tongue isn't english but by now i've seen around 1000 movies and quite some tv shows in english - and i still could hardly understand anything that guy was saying! even when i tried to read the subtitles! but the guy fresh from poland who doesn't manage to speak accent-free can understand him? yeah right.

so why do i still give the game 7/10 if i don't like all those things? well, the game world IS huge and impressive, the way people around the city behave and react to various influences is great and if the combat controls work like they should, it's really fun as well. also while the story, missions and such might not be the best, they are still moderately interesting.… Expand

Don't listen to a word these "professional" game reviewers are selling you. This game is far from heaven sent. It provides a fun, realistic world in which to run amok with your friends, but the last-gen controls and graphical glitches keep it humbled in the presence of games more worthy of your hard earned cash.

It's not great. It's not awful. Just repetetive and boring like Assassin's Creed- I was excited but then when I lost my game save it seemed like a chore to play so I stopped. I'd say that any game that says it offers so much yet only a small percentage of people who play it actually experience it, then I'd say it's not worth full price. I'm confused why anyone makes excuses for this game. Do they own stock in the company? One more thing, I have in the past been hired to 'fill' user reviews on here and yahoo with a team so don't trust any reviews that are 10's on public forums. It's an industry practice that falls under marketing/pr. to fill in gaps so that a game doesn't track poorly. Remember, people get paid on how well a game or movie's scores are on here.… Expand

Pros: next gen graphics, improved physics, slightly better combat systems, unparalled scope, better storyline and character development, and new gameplay functions like online. Getting to easily replay missions when you fail is a nice upgrade too. Cons: this game really doesn't feel much different than the prior 3 GTAs which all eventually got frustrating to play as you've combined a mediocre driver, poor shooter, etc. Movement and control are just not great and while the GTA universe is amazing it makes you notice how often controlling Nikko is downright frustrating. Like prior games this one also has glitches, framerate issues, etc. Finally, the character development and storyline is improved but Mass Effect really raised the bar by introducing choice as a key to the storyline. I feel myself wanting the same control over Nikko's decisions and it's just not there. GTA V will probably do the job. All and all it is a great sandbox with some nice enhancements over prior GTAs but it is still plagued by some of the problems that annoyed me about prior iterations. If you loved the others you'll love this more. Me, I still feel it's not quite there.… Expand

hey ANTHONY M. i am one of the Rockstar developers you talked about and yes i do smoke cockroach repelent on the job. giving the cops god powers was my idea. not to cover up the ai (it is fantastic), but because smoking all that cockroach repelent makes me feel like i have god powers. there was going to be an exterminator mission in the game but my idea got rejected. so then i suggested that there be 200 cockroaches randomly placed in liberty city that could be killed with cockroach repelent. in san andreas there was spray paint to leave your gang sign, so i thought that cockroach repelent spray paint could be a great way to kill the rodent and leave your mark. that was accepted but then later replaced with pigeons and there was no cockroach repelent spray paint. but yes since i will get fired if i say something bad about this, this piece of fun game is the best game in the entire star wars galaxy.… Expand

I have read a few comments, from gamers who love this game and it sound like they are the ones who designed it, trying to justify it's brilliants! I have not got HD so maybe i have missed out on that side of it, but i loved the last couple on playstation2 and i loved it for the game play, the graphics have alweays been cool! I wanted to enjoy what vice city and san andreas gave me, FUN, but trying to open taxi doors getting a lift was painful, why have the same button too steal as to get to a destination, plenty of other buttons to choice from! Also no animals or kids, is it unethical to have them in the game, does killing only adults push the boundaries far enough, is it not fun escaping reality for a few hours here and there to kill what you can, please explain!!!! No casino's or betting places really ruined it for me, is was a good way to get easy money, but i guess why need money when you can't buy houses only limited clothing and food and hookers, need more! Why can't you rob a bank or steal armoured cars to get money, it would be fun! As much as i love blowing things up, i love building things, can't you have more buying of properties and buying things for the houses, and having more clothes to choose from! Not just safe houses, but places you can design mostly yourself and want to spend time there not just for changing clothes or saving, but to bring friends you meet or chicks who you score with back there to party or to swim, or to play pool, anything! I really do hope gta5 if there is going to be one, brings all the best things from all the gta games into it, not just pushing out a really unfinshed game with good graphics, because i would rather gameplay over graphics anyday! Gta 4 should have made san andreas look bad, but it was just unfinished, i think due to deadlines! I beg the designers to read what people want not just do there own creations because they didn't seem to work there magic this time as they did in Gta san andreas which was orgasmic gameplay! I really think gta 4 was rushed so the designer can get to gta 5, i hope so! If the designer read this and they need some fresh ideas, i have plenty, i will give my email and will work for free, i just want goood gameplay!… Expand

Overall a very good game, but not deserving of the perfect scores coming from the game "journalists". Characters are all well-developed, writing and voice acting are top notch. Niko is easily one of the most interesting (and strangely moral...?) protagonists in modern video games.
Gameplay marred by clumsy control and camera issues. Missing a lot of the features that made San Andreas so much fun (mountain biking, jet-packs, parachutes, etc.). The radio stations all seem like an afterthought, without any standout music or DJs, and get annoying VERY QUICKLY; I've had the volume on them turned completely off for weeks now.
I don't know what Wallpaperman has been smoking. I'm at 79% complete, with only the story missions remaining, and am sitting at around 70hrs of gameplay.
Definitely a must play, in spite of all of the criticisms. Just don't go in expecting ZOMGBESTGAMEEVAR!1!!!1!!!!!ZOMGITHINKIMGONNAPLOTZ!!1!… Expand

It's kind of overrated but what isn't these days (I'm looking at you Halo and MGS!)? GTA4 has its flaws like most other games. Unlike most other games though it manages to not let these issues ruin it and delivers an incredible experience from start to finish. Jam packed with features that really do add up to more than the sum of their parts, this is a game you really have to experience for yourself - not hear about from your friends - to fully appreciate. 30 hours of incredible story and endless fun in a varied multiplayer component: whats not to like?… Expand

98 out of 100 ?? WTF?? whatever your critics are smoking is probably used to kill roaches ... Are you kidding ? The cops show up in battalion strength instantly and are impervious to gunfire. And yes the cars do drive like a teflon brick on ice in zero-G. The AI is dumber than cornflakes : If you can find just the right spot under a pier where the majik helicopters can't rape you, you can watch the cops teleport near your location and then mindlessly charge at you in waves, when of course they are not ramming thier cars into each other. The lazy Rockstar developers just compensated for stupid AI by giving them GOD powers, a very very old trick. Did you guys actually play this game ? Or is it that you are on Rockstar's payroll dude?… Expand

i give gta iv a 6 becasue anything higher would just be because of it's reputation. think about it, no push bike, can't fly a jet, can't fly a jumbo jet Can't, Can't get a parachute. I mean what the fuck are we doing here. you might have gone back and made the graphics better on gta3 and made the graphic's better. Holy fuck, You cheap gta designers. you screwed the series up with this game didn't you. but i give the graphics a ten. now that we had a look at cars. well it's cool you go threw the winsheild when you hit something hard enough, thats cool im down with that.it's cool how you can strip the rubber of the tyre that it goes to the rim. thats all good. but every mission you do your driving, i mean jesus christ i drive everywhere! My second point of problems is that when you get on a car and it goes 3mph it's like you break your leg!! and your laying there on the bonnet with your" leg Broken" and you still geting hurt and the car is still going 3mph and your left there saying wtf??? Also when your running away from the police and you get hit by a car that was going 5 mph, you just sit there waiting for the ketle water to boil for a cup coffee. Because tapping a dont work and he is like a girl. he can't do any karate moves, if a sniper could shoot 160 miles away from a target. It wont Matter!! cause they still know who you are when your over 2 miles from the target i mean common!!! Wake up to ur self designers. i think they would hav been better off if they did another san andreas instead of another gta 3 cause this one Is Crap, Is not worth it's reputation. You can't hook up and have a truck hook up to other trailers. thats what i wanted it to have but no they put these other shitty trucks which are good but where's the road trains??!?!?!? and why has the police helicopter have no aimer to shoot people and cars? if you love gta san andreas this is just gta 3 just with better graphics.WTF you can't swim under water, you can't increase the brakes, cause they an't worth anything i stop better with the handbrake than with the frount brakes. oh yea you can't loose the cops with six stars!!! So what is the point with all the fun you used to have running away with six stars and hoping you could survive, Now you have no chance.but dont get me wrong i think that it could have gone futher and it had potentional. i Point this as a real screw up (aplause) nice work rockstar, nice work. Designers did a 10 on graphics but think about buying this game before you do. this game has a repuation way over thier head, Becareful… Expand

What the hell are the critics thinking?!? This game is just terrible in comparison to San Andreas. The 2 is only for the graphics. The missions suck. The gameplay sucks. This game sucks. Hopefully the series will improve, otherwise GTA will sink as a franchise.

i Played this game. is utterly boring im sure they paid all the reviewers to give high scores the game is so similar to past gta it has only better grapics even the missions are the same!! crap i was bored in 30 minutes also they don't have some options for example no gym so u cant change the appearence of the main character what a letdown! i thought this games would offer more options but...

im dissapointed

if it was the first gta it would easilly get a 9/10

but now...

a 5 is enough… Expand

Though of course the game has great audio and picture, the frame rate is all over the place going between 15-35 constantly getting you to adapt to stuttering and sputtering, on top of that there are pop ins, and game crashes. If you're a console gamer who doesn't know what any of these things mean then this will mean nothing to you.

The graphics and overall surroundings are probably the best feature of GTA IV. I think it is over rated as i grew tired of the game after a while and i am a big fan of all the other GTA's. In some aspects it was a big step up from San Andreas but fell down in most parts, for all the hype before its release i thought it was going to be awesome, at least with san andreas it took me ages to complete i cleared this one in a few days. There was just so much more they could have done with it. But Rockstar don't care they've made their millions… Expand

just the fact that it is SO G*D DAMN OVERATED, just look at all those 100/10's its just stupid. everyboddy is just blinded by 3 words: Grand Theft Auto. the got tens probably before they even played the game just because of that name.

because seriously the graphics are totally NOT impressive, not at all and all those weard ass glithes ( and there are a lot of them). the Gameplay is sooo slow.. even a slug is faster.… Expand

I don't know about you guys but i think this is probably one of the funnest games I have ever played in my life.it has amazing graphics, amazing game play and even amazing physics! can any of the people who said this is game was "OVERRATED" or doesn't like the score,I think you guys haven't played the game and are trying to give it a bad vote so people won't like it from reveiws like that but if any of you haters of gta would've actually played the game you would've put a ten.
all I'm saying is that this game is rockin' and should be a higher score.… Expand

It was fun for awhile, yet as the game went through it's course, there were numerous problems that bore down on it's performance. The main character went from being a confused immigrant into a "cold" in killer less than a quarter of the game. The mission redo structure could definitely use improvements, a checkpoint for when you reach the destination perhaps, instead of having to trek across the city or use a cab. It was a fun game, but a bit of a disappointment in a lot aspects.… Expand

A good game, but not a great game. I'm not too surprised that so many journalists have jumped on the bandwagon to tout Rockstar's latest release, but it seems just a little too soon after San Andreas to give it such high ratings --- especially when they universally note that GTAIV doesn't even have the same level of content that the previous title had.

On a storytelling level, the game steps on a bad foot, countering the in median res storyline of GTA3 and VC or the hook of CJ's return home in SA with an ineffectual line shouted by a nameless character. Comical? Perhaps. Certainly cocky, and I can't help but think it's directed at the audience.

Niko's a far inferior protagonist to both of the personalized avatars introduced in Vice City and San Andreas. The writers never make it clear just why Niko wants to even amass wealth nor do they even quite make it clear why it is he's so willing to abandon his resolve to 'start a new life' from wartorn Bosnia by immediately leaping into a life of murder and mayhem. Before even a month in America he's already disillusioned and making wisecracking political commentary that simply doesn't belong in a character that's meant to be believable.

The level of content pales in comparison to SA or even VC, with fewer weapons, vehicles, and land mass to explore. Furthermore, players will find themselves carrying about a large sum of cash by the end of the game with simply nothing to spend it on. Another missing component of all Grand Theft Auto games that isn't anywhere in its latest incarnation is the 'rampage' minigame, where you have a set amount of time to blow up a set number of vehicles, off as many people as possible, and other crazy sorts of mass destruction.

The positive points number in the polish, and there's plenty of it. Lots of nuanced animations, interactions, and all the comical charm laced in previous games shine in this one as well. However, the biggest star of the game seems to be the body physics of the characters in play, where characters will stumble about and react in a more releastic and less scripted way to being shot.

Even with that last point, unfortunately, Rockstar can't take any credit --- it's a licenced engine called Euphoria by NaturalMotion that deserves all the credit. Apart from this physics engine phenomenoa, the only notable 'advance' would be in the weight of the vehicles --- vehicles that have an absurdly large turning radius and have an unbelievably low amount of friction on the tires, resulting in a good number of frustrating times where turns which had been routine in any previous title now fall far out of grasp.

With a story that's hardly revolutionary and an ending that leaves players with that same letdown as from the likes of Halo 2, GTA 4 doesn't have much going for it. While it's a gorgeous game, it'd taking a few steps back from the sort of random fun from Vice City and San Andreas. Hopefully the downloadable content will fix some of this, but even in the end you'll probably wind up paying for half a game when you pick this up off the shelves. Rent it, play it, decide if you like it, but this is no 'ten out of ten' game.… Expand

Anyone who gives this game lower than a 7 hasn't even played the game. You are just idiots. No I'm not getting paid, but this game IS justone of the best games ever made. Graphics rock, physics rock, multiplayer rocks, it all rocks. The missions might get a bit repetetive, but it doesn't weigh off against everything else.

This game is redundant in the worst way. It's just a repeat of previous versions. It's incredibly repetitive and I completely lost interest 3 hours into the game. Absolutely doesn't deserve your money!

Grand Theft Auto IV is takes itself too seriously for a game that is supposed to be about having fun in an open world. It also includes boring settings and lackluster graphics that drag it down further. The game is a step away from what made the previous versions good and you would be better off playing a game like Saint's Row.

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.

10/10 = Masterpiece = Don't even get me started. I'll just leave it as . . . MY FAVORITE VIDEO GAME OF ALL-TIME!!

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

it's just not the tipe of game i like graphics aren't the best game play is not that good cars suck hitting things with cars are just terrible but good car chases and it's fun driving a helicopter and a boat

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

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

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

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

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

This game was a very well done game. The driving was realistic which is probably why everyone hated it but thats life. The glitches were aplenty but no one could forget the swingset glitch or the skydiving glitch. The contols were sketchy and that costed this rating a whole point and the repetitive missions plus the fail-and-do-it-ALL-over-again also costed this rating a point but the graphics, funny characters, GREAT story, and diverse world with its internet and advertisments galore made the grand theft auto series what it is today.… Expand

The game is horrible. It does have decent graphics, but that doesn't make up for lack of character development, pop-ins occurring every other minute, immense load-times and another rehash that everyone has to hype over. I don't see how this game is better than San Andreas.

Three steps forward, six steps back. Its too bad the steps taken backwards of course, are the best things about previous Grand Theft Autos. I speak of course for the story, gameplay, weapons, vehicles, missions, and all around scale of the previous games. GTAIV though, seems to take a giant leap backwards in each of these categories. All in all GTAIV amounts to nothing more than an update in graphics, physics, and comedy. If your looking for a sequel to GTA3, this is it. If you want something larger in scale compared to San Andreas, you will not like this installment of the series.

6/10… Expand

First I must say, I don't see why so many game critics hail this as a near perfect (if not 100% perfect) game. This is not to say I dislike the game. On the contrary, I am madly in love with this game at the moment. However I feel that Rockstar really cheated us on this. Sure it has a great story line, better physics, better combat system, and a multiplayer mode (which may or may not be a plus to you), but for anyone who truly enjoyed San Andreas, you might feel (like me) that this one is missing something... well actually like it is missing a lot.

I don't know about anyone else, but I loved the "RPG-esque" stat building of SA. That's no where to be seen here. I also sorely miss the massive amount of clothes that were available in SA and the amount of cusotmization that this allowed. The ability to ride bicycles and airplanes was stripped from this one, which isn't a huge deal because they were rather niche aspects of the game, but still, I loved them. And an even bigger slap to the face for me was that the whole world map, was downsized by a sickening amount. All the country side to explore, all the desert to wonder around, all the little places in between cities, all has been erased in this sequel.

Still, you would have to have some serious mental disorder to hate this game. The awesome "rags to riches to rags to riches once more" story line keeps you wanting to play on, and the newly redone relationship system, will constantly keep you doing something for hundreds of hours after you have completed the primary missions. This is one that you will play for hours and hours. And if that wasn't enough to keep you playing for the next several months, they even included a multiplayer system. And while I do have a number of negative things about the multiplayer, I will just say that it gets old fast due to a number of faults that it has.

In conclusion, I will say this. If the rumors are true, and the downloadable content coming this fall will actually allow us to play in san andreas again, then I will cave in and admit that this game is, in fact, perfect.… Expand

this game is good. im not that far into it and i hope it will get better, but at the moment i am board of the lackluster missions (drive there then hear and maybe shoot a few people on the way) so far theres no real diffrence in the missions. i have herd that there ment to get better but why should i have to do 20 boring missions just to get to the good ones. the world looks very impressive but to be honeset so far there isn't a huge deall to do at least thats rally fun. (taking my friends and girlfriends out is a real chore, not that you have to do them). the police side missions are enjoyable however. multi player is the best part of this game and has been talked about to death so im not going to. alot of people have said how great the lead character is but i dont really care about him and why should i when he dosn't show any real emotion. the vehicles are the best of the series however the new camera angle is a real let down, you do get used to it but its a real pain going around corners you cant really see whats there untill you have ether hit somthing or untill your well passed the corner. The handling of the poorest cars is down right shocking the is no point in them having a handbrake because even if your driving at a normal speed you fly round doing at least a 180 degree turn and with the poor camera angle you just end up looking at the front of your car. now there are a lot of very good things about this game and i have just stuck to the negatives, as alot of you will have a go at me for doing. but a game that has got this much high prase and so many 10 out of 10s should not really have this many negatives. should it?… Collapse

The game is just downright terrible and doesn't deserve any praise from critics. The controls are clunky, driving a car feels like driving a log. Walking around should not be so clumsy and stiff. A story involving the city's top criminals would be great yes? Nope, it's surprisingly bland. There aren't as many funny scenes and parodies as in the previous games. The missions don't have any checkpoints and it's easy to screw up for some stupid reason, like going through a wall thanks to a glitch or the stupid AI falling off a tall building and died. The game focuses more on trying to be gritty and realistic but instead turns out awkward and unenjoyable. It's really not a fine game. Heck I know many gamers like myself and they all think pretty much the same thing.… Expand

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

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.

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

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

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!… Expand

Not as good as San Andreas. Being stuck in the one city is dullsville, and it lacks the epic scale of its predecessors (where were the epic car chases jumping over huge obstacles?).

Many in the franchise is missing in this game. The "Busted and Wasted" is removed. Cool weapons like flamethrower and chainsaws are missing.

But what makes it fall flat face on the ground is that the walking thing sucks. You have to press A in the Xbox 360 console to make the protagonist sprint. The cheat machine suck as well, making the game kinda boring based on the destruction you can make.

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

Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas were all ok... This game is just a polished up version of those games though in my opinion. It has the same awful control scheme, the same repetitive "chase this guy and beat him up" missions... I'm done with the series.

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

This is one of the best, beautiful, immerse, deep, and most importantly fun games i have ever played. Almost every aspect of this game is fantastic. You star as Niko Bellic, a immigrant from eastern europe who has come to the Liberty City to live the "American Dream" along with his cousin Roman. The story is one of the areas where GTA4 shines most. You will grow to love the cousins and their story of triumph and tragedy as they try to make in in America. Speaking of characters, GTA4 has some of the best characters you will ever find in a video game. From the crazy roid using Brucie to the Jamaican drug dealer little Jacob you will care for each character in your own way. One of the games best characters is not a person. It is the city itself. Liberty City is just like the city it was modeled after NYC. It is a living, breathing character itself with so much activity constantly happening even when you are doing something else. The gameplay has gotten enormously better with a cover system available which comes really handy in firefights with enemies. The driving mechanics have gotten a complete overhaul as well. Now it is more difficult to drive a car. You will have to use the break like a real car and watch the damage the car receives as well. Add on a complete fun multiplayer experience and you get not only the game of the year but one of the best games to grace the new generations of consoles you will find anywhere… Expand

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

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.

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.

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

The very hyped game Grand Theft Auto IV has been in the stores for some years now, if you look at it now you see that it is really not a bad game. The story is very interesting and the graphics are still nice to look at. The sound quality is great and the voices and radio channels are hilarious. The only real problems with the game are the mood game brings you in. The storyline is sad and you keep having that sad mood when free-roaming. Furthermore Niko is not as customisable as CJ was in GTA SA. Most of the missions are the same but some of them have some little things added to keep the missions original. Overall this game is not bad but really has some flaws. However, this game is pretty cheap today so it is really worth the money you spend on it.… Expand

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.

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

Why are people such haters? I agree, San Andreas was better because there was alot more to do. But in this game, the story is much longer, the main character is more interesting, and the physics are much better too. It is a different style of driving that takes a little bit to get used to. You can play all the way through the campaign and get a good 30 hours of gameplay(there is even an achievement for beating this in under 30 hours). Once the quest is done, there is not much incentive to keep playing except to hang out with friends, but there really is not much of a point to that. However, after the game is done, there is an exhilerating multiplayer to be played. This is the first time that Rockstar has introduced a multiplayer GTA on console, and they did not just experiment with it, There are ten ranks which basically feels like getting through one prestige on Modern Warfare 2 and every time you get to a new level, you unlock clothes and character models. The multiplayer is one to be played for a long time because it introduces Car fights, mid-air helicopter battles, and even mix-and-match the two on the entirety of the city. Liberty City feels more like a living breathing world more than any other GTA world out there.… Expand

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*.… Expand

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