Grand Theft Auto IV

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3607 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,191 out of 3607
  2. Mixed: 747 out of 3607
  3. Negative: 669 out of 3607
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  1. SoundoftheSun
    Nov 22, 2020
    9
    Recently revisited this with and it finally runs flawlessly, this game holds up extremely well!

    Graphics - 9 / 10
    Story - 8.9 / 10
    Gameplay - 8.5 / 10
    Music / sound design - 8 / 10
    Map design - 9 / 10
    Conclusion: 9 / 10
  2. Modern_Reviews
    Feb 28, 2022
    10
    Tagline: "Phenomenal open-world, modern-city masterpiece that is still more detailed than any open world game as of February 2022"

    What specs you need to run it 60fps - 1080p or 4K, without stutter or lag? - Let's make one thing clear, you should never max out "View Distance", "Detail Distance" and "Vehicle Density". But good news is that you don't need to max out either of these,    Tagline: "Phenomenal open-world, modern-city masterpiece that is still more detailed than any open world game as of February 2022"

    What specs you need to run it 60fps - 1080p or 4K, without stutter or lag?
    - Let's make one thing clear, you should never max out "View Distance", "Detail Distance" and "Vehicle Density". But good news is that you don't need to max out either of these, because game looks already perfect when you set all these settings to 50%. Everything after 50% is very minor and not necessary, but takes away huge amount of fps, so it's not worth it and with 50% it will already look miles better than Console versions. So for conclusion, yes, this is the best looking version of that game.

    Now, to run it in 4K, High Settings, you need minimum "RTX 2060" or "RX 6600 XT" for graphics card, For CPU Ryzen 3600 or I7 7700.

    Now let's make one thing clear, this game was extremely ahead of time. More than any game ever. "Resident Evil 4" (2005) was revolutionary in it's own ways and is still amazing game, no doubt, but what GTA 4 did, changed open world games forever.

    Let's start with physics. You wont find this good physics from any open world game. None. Keep in mind this was 2008.

    New York truly feels alive, more alive than modern open world games like Just Cause 3/4 or Cyberpunk 2077. Whole city is extremely detailed, especially by 2008 standards and all of that looks absolutely phenomenal, if you play this game in 4K.

    You can go inside hospitals (fully detailed), inside apartment buildings, inside police station, abanoned places, etc. There's so much to explore and find in this incredibly crafter open world. Every inch of that map shows how much passion and talent was put into making this incredible game.

    Story is fun, long and rich, full of loads of memorable characters, missions and locations.

    GTA IV is timeless masterpiece, that truly showed what is possible in gaming, most detailed open world game to date and one of the best games of all time.    … Expand
  3. w00t
    Jan 6, 2010
    8
    This is game really good if you have an AWSOME COMPUTER and that may cost a bit but i can run it great but my comp is really good Intel i5 2.7ghz GTX 260 4gb ddr3. Everything is good except that when you have an sportscar the car you have comes up everywhere but when you change car you just cant find more when you change car idk if thats an bug or something but its bad... And i have a This is game really good if you have an AWSOME COMPUTER and that may cost a bit but i can run it great but my comp is really good Intel i5 2.7ghz GTX 260 4gb ddr3. Everything is good except that when you have an sportscar the car you have comes up everywhere but when you change car you just cant find more when you change car idk if thats an bug or something but its bad... And i have a really weird bug cant higher my shadows in graphics or view distance anyone know why?… Expand
  4. Joel
    Feb 28, 2009
    3
    This game, regarding game-play only, is a strong 7. That gets halved thanks to the Rockstar "club", Microsoft Live "club", and technical issues. Average, but there are better and more extensive sandbox games out there. The PC implementation of this game is HORRIFIC. Truly terrible in just about every way imaginable.
    Completely unplayable out of the box. Required re-installation of    This game, regarding game-play only, is a strong 7. That gets halved thanks to the Rockstar "club", Microsoft Live "club", and technical issues. Average, but there are better and more extensive sandbox games out there. The PC implementation of this game is HORRIFIC. Truly terrible in just about every way imaginable.
    Completely unplayable out of the box. Required re-installation of video drivers, special tuning and de-tuning just to get textures and shading to look like something half resembling the Xbox 360 version. Frame rates are terrible even on modern high end PCs.

    I can see no reason for this to have a metacritic score above 75 for game-play, or above 40 once you account for the failed PC conversion. Unbelievable.    … Expand
  5. erei
    Jan 4, 2010
    3
    This GTA is a real GTA, no problems with it. The characters we meet and the hero are fun, and are still the GTA spirit. But the port is probably the worst never seen, we have lots of inexplicable FPS drop, crashes, various bugs,... Even capcom did better port. You need a high end Graphic card to play the game, with low settings. The game is very long, probably too much, there is a long This GTA is a real GTA, no problems with it. The characters we meet and the hero are fun, and are still the GTA spirit. But the port is probably the worst never seen, we have lots of inexplicable FPS drop, crashes, various bugs,... Even capcom did better port. You need a high end Graphic card to play the game, with low settings. The game is very long, probably too much, there is a long beginning, and many "useless" missions. The friends, and social thing we have ingame are quite fun and new, but sometimes get boring. You want to call friends NPC all day, and have dinner with them, and enjoy sending mail ? Buy sims3, we are in GTA... Conclusion : Pro : -NPC and hero are cool, as usual with GTA -story is interesting enough -the awesome amount of extra content is really cool (from cinema to tv show and internet) -graphism are not too bad, but not specially good con : -FPS drops on most graphic card (i have a nvidia 275GTX and i need to play on very low to keep my fps above 20) -bugs, bugs, and sometimes, bugs -the "friends" system become more and more boring further you go in the game. Expect to do something with one of them at least once by half an hour to keep them friendly. Spending about 10m to do so. So it make 1/3 of the game involving social things with IA. -many repetitive missions, slow beginning -all the copy protection there is, rockstar social club + windows media live,... Honestly, i guess there is far less trouble if you hack it. Advice : buy it, and download an illegal copy for installation purpose. I guess on console i should have note 6 or more, but im PC user, and your port is total garbage.… Expand
  6. EyjoK.
    May 18, 2010
    10
    Best game ever! Clueless punks giving this game a 0 when they should jsut play it on console then. For real PC gamers that understand the hardware and know how to configure their systems this game is a 10 all the way. I have been playing it since it came out and i will probably still be playing it after 3 years or so when GTA 5 comes out. The DLC pack even finally came out for PC so i Best game ever! Clueless punks giving this game a 0 when they should jsut play it on console then. For real PC gamers that understand the hardware and know how to configure their systems this game is a 10 all the way. I have been playing it since it came out and i will probably still be playing it after 3 years or so when GTA 5 comes out. The DLC pack even finally came out for PC so i hopefully will be experianceing Liberty City again. This game is a technological marvel on all accounts so OFCOURSE you will need a PC capable of running it. This is not the same game as on the consoles! The PC version looks MUCH better even on low settings( i play all high with everything MAXED OUT at HD resolutions) and the CPU power needed is immense. At least a quad is required as this game is higly multithreaded and a decent GPU (video memory is important). My only complain is the lack of Multi-GPU scaling but maybe with a better cpu the scaling would be better. Maybe a x64 bit version of the game could help boost things but perhaps it would just double the memory requirement. Anyways thank you ROCKSTAR for bringing GTA4 to the PC and doing it so that its much much better then the console version.… Expand
  7. CCC78
    Nov 20, 2020
    10
    PS: This rating is by 2008 standards.

    Story: 8.4/10
    Gameplay: 8.7/10
    Graphics: 10/10
    Open World: 9.8/10
    Enjoyability: 10/10
    Conclusion: 10710
  8. temps
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    Terrific game. GTAIV offers vast improvements in the graphics department over its predecessors. The game's controls were sometimes annoying - like when it demanded you tap "A" repeatedly in order to sprint, rather than just holding down a certain button to keep sprinting as long as you hold it down. It was also annoying to have to log into the social club and GFWL every time you boot upTerrific game. GTAIV offers vast improvements in the graphics department over its predecessors. The game's controls were sometimes annoying - like when it demanded you tap "A" repeatedly in order to sprint, rather than just holding down a certain button to keep sprinting as long as you hold it down. It was also annoying to have to log into the social club and GFWL every time you boot up the game. That being said, this is still GTA, it's still every bit as fun (if not moreso) than its predecessors. The graphics are superb - a vast improvement over the last generation of GTA titles. The story is also better, and the world is generally more believable and realistic. Whats more, the control system for aircraft in this game makes them much easier to control than the PC editions of Vice City or San Andreas. There are more strip clubs, and the strippers and prostitutes are now rendered in high definition glory, LOL! Ah, the joys of GTA. That stuff aside, there is realy a terrific game here that should not be overlooked. You'll get the familiar GTA-style storyline, with a more serious flavor to it. It has nearly all of the elements that made older GTA games fun, except perhaps airplanes, airports, and businesses you can buy like in Vice City. As for the negative reviews... we all know it's just people whining about the DRM... whether it's GFWL or the social club. Yes, the game requires a modern computer to run nicely. What do you expect? The game came out in like 2008 or 2009. I always laugh at these people who are surprised their 5-year-old "gaming-laptop" can't run it nicely, so then they go to complain about the game and whine. The bottom line: make sure you have a quad-core processor, a reasonably-new video card with at least 1gb memory, and 4gb of RAM. Then get ready for a terrific new installment to the GTA series =).… Expand
  9. gracjanski
    Jan 19, 2020
    10
    GTA 4 doesnt offer you a lot in comparison to the predecessors. But they were perfect already, so it is difficult to put new things in it.
    The gameplay should be known and means a lot of fun and a lot of possibilities, but it is not very complex.
    The difficulty is much lower than in the predecessors, especially the AI is stupid and you can kill them all very easily. But on the other    GTA 4 doesnt offer you a lot in comparison to the predecessors. But they were perfect already, so it is difficult to put new things in it.
    The gameplay should be known and means a lot of fun and a lot of possibilities, but it is not very complex.
    The difficulty is much lower than in the predecessors, especially the AI is stupid and you can kill them all very easily. But on the other side, there is no free savings, so sometimes I was glad to play through the game instead of repeating hard missions all the time.
    The characters are funny, especially Bruce, but also Little Jacob and Bernie. The story and the dialogues are comprehensible and I was curious, how the story evolves.
    The graphics and the city are perfect.
    As a result it is a great successor, but not on the same level as an art like Deus Ex.

    Many players complain about the implementation of the game and the enforcement to install many unnecessary software like Rockstar club and Microsoft live club. First: dont buy any game short after release, wait many months when it is cheaper and have some patches. And second dont do everything the industry wants you to do, there are always ways...    … Expand
  10. XgamertronX
    Nov 18, 2014
    10
    This game have some optimization problems and you may need a decent system. All performance issues at the side the game is actually very well written. Filled with character and a dark vibe the story is very well made. Gameplay can be a bit clunky but overall it's immersive and you never feel alone in this lively city.
  11. MacMorris
    Sep 3, 2013
    8
    I have to admit this game received mixed reviews. This games still deserves credit though. Its something new. First, I would start with its negative review. So many glitches. It sucked. It lacks a lot from its previous successors.Now, the positive reviews. The game's great. Great graphics, storyline, mechanics and creativity and new features.
  12. BreakingAwesome
    May 14, 2016
    9
    Спустя пару месяцев, GTA 4 появляется и на персональных компьютерах. Её портировали очень быстро по сравнению с другими играми серии GTA. И это как раз-таки повлияло на системные требования. В то время, чтобы играть на максимальных требованиях, нужен был приличный компьютер за приличные деньги. В основном, проблемы с частотой кадров и нагрузкой на системы были связаны с качествомСпустя пару месяцев, GTA 4 появляется и на персональных компьютерах. Её портировали очень быстро по сравнению с другими играми серии GTA. И это как раз-таки повлияло на системные требования. В то время, чтобы играть на максимальных требованиях, нужен был приличный компьютер за приличные деньги. В основном, проблемы с частотой кадров и нагрузкой на системы были связаны с качеством динамических теней. Очень большая разница между низким и высоким качеством. 9/10 из-за оптимизации, а так очередной шедевр от Rockstar!… Expand
  13. Alexander_1996
    Oct 17, 2020
    9
    At first I was surprized to see User Score 6.8 on metacritic for the game considered by many the best GTA and one of the best videogames in history but then I realized it is a PC version and checked out the User Score for XBOX 360 version - the rating there was 7.9 . Later I found out it is all because of bad optimization and many rigs of that time couldn't handle Liberty City at least inAt first I was surprized to see User Score 6.8 on metacritic for the game considered by many the best GTA and one of the best videogames in history but then I realized it is a PC version and checked out the User Score for XBOX 360 version - the rating there was 7.9 . Later I found out it is all because of bad optimization and many rigs of that time couldn't handle Liberty City at least in 30 fps with decent visuals and crashed consistently. Because I was playing this game in 2020 I didn't experience any problems with the optimization of the game (of course). So if you are thinking about trying it out for the first time or the last time you played it your potato computer couldn't run it properly give it a second chance. The game made an enormous leap from its predecessor (GTA:SA) and even 12 years later still looks decent. The world feels like one of the most elaborated and detailed open worlds in history of video games (I bet in 2008 it was THE MOST elaborated open world). The character of Niko Bellic feels real and relatable, though the other characters in the game (besides Roman) have some space for improvement (many of them really felt like they all are made of the same **** material). Many of the main story missions would be better off as side quests because often they didn't add anything to the main plot and existed only for the sake of extending the playing time. Though I can't say they were repetitive - each mission tried to be unique in its own way (the emphasis is on the word "tried"). What I am not a fan of is the radio. The playlist there is quite uninspired. There were only few songs I really enjoyed while driving through Liberty City but it is nitpicking and hey, you can create a playlist of your own (what I eventually ended up NOT doing).… Expand
  14. GolovA
    May 13, 2015
    8
    For using DRM's the game gets (-1) from me right away. I've read some negative reviews, and it seems people agree that the game is repetitive in terms of missions. Well, the gameplay of Doom is repetitive too - you just shoot stuff. What is different about GTA is the story. And the story (overall plot and the sub-plot of the separate missions) is very involving. I enjoyed the game forFor using DRM's the game gets (-1) from me right away. I've read some negative reviews, and it seems people agree that the game is repetitive in terms of missions. Well, the gameplay of Doom is repetitive too - you just shoot stuff. What is different about GTA is the story. And the story (overall plot and the sub-plot of the separate missions) is very involving. I enjoyed the game for its gameplay, but more so for its story. Very well done. Windows Live and Rockstar Social Club -both thumbs down!… Expand
  15. xekcedom
    Mar 11, 2015
    9
    A history of the rawest of the series, made me doubt in the final game of the dilemma that I believe it. .
  16. Marick
    Mar 8, 2015
    9
    Grand Theft Auto is one of the best game i ever played. Good physics , good story, good open world, yeah, i love this game. This is a must play game, so , take a chance.
  17. moonlight_shado
    Jul 6, 2016
    10
    Simply my all time favourite and Best GTA ever. The story is great and involving, characters so deep, probably the best Rockstar created so far. Atmosphere so grim and depressive sometimes. The driving mechanics are so good, to realistic maybe, almost like first Mafia game. This game literally do everything better than GTA V. Don't be fooled by the low score here, its mostly due to someSimply my all time favourite and Best GTA ever. The story is great and involving, characters so deep, probably the best Rockstar created so far. Atmosphere so grim and depressive sometimes. The driving mechanics are so good, to realistic maybe, almost like first Mafia game. This game literally do everything better than GTA V. Don't be fooled by the low score here, its mostly due to some technical problems back then, now with modern PC game works neat. And it's like everyone says, GTA V is for kiddies while GTA4 is mostly appreciated by mature players.… Expand
  18. xenforogamer
    Jun 4, 2015
    8
    Poorly optimized game i would give 2/10 for that. Otherwise this game is really good. I like playing as Niko Bellic, the Serbian protagonist. The FPS are same as 800x600 low vs 1980x1080 full hd
  19. sashaCZ1
    Oct 16, 2015
    8
    I like the way Rockstar went with this GTA. I enjoyed the single player missions, the story and characters. In my opinion, the soundtrack is the best one of all GTAs. If you ignore the day one optimization for PC, this game was incredible. My score is 8 out of 10.
  20. Lira
    Oct 17, 2015
    9
    시작부터 말하자면 일단 그래픽은 꽤나 훌륭합니다. 2008년게임이라는것을 감안하면 충분히 훌륭하죠.
    하지만 락스타 게임즈는 콘솔에서 보여준 최적화를 PC에서 제대로 말아먹고 말았습니다.
    2015년 현재 제 컴퓨터가 GTA5를 풀옵션 30프레임을 무리없이 구동하고 있는데 GTA4 풀옵션 60프레임이 렉이 걸린다는것부터가 완전히 개막장이죠. 하지만 전 그래도 GTA4에 높은 점수를 주고 싶습니다. 일단 스토리가 깊이가 달라졌습니다. 산안드레아스와는 비교할수없을정도로 스토리가 엄청납니다. 제 인생게임 2위인 이유가 바로 이 스토리에 있습니다. 아메리칸 드림을 꿈꾸는 수많은 사람들의 자화상을 게임에 그대로 담았다고 보면 됩니다. 그밖에도 미국에 대한 풍자와 수많은 블랙 코미디를 보니 왜 GTA    시작부터 말하자면 일단 그래픽은 꽤나 훌륭합니다. 2008년게임이라는것을 감안하면 충분히 훌륭하죠.
    하지만 락스타 게임즈는 콘솔에서 보여준 최적화를 PC에서 제대로 말아먹고 말았습니다.
    2015년 현재 제 컴퓨터가 GTA5를 풀옵션 30프레임을 무리없이 구동하고 있는데 GTA4 풀옵션 60프레임이 렉이 걸린다는것부터가 완전히 개막장이죠. 하지만 전 그래도 GTA4에 높은 점수를 주고 싶습니다.
    일단 스토리가 깊이가 달라졌습니다. 산안드레아스와는 비교할수없을정도로 스토리가 엄청납니다.
    제 인생게임 2위인 이유가 바로 이 스토리에 있습니다. 아메리칸 드림을 꿈꾸는 수많은 사람들의 자화상을 게임에 그대로 담았다고 보면 됩니다. 그밖에도 미국에 대한 풍자와 수많은 블랙 코미디를 보니 왜 GTA 시리즈가 세상에서 가장 유명한 게임 시리즈가 되었는지 알법합니다. 다만 주인공의 일생에 집중을 하다보니 이발 시스템도 사라졌고 의상도 상당히 개성이 없어졌습니다. GTA 시리즈중 가장 자유도가 떨어지는 게임이 나온것이죠. 그래서 이 게임은 의외로 호불호가 갈릴수도 있습니다. 산안드레스에서 엄청난 자유도를 만끽한 유저들은 이 게임을 싫어할수도 있죠. 하지만 게임을 싫어할지라도 한번쯤은 GTA4를 플레이 해보시는걸 추천합니다. 절대 시간낭비는 아닐테니까요.    … Expand
  21. MaxiThresher
    Dec 17, 2017
    10
    GTA IV is one of the best games of all time ! This gta game made the series go from a simple funny drive'n shoot game, to a realistic game, satire of the society of consumption and very violent but funny game. This gta, was released in 2008 and the graphics are gorgeous, the physics engine is pretty realistic and the gameplay is very easy. The missions are not all memorable, a lot of themGTA IV is one of the best games of all time ! This gta game made the series go from a simple funny drive'n shoot game, to a realistic game, satire of the society of consumption and very violent but funny game. This gta, was released in 2008 and the graphics are gorgeous, the physics engine is pretty realistic and the gameplay is very easy. The missions are not all memorable, a lot of them are lame, drive from point A to point B, pick up someone, go kill this dude, but some of the missions are just so great, that you will always remember them ! like the heist: Three Leaf Clover, Truck Hustle, Museum Piece, Tunnel of Death and Wrong is Right.
    I would definitely tell you to buy this game for 40€ or less. This game is a blast and everything is free, there is nothing to buy. Greatest game of the early 2000's.
    9.8/10 for me.    … Expand
  22. IGN-MiddleEast
    Mar 30, 2020
    10
    This game has better physics than GTA 5 and the atmosphere is more realistic and dark enough to make the game feel cinematic.
  23. stolenhearts
    Nov 4, 2020
    10
    Absolute masterpiece by any means possible. Yeah it didn't run well in 2008, but it runs well in 2020 and it holds up wonderfully in terms of graphics, story, gameplay. It was at least 3 years ahead of it's time.
  24. Reduxx
    Nov 18, 2020
    10
    Absolute masterpiece! It's not fair that it has so low score, because it had bad performance back in 2008. Runs perfectly well on every up-to-date system in 2020. Can't believe this map design, everything still holds up so well, even from graphical standpoint.
  25. Aryandrn
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Veryyyy good game. I played all the versions of gta and i say best gta is gra vice city and second gta i like is gta4
  26. AC_ValhallaisAC
    Jan 9, 2022
    10
    This is best video game Rockstar has ever made. Level of detail, atmosphere and mission design is absolutely insane by 2008 standards and even in 2022 it has more depth than most open world games.
  27. GregH.
    Dec 10, 2008
    6
    Numerous graphical, gameplay and stability problems mean this game only gets a 6. It's hard to shake the feeling that it was rushed out in time for Christmas. But if you can get playing and look past all the uneccessary garbage included in this game you will find the best GrandTheftAuto game yet. Alas quality control has let the team down which means it can never reach the perch it deserves.
  28. chrise
    Dec 2, 2008
    5
    Had already played and beat this on my brothers xbox.Should of just bought a 360 and took his game.Without a high end gaming machine,you'll most likely not be impressed.Wish i could return it for a refund. Cant play online without getting the MMA10 error which i have already found to be common among the community.
  29. MadeMan
    Dec 4, 2008
    5
    Simply brilliant game, let down by absolutely woeful performance issues. On a system that either meets or exceeds the recommended requirements, the game suffers random crashing roughly every 15 minutes requiring a full restart, terrible pop up, and a draw distance that very often doesn't update fast enough. The graphics are also largely unpolished, with heavy amounts of jagged edges. Simply brilliant game, let down by absolutely woeful performance issues. On a system that either meets or exceeds the recommended requirements, the game suffers random crashing roughly every 15 minutes requiring a full restart, terrible pop up, and a draw distance that very often doesn't update fast enough. The graphics are also largely unpolished, with heavy amounts of jagged edges. The controls also feel disconnected and unresponsive, either on foot or in car. Beyond all that, it is an outstanding game in terms of design, and most importantly, it's the game that GTA3 should have been. But at least GTA3 worked (eventually).… Expand
  30. MatthewB.
    Dec 8, 2008
    5
    I feel cheated by a massively buggy game. ok, the underlying game is great. But if the graphics keep crashing what's the point, because it becomes unplayable. There are other bugs too, but these pale into insignificance next to the terrible graphics problems.
  31. awdrifter
    Jan 19, 2009
    6
    Biggest dissapointment of the year! Don't get me wrong, this is not a horrible game, it's a solid average game. But that's it. All these reviewers giving it 9s and 10s are either never played the previous GTA or they are paid off. Let's start with the technical problems. This game requires XP SP3 to run, so I tried to install SP3, but for some reason it won't Biggest dissapointment of the year! Don't get me wrong, this is not a horrible game, it's a solid average game. But that's it. All these reviewers giving it 9s and 10s are either never played the previous GTA or they are paid off. Let's start with the technical problems. This game requires XP SP3 to run, so I tried to install SP3, but for some reason it won't install, I wasn't going to reinstall my OS for just one game, thankfully I found a registry hack that'll allow me to play the game. Now the game loads, but I had the missing texture problem, so I downloaded the patch, now it has the spinning camera problem. After many tried, I found out that I had to unplug the controller when the game starts, then plug it back it once the game is fully loaded. What a pain in the 455. There's no AA option in this game. This is a really big step back. I mean come on, even GTA:SA have AA. They developed this brand spanking new engine for this game and it can't do AA? Come on, that's bs. I know they are giving the defferred lighting bs, but if engines like Source, Schimitar, and Dunia can do HDR with AA, this is no excuse. I don't understand why they didn't just use one of the existing engine anyways, they clearly can't make a good engine. Now on to the problems with the gameplay and game mechanics. As everyone said, the cars' handling sucks. If I want to play a sim I'd go to play GT4. The cars handles worse that the cars of NFS. The friend system is ultra annoying. I don't mind having to gain their thrust and whatnot, but having them constantly calling me to go out and if I refuse the thumb down me, that's so damn annoying. They too out the planes, the car mods, the ability to buy properties, to own hoods, to level up your character's gun skills. Another thing is earning money is so hard in this game, I couldn't just blast everyone because the rockets and grenades are so expensive, sometimes I come out of an mission losing money. That's rediculous. Overall I think GTA:SA was a much better game. This game is very frustrating at times, and when you finally completed a mission, the rewards just doesn't feel like it's worth the effort. There are a few positive about this game though. The graphics looks better than the previous GTAs. The radio stations are great, and the ability to integrate you own music in the radio is awsome. The city feels pretty alive, especially at night. My advice, if you're a GTA fans, wait for this to hit the bargain bin, then pick it up for $20.… Expand
  32. BinaryS.
    Dec 10, 2008
    6
    So they're just giving out perfect reviews nowadays, huh? Must be nice being a game reviewer - the game publisher writes the review and you just sign your name to it. Wonderful!
  33. FredB.
    Dec 10, 2008
    5
    This is a game with some nice graphics, unfortunately it's buggy as hell. I have some serious issues with the controls. First, there are too many control keys and it's difficult to map to my liking (in part because, Return, Backspace and Home cannot be used). Also, having to drive with mouse-look is extremely annoying - this is a killer for me, it takes all the joy out of This is a game with some nice graphics, unfortunately it's buggy as hell. I have some serious issues with the controls. First, there are too many control keys and it's difficult to map to my liking (in part because, Return, Backspace and Home cannot be used). Also, having to drive with mouse-look is extremely annoying - this is a killer for me, it takes all the joy out of driving fast and recklass - you can't take a corner without mouselook messing it up - "Mouselook" means you need to control your view with the mouse all the bloody time (in the car). What finally killed my interest in the game, is the totally lacking first "date". Combining this with the rest of missions you get in the start, you realize the game tries to make it out to be so serious, but it's so lacking it just get's annoying. Previous GTA games where much more fun.… Expand
  34. OscarK
    Dec 30, 2008
    5
    Well, im playing it on a 2.2ghz Core 2 duo and a Sapphire 4870 toxic and im getting 30 fps at 800x600 with everything at lowest you can tell there is a slight problem here which is why im gonna deduct 5 points buuuut look past the graphics and all the errors and shizzle and you get an excellent game. Its taken San Andreas taken the best out of it and made it smaller and focused more.. it Well, im playing it on a 2.2ghz Core 2 duo and a Sapphire 4870 toxic and im getting 30 fps at 800x600 with everything at lowest you can tell there is a slight problem here which is why im gonna deduct 5 points buuuut look past the graphics and all the errors and shizzle and you get an excellent game. Its taken San Andreas taken the best out of it and made it smaller and focused more.. it works well and i find myself somewhat addicted to all the missions. The Vehicles handle well the taxi's are a great addition and I actually think the controls are somewhat decent. Shame they took out airplanes tho. they were my favourite things ever =( also.. im not sure about replayability after the missions are finished ive heard there is not much to do and the game grows dull quickly as the thrill of the physics and other new features wears of... So, I gave it 5 for gameplay and 0 for Graphics and bugs etc.… Expand
  35. ShawnD.
    Dec 4, 2008
    5
    Usually when a game is ported between platforms, the company at least puts some effort into making it run propertly. Rockstar can't be bothered with anything like that. It's as if they took the Xbox version and wrote an emulator to run it; that's how slow this game is. I can run games like Bioshock, Crysis, and Fallout 3 with very high graphical detail and a good frame Usually when a game is ported between platforms, the company at least puts some effort into making it run propertly. Rockstar can't be bothered with anything like that. It's as if they took the Xbox version and wrote an emulator to run it; that's how slow this game is. I can run games like Bioshock, Crysis, and Fallout 3 with very high graphical detail and a good frame rate, but this game can't even run at 20fps. They didn't even beta test this piece of garbage.… Expand
  36. JarkkoR.
    Dec 6, 2008
    6
    Bugs and performance make this game unplayable or very unpleasant for 8/10 of the people who i know that have bought the game, unacceptable release. Shame on Rockstar.No matter how good a game is, its completely irrelevant when it just doesnt work.. and considering the amount of trouble seen, its not accident.. they just wanted it out for christmas.
  37. Technicha
    Dec 8, 2008
    5
    A very fun and addicting game. Cops finally have a decent AI which means you can have a strategy against cops now instead of them showing up randomly no matter where you are like the earlier gta series. The storyline is good, not much to say there. The major downside with this game is the graphics and performance. Even with a great computer expect to run this game at low-medium settings. A very fun and addicting game. Cops finally have a decent AI which means you can have a strategy against cops now instead of them showing up randomly no matter where you are like the earlier gta series. The storyline is good, not much to say there. The major downside with this game is the graphics and performance. Even with a great computer expect to run this game at low-medium settings. Even with low settings expect major stuttering and lag. This game is poorly optimized. The graphics are jagged and shadows looks very unrealistic and grainy. There's a application with it called social club that slows the game's startup process and also being a resource hog in the background. There's still no free saving in this game, this is very annoying when the game keeps crashing that can make you lose hours of mission progress. Simply it's a fun game if you can just get it to run like it should.… Expand
  38. M.Alex
    Jan 21, 2009
    6
    I enjoyed the game immensly. I didn't enjoy the load of software i had to install to play this game (secuROM turned out the least irritating!), the fact that the was not optimised to a satisfying degree, and that it was buggy: if it didn't crash, than a button had to functions and irritating consequences, e.g.: the mouse wheel is used to change weapons. If you phone rings while I enjoyed the game immensly. I didn't enjoy the load of software i had to install to play this game (secuROM turned out the least irritating!), the fact that the was not optimised to a satisfying degree, and that it was buggy: if it didn't crash, than a button had to functions and irritating consequences, e.g.: the mouse wheel is used to change weapons. If you phone rings while changing weapons, you automaticaly hang up. Passed the game, had my fun, uninstalled without regrets.… Expand
  39. JamesL
    Dec 20, 2008
    5
    It's a nice game, if only it utilized the PC better! Low draw distances, the inability to tweak graphical settings to get a balance between frame rate and eye candy lowers the score. In terms of gameplay it is good old GTA with a huge open world concept but with a minimum requirements PC everything goes downhill. Quite unfortunate because they should have made it a little more It's a nice game, if only it utilized the PC better! Low draw distances, the inability to tweak graphical settings to get a balance between frame rate and eye candy lowers the score. In terms of gameplay it is good old GTA with a huge open world concept but with a minimum requirements PC everything goes downhill. Quite unfortunate because they should have made it a little more customizable (in terms of graphical options etc) so that most gamers could enjoy the game better.… Expand
  40. jp
    Dec 26, 2008
    5
    This game could be a 10 if Rockstar wasn't so lazy. They made the most graphically demanding game out for the pc right now, and they didn't include the option of utilizing dual video cards. Also the control options are extremely weak, especially for the helicopter. The fact that you can only map one key per control is just pathetic, and the fact that the game won't This game could be a 10 if Rockstar wasn't so lazy. They made the most graphically demanding game out for the pc right now, and they didn't include the option of utilizing dual video cards. Also the control options are extremely weak, especially for the helicopter. The fact that you can only map one key per control is just pathetic, and the fact that the game won't recognize a joystick is incredibly weak also. But, it's still fun to kill time and the story line is great, just too much to detract from the score until they patch the current problems. *Also, I'm running Vista 64 and with the new patch just released to make the online play work, I have to run the game in compatibility mode for Windows 2000..... that's just really lazy on rockstars part, considering they don't seem to be rushing towards any solutions judging by what I've read lately.… Expand
  41. Marmoo
    Dec 26, 2008
    5
    i agree with what has been said here on both sides of the arguement
    i will give it a 5 for now as i installed it and game ran and it looks superb but what has been declared on the box for spec is a load of bollocks...you need a quick proccessor(s), VERY LARGE ram and big hard drive and graphics gard...i got it all except ram (i got 1.5 RAM) so off out to buy at least another 2 gig of ram for me
  42. JimboS.
    Dec 3, 2008
    5
    After such a cracking debut on the consoles, the PC version has turned out to be nothing more than a poorly ported turd. This release reeks of a Christmas cash-in rush job. Numerous forums across the internet discussing the PC release will attest to the dismal performance issues experienced across the spectrum. Even the most highly spec'd rigs crumble before this shitty beta release. After such a cracking debut on the consoles, the PC version has turned out to be nothing more than a poorly ported turd. This release reeks of a Christmas cash-in rush job. Numerous forums across the internet discussing the PC release will attest to the dismal performance issues experienced across the spectrum. Even the most highly spec'd rigs crumble before this shitty beta release. Thanks for cashing in Rockstar. I don't think I'll be supporting your products in the future.… Expand
  43. A.N.O.
    Dec 8, 2008
    5
    bugs,Bugs,BUGS!!! so many glitches and bugs that it was almost unplayable. and if you take in account that i have a superb pc with a 9800 GX2 graphics card, 2.4 quad core cpu, and a 4 GB Ram and it still didnt work properly... i have it on the 360 and i got it as an early christmas present, and i was really disappointed. another could have been. (oh yeah, and look at the difference bugs,Bugs,BUGS!!! so many glitches and bugs that it was almost unplayable. and if you take in account that i have a superb pc with a 9800 GX2 graphics card, 2.4 quad core cpu, and a 4 GB Ram and it still didnt work properly... i have it on the 360 and i got it as an early christmas present, and i was really disappointed. another could have been. (oh yeah, and look at the difference between the critics and users score; weird?)… Expand
  44. MichaelK.
    Dec 21, 2008
    5
    Having played the game on the PS3, I know it's a quality game...but the port for the PC is simply atrocious. On above-the-recommended system requirements the game was simply unplayable even on on 800x600 resolution. It's a horrible, horrible port, and it's rather unfortunate that the BEST platform the game, turns out to be the worst treated. Just makes me sick...
  45. njemtrn1129
    Jun 11, 2013
    0
    i really think i just wasted 20 bucks. after having to sign in twice, the game wouldn't let me advance after the first autosave because it wouldn't download my account, and when i chose the option to not autosave, the game got stuck in a loop and took me back to the autosave options. ive played this game on other platforms and loved it, then i download it and noticed microsofts recenti really think i just wasted 20 bucks. after having to sign in twice, the game wouldn't let me advance after the first autosave because it wouldn't download my account, and when i chose the option to not autosave, the game got stuck in a loop and took me back to the autosave options. ive played this game on other platforms and loved it, then i download it and noticed microsofts recent tendency to kill everything it touched.

    i would recommend this for any platform other than the pc. Microsoft had to go messing things up again and totally destroyed the game.    … Expand
  46. notBOB
    Jul 30, 2017
    3
    Pros:
    -love the voice acting
    -story is OK -runs well on my system Cons: -BORING! Chase with car, or motorbike, or... kill the target to get a little money that can't actually be spent on anything - mindless driving. If I was too young to have a licence this might be fun but... - repetitive quests with no real point to them whatsoever. Starts out with a guy I thought was trying to    Pros:
    -love the voice acting
    -story is OK
    -runs well on my system

    Cons:
    -BORING! Chase with car, or motorbike, or... kill the target to get a little money that can't actually be spent on anything
    - mindless driving. If I was too young to have a licence this might be fun but...
    - repetitive quests with no real point to them whatsoever. Starts out with a guy I thought was trying to better himself but instead becomes a mindless psychopathic thug... who kills for money that can't be spent on anything
    - GTA 5 is funny. GTA 4 is boring.
    - installed it for the third time intending to force myself to finish it. Just couldn't bring myself to do it. It is BORING!    … Expand
  47. spotcheetah360
    Dec 29, 2021
    8
    This is a great game, dark and deep story, solid gameplay mechanics, great replayability. I would give this game a 9 or 10 even. But the crappy ass rockstar launcher ruins most of the experience.
  48. Defren
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Best game in a world! Great city, physics cars and optimisation! It is a pity that in the next part they made it worse.
  49. ChesterField
    May 8, 2020
    8
    This PC version release with a lot of problems, but avoiding this. One of the best gta games ever.
  50. PsychoJoona
    Nov 25, 2021
    8
    Story is so interactive and characters are really good too. Guns feel a little off but still fun.
    Main grind for me is that driving is really boring and the player is punished way too much for dying. But still a great game to play even today.
  51. FRIST_008
    Jan 2, 2022
    9
    Итак 2021 год, и я решил, что вырос и смогу понять этот скучный сюжет. И.... это всё ещё скучный сюжет, который я оценю в 6 балов. Всё очень плохо. Но почему я ставлю игре 9 баллов? Вот знаете есть игры, в которых физика насколько хороша, что вам хочется с ней эксперементировать... А внимание к деталям от разработчиков пестрит из игры просто из всех щелей. Вы готовы просто встать иИтак 2021 год, и я решил, что вырос и смогу понять этот скучный сюжет. И.... это всё ещё скучный сюжет, который я оценю в 6 балов. Всё очень плохо. Но почему я ставлю игре 9 баллов? Вот знаете есть игры, в которых физика насколько хороша, что вам хочется с ней эксперементировать... А внимание к деталям от разработчиков пестрит из игры просто из всех щелей. Вы готовы просто встать и аплодировать техническому исполнению игры. Да тут отсутствует оптимизация и у меня в 4к hdr на 3080 ртх и 3900 резани игра умудряется выдавать 40 кадров. Но за обиливе возможностей и физику в игре, хочется ей всё простить и сказать, что вы просто обязаны это всё попробовать. Вы толком не найдёте таких игр в наше время среди ААА тайтлов, все просто забили большой и толстый на такую физику.... к сожалению...… Expand
  52. Xrayplayer
    Mar 24, 2021
    9
    Although the PC port is terrible and it's very hard to run the game decently, in my opinion this is the best GTA game ever made, the story is amazing and well written and the characters are great and memorable especially Niko and Roman, the graphics are actually pretty good for a game released in 2008 and the dark and gritty look of the City made this game looks kinda unique and the darkAlthough the PC port is terrible and it's very hard to run the game decently, in my opinion this is the best GTA game ever made, the story is amazing and well written and the characters are great and memorable especially Niko and Roman, the graphics are actually pretty good for a game released in 2008 and the dark and gritty look of the City made this game looks kinda unique and the dark tone makes this game stand out among the series for better or for worse, the City itself is full of details and there's so much going on and it's very fun to explore you can fight people find weapons kill people stealing cars as any other GTA you loved and the ragdoll physics makes the gameplay so much entertaining the controls and movements are good the combat system is fun, driving is kinda slippery but it's fun when you get the hang of it.
    My biggest gripe with the game is that there's not much to do in the City as in San Andreas there's no deep character customization no airplanes no managing parapets and you're money had nothing to spend on other than guns and clothes, at the end of game you'll have a half million dollars that you can do almost nothing to spend it but this issue it's not big deal for me at least you can do side activities like playing bowling or pool and going to burger shot and visit some comedy club and watch some hilarious shows and the radio stations are fun to listen at, you can hang out with some characters you met through out the story and listen to some more dialogues, the side missions are great especially the random encounters and the assassination missions.

    Overall it's an awesome game my favorite in the series.    … Expand
  53. DDD273
    Nov 20, 2020
    10
    Although is was extremely impressed by GTA V, for some reason i always keep going back to GTA IV and i usually play this one way more. I like darker tone of this game, i like story more than V. Story is also longer in this one, V was way too short and last two missions were just meh. Can't believe 2008 game can be that amazing and still be ahead of so many modern games.
  54. psmoon21
    Feb 8, 2021
    10
    It is true that after coming from gta san andreas it may seem lacking in content, but it feels so different and at the same time so good that I am not surprised that it has a 98 in metacritic, the best I have played in my life

    The history of the game is told with mastery, its narrative, the secondary characters are as casrismatic as the main ones, with small decisions in important    It is true that after coming from gta san andreas it may seem lacking in content, but it feels so different and at the same time so good that I am not surprised that it has a 98 in metacritic, the best I have played in my life

    The history of the game is told with mastery, its narrative, the secondary characters are as casrismatic as the main ones, with small decisions in important moments, niko is the best character in gta, it makes you care about his history and that of his people

    The story about the mafia, diamonds, drugs and how they pass from one hand to another creating mini-stories that create the main story is masterful, a masterpiece this game

    The online didn't have much content but it managed to be a lot of fun with just a few missions, races, deathmatches and a free world at the airport

    Details as incredible as that niko improves his English over time or if you fail the mission will have new dialogues, internet, physics, driving, the a.i. and many more details that to this day continue to surprise me.

    The b.s.o. It is good with its main theme and stations like the journey, the gunplay improved a lot compared to other gta as being able to aim manually or automatically depending on the pressure of the trigger or cover yourself even rolling to a cover

    Every time I play it again I discover or remember some detail that seems incredible to me that it was in 2.008

    the pc version is not very well optimized even today it is difficult to move it to current computers, even so most of the time you can move it to 60fps with everything at maximum and the graphical difference compared to the xbox 360 and ps3 versions is very big

    Over time this game is getting more respect and more and more players know how to see what this game did in its day. Thanks rockstar    … Expand
  55. Retiort
    Nov 21, 2021
    9
    This Game Is sick , The Story and The Character , I really Love this Game and also this game has amazing detail that GTA V hasn't But Unfortunately this Game had Problem With Optimization on PC
    The optimization it's Really bad I might said , even The High End PC Nowadays Can't Run this Game Smoothly 60FPS+ or 100+
  56. johnny__a
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    GTA IV has a darker tone than its predecessor. I missed the individualisation options that GTA San Andreas had. But the story is great, the atmosphere of Liberty City is excellent, and the gameplay is fantastic.
  57. v_g_little_b_06
    Dec 30, 2021
    9
    Bad optimization, good graphics, best physics, best history, stupid NPC, i love this game
  58. NicoBellicRules
    Jan 6, 2022
    10
    This is the game that got me back into gaming. The story is awesome, and you will really relate to Niko Bellic. Also, the two other companion games (The Lost and the Damned / Ballad of Gay Tony) are great as well. All three games actually work together to tell a full story. I used an excel spreadsheet and was able to play all three games at once as if it was one complete story. ThatThis is the game that got me back into gaming. The story is awesome, and you will really relate to Niko Bellic. Also, the two other companion games (The Lost and the Damned / Ballad of Gay Tony) are great as well. All three games actually work together to tell a full story. I used an excel spreadsheet and was able to play all three games at once as if it was one complete story. That was extremely interesting because of the different points of views, and you also cover every inch of the GTA world that way. GTA 4 and 5 are simply two of my top 5 videos games. That is how good they are.… Expand
  59. TheBasicReviews
    Jan 27, 2022
    10
    Story: 100/100
    Gameplay: 100/100
    Graphics: 100/100
    Music/Soundtrack: 90/100
    Main Character(s): 90/100
    Side Characters: 80/100
    Regular Enemies: 80/100
    Bosses/Boss fights: 85/100
    World/Level Design: 100/100
    Playability (Bugs and optimization after patches): 80/100
    Would I Play It Again?: Forever
    Where Does It Rank In My Top 500 Video Games of All Time List?: 3

    Rating: 100/100
  60. Uarabei
    Feb 21, 2022
    8
    An excellent continuation of the series after San Andreas.

    Atmospheric, sometimes gloomy, colorful. It's still the same GTA, but on a larger scale (not a map).
  61. obviousAssassin
    Feb 23, 2022
    10
    I love this game so much, i could play it endlessly. Rockstar truly did something special with this one. It really makes you feel like you are in 2008 New York. There's so many random apartment buildings you can just go inside and go to rooftops or go inside police stations, hospitals, abandoned warehouses and so much more. City feels truly alive. NPC reactions and dialogue is on anotherI love this game so much, i could play it endlessly. Rockstar truly did something special with this one. It really makes you feel like you are in 2008 New York. There's so many random apartment buildings you can just go inside and go to rooftops or go inside police stations, hospitals, abandoned warehouses and so much more. City feels truly alive. NPC reactions and dialogue is on another level for 2008 game. It doesn't feel outdated at all, if anything, it feels more detailed than some other games. Can you go inside hospitals or police stations in GTA V? No you can't. Not saying that GTA 5 is bad, because in GTA 5 there's other places you can go inside like abandoned mineshaft and underwater stuff, but i honestly wish GTA VI would have more enterable buildings just like IV did. Amazing game.… Expand
  62. qvlad
    Apr 22, 2022
    10
    ＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／＼(￣▽￣)／
  63. MarkK
    Mar 21, 2009
    5
    The game is great. It has brilliant graphics, but it is a rubbish port. It doesn't support SLI, and it needs a very high power computer to do what is only above average by modern standards. It's almost as if Rockstar couldn't be bothered with the PC market.
  64. DecadeReviews
    Jan 23, 2021
    10
    Graphics - 9.5/10 (by 2008 standard)
    Story - 9.5/10
    Variety of enemies - 8.7/10
    Game's length - 10/10
    Gameplay - 9/10
    Variety of weapons - 10/10
    General world design - 10/10
    Fun factor - 10/10
    How many times i have finished it - 10
    Where does it stand in my top "1000 video games of all time" list - 5
  65. Dirtman73
    Dec 5, 2009
    3
    The good? Compelling story, awesome voice acting, realistic physics, superb audio on 5.1 speakers, attention to detail, Liberty City is big! The bad? DRM, RockStar Social Club (mandatory sign-up), Windows Live (mandatory log-in), shoddy PC port and coding, runs like crap on my high-end computer, subpar graphics, overly realistic car physics, unintuitive and unchangeable gamepad controls The good? Compelling story, awesome voice acting, realistic physics, superb audio on 5.1 speakers, attention to detail, Liberty City is big! The bad? DRM, RockStar Social Club (mandatory sign-up), Windows Live (mandatory log-in), shoddy PC port and coding, runs like crap on my high-end computer, subpar graphics, overly realistic car physics, unintuitive and unchangeable gamepad controls (possibly the worst I've ever experienced), lengthy learning curve, bugs & glitches galore (even after latest patch), the radio stations are entirely uninspired, horribly implemented camera modes, sparse documentation, etc. etc. etc. I could go on and on. It looks like RockStar have gotten way too big for their britches. They obviously don't give a fig about the PC market, so why bother releasing atrocious console-to-PC ports anymore? Spare us computer owners the pain, please!… Expand
  66. VicMac
    Jul 26, 2009
    5
    A disappointing mess of a game, undecided if it wants full-on realism or diverse fun (See San Andreas). Though a very well done game, GTA IV falls short of all expectations, with boring and repetitive missions and badly done gameplay elements. The PC version, also is by far the worst PC port ever, if not the worst PC game ever.
  67. Dead_Space
    Nov 23, 2020
    10
    I started recently playing it after long time and it holds up extremely well. Story is fun enough, there's so many buildings you can go inside and that's huge for 2008 game. Absolute classic.
  68. JamesF
    Jun 3, 2009
    4
    The game itself simply amazing, as anyone who has played it for 10 minutes should know. However, PC user have again been screwed over. The late release, the mountains and mountains of bugs and glitches along with the terrible frame rates and useless patches really give a bad edge to the PC version of GTAIV.
  69. JF
    Mar 21, 2009
    6
    The storyline and gameplay are amazing, but once you include all the some times extreme glitches, stuttering framerates in certain areas, and terrible load times, the PC version really failed. Even with a high-end PC, you are doomed to +/-25fps, and it drops severely in multiplayer, rendering it unplayable at times. All in all, a great but horribly put together port put together by a team The storyline and gameplay are amazing, but once you include all the some times extreme glitches, stuttering framerates in certain areas, and terrible load times, the PC version really failed. Even with a high-end PC, you are doomed to +/-25fps, and it drops severely in multiplayer, rendering it unplayable at times. All in all, a great but horribly put together port put together by a team that takes weeks to respond to support issues.… Expand
  70. whitespider999
    Feb 27, 2012
    9
    Terribly optimized for a pc to the point of being broken. Even to this day it fails to run on many hardware config's at a playable framerate. If you want to play this game, make sure you are running a quad core cpu with a high clock rate and a single - powerful gpu. Crossfire produces negative scaling, Sli is buggy, and a duel core cpu will produce a scattershot fps. The plus side to allTerribly optimized for a pc to the point of being broken. Even to this day it fails to run on many hardware config's at a playable framerate. If you want to play this game, make sure you are running a quad core cpu with a high clock rate and a single - powerful gpu. Crossfire produces negative scaling, Sli is buggy, and a duel core cpu will produce a scattershot fps. The plus side to all of this mess is that it's far better looking on the stray computer than does meet all these requirements. The game itself fantastic, with an involving (albeit well tread) story, with great action, and a weighty physics system. If this game runs well on your system - 10/10. If it runs poorly. 0/10.… Expand
  71. wrexmer
    Aug 17, 2012
    9
    After upgrading my computer to 2012 standards, I can finally enjoy the game at it's highest detail. With mods like iCEnhancer , it looks totally amazing, almost real-life visuals! On top of that, good old GTA gameplay and amazing voice acting and euphoria physics are just too much fun to play with!
    Too bad we had to wait 3 years to finally properly run this.
  72. KillJoyKJ
    Jun 26, 2012
    9
    Overall, Really good Game. Ive owned this game for several years now, but only just recently got a new computer with Radeon HD 7770, and I'm finally able to play this game it was meant to be played. The other reviewers are right, the game is tough to play when its slow and choppy, and requires a high end videocard. The social aspect of the game is a toss-up. I like that I can callOverall, Really good Game. Ive owned this game for several years now, but only just recently got a new computer with Radeon HD 7770, and I'm finally able to play this game it was meant to be played. The other reviewers are right, the game is tough to play when its slow and choppy, and requires a high end videocard. The social aspect of the game is a toss-up. I like that I can call characters to accelerate through a particular person's quests/storyline, but I absolutely hate how all these new social things like playing pool (yes, u have to actually play virtual pool), or go bowling (yes that too), so forth... its no fun. This is GTA!!! compared to San Andreas or the previous ones, I would have liked less social missions, where the objective is solely to spend time with the person, and more ACTION ... more stealing cars, spectacular shootouts, what about recruiting followers/gang members??? What happened to all that?… Expand
  73. Vaidsu
    Jun 26, 2012
    8
    I am not a pro gamer. After beating borderlands I got this game in an offer in Steam to play with. I have already played the other versions of GTA namely, GTA 2, 3, Vicecity, and san Andreas. One thing that is critically acclaimed to be unique is the cover system, car driving mechanics and AI. Cover system: None of the other GTA provides this. It is really amazing to use cover and die notI am not a pro gamer. After beating borderlands I got this game in an offer in Steam to play with. I have already played the other versions of GTA namely, GTA 2, 3, Vicecity, and san Andreas. One thing that is critically acclaimed to be unique is the cover system, car driving mechanics and AI. Cover system: None of the other GTA provides this. It is really amazing to use cover and die not often. This game gives a lot of scope to creativity unlike other versions. You can try multiple ways to complete a mission, although we will be driven according to the scope of the mission. Car mechanics: This is really cool. Not all the cars burns into ashes when damaged completely. No two cars are same, for instance driving a Hummer is completely different and stable than driving a coupe. The damage sensitivity is also perfectly matched with the car type. However, I have seen few glitches in the missions where the enemies could smash and throw a hummer up in the air. AI: You can't stay and shoot from one place anymore. Enemies come striking at you bombarding like a multiplayer human opponent. I have just beaten the game. I haven't experienced Multiplayer yet. I have seen Social Club not logging in often.… Expand
  74. Bloodthirsty
    Jul 16, 2012
    10
    Awsome game,very nice gameplay modes such as fake internet in the game,hot dog stands,online dating,underground illegal weapon shops,computer in cop car,taxi rides and much more,graphics is nice,has a huge story with different endings,really enjoyed playing this game
  75. Expectoner
    Jul 28, 2012
    10
    Graphism : 18/20 (Strolling through a beautiful New York is cool !)
    Sounds : 19/20 (Lots of good music as usual, just -1 for the sound of cars not top)
    History : 20/20 (Just huge, with a main frame has multiple choice)
    Gamplay : 18/20 (He lost some fun, but he won at realism !)
    Lifespan : 20/20 (Illimité. .. it's GTA ...)

    Final Score: 19/20 One of the best games of all time !
  76. Gabcd
    Aug 6, 2012
    9
    4+/5 (Very Good) I suggest you buy the game and play it. Now. But be warned though, if you play the PC version, the graphics are sometimes buggy and really break the immersion you might have build up while playing. Oh and apparently the game is rough on the hardware reqs. Yeah, it is.

    Buy it. (for X360 if you can, if not the PC version does the job really well)
  77. SeismicDon
    Aug 14, 2012
    9
    The GTA series are the only open-world games where I've been content just goofing off around the city, and GTA IV specifically has had more replay value for me than any other game I've owned. Years after the initial release, this is still the game I go back to when I'm bored with everything else.
  78. Necro321
    Oct 1, 2012
    10
    I don't how they manage to make a game so fun like this one. Even if you end the story the game never ends. The effects and design of this game it's not at 100% mostly because of some vehicles that are not 100% functional like they used to be on GTASA, but that's mostly because it's a new engine. Maybe on the future, with GTAV we will be able to see this game working at 100%, and believeI don't how they manage to make a game so fun like this one. Even if you end the story the game never ends. The effects and design of this game it's not at 100% mostly because of some vehicles that are not 100% functional like they used to be on GTASA, but that's mostly because it's a new engine. Maybe on the future, with GTAV we will be able to see this game working at 100%, and believe me, i'm going to be there, playing it.… Expand
  79. Vasilich
    Nov 8, 2012
    10
    The most advanced in the series to date, absolutely amazing game. Though has some optimisation issues and it took several years until the majority of PCs started to run this beast smoothly =)
  80. ReviewZone212
    Feb 18, 2013
    10
    By far the best GTA, just know that you should buy it if you have a SUPERULTRAMEGA-PC.
  81. Katzenstreu
    Dec 21, 2012
    10
    I bought this game for 8 Euro on Steam and it was worth it. Many people here say they have FPS drops, bugs, etc... But I didn't have any of these problems. The game is fun and for me the story is somehow exiting and if you have already done the singleplayer, go on multiplayer. Bored with multiplayer? Get a trailer get some friends and do **** No internet? Go on singleplayer and do ****I bought this game for 8 Euro on Steam and it was worth it. Many people here say they have FPS drops, bugs, etc... But I didn't have any of these problems. The game is fun and for me the story is somehow exiting and if you have already done the singleplayer, go on multiplayer. Bored with multiplayer? Get a trailer get some friends and do **** No internet? Go on singleplayer and do **** I've played this game for 187 hours.… Expand
  82. bestreviews2020
    Nov 13, 2020
    10
    Just came here to say, here's my positive review for this amazing game.........
  83. B00tsyC
    Apr 28, 2010
    0
    First of all how come this game is rated with a solid "9"? No doubt, rockstar gave them a pile of money to do so. This game is utterly crap on the PC. I mean, i rarely rate a game with a 0, but this game sux so much that I stoped playing it after 30 minutes. everytime you start the game you get all that highly annoying windows Live crap + you it is mandatory to create an Live account First of all how come this game is rated with a solid "9"? No doubt, rockstar gave them a pile of money to do so. This game is utterly crap on the PC. I mean, i rarely rate a game with a 0, but this game sux so much that I stoped playing it after 30 minutes. everytime you start the game you get all that highly annoying windows Live crap + you it is mandatory to create an Live account where you have to give your email and personal info. I mean seriously... I bought the freaking game and just want to play it without all that stuff. Also you have to first start the story mode before you can go in MP mode, don't get that really... why not just give that option on the main page. It plays like crap on my decent dual core, controls are retarded, driving is a load of bull with these controls + you constantly adjust your camera with the mouse with every corner...so no auto camera lock, sux too. I tried MP, but the game freezes half the time + I have to wait like 10 minutes or more for other people in the lobby. Securom is also freaking annoying and unwanted... I mean you can't stop pirating so don't try, securom only makes it annoying for the people that actually bought the game............. I really liked san andreas on the PC, well it had issues as well, but it still was an enjoyable game, with GTA4 they made it 10 times worse.... So 1, I will never buy a game anymore with that windows live crap and securom and 2, I will think 3 times before I buy an other Rockstar game. Like many big game (infinity ward for example) companies they went in the wrong direction and made games that could gave cool sequels that are even better... they made it 10 times worse. I'm getting sick of buying games where I feel ripped of and let down.… Expand
  84. dejaime
    Feb 16, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While playing the game under a GTS450 and an Athlon II X2 260 (Nowhere near the best PC) The game went smoothly, no fps drops nor lags. The controls for the cellphone are awful, in fact. How many times haven't I rejected a call due to be pressing the reject button (that's shared with 2 other commands). Other than that, the movement controls on it's predecessor SA are way better than this one, still the GTA IV movement is more realistic. As I don't really play GTA thinking of realism, the bad movement controls are a problem. Nice hidden content. When I first played GTA III and save the girl, GTA Vice City and you own the world or GTA San Andreas and luck you tempenny! GTA IV makes you wish you hadn't finish the game, the usually warm fuzzy feeling of putting everything in place was ripped from the game. The friends minigames, Ok on the beginning, start to get bad as the game goes on and your phone list increases in size. The graphical quality improved, the radios are still funny, the "friends missions" found throughout the map are the best addition of GTA IV. --TLDR-- Bad Movement controls, boring "relationship quests" and awful story endings kill a good part of playing through GTA IV; But it may still be worthy buying if you find it used for U$15 or less.… Expand
  85. SanderB
    Oct 15, 2009
    1
    Using the steam version, I have an Nvidia GEForce 9500 card with 512 MB (Min is listed as 256) I have 2 gigs system memory, an ASUS motherboard and a 3.2 Ghz Pentium D chip. I was under the impression that qualifies as a dual core. THIS game runs like crap. The graphics are flat, and frankly a step back from San Andreas which I loved, and still load on occasion. The entire half life Using the steam version, I have an Nvidia GEForce 9500 card with 512 MB (Min is listed as 256) I have 2 gigs system memory, an ASUS motherboard and a 3.2 Ghz Pentium D chip. I was under the impression that qualifies as a dual core. THIS game runs like crap. The graphics are flat, and frankly a step back from San Andreas which I loved, and still load on occasion. The entire half life franchise runs brilliantly, any number of online games and other high graphics application run fine. None of this, however, compares to the aggravation of both the Rock Star Social Club and being forced to sign on to a Windows Live account. I could swear up a blue streak about being forced to pay $50 for the game AND be forced to take their version of "community" with it regardless of what I want, but..... suffice it to say I neither need nor want anything else trying to force it's way into my start up menu, and if I wanted to engage in social interaction with my gaming I would get world of warcraft. GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas all had me anticipating GTA 4 when it was announced. I don't think I'll be very interested in GTA 5.… Expand
  86. NickG
    Aug 18, 2009
    2
    I feel sorry for the poeple who have paid for this game (like my friend Steve). They are the only ones penalised by the DRM. Visuals are a bit better than San Andreas, but its a con. All of the great features of San Andreas were removed (no training, no silent kill). Too dumbed down.
  87. notforpublic
    Jan 11, 2010
    0
    really badly coded... horrible graphic glitches game runs bad even when PC and game are configured correctly. Multiplayer is extremely poor, the modding community on gta:sa managed to make a perfectly good multiplayer mod, that outshines Gta4 by far. Singleplayer is boring and repetitive, doing exactly the same thing over and over again, while spending 3/4 of the total time just driving really badly coded... horrible graphic glitches game runs bad even when PC and game are configured correctly. Multiplayer is extremely poor, the modding community on gta:sa managed to make a perfectly good multiplayer mod, that outshines Gta4 by far. Singleplayer is boring and repetitive, doing exactly the same thing over and over again, while spending 3/4 of the total time just driving to the locations.… Expand
  88. BiffB
    Jan 5, 2010
    1
    Great game, story and all that stuff is good, but it's just unplayable. They really, really screwed up the optimization. I'm running a quad core with an 8800GT graphics card. I can run UT3 at 1280x960 max settings and get 40 frames minimum on the most resource-heavy maps. Call of Duty 4 max settings, I never go under 50 frames. This game? Lowest settings, same resolution, I get Great game, story and all that stuff is good, but it's just unplayable. They really, really screwed up the optimization. I'm running a quad core with an 8800GT graphics card. I can run UT3 at 1280x960 max settings and get 40 frames minimum on the most resource-heavy maps. Call of Duty 4 max settings, I never go under 50 frames. This game? Lowest settings, same resolution, I get 24 frames in the safehouse. I get no more than 18 frames in the city.… Expand
  89. JacobG.
    May 2, 2010
    0
    I would right a nice review, I am sure, if the game actually worked. Have heard it is a great game when working, but I have failed to get it to do so. Have tried numerous different things to get it work and nothing has helped. I have finally given up.
  90. YerkK
    Oct 26, 2009
    3
    I've had no problems running the game - and I thought the graphics looked pretty good. That's the only good thing about the game though - well, that and Nicko intimidating his enemies all the time.. playing through it felt more like performing a chore than actually playing. Sure, cars react more realistically. Not a good feature if you ask me - I want to have fun, not play a I've had no problems running the game - and I thought the graphics looked pretty good. That's the only good thing about the game though - well, that and Nicko intimidating his enemies all the time.. playing through it felt more like performing a chore than actually playing. Sure, cars react more realistically. Not a good feature if you ask me - I want to have fun, not play a crappy real-life simulator where you drive around crappy cars that spin out of control if you're making a 90 degree turn while driving 40 kmh... As I said, the gfx looks good, but the environment is gritty and colorless. You have to maintain social relationships all the time, which is a complete downer - yet the game expects you to go bowling, darting, dating and all manner of lame, dumb things, just to keep your friends (of which you soon get way too much) interested in you. The motivation of the main protagonist is vague at best; he keeps trying to get money, but you can't do much with it... there goes too much time in learning how to play, how to operate vehicles, guns, phones, etc... it's not intuitive. I didn't have much fun playing this game, but I still played it just to see the storyline unfold and because I have some weird completion phobia - the reward, seeing the story unfold, certainly didn't justify the playthrough. I advice the shoddy buggy pc version of Saints Row 2 over this game a millions times over this sorry excuse for a game. At least Saints Row 2 was fun. And isn't that what a game's supposed to be, fun?… Expand
  91. StephenP
    Mar 15, 2009
    1
    This was an amazing game, but rockstar and microsoft made this PC port a nightmare. You have to sign up to their ridiculous "clubs" and the performance is absolutely shameful. If you want to play this game, play it on the Xbox 360.
  92. KennieKennie
    May 23, 2009
    2
    The game presents inferior quality compared to the ones prior to him. There is a feel of emptyness from the start to the end. You dont have half the choices you had in San Andreas, the world is smaller, more boring, the story is far worse, there are so many characters that you end up forgeting who is who and missing half of it. It feels like San Andreas story is more non-linear than The game presents inferior quality compared to the ones prior to him. There is a feel of emptyness from the start to the end. You dont have half the choices you had in San Andreas, the world is smaller, more boring, the story is far worse, there are so many characters that you end up forgeting who is who and missing half of it. It feels like San Andreas story is more non-linear than IV's, even though IV's is supposed to be made non-linear in some way. It is incredibly repetitive. The whole game end up being "going from point A to point B", there is no other reason to do anything else. Graphics are good, but at what cost? hell, they are not only incredibly heavy but also incredibly buggy! The radios are awful, they cannot be compared to any of those of any GTA that came before this one. Another thing that is just outrageous is the quantity of stereotipes there are in the game. From the main character, a russian immigrant, to radio programs talking about terrorism and stuff and the "american dream". Also, DRM protection ends up screwing up all the rest of the things the game had. Let alone all the things you have to do in order to play it (*cough social club and windows live cough*). The only thing done right in this game are the little details. Cars not turning on, deformable cars, etc. Although as i said, some of them are absolutly useless. (like taking a cab, the stupid shows you can go watching, etc). However this is not nearly enough to make IV a good game. All of what this game is made of is hype. A major step back from San Andreas.… Expand
  93. fn_must
    Nov 20, 2013
    6
    Just finished the game and I have to say that I did enjoy most of it. The story kept me playing and wanting to know what happens next. Characters were well written. Performance was decent, better what I expected. But here comes the big downside; it is a port and not a good one. The aiming felt terrible, everything but precise. I also felt some mouse input lag, though it might be partlyJust finished the game and I have to say that I did enjoy most of it. The story kept me playing and wanting to know what happens next. Characters were well written. Performance was decent, better what I expected. But here comes the big downside; it is a port and not a good one. The aiming felt terrible, everything but precise. I also felt some mouse input lag, though it might be partly because of the occasional slowdowns. Everything above I can deal with, since the story was quite good and the world was somewhat interesting, but there was this huge glitch in the last mission. Probably not news to anyone anymore but god damn was it frustrating. Google it. Never ever again. For the summary: Great story, great characters, decent world and decent frame rate but such a horrible pc port which is the reason why I wouldn't play it again on pc.… Expand
  94. publicimage
    Jun 14, 2011
    6
    Dear Grand Taxicab Auto, please, please, stop with the cut-scenes already! Give your script editor a red pen and ask him/her to "X" out big chunks of dialog next time, won't you? And won't my darn phone ever stop ringing? Especially when I answer it and then I can't run but instead have to walk... slowly... oh so very slowly....? I play games to escape from everyday chores such as deletingDear Grand Taxicab Auto, please, please, stop with the cut-scenes already! Give your script editor a red pen and ask him/her to "X" out big chunks of dialog next time, won't you? And won't my darn phone ever stop ringing? Especially when I answer it and then I can't run but instead have to walk... slowly... oh so very slowly....? I play games to escape from everyday chores such as deleting texts, ignoring emails and pointlessly driving across town during rush hour with a car load of social lowlifes. Only to arrive at my destination and be served a mediocre third person shooter. I never finished GTA San Treadmill for much the same reasons, and I was hoping your older siblings would've taught you a few lessons, but alas, I guess not. At least you let me hail taxis to skip the Auto part and get right to the Theft bits, but why oh why isn't there a cab around when you really, really need one? All said, you're a pretty game to look at and even to play sometimes, but only when you'll stop boring me with mundane tasks and actually let me escape with you, that is.… Expand
  95. TimJ
    Sep 6, 2009
    4
    Ok. This is a major step in the GTA series. The graphics are amazing and the storyline is actually quite good. The missions are fun, and randomly blowing up stuff around liberty city is amazing.

    But there's a HUGE downside. Optimization, very demanding on your system, not that enjoyable unless you have a new and expensive computer. You have to have a top-of-the-range computer to    Ok. This is a major step in the GTA series. The graphics are amazing and the storyline is actually quite good. The missions are fun, and randomly blowing up stuff around liberty city is amazing.

    But there's a HUGE downside. Optimization, very demanding on your system, not that enjoyable unless you have a new and expensive computer.

    You have to have a top-of-the-range computer to be able to run this game properly. When running it on medium to low settings, it looks like you're running GTA san andreas with slightly improved graphics. This game just has to have high settings to be played properly (IMO.) Rockstar rushed this, and just forgot about making it playable for people who don't have an Intel Core i7 and a 4870 X2    … Expand
  96. theshonen8899
    May 13, 2011
    6
    Grand Theft Auto IV is a game I can respect but not appreciate. The enormous sandbox city and lifelike interaction are definitely impressive, but much of what I loved about GTA San Andreas was lost to me here. The game shifts very far from cars now as you no longer have a garage and customization is limited if not completely removed. Fortunately the graphics are fantastic, especially withGrand Theft Auto IV is a game I can respect but not appreciate. The enormous sandbox city and lifelike interaction are definitely impressive, but much of what I loved about GTA San Andreas was lost to me here. The game shifts very far from cars now as you no longer have a garage and customization is limited if not completely removed. Fortunately the graphics are fantastic, especially with a good PC, and the story is pretty good. I hope to see more of an automobile focus in GTA V, because c'mon, the game is named Grand Theft Auto!… Expand
  97. Andemnon
    Mar 12, 2011
    0
    After buying this game on Steam, i was really looking forward to playing it.. .. only.. no matter how many times i tried, it just wouldnt login so i could play it.. after trawling the forums, i eventually found out why, it needs an xbox live account to play it, and a games for windows live account, getting these setup took a considerable amount of time, and more than a few hours later, theAfter buying this game on Steam, i was really looking forward to playing it.. .. only.. no matter how many times i tried, it just wouldnt login so i could play it.. after trawling the forums, i eventually found out why, it needs an xbox live account to play it, and a games for windows live account, getting these setup took a considerable amount of time, and more than a few hours later, the game finally finished patching.. and i tried to login.. only. it wouldnt.. some kind of problem with the xbox live servers perhaps, but when it eventually did manage to login.. it played fine.. until i wanted to save the game, because of some kind of server problem at xbox live.. again.. i couldnt save the game. fortunately i had managed to save the game earlier.. but it meant a whole hour or so of progress.. had been lost. in the end, i uninstalled the game.. i just wish i hadnt bought the tales from liberty city module too.. i doubt i've ever regretted buying a game so much before.. when it worked it was fine.. but the xbox live thing just totally spoiled the game, all i can say is im not going to make that mistake ever again, i don't care how good the game is.. if it has xbox live as a requirement.. then i am definitely not buying it.… Expand
  98. foxstranger
    May 23, 2009
    2
    Yes graphics and physics good, but ability, scenario much worse than SA, never buy this game, do not made the same mistake! Try pirated version at least, there is nice working crack with some bugs if you want!(AND majka not mother in russian LOL(you dumb polska) there are no NO problems(in word translate)"without problems in russian" either!).
  99. scootaboy
    Apr 20, 2011
    5
    Caved and downloaded it from Steam over the weekend given they were giving it away for just $5. Now that I have the game up and running it seems like fun but yes it was a PITA to get working. Windows Live took several installs and reboots to get running. I've skipped the "Social Club" entirely. I have a dual core OC'd to 3.6Ghz, 4 meg of ram and a GTX460 1Mb video card and I can just aboutCaved and downloaded it from Steam over the weekend given they were giving it away for just $5. Now that I have the game up and running it seems like fun but yes it was a PITA to get working. Windows Live took several installs and reboots to get running. I've skipped the "Social Club" entirely. I have a dual core OC'd to 3.6Ghz, 4 meg of ram and a GTX460 1Mb video card and I can just about get a steady 40fps at 720p. This is following the presumably several patches it has undergone previously. Like Crysis this is a system taxer to the point of ridiculousness. Unlike Crysis, even with everything cranked up it still doesn't look good. In the end I added the ENB mod which adds anti-aliasing and now it finally looks like a semi-decent game. GTA games were never known for their steady frame-rates or stellar graphics but at least you could jump in and enjoy the great gameplay on consoles. I'm happy with the install now but man it took some tweaking to get it to a point where now I can "just jump in."… Expand
  100. Wouldn'tyouLiketoknow.
    Dec 8, 2008
    10
    4.2... How is that? Is it all the lame "It's a port" rubbish again? This game was, is and forever will be a great game. I love everything about it. From the gameplay to the graphics and physics; everything about this game is as close to perfect one can get.
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PC Game of 2008
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
2
#2 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. PC Gamer UK
    92
    It's the peripheral distractions of both going out with Roman, and meeting your girlfriends, that really make your virtual life so worth living. Although incredibly simplistic, they're oddly touching...One of the finest videogames ever. [Christmas 2008, p.87]
  2. PC Format
    89
    The most grown-up GTA and the best realised, but it doesn't respect the PC much. Enjoy the multiplayer madness if you can. [Christmas 2008, p.96]
  3. Eurogamer
    90
    A genuinely ground-breaking blockbuster in videogame history. There were moments playing GTA IV that I thought back to my initial experiences with games, and realised exactly how far we've come. There's never been anything quite like GTA IV in the world. That there makes me genuinely happy to be a gamer.
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