Game reviews: Grand Theft Auto IV – 71

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past five years, you’ve probably heard of video gaming’s bad boy, Grand Theft Auto. Now developer Rockstar Games is upping the ante with GTA IV for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Like waiting for that difficult third album from your favourite band, I was itching to see if 2008’s most anticipated title lived up to the hype. I’m pleased to report that it does.

RockStar has tapped into the graphic capabilities of the PS3 and Xbox 360 to create a gritty yet accurate living and breathing rendition of New York under the guise of Liberty City. The level of detail packed into every corner of Liberty City impresses, and taking it all in via a leisurely flight in a stolen helicopter is simply amazing.

Our hero is a Serbian war veteran, Niko Bellic, who despite wanting to move away from his violent past to better himself, ends up getting dragged back into the murky underworld of Liberty City. GTA IV’s storyline seems a lot richer than with previous versions of GTA and that’s both a blessing and a curse.

Character interaction is now central to GTA IV’s plot, so cultivating friendships is the order of the day. Helpful nurses are all the better to heal wounds, while gun-running buddies will supply you with armaments to pop a cap in some bad dude’s ass. As interesting as this was initially, the sheer amount of time it took got in the way of fun stuff — such as blowing shit up.

GTA IV wouldn’t be GTA without oodles of weapons and in-game violence. Thankfully, combat still rocks. Free-look for accurate aiming (there’s nothing quite like a head shot to drop a baddie) is still there, as is the lock-on mode for quick scum ventilation. As with earlier versions, shooting while driving is tricky but combat — especially with the rocket launcher — kicks the llama’s ass.

In-game combat aside, GTA IV also sports multiplayer modes. At its simplest GTA IV’s Deathmatch is fun, while co-op modes like Cops ’n’ Crooks make for some car-jacking mayhem that’ll make sleep a non-option.  Speaking of car-jacking, GTA IV continues to cram dozens of in-car radio stations for some post-car-jacking relaxation and/or exhilaration.

I’ve still got a long way to go through GTA’s storyline, but nice touches such as a branching plotline, a swathe of mini-games and GTA IV’s multiplayer capabilities really add to its longevity, allowing hardened fans to play GTA IV over and over.

Platform reviewed: Xbox 360
Players: 1-16
Rating: R18
Genre: Guns, cars, cops and mayhem

Overall Score: 5/5

PAT PILCHER