User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5146 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Jul 21, 2012
    10
    A phenomenal game which is perhaps the best game to come out on the PS3 so far. I have played the other GTAs and I felt that GTA 3 and Vice City were the best of the series with San Andreas not quite delivering up to the standards that we expect from such a great gaming franchise. The developers at Rockstar must have had a similar thinking process as they stepped up their efforts toA phenomenal game which is perhaps the best game to come out on the PS3 so far. I have played the other GTAs and I felt that GTA 3 and Vice City were the best of the series with San Andreas not quite delivering up to the standards that we expect from such a great gaming franchise. The developers at Rockstar must have had a similar thinking process as they stepped up their efforts to produce a game which delivers in every aspect. Expand
  2. Jul 20, 2012
    9
    I Love GTA's, I started from GTA:London in childhood, i loved it! I skipped GTA 3 but then my uncle did show me Gta Vice:City I WAS AMAZED oh my god, cars breaking and stuff. GTA:SA was my absolute favorite + online was amazing but GTA IV, IT looked epic, graphics and all. but something was missing.. where was the awsome planes and country? :( Story was with good sense of humor andI Love GTA's, I started from GTA:London in childhood, i loved it! I skipped GTA 3 but then my uncle did show me Gta Vice:City I WAS AMAZED oh my god, cars breaking and stuff. GTA:SA was my absolute favorite + online was amazing but GTA IV, IT looked epic, graphics and all. but something was missing.. where was the awsome planes and country? :( Story was with good sense of humor and enjoyable. Good game! 9/10 Expand
  3. Jul 2, 2012
    10
    The 2nd Best sandbox game, after GTA San Andreas. If only the adding some of the stuff CJ could with Niko Bellic. More custom mods for the cars and motor bikes. One item I miss, is the bmx bike, i hope they will put in the new GTA V game.
  4. Jun 28, 2012
    3
    I don't understand how this game is so high on gamerankings.com. Sure it's impressive visually and its got online modes. However, those are the only two good factors. This game is overrated. It feels like a beta. The controls a clunky and the character moves sluggishly. The storyline is decent and the voice acting is GTA quality. This isn't my favorite GTA. I have a feeling GTA5 willI don't understand how this game is so high on gamerankings.com. Sure it's impressive visually and its got online modes. However, those are the only two good factors. This game is overrated. It feels like a beta. The controls a clunky and the character moves sluggishly. The storyline is decent and the voice acting is GTA quality. This isn't my favorite GTA. I have a feeling GTA5 will improve a lot! Expand
  5. Jun 25, 2012
    9
    Spectacular game. One of my favorite games in this generation. The amount of freedom in this game is simply astounding...you can literally go anywhere and do anything you can think of. Almost every game has some major limitation that prevents you from doing something, but this game has almost no limitation. You can drive cars, drive motorcycles, drive boats, drive helicopters, jump youSpectacular game. One of my favorite games in this generation. The amount of freedom in this game is simply astounding...you can literally go anywhere and do anything you can think of. Almost every game has some major limitation that prevents you from doing something, but this game has almost no limitation. You can drive cars, drive motorcycles, drive boats, drive helicopters, jump you car off of ramps, run around on foot, shoot whatever you want, and blow up whatever you want...the fact that you can do all of these things in the same game is very impressive. No other game has so much going on in it, and yet Rockstar made all of these things fun and executed them well. Some games struggle to get one of these things right, yet Rockstar does them all well. Not to mention the city is interesting and full of variety, which makes it a great playground to drive around in...I love that the city has a lot of hills and uneven areas - this allows you to gleefully make your car spin out, jump, roll over, or whatever else you want to do with it...and the awesome car physics give your car a great sense of weight, which makes it so satisfying to watch your car soar through the air and come slamming down as the body wobbles from the impact. The car physics alone make this game worth playing. I actually think GTA's driving feels better and actual racing games. After experiencing this game, I can't see how any other game can be placed in the same league - the sheer amount of stuff crammed into this game just can't be matched. Expand
  6. Jun 17, 2012
    8
    The story could be much better. I felt bored for the story at the middle of the game somehow. Overall, the game is good and i like it. Graphic is great. The gameplay is great.
  7. May 25, 2012
    9
    Strong story, strong game, not my genre of gaming but still really enjoyed playing through this.

    Well worth the time invested if you haven't done so already.
  8. May 22, 2012
    9
    This is one of the best GTA games for one simple thing. Niko Bellic is the greatest character ever in an open world game. The way his life's story is told, and how they treat the character like a human and not a video game character is really nice. All of the characters in this game are through the roof. For gameplay the one gripe I have is how Niko handles a bike, it's garbage. And theThis is one of the best GTA games for one simple thing. Niko Bellic is the greatest character ever in an open world game. The way his life's story is told, and how they treat the character like a human and not a video game character is really nice. All of the characters in this game are through the roof. For gameplay the one gripe I have is how Niko handles a bike, it's garbage. And the radio commercials are great, but the music they chose is debatable. Besides these two small things, this is one of the best games this generation, I've actually played through the story 7 times now. Expand
  9. May 18, 2012
    10
    probably the best open world action-adventure video game made to date. There is so much to do and explore, even after you're done with the 20+ hour amazing storyline. Everything is beautiful and realistic in this game. And the online is suprisingly entertaining, a place where I can mess around for fun.
  10. May 12, 2012
    10
    Just ignore the trolls and naysayers this is the best game ever at this point you don't even need to do any missions since you would be wasting hours beating and pushing people off cliffs in other cars or train tracks.
  11. May 11, 2012
    8
    While technically stunning for the time, it just doesn't have that oldskool GTA feel to it. Story and characters are interesting, but the game just takes itself too seriously. The city is bland and generic. The multiplayer is boring (you're better off playing Multi Theft Auto for PC, which supports up to 200 players), the soundtrack is way worse that those of previous installments, butWhile technically stunning for the time, it just doesn't have that oldskool GTA feel to it. Story and characters are interesting, but the game just takes itself too seriously. The city is bland and generic. The multiplayer is boring (you're better off playing Multi Theft Auto for PC, which supports up to 200 players), the soundtrack is way worse that those of previous installments, but overall the game is still good. It's like with the newer Final Fantasy games: they're good in their own right, but just poor installments in the series. Expand
  12. May 8, 2012
    6
    GTA4 is just more GTA and if that's what ya like more power to ya. Myself on the other hand was looking for maybe something new. I will say that it's better than San andres but still not as good as liberty city. Basically this game was just a big disappointment all the way around.
  13. Apr 19, 2012
    10
    It was hard to imagine what more could Rockstar deliver after the near-perfect PS2 ''not-trilogy'' of GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas; and the news that Grand Theft Auto IV would return to Liberty City and embrace a more serious style of story and gameplay made many people worry. Well, Rockstar did it once again, and I dare to say this is the best game of the series to date. GTA IVIt was hard to imagine what more could Rockstar deliver after the near-perfect PS2 ''not-trilogy'' of GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas; and the news that Grand Theft Auto IV would return to Liberty City and embrace a more serious style of story and gameplay made many people worry. Well, Rockstar did it once again, and I dare to say this is the best game of the series to date. GTA IV delivers a perfect combination of solid gameplay, compelling story and stunning graphics. Characters are more real and charismatic than ever, to the point where you find yourself saying that the new thieving/murderous protagonist Niko Bellic is a good person. All characters shine, from the most important ones to the ones that give you just a couple of missions; and this is powered up by great dialogue and voice acting. For the first time in the series the city fells alive, and at every turn you find a new, interesting area to explore. For those who expected the crime havoc of the previous installments, a little disappointment will come: GTA IV really is a lot more realistic than its predecessors. But give it a chance, enjoy the great graphics and soundtrack and you will find yourself enjoying this great game in no time. Expand
  14. Apr 11, 2012
    9
    Grand Theft Auto IV is a great game with a couple of irritating faults. Firstly, the world of Liberty City is quite drab and bland compared to the likes of San Andreas. In the same vein, the craziness of the series has been reeled in and sacrifices a lot of fun for realism. The game is also FAR too long. It just keeps going and going and going... If you want to see the end of the game,Grand Theft Auto IV is a great game with a couple of irritating faults. Firstly, the world of Liberty City is quite drab and bland compared to the likes of San Andreas. In the same vein, the craziness of the series has been reeled in and sacrifices a lot of fun for realism. The game is also FAR too long. It just keeps going and going and going... If you want to see the end of the game, prepare to lose a huge chunk of your life in doing so! But all of these complaints ultimately mean nothing because GTAIV gives you much more good than bad. First and foremost, GTA is still the devil's playground. Want to blow off some steam? Roll a grenade into the hospital waiting room, baseball bat some policemen to death or stab a bunch of homeless people in the central park toilets. It's really sick and twisted but unbelievably hilarious. It's would be shocking if it wasn't so damn silly and glib. The multiplayer (particularly the racing) is also great and has very long legs, with people still playing online to this day. So yeah, There are certainly some quibbles but in the end GTAIV is a fantastic game. Expand
  15. Apr 11, 2012
    9
    Rockstar has delivered another amazing game. It's got everything you could ask for in a video game. Though some people say the graphics are dull, it's a realistic city and I got blown away at the look of buildings, vehicles and the environment. The gameplay is fun, the missions feel and look creative and the characters are believable. After travelling the city and playing the missions forRockstar has delivered another amazing game. It's got everything you could ask for in a video game. Though some people say the graphics are dull, it's a realistic city and I got blown away at the look of buildings, vehicles and the environment. The gameplay is fun, the missions feel and look creative and the characters are believable. After travelling the city and playing the missions for several hours this game can get you hooked in...but the game is short from perfect. GTA IV has it's problems like frame rate issues and a good amount of glitches. The driving mechanics aren't perfect and combat is improved but could be better. Though I must point out that the cover and shoot mechanics won't dissapoint. This game will take a while to complete and the online multiplayer is a blast. GTA IV may not feel and/or look the same as previous GTA games like San Andreas or Vice City but it's a must buy for GTA fans or if you just want to have a fun time. Expand
  16. Apr 3, 2012
    9
    San Adreas was a much better game. That being said, this has far better graphics and AI, and it separates itself from the other games by moving in a direction that's different. The map is a bit too small, and there's not many easter eggs... but it's still fun to drive around shooting at stuff and then launching your character out of windshields for hours on end.
  17. Apr 2, 2012
    10
    Didnt like it. It was good at first, but playing other Huge title games, it didnt stand out to me, they are focused on too much graphics! Bring San Andreas back!!
  18. Mar 31, 2012
    7
    2011:
    I loved GTA III, Vice City was one of my favs, I felt that san andreas was losing a little from its sights, and now GTA iv. Well, the game wasn't all that engaging actually after all is said and done. Sure there are some great moments, the story and characters are very well done as always, but for me the game was almost too overwelhming. Things like having a girlfriend, checking
    2011:
    I loved GTA III, Vice City was one of my favs, I felt that san andreas was losing a little from its sights, and now GTA iv. Well, the game wasn't all that engaging actually after all is said and done. Sure there are some great moments, the story and characters are very well done as always, but for me the game was almost too overwelhming. Things like having a girlfriend, checking email, going out, tended to add to much, which luckily it is all optional, but it still feels like your missing out if not doing these things. The car physics were horrid, never could drive it. I miss the old GTA, especially vice city, remember the stolen car lists, the taxi, vigilante, ect. missions. These were the side missions that i thought were good and not a distraction like in Gta iv. I didn't walk away impressed with the game.
    Expand
  19. Mar 17, 2012
    7
    I really don't see why this game has gotten so many perfect scores, it's a great game but it is definitely not perfect. I thought the story was really good, Nico is a really interesting character but there are too many characters. Throughout the game you meet so many people and it makes it hard to follow the story sometimes, however most of these characters are pretty cool. The gameplayI really don't see why this game has gotten so many perfect scores, it's a great game but it is definitely not perfect. I thought the story was really good, Nico is a really interesting character but there are too many characters. Throughout the game you meet so many people and it makes it hard to follow the story sometimes, however most of these characters are pretty cool. The gameplay has been improved but it's still far from perfect, the cover system gets really awkward in tight spaces so its easy to end up dying because of it and the driving, while very enjoyable for the most part, has its problems when you have to chase someone. These flaws could easily be forgiven if there were checkpoints in the missions but for some reason Rockstar have decided that it would be better to have to restart the entire mission every time you fail! When you throw in the flaws with the controls it can get very frustrating! Its not all bad though, if you just want to travel round the city and have fun stealing cars and beating people up, you'll have a great time, the free roam aspect of this game is nailed brilliantly and the amount of things that there are today boggles the mind. The multiplayer, while not extremely addictive, is pretty good as long as you're playing with plenty of people. This game shows its problems when you're trying to play the story line, don't get me wrong its not a bad game, i enjoyed quite alot of it, but there are many problems that I can not over look. Expand
  20. Mar 15, 2012
    9
    I've never been a fan of the GTA series, but after playing GTAIV it totally changed my mind. This game is entertaining in so many ways. Multiplayer can be really addicting when you play with friends. Nothing is more fun than shooting your way out of the cops way while your car is on fire.
  21. Mar 13, 2012
    10
    Great game.. I think its the best one in the series since San Andreas, the graphics are amazing, the combat is geat , and the game is better than other open world games, i dont know about peole but think its an amazing game.

    PS: i had to give this game a perfect 10 to counter all those trolls one the forums that said they will rate this game 0 , my real score is 9/10
  22. Mar 12, 2012
    10
    As with previous GTA games, this one is packed with hours of action adventure fun in a sandbox that you can call yours. Shoot an old lady, blow up a helicopter, have complete fun causing a mini apocalypse. Make sure you buy the add ons for even more fun. Lost and damned and Ballads of gay tony. This game is yes, a step back from GTA SA, like no planes, no realistic clothing changing, noAs with previous GTA games, this one is packed with hours of action adventure fun in a sandbox that you can call yours. Shoot an old lady, blow up a helicopter, have complete fun causing a mini apocalypse. Make sure you buy the add ons for even more fun. Lost and damned and Ballads of gay tony. This game is yes, a step back from GTA SA, like no planes, no realistic clothing changing, no getting fat, no swimming underwater, etc, but its uber fun. Do you play online? This game is online and is SUPER fun. Wreck havoc on complete random strangers. Got a PSN? Add me: ccrogers15 Expand
  23. Mar 6, 2012
    3
    A boring game-as-art experience. It's an accomplishment to create such a giant city, but a shame not to build a functioning game. All forms of gameplay are poor and clunky, inferior to the champions of each genre. Driving doesn't feel as good as a racing game, bowling doesn't feel as good as a bowling game, etc. Every experience offered in GTA IV can be found elsewhere, and in FUN form.A boring game-as-art experience. It's an accomplishment to create such a giant city, but a shame not to build a functioning game. All forms of gameplay are poor and clunky, inferior to the champions of each genre. Driving doesn't feel as good as a racing game, bowling doesn't feel as good as a bowling game, etc. Every experience offered in GTA IV can be found elsewhere, and in FUN form. Strip it down and it's a compilation of half-ass mini-games separated by a gigantic, but hollow, hub world. Expand
  24. Mar 6, 2012
    10
    One of the best games this gen! , I cant believe how some people gave this game such low scores! Its an AWESOME! game.. I recommend this game to every "REAL" gamer out there
  25. Mar 6, 2012
    9
    The first GTA game that I was interested enough to play-through. This game is an instant classic in my opinion. From the fun missions to the unforgettable finale it was definitely a experience I'll not soon forget.
  26. Feb 27, 2012
    9
    Grand Theft Auto IV is a game for the ages, one that is obviously included in gaming halls of fame and remembered fondly by everyone who was there to play it when it was released. We would never have thought that that by retreading the same patch of ground a studio could leave us feeling like we have just played one of the best videogames of all time. Yes, there's still the freedom toGrand Theft Auto IV is a game for the ages, one that is obviously included in gaming halls of fame and remembered fondly by everyone who was there to play it when it was released. We would never have thought that that by retreading the same patch of ground a studio could leave us feeling like we have just played one of the best videogames of all time. Yes, there's still the freedom to cause havoc, and inevitably you do; the difference is that you're no longer impelled to toy with GTA IV's world in quite the same sadistic way - you live in it. After playing GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas it was hard to imagine being swept away again by another GTA game but this game really delivers. The story, the characters, the setting and the game world are so well crafted and put together it's nice to see some developers still take time to prepare their works and not just milk a franchise with yearly releases. It of course comes with it's flaws though; The driving has become rubbish, mainly because of the brakes not working, And the framerate is a little choppy. Expand
  27. Feb 24, 2012
    10
    GTA IV (along with uncharted 2,3) is by far the best game this gen! I dont why people hat it.. its an AMAZING game, The story and graphics are top-notch... i gave it 10/10
  28. Feb 18, 2012
    10
    GTA IV is another prime example of perfection in video games. It's not the greatest game of all time, but it's one of the only games that I can say surpassed my own expectations. It's perfect in the way that it does everything that it wants to do, and nothing more. Where most games in this generation focus most on features, this game focuses on core gameplay, story, and physics. From theGTA IV is another prime example of perfection in video games. It's not the greatest game of all time, but it's one of the only games that I can say surpassed my own expectations. It's perfect in the way that it does everything that it wants to do, and nothing more. Where most games in this generation focus most on features, this game focuses on core gameplay, story, and physics. From the driving, to the shooting, to the movements, everything is flawless. This being the first GTA on the 7th generation of consoles, it's quite bleak regarding what you can and can't do, but as I said that's not the point. The feature's will come in the next installation. This time around Rockstar focused on creating the best game engine they could possibly make, and they really out-did themselves here. The time and painstaking attention to detail is what makes this game such a masterpiece. Rockstar take gaming and turn it into an artform. You will not be customizing your character in outrageous clothing, nor will you be customizing your ride into an ultimate pimp mobile. What you will be doing is having a blast shooting up the streets of Liberty City, drifting around town in your choice of car, and marveling at the utter beauty of it all. It sounds simple, and it is, but it's perfect. It feels perfect and it plays perfect. You can take this experience online as well. You can run around the streets of Liberty City with 16 player multiplayer, stretched across a plethora of game modes. Some of the greatest multiplayer is to be found here. The story is as well fantastic. You play an immigrant coming to America on a promise of your cousin's that it's a high life of women and money. Come to find out your cousin is full of **** you'll be working from the ground up doing just about every criminal activity you can imagine. Though the main reason to travel the journey is in finding and killing someone that had ruined your life. The story takes dips and turns with every encounter, and the characters you meet along the way are all equally entertaining and interesting. This game was more than what I anticipated in that it focuses on what it should be focusing on unlike most games. A game is nothing without it's core gameplay, and Rockstar's knowledge of that earns them praise by most every critic. The game might not allow you to do this and it might not allow you to do that, but what you can do, you can't do better anywhere else in gaming. And that is what makes this game such a masterpiece. Expand
  29. Feb 18, 2012
    6
    Cheesy and boring characters with the same patheitc moral struggles as San Andreas. Mowing down hundreds of pedestrians does not fit with that kind of crap. I need to be mute or a psychopath. Features that got added in every increment since GTA1 have been chopped and you have this barebones gameplay where you can't fly, heavily modify your character, buy properties everywhere etc. etc.Cheesy and boring characters with the same patheitc moral struggles as San Andreas. Mowing down hundreds of pedestrians does not fit with that kind of crap. I need to be mute or a psychopath. Features that got added in every increment since GTA1 have been chopped and you have this barebones gameplay where you can't fly, heavily modify your character, buy properties everywhere etc. etc. Obviously they are setting up the sequels to include these in the hope that it will have the same impact as your first helicopter ride in Vice City. It's an admission that they can't come up with anything new or fresh to add. The cops are way too difficult to shake if you get beyong 3 stars, which is part of the realism but again limits the amount of mass murder you can commit, and makes it more like real life. The cars are not fun to drive, performance is affected too much by crashes and in fact the physics seem less realistic than older games. It feels like tweaking has been done to the handling itself rather than the actual physics to give it an appearance of realism. So do you go for driving simulator or arcade style fun handling? Please pick one and don't half do either style. The music sucks. The story is utterly forgettable, I mean I really didn't care the whole way through. Roman is incredibly annoying, and not funny. Not very much in this game is funny actually. Or fun. Or interesting. Gets 6/10 because it is huge, and better than the alternatives in the same genre. But compared to its predecessors it is way off being a great game. Expand
Metascore
98

Universal acclaim - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 64
  3. Negative: 0 out of 64
  1. Grand Theft Auto IV is not a perfect game, but it is fantastic through and through, from start to finish and beyond. It is so massive, vast and impressive that it is almost mind-boggling to imagine how much work must have gone into the game to come up with so much detail.
  2. But GTA IV will never get old, or start repeating itself. It will always offer anyone who turns it on an experience to savour.
  3. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    100
    GTA4 is a traditional crime story through and through, with a script that rarely strays from its purpose, a pitch-perfect supporting cast, and an expert combination of in-game storytelling and crafted cut-scenes. [June 2008, p.80]