Grand Theft Auto IV

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3784 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,755 out of 3784
  2. Mixed: 569 out of 3784
  3. Negative: 460 out of 3784
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  1. Rockstar900
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    GTA 4 is absolute masterpiece that was so ahead of time that even over decade later it still beats overhyped trash like Cyberpunk 2077.
  2. TheChiefOfCOD
    Dec 21, 2010
    10
    Wow. I really loved this game. It in every way blew me away. A captivating, epic, and deep storyline keeps you into it the entire way through. Me trying to find at least one thing to complain about. Nothing. This game really deserves GOTY. And I really have to say Niko Bellic is the only character in the GTA series that you can truly connect with. Understanding his difficult life andWow. I really loved this game. It in every way blew me away. A captivating, epic, and deep storyline keeps you into it the entire way through. Me trying to find at least one thing to complain about. Nothing. This game really deserves GOTY. And I really have to say Niko Bellic is the only character in the GTA series that you can truly connect with. Understanding his difficult life and mis-adventures you can really feel his emotions. And for a free-roaming game they really knocked me out. The free roaming really is amazing. Its awesome how they can have such a nice, luminous city and still have amazing and almost flawless graphics. As for the multi-player, I didn't really play it that much but i love the fact that you can roam around Liberty City causing as much mayhem as you want. The ranked matches are good too, with death-match (etc...) it was pretty cool to see that in a GTA game. Surely I can truly say that you have not experienced free-roam/sandbox games until you have played GTA IV.… Expand
  3. KerimBlue
    Nov 19, 2011
    6
    I don't get it. I really don't. I bought this game thinking it was going to be amazing because of the praise it got, but it just left me completely disappointed. It is like they stripped away all of the fun gameplay elements for a serious story and honestly, the story is not that good. I'm in no way saying this is a bad game, it is just completely overrated by critics. I tried to like it,I don't get it. I really don't. I bought this game thinking it was going to be amazing because of the praise it got, but it just left me completely disappointed. It is like they stripped away all of the fun gameplay elements for a serious story and honestly, the story is not that good. I'm in no way saying this is a bad game, it is just completely overrated by critics. I tried to like it, but I just got bored after a couple of hours.… Expand
  4. gkost
    Oct 24, 2011
    2
    Something is REALLY fishy with all the extremely positive reviews of this game.
    I have played all the previous games of the series and i have to say this is the most boring and overrated game of the series. I've played all the previous games and i thought they were pretty good games. After 2 hours of playing i was already bored. I tried to give this game a chance and played for another 10    Something is REALLY fishy with all the extremely positive reviews of this game.
    I have played all the previous games of the series and i have to say this is the most boring and overrated game of the series. I've played all the previous games and i thought they were pretty good games. After 2 hours of playing i was already bored. I tried to give this game a chance and played for another 10 hours. Then i couldn't take it anymore. The story is not interesting, the characters are not interesting and many of the previous games gameplay elements have been removed. Even if all the above are just my opinion this game definitely does not deserve 10/10 so many reviewers gave it.    … Expand
  5. tennishero
    Jul 15, 2012
    4
    In some ways. Perhaps the worst game ever made-
    GTA IV was going to be this generations game that made the HD era worthwhile- it was hyped so much- given 10/10s and considered the best game ever made.... but what went wrong?
    the game has no soul. rockstar had a chance to make something meaningfull and challenge gaming itself- but its shareholders knew a san andreas 2.0 would sell 10    In some ways. Perhaps the worst game ever made-
    GTA IV was going to be this generations game that made the HD era worthwhile- it was hyped so much- given 10/10s and considered the best game ever made.... but what went wrong?
    the game has no soul. rockstar had a chance to make something meaningfull and challenge gaming itself- but its shareholders knew a san andreas 2.0 would sell 10 million copies- so they made san andreas 2.0 with better shooting and less content. disappointment is an understatement.
    apparently there were 70000 lines of dialogue recorded for the peds- you wont care- the peds are bots- no purpose but to get shot- and that should be fine EXCEPT ELDER SCROLLS OBLIVION HAD RADIANT AI 10 YEARS AGO- ULTIMA 7 HAD AI 20 YEARS AGO- gta IV is a dinosaur.
    nikos story is lovely- but thats the problem- take away his story and you have an empty shell of a city- there are lovely graphics- but do the buildings have any purpose? no- they are cosmetic.... the whole world is an empty shell of nothingness coated in a HD sheen- its so disappointing when you realise after 2 hours you have seen everything this game can ever offer.
    gta 5 will be more of the same- there wont be pedestrian AI- other than "hey shoot me"- there wont be any meaningful choices and consequences- the side missions will be tacked on fetch quests that would shame an MMO- it will sell millions but the fans who were tthere from gta 1- who remembered how smart GTA 2's factions system was will not be there- wont be fooled again.    … Expand
  6. BudMan
    Nov 23, 2012
    2
    Most overrated game of all time! this game sucks so bad. I only paid 20 bucks for it and I feel like I have been ripped off. San Andreas is way better this game is so bad it shouldn't be allowed to have the GTA name. I would recommend Saints row 3 if you like the past GTA's. Rockstar should be ashamed.
  7. beanstar
    Oct 10, 2013
    10
    GTA IV is a game that I love to call "a masterpiece". My journey with Niko Bellic is one of the most memorable experiences I've ever been at in my life. Exploring Liberty City (one of the most impressive, realistic, visually stunning worlds I've ever explored) for almost 6 months has been so awesome, that I want to play it again, experience it again, and LIVE it again. Despite on all theGTA IV is a game that I love to call "a masterpiece". My journey with Niko Bellic is one of the most memorable experiences I've ever been at in my life. Exploring Liberty City (one of the most impressive, realistic, visually stunning worlds I've ever explored) for almost 6 months has been so awesome, that I want to play it again, experience it again, and LIVE it again. Despite on all the controversy that surrounds it, its elements (stunning action pieces, well-structured storyline, relationships with friends, shocking plot twists/turns, cast of characters, and many activities to do) are flawless and it couldn't stop getting any better. This is, unexpectedly, one of my favorite games ever, and in every bit of respect I love to give it, it would be enormous for everyone to see. After I finished over 100 hours of campaign mode, I come to feel for Niko, who is flawed and desperate to "climb out the hole he trip in" (a underworld full of psychopaths, thieves, loan sharks, crooked people, and gang-bangers). Rockstar has told one of the greatest stories ever told in gaming. It deserves to be the greatest game of the current generation of gaming, but also hold a shadow, along with GTA V, over the next generation, making it look bad. I love to recommend this game to ALL of you to experience. The multiplayer does help with its success, but most of it comes from its single-player mode, which is one of the most memorable experiences I've also ever played, as well. So, I'm gonna make this short: If any of you want to "understand" on what I am saying, now is the chance to PLAY this game, NOW.… Expand
  8. coopert
    Jan 18, 2014
    10
    It wasn't till the release of GTAV that I stopped playing GTAIV, literally the day before I was driving down the sidewalk of times square and throwing bodies everywhere with the hood of my car or punching a bum then hiding behind a business man so the bum hits him by mistake and then watch the following fight. This is a game I kept finding myself returning to because it is darkly fun whichIt wasn't till the release of GTAV that I stopped playing GTAIV, literally the day before I was driving down the sidewalk of times square and throwing bodies everywhere with the hood of my car or punching a bum then hiding behind a business man so the bum hits him by mistake and then watch the following fight. This is a game I kept finding myself returning to because it is darkly fun which is the tone of the whole series compared to San Andreas, the fun is darker, the art style is darker and so is the story. Niko Bellic is a top notch character and all the people you meet in Liberty City are also colourful and there is plenty of content to keep you busy for years and this is one of the few games where the DLC is actually meaty and worthwhile. This is not a perfect game, I nearly stopped playing it until I discovered the swing that throws you across the map, a lot of people complain that the driving is hard but I found it fun once you got used to it, my problem on the driving front was that New York does not have the best roads for fun cars. What makes GTAIV miss out on game of the year is the companion missions where you have to take one of the characters for a game of darts or something gay like that. Overall this game is jam packed with quality, I recommend thrashing this game till you have seen everything, especially the funny cartoons that can be found on the TV, the map isn't the best that Rockstar has produced but it is so full of content that a 10 is the only score I can give it.… Expand
  9. RealCritic93
    Dec 6, 2018
    10
    There is almost no valid criticism of this game, at least not in the way the trolls in the user score section are giving. They need to get more creative, because what they list as reasons to underrate this game are pathetic and laughable. I understand that rocks will be thrown at the throne, but never forget, this game is #3 of all time on metacritic. Open world masterpiece with a greatThere is almost no valid criticism of this game, at least not in the way the trolls in the user score section are giving. They need to get more creative, because what they list as reasons to underrate this game are pathetic and laughable. I understand that rocks will be thrown at the throne, but never forget, this game is #3 of all time on metacritic. Open world masterpiece with a great story and a solid multiplayer experience for its time. And AWESOME dlc that no one has been able to replicate in greatness. Single player DLC never got so good.… Expand
  10. free187s
    May 5, 2008
    10
    To simplify the reason for a 10/10: DETAIL No game in history has as much detail to graphics, storyline, dialog, and gameplay as gta4 has. By all means this game deserves a perfect score.
  11. RudyS.
    May 4, 2008
    10
    Believe the hype. This is as good as everyone says it is.
  12. WoodrowD.
    May 21, 2008
    7
    Pretty Great, but it's getting old on me fast. Definitely enjoyed GTA: San Andreas longer and better. The new improvements are all met by equal losses. The map is too small, and I don't know what else I can do with a helicopter.
  13. Dean
    May 4, 2008
    10
    Just brilliant. They really took it to another level with the experience created in Liberty City. The detail is astounding, and you'd swear it was a real place. More realistic driving physics, interesting characters, and an engrossing story line keep you wanting more.
  14. DillonH.
    May 4, 2008
    10
    This is the best and funniest game I have EVER played.. I do still like COD4 and Halo3 but where else can you get the freemdom to do whatever you want... The game is not perfect but who cares we all play for fun not for perfect.. I am already almost half waythough and all I can find wrong with it is that things such as trees, signs, and etc pop up when you are driving fast.. And the only This is the best and funniest game I have EVER played.. I do still like COD4 and Halo3 but where else can you get the freemdom to do whatever you want... The game is not perfect but who cares we all play for fun not for perfect.. I am already almost half waythough and all I can find wrong with it is that things such as trees, signs, and etc pop up when you are driving fast.. And the only other thing is the COPS.. The cops are a lillte to hard and not so realistic. They pop up everywhere.. The cops I know never respond that quickly.. But it is very easy to lose them... But that is the only two flaws... So why are people giving them low scores... Beats me.. It's GREAT.… Expand
  15. Heman
    May 4, 2008
    7
    The game play is slow and Multiplayer is ok. There is not much of a co-op game. the free roam with your friends is fun for about the first 10 min..They took out all the NPC in the bars and restaurants soo all you have to do is kill civilians and each other. Would have been a 10 if there was more to do online.
  16. CorbinB.
    May 4, 2008
    10
    Surely a master piece of a game. While this game is not considered a perfect game to some,the world Rockstar has created engulfs you from the moment you step off the boat of Niko's unnamed Eastern European country. The world feels as if it can't run without you being there, and if it would if you died. With a fix on controls and car handling this title can be a pick up and play Surely a master piece of a game. While this game is not considered a perfect game to some,the world Rockstar has created engulfs you from the moment you step off the boat of Niko's unnamed Eastern European country. The world feels as if it can't run without you being there, and if it would if you died. With a fix on controls and car handling this title can be a pick up and play to a new comer and a complete 40 hours worth so those who would play through. GTA IV is sure to please any gamer, as it is one of the best games to come.… Expand
  17. ColbyK.
    Jul 1, 2008
    8
    What makes this game great is not that it is the greatest, because it isn't, but that it is great at so many different things. On gameplay alone this game deserves a 9.5, what really brings it down is the poor direction, and voice acting. Well they do a great job at creating a persona, the don't deliver any punch at moments should be highly charged, and it mostly revolves around What makes this game great is not that it is the greatest, because it isn't, but that it is great at so many different things. On gameplay alone this game deserves a 9.5, what really brings it down is the poor direction, and voice acting. Well they do a great job at creating a persona, the don't deliver any punch at moments should be highly charged, and it mostly revolves around people yelling and swearing with various accents. the game all together lacks a cohesive emotional story ark. Your consitinly introduced to new people only to have them killed of or leave an hour later, he doesn't forge a significant believable relationship with anyone he meets, because they are all simply to short lived.… Expand
  18. RafaelC.
    Dec 23, 2008
    10
    Grand Theft Auto IV is a must play game, best than any others of the GTA series. This game is way better than San Andreas, because of the graphics, the cellphone, history, voice acting, vehicles, and the whole athmosfere that the game put you in. The carachters in GTA IV are great, and you will be involved with then, you care about then, that's a great point because other games Grand Theft Auto IV is a must play game, best than any others of the GTA series. This game is way better than San Andreas, because of the graphics, the cellphone, history, voice acting, vehicles, and the whole athmosfere that the game put you in. The carachters in GTA IV are great, and you will be involved with then, you care about then, that's a great point because other games don't give you this immersion. Well, in the game city you can do wherever you want, go for a drink, eat junk food, pick up your friend and go to a strip club, take a helicopter tour, that's all part of the amazing world of GTA IV… Expand
  19. TerranceM.
    Apr 22, 2008
    0
    What a terrible game you can't kill kids or dogs.
  20. MattM.
    Apr 28, 2008
    0
    Buying reviews is wrong, ergo it doesn't deserve fair rating on my part.
  21. SamL.
    May 11, 2008
    7
    I think it needs to be known to the developers that there is actually ALOT less excitement and entertainment in GTA4 compared to GTA:SA. There is much less to do. It's sad, looking at all the potential and time put into the design of the new Liberty City, and then seeing it squandered without adding at least SOME of the side quests. I thought at least the player stats would still be I think it needs to be known to the developers that there is actually ALOT less excitement and entertainment in GTA4 compared to GTA:SA. There is much less to do. It's sad, looking at all the potential and time put into the design of the new Liberty City, and then seeing it squandered without adding at least SOME of the side quests. I thought at least the player stats would still be present, or half the activities. It plays like a work of art meets crime saga, but my rise to the top is for nothing without rackets to run, safehouses to buy, or even a DESTRUCTION DERBY to roll in! None of the freedom present in San Andreas is here. Enjoy your 90 missions and a few car thefts, then bring it back to Gamestop and trade it in for the copy of GTA:SA you let someone borrow and never got back. All in all, I miss having a pink mohawk, dammit.… Expand
  22. Bigsteve
    May 13, 2008
    7
    This game I thought was a little poor, i got bored of the missions early on in the game and what was with the dark feel to the game. Then the game became good and unique. Thats right i turned on multi player online. This is by far the best area on the game, fight , team up, play the cop and turf wars. I thought this made the game a lot more that yet another GTA!
  23. JackM.
    May 5, 2008
    7
    Yeah i know only a seven is a little harsh but im baseing this mostly on gameplay progress, loads of stuff missing from previous games its like the game is de-evolving. This being said the models look superb considering how many they had to make. Physics are a lot tighter making getting around the city feel much more realistic. The story is much as i had expected from Rockstar considering Yeah i know only a seven is a little harsh but im baseing this mostly on gameplay progress, loads of stuff missing from previous games its like the game is de-evolving. This being said the models look superb considering how many they had to make. Physics are a lot tighter making getting around the city feel much more realistic. The story is much as i had expected from Rockstar considering the previous GTA titles. I just feel that the game has lost some depth in the transition to next gen. Obviously if your a fan of the GTA games purely for driving around and killing people you will be more than happy with this ;) but i think a hardcore fan of the series will be quite disappointed after seeing through the nicely polished surface.… Expand
  24. BillG.
    Apr 25, 2008
    0
    This game didn't quite live up to my expectations. I expected a little bit more than this. But hey, it's GTA on the Xbox 360. Can't complain about that.
  25. AnonymousMC
    Feb 25, 2009
    9
    George F, you have no credibility whatsoever. "Subpar graphics"? When were you born? 2112, maybe, when graphics are more realistic than real life itself? Don't mind that an ENTIRE CITY is crammed into a game with very minimal load time. Don't mind that people react realistically depending on what part of the body you shoot. Don't mind the realistic crash physics. TheGeorge F, you have no credibility whatsoever. "Subpar graphics"? When were you born? 2112, maybe, when graphics are more realistic than real life itself? Don't mind that an ENTIRE CITY is crammed into a game with very minimal load time. Don't mind that people react realistically depending on what part of the body you shoot. Don't mind the realistic crash physics. The storyline is quite good, but you may think otherwise because you were born in a rich neighborhood that were ignorant of the social depravities and injustices occurring only a few blocks down. The gameplay is incredible, due to the exact OPPOSITE reason you provide. The missions are NOT repetitive, and the driving system is spectacular. Watch as the environment blurs as you put your foot to the pedal and watch it realistically crumple as you crash into another car. And since the game is shooting up "the same 10 fake people every three hours" and is for "passive-aggressive thugs," you gave it to your brother. Good job, troll, and trust me, there are other games that actually deserve zeroes.
    The only problem with this game is it's mission setup. When you fail, it takes you back from the beginning with less money and lost weapons depending on how you failed the quest. Another small flaw that I didn't really mind was the radio. It got smaller compared to the previous GTA. The GPS system was a very nice addition to the game. This game was definitely better than GTA3: Vice City and San Andreas where you were literally hearing the world "n*gger" twice every sentence. This game is one of the deepest games out there in terms of storyline and gameplay and it blows the current "competition" out of the park (Halo, Gears, Fable, I'm looking at you!).    … Expand
  26. Xagent86X
    Jun 5, 2013
    10
    This is an amazing game. Epic single player, epic multiplayer. Seriously, i don't know what these negative reviews are saying or thinking, but take it from me, its AMAZING
  27. MatthewDon2002
    Dec 17, 2014
    10
    An epic gangster fable on a grandiose scale, Grand Theft Auto IV is undoubtedly one of the greatest games ever played, mixing tough-as-nails characters, a fully-realised story (in the vein of The Godfather) and a fantastic free-roaming ability. This here, is an odyssey and a gratifying adventure. This is an experience!,
  28. ThatBenGuy
    Dec 11, 2018
    10
    Easily the best GTA game as well as the best game made by Rockstar! It might be the best video game of all time! I love the diverse New York City atmosphere as well as the VAST majority of the characters! The storyline is absolutely fantastic! It is a true classic which was ahead of its time when it came out in 2008. I would strongly recommend this masterpiece to a friend. In short, it isEasily the best GTA game as well as the best game made by Rockstar! It might be the best video game of all time! I love the diverse New York City atmosphere as well as the VAST majority of the characters! The storyline is absolutely fantastic! It is a true classic which was ahead of its time when it came out in 2008. I would strongly recommend this masterpiece to a friend. In short, it is basically The Jungle Book or Beowulf of video games, because it is just as good of a video game as those The Jungle Book and Beowulf are books.… Expand
  29. Theangel17
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think it is one of the best games of the Grand Theft Auto saga since it can wrap us with its very dark history and at the same time with its two endings in which your cousin or your girlfriend can die, characters that you have taken Pretty sweetheart and which you will see die, and that will break you will break your heart… Expand
  30. MasterofGames99
    Jun 2, 2021
    10
    GTA 4 never gets old. Never ever. It's something you can play in 2030 and still discover some new stuff you didn't know about.
  31. miacob
    Aug 12, 2022
    10
    To me, it's the best GTA game. The story is good and the characters memorable but the engine is what makes it really fun.
  32. blackwolf07
    May 10, 2013
    5
    GTA IV did some things right. It looked great during its time for a sandbox title and the story was decent if not pretty good. But the gameplay was not. Niko controls like a tank, the cars control like overweight elephants, and the mission variety is pathetic. Add to that the general over-fabricated nature of the city, in ways more so than in earlier games or series like the Elder ScrollsGTA IV did some things right. It looked great during its time for a sandbox title and the story was decent if not pretty good. But the gameplay was not. Niko controls like a tank, the cars control like overweight elephants, and the mission variety is pathetic. Add to that the general over-fabricated nature of the city, in ways more so than in earlier games or series like the Elder Scrolls and you get to me, a game that does not live up to the hype in any way or even close. An average game with a great name.… Expand
  33. UrbanCucumber
    Sep 21, 2011
    6
    This game is way overrated and should not be the number 1 game. It has good graphics and gameplay but after a little while gets extremely boring. now that its 15 bucks its a good investment but boring.
  34. illage2
    Nov 25, 2011
    5
    GTA IV wasn't as good as people were making it out to be. The game lost it's sense of fun and humor for the sake of realism and it ended up being boring. The cars drove like a ton of bricks, the graphics while good made areas of the game way too dark, even with the brightness turned right up.

    The multiplayer while fun at first became very boring after a few weeks. I play games for fun    GTA IV wasn't as good as people were making it out to be. The game lost it's sense of fun and humor for the sake of realism and it ended up being boring. The cars drove like a ton of bricks, the graphics while good made areas of the game way too dark, even with the brightness turned right up.

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

    I play games for fun and GTA IV is not fun. I recommend playing Saints Row 2 & 3 instead.    … Expand
  35. MikeE50
    Sep 29, 2012
    6
    Good: An incredibly detailed, realistic urban world for the player to explore. Driving and car chases can be fun.

    Bad: GTA IV has a terrible (at times unplayable) framerate on the Xbox 360 (I've read the PS3 version is even worse). It also has one of the worst gameplay cameras I've come across (it constantly autocenters itself, making for a very unpleasant--even nauseating--experience.)    Good: An incredibly detailed, realistic urban world for the player to explore. Driving and car chases can be fun.

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

    Summary: an outstanding *world* but a mediocre *game*.    … Expand
  36. sinadoom
    Dec 5, 2011
    6
    If you like any of the previous GTAs do not buy. They've taken loads of stuff out it's basically GTA 3 without the fun stuff and side missions. There's no fun in rampages anymore. The story isn't very good and missions are all the same and not humorous. However, if you are new to the sereis or did not enjoy San Andreas, this is the game for you if you want nothing but a average lengthIf you like any of the previous GTAs do not buy. They've taken loads of stuff out it's basically GTA 3 without the fun stuff and side missions. There's no fun in rampages anymore. The story isn't very good and missions are all the same and not humorous. However, if you are new to the sereis or did not enjoy San Andreas, this is the game for you if you want nothing but a average length story. The online has lots of choice but is fundamentally flawed due to the control scheme. I understand that this is next-gen so it's inevitably not going to be as complete as San Andreas in terms of single-player content, but the game doesn't feel like it's the greatest game of all time. 98/100 is very much overrated and unjustified. It adds nothing new to the already crowded sandbox genre. The online has co-op as well as competitive, but none of the modes are particularly fun or good quality, and there are a few glitches and technical issues with the game engine both online and single player. The entire single player content is just story based, with little to do other than pigeons, and you can't spend money on anything but weapons, which have no use anyway since you can't use them for anything but the story. The map doesn't feel well-made either, with every island and building just copied and pasted over and over again. There's no variety in the missions, map or level design. The story doesn't feel engaging either, and the lack of depth is another issue. It appears that Rockstar have focused almost entirely on the game engine rather than the game itself. Even if we ignore the San Andreas comparison and the fact that it has GTA in the title, this game is still not worthy of anything above 90. OK despite the auto-aim the action is good. The co-op game modes especially are straightforward killing. Yes, there is little skill in the gun-on-gun gameplay competitively, but it's still fun because at least there's recoil, so it's not just about who gets first shot off. The cars and driving are much improved, despite the frankly abysmal attempt at making the physics "realistic". Hitting a curb at like 50mph makes your car do 3 barrel rolls, for example. There are a number of glitches and technical issues surrounding the game too, so it does feel like an old-school sandbox game. The radio stations all suck because the music is terrible, but the chat shows and ads make a worthy return. The city itself is very lackluster. There's no variety like in San Andreas. It's not a bad attempt- certainly much better than the Liberty City of the GTA 3 era but most of the map never gets used; partly due to the lack of side missions and mostly because of the main story missions. The achievement "Liberty City Minute" sums this game up. I completed the story and side missions (excluding collectibles) in 28 hours. Despite this, I didn't feel that Nico had gone on an adventure. The story was just not up to scratch even for a normal game, let alone a Grand Theft Auto. The missions/what you do are AVERAGE for a GAME, and beyond attrocious for a Grand Theft Auto. Rockstar's creativity has completely gone out the window. In every respect, even as a game- let alone a Grand Theft Auto- GTA IV is mediocre. The online is decent but GTA is all about the single player experience. Rockstar have thrown away their creativity, variety and originality. I bought this game expecting an even bigger revolution than San Andreas. What I got was a longer than average shooter for a campaign and A miniscule 28 hours single player experience when San Andreas could easily offer triple that even without collectibles. As a shooter, as a game, as a GTA, this game is a dissapointment however you see it. Nobody can justify 98/100. No-one. Even if this game came out before San Andreas it'd deserve less than 90. GTA IV had big shoes to fill, but has failed. There's no question about it. If you truly had even the slightest attachment to San Andreas or even Vice City, you will realise what I'm saying is so true. You can't possibly think this game was NOT a disapointment if you are a true fan of the series. Of course nobody can deny that GTA IV is a good game. But it's impossible to not make comparisons and throw away expectations and past experiences. when reviewing such a highly rated and anticipated game.… Expand
  37. ancientscrolls
    Oct 21, 2011
    6
    98/100 are you serious? when i was in college and played GTA 3 it blew my socks off, but i played 5 hours of this and it devolved into "find a roof, snipe people". They've been flogging this dead horse for a loooong time. speaking of horses, red dead redemption was a fantastic game. buy that instead.
  38. wesker2012
    May 27, 2012
    6
    This game is so overated. The game is a technical marvel, but its not very fun. Going around, doing pretty much the same thing over and over again. Driving and shooting, and the shooting isnt very well implemented. Technical wise, I'd rate this game a 10, but fun wise i give it a 6.
  39. umafeo23
    Dec 17, 2012
    7
    This game is pretty fun, sadly, it is not as much as good as GTA: SA , GTA 3 or GTA: VC...
    Why? This game is mostly about graphics, but the gameplay is not convenient nor comfortable. The game has amazing graphics to be one of the first games for Xbox 360 or for PS3, but they failed with the gameplay, plus the radgoll is cool, but if you fall from a short length, Niko will damaged and you    This game is pretty fun, sadly, it is not as much as good as GTA: SA , GTA 3 or GTA: VC...
    Why? This game is mostly about graphics, but the gameplay is not convenient nor comfortable. The game has amazing graphics to be one of the first games for Xbox 360 or for PS3, but they failed with the gameplay, plus the radgoll is cool, but if you fall from a short length, Niko will damaged and you will waste time by waiting until he stands up. Also, the story was very idea to be a GTA game. Those are the problems that GTA 4 had (in my opinion). Hopefully GTA 5 is better than GTA 4.    … Expand
  40. MatthewBarnard
    May 6, 2008
    9
    This absolutely is a great game, though I'm not sure it's as great as it's been made out to be. It looks SPECTACULAR. They have the feel of New York down to a T. Everything functions well, too.

    If it's missing anything, it's the little things from the other GTA games, which I miss: fun side games, parachuettes, the ability to purchase buildings, etc. I think    This absolutely is a great game, though I'm not sure it's as great as it's been made out to be. It looks SPECTACULAR. They have the feel of New York down to a T. Everything functions well, too.

    If it's missing anything, it's the little things from the other GTA games, which I miss: fun side games, parachuettes, the ability to purchase buildings, etc. I think it's missing a few of the little things that made the old GTA games so enjoyable. That being said, this definitely is the most finally polished of the games and the plot is definitely the best developed.    … Expand
  41. PucklesW.
    Apr 30, 2008
    8
    Pros: next gen graphics, improved physics, slightly better combat systems, unparalled scope, better storyline and character development, and new gameplay functions like online. Getting to easily replay missions when you fail is a nice upgrade too. Cons: this game really doesn't feel much different than the prior 3 GTAs which all eventually got frustrating to play as you've Pros: next gen graphics, improved physics, slightly better combat systems, unparalled scope, better storyline and character development, and new gameplay functions like online. Getting to easily replay missions when you fail is a nice upgrade too. Cons: this game really doesn't feel much different than the prior 3 GTAs which all eventually got frustrating to play as you've combined a mediocre driver, poor shooter, etc. Movement and control are just not great and while the GTA universe is amazing it makes you notice how often controlling Nikko is downright frustrating. Like prior games this one also has glitches, framerate issues, etc. Finally, the character development and storyline is improved but Mass Effect really raised the bar by introducing choice as a key to the storyline. I feel myself wanting the same control over Nikko's decisions and it's just not there. GTA V will probably do the job. All and all it is a great sandbox with some nice enhancements over prior GTAs but it is still plagued by some of the problems that annoyed me about prior iterations. If you loved the others you'll love this more. Me, I still feel it's not quite there.… Expand
  42. michaels
    Jul 11, 2009
    7
    I have read a few comments, from gamers who love this game and it sound like they are the ones who designed it, trying to justify it's brilliants! I have not got HD so maybe i have missed out on that side of it, but i loved the last couple on playstation2 and i loved it for the game play, the graphics have alweays been cool! I wanted to enjoy what vice city and san andreas gave me, I have read a few comments, from gamers who love this game and it sound like they are the ones who designed it, trying to justify it's brilliants! I have not got HD so maybe i have missed out on that side of it, but i loved the last couple on playstation2 and i loved it for the game play, the graphics have alweays been cool! I wanted to enjoy what vice city and san andreas gave me, FUN, but trying to open taxi doors getting a lift was painful, why have the same button too steal as to get to a destination, plenty of other buttons to choice from! Also no animals or kids, is it unethical to have them in the game, does killing only adults push the boundaries far enough, is it not fun escaping reality for a few hours here and there to kill what you can, please explain!!!! No casino's or betting places really ruined it for me, is was a good way to get easy money, but i guess why need money when you can't buy houses only limited clothing and food and hookers, need more! Why can't you rob a bank or steal armoured cars to get money, it would be fun! As much as i love blowing things up, i love building things, can't you have more buying of properties and buying things for the houses, and having more clothes to choose from! Not just safe houses, but places you can design mostly yourself and want to spend time there not just for changing clothes or saving, but to bring friends you meet or chicks who you score with back there to party or to swim, or to play pool, anything! I really do hope gta5 if there is going to be one, brings all the best things from all the gta games into it, not just pushing out a really unfinshed game with good graphics, because i would rather gameplay over graphics anyday! Gta 4 should have made san andreas look bad, but it was just unfinished, i think due to deadlines! I beg the designers to read what people want not just do there own creations because they didn't seem to work there magic this time as they did in Gta san andreas which was orgasmic gameplay! I really think gta 4 was rushed so the designer can get to gta 5, i hope so! If the designer read this and they need some fresh ideas, i have plenty, i will give my email and will work for free, i just want goood gameplay!… Expand
  43. ArkonBlade
    Sep 27, 2010
    6
    3 steps foward now 3 steps back . thats the best way i can describe GTA4 . the series since GTA 3 for the PS2 was ground breaking and with GTA VC and GTA SA it was pushing foward . although by the time i got to playing GTA SA i felt the series growing alittle stale in its story mode . so when i heard Rockstar was gona try and make GTA4 abit more fresh in it story mode i couldnt wait to see3 steps foward now 3 steps back . thats the best way i can describe GTA4 . the series since GTA 3 for the PS2 was ground breaking and with GTA VC and GTA SA it was pushing foward . although by the time i got to playing GTA SA i felt the series growing alittle stale in its story mode . so when i heard Rockstar was gona try and make GTA4 abit more fresh in it story mode i couldnt wait to see what they where gona try . when i got the game and played it for awhile i was amazed how much they removed from this game . it felt like they stripped it down . all the new guns they where adding in the series are now back to the same gun selection as GTA3 . you are in the same city as GTA 3 and story just feels the same . you are just some guy who is trying to take over the city . most of the missions feel recycled . you have less vehicles in prevous GTA games . they finnaly started adding more flying vehicles in this game in GTA VC and GTA SA but now in GTA 4 we are down to just a helicopter. why are the going backwards? the new stuff they did add just didnt feel like it worked or belonged. like you can now make friends and can hang out with them which if you wana keep them happy you have to do. which for being a cut throat russian who is tryin to take over a city why the hell would you be doing that? The games graphics i thought looked pretty good not ground breaking but did its job. the online mode was ok had ALOT of different game modes to choose from . none of the game modes i felt are any thing long lasting but kept me entertained for a week or so . the most fun i had was the free roaming co op me and friends had alot of fun starting a war with the cops and seeing how long we could survive. though it makes you wish they had a story mode co op how cool could this game coulda been if you and 4 buddys coulda played through the story mode like that? i woulda probubly given this game atleast a 8 if it had that. the game as is i felt was just ok felt to recycled in the end and nothing new and exciting was really added to it . for a next gen GTA game i was really hoping they would try and redifine GTA . i dont know how this beat out Fall out 3 for GOTY. i hope rockstar does a better job with GTA5.… Expand
  44. BeanyBean
    Sep 20, 2010
    5
    So boring. Unless I'm in a room full of people who have absolutely no desire to have a turn, and are encouraging me to hit that old lady with my firetruck, then it's hard for me to play this game for more than ten minutes.
  45. MikeyDub
    Apr 19, 2011
    7
    Not as good as San Andreas. Being stuck in the one city is dullsville, and it lacks the epic scale of its predecessors (where were the epic car chases jumping over huge obstacles?).
  46. Shaft62702
    Jun 10, 2014
    10
    The best game ever made on the xbox 360. Great story. Amazing open world with endless exploring. This game was well designed and a lot of thought was put into it's creation.
  47. 7dogguy
    Aug 21, 2012
    5
    this game is such a downgrade from san andres there are barely any weapons the characters are annoying the map isnt that good or big its too realistic the mini games are boring the cover system is bad and there is nothing to do in the game after you complete the story on the bright side the shooting is better in this game because it actually uses the trigger buttons instead of the O and orthis game is such a downgrade from san andres there are barely any weapons the characters are annoying the map isnt that good or big its too realistic the mini games are boring the cover system is bad and there is nothing to do in the game after you complete the story on the bright side the shooting is better in this game because it actually uses the trigger buttons instead of the O and or B button the online play is also fun and a good addition with a bunch of different modes and when you shoot people in the game where ever the bullet hits affects the person but this game is very lackluster compared to earlier installments if wasnt for multiplayer and the gun physics id give this a 0… Expand
  48. Garian
    Aug 8, 2012
    5
    GTA IV was good, I enjoyed playing and spent a good couple of days on it, however it wasn't enough of an improvment to GTA: San Andreas, they even removed the things that made that game great, you run slower and with seemingly less control, a car tapping your leg deals you damage, which is really annoying, they removed the availability to use planes, and the world was smaller. The two DLCGTA IV was good, I enjoyed playing and spent a good couple of days on it, however it wasn't enough of an improvment to GTA: San Andreas, they even removed the things that made that game great, you run slower and with seemingly less control, a car tapping your leg deals you damage, which is really annoying, they removed the availability to use planes, and the world was smaller. The two DLC stories weren't that good either, mediocre stories that cleared up only one or two scenarios in the main game, overall, they removed more than they added.… Expand
  49. Yliannos
    May 21, 2011
    6
    I can understand the metascore of 92 if you've played the game for an hour. Seriously, though, the game is self-repeating and more boring than San Andreas ever was. Technically, this is just a graphic and physics improvement of GTA with the expense of nothing to do but to ignore the phone calls from your "friends". The multiplayer started to bore me after a couple of hours, but the singleI can understand the metascore of 92 if you've played the game for an hour. Seriously, though, the game is self-repeating and more boring than San Andreas ever was. Technically, this is just a graphic and physics improvement of GTA with the expense of nothing to do but to ignore the phone calls from your "friends". The multiplayer started to bore me after a couple of hours, but the single player - the real core of GTA - was playable. If you're looking for a sandbox, GTA gives you a postal-sort of fun for 5 minutes. After which you realize there is nothing to do, little to no use for the money you earn from missions and in-game bowling and other games are as dull as they sound like. I can not understand people giving a full-priced game which only contains better graphics and physics a full 10, or even 9. Truth be told, GTA IV was successful solely because of the Rockstar's mastery of hype and the thirst for another Grand Theft Auto. Nothing more. The story of Niko Bellic is generic and the game itself isn't even close to 9/10. Fanboys aside, you'll enjoy the first playthrough but in the end it leaves you 50 bucks poorer and a bad taste in your mouth because of the praise from critics and GTA disciples alike.… Expand
  50. RobC
    May 27, 2008
    10
    Quite simply. This is as good as however you make it. If you are creative within your gameplay you can love the way you make this game look, let alone the gamplay itself. For the people who critisize things like the car camera angles and the way you cant climb up one ladder simply havent been creative enough. This game is genuis and for people who are creative with games will apreciateQuite simply. This is as good as however you make it. If you are creative within your gameplay you can love the way you make this game look, let alone the gamplay itself. For the people who critisize things like the car camera angles and the way you cant climb up one ladder simply havent been creative enough. This game is genuis and for people who are creative with games will apreciate this to death. But hey, an opinion is an opinion. And compared to the previous GTA titles, this really brings out the lethal gangster feel, and i'm with you Benjamin, such a great movie like storyline. A winner for me… Expand
  51. KevinC
    May 16, 2008
    10
    This game is incredible. Every aspect. For the people who gave it below 8.... what are you thinking. All your complaints are silly. You can control the camera angle and the several different angles should provide something for everyone....Long drives for missions??? Wave a taxi down or call up Roman....skip the scene and voila, your there!! (or stop sucking ;) and beat it first time)This game is incredible. Every aspect. For the people who gave it below 8.... what are you thinking. All your complaints are silly. You can control the camera angle and the several different angles should provide something for everyone....Long drives for missions??? Wave a taxi down or call up Roman....skip the scene and voila, your there!! (or stop sucking ;) and beat it first time) Repetition.... Assassins Creed yes... GTA4 well maybe but name me a game that isn't after putting 40 hours into it....getting bored.. punch in some cheats or go online...the options are ridiculous… Expand
  52. ChristopherGassman
    May 6, 2008
    10
    This version of Liberty City is more lifelike than any of the cities in any of the previous titles. I miss going to the gyms of San Andreas. I miss blazing through the deserts and climbing that gigantic mountain east of Los Santos. I'm only just a few hours into GTA4, so I'm sure that there will be plenty of equivalent wonders as I continue to unlock various areas.
  53. DragovicDemitie
    Jul 8, 2008
    6
    i give gta iv a 6 becasue anything higher would just be because of it's reputation. think about it, no push bike, can't fly a jet, can't fly a jumbo jet Can't, Can't get a parachute. I mean what the fuck are we doing here. you might have gone back and made the graphics better on gta3 and made the graphic's better. Holy fuck, You cheap gta designers. youi give gta iv a 6 becasue anything higher would just be because of it's reputation. think about it, no push bike, can't fly a jet, can't fly a jumbo jet Can't, Can't get a parachute. I mean what the fuck are we doing here. you might have gone back and made the graphics better on gta3 and made the graphic's better. Holy fuck, You cheap gta designers. you screwed the series up with this game didn't you. but i give the graphics a ten. now that we had a look at cars. well it's cool you go threw the winsheild when you hit something hard enough, thats cool im down with that.it's cool how you can strip the rubber of the tyre that it goes to the rim. thats all good. but every mission you do your driving, i mean jesus christ i drive everywhere! My second point of problems is that when you get on a car and it goes 3mph it's like you break your leg!! and your laying there on the bonnet with your" leg Broken" and you still geting hurt and the car is still going 3mph and your left there saying wtf??? Also when your running away from the police and you get hit by a car that was going 5 mph, you just sit there waiting for the ketle water to boil for a cup coffee. Because tapping a dont work and he is like a girl. he can't do any karate moves, if a sniper could shoot 160 miles away from a target. It wont Matter!! cause they still know who you are when your over 2 miles from the target i mean common!!! Wake up to ur self designers. i think they would hav been better off if they did another san andreas instead of another gta 3 cause this one Is Crap, Is not worth it's reputation. You can't hook up and have a truck hook up to other trailers. thats what i wanted it to have but no they put these other shitty trucks which are good but where's the road trains??!?!?!? and why has the police helicopter have no aimer to shoot people and cars? if you love gta san andreas this is just gta 3 just with better graphics.WTF you can't swim under water, you can't increase the brakes, cause they an't worth anything i stop better with the handbrake than with the frount brakes. oh yea you can't loose the cops with six stars!!! So what is the point with all the fun you used to have running away with six stars and hoping you could survive, Now you have no chance.but dont get me wrong i think that it could have gone futher and it had potentional. i Point this as a real screw up (aplause) nice work rockstar, nice work. Designers did a 10 on graphics but think about buying this game before you do. this game has a repuation way over thier head, Becareful… Expand
  54. Andrew
    Apr 30, 2008
    10
    Since I've bought it I cannot put it down. Whereas other GTA games grow tiresome after a couple hours of play, this one keeps you interested and entertained for multiple hours on end. And that's just doing the missions. Theres also free roaming around, side missions, relationships to tend, and the awesome multiplayer.
    The story and graphics are also excellent.

    10/10
  55. ichigo2601
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    i bought this game after buying saints row 2 which was actually gun. whilst i appreciate the fact that this game is extremely realistic, i feel that is also it's downfall that they went for realism over fun. pretty much everything i can do in this game i can do in real life except be russian and shoot people and i have no strong desire to do either. the story is good but small in scalei bought this game after buying saints row 2 which was actually gun. whilst i appreciate the fact that this game is extremely realistic, i feel that is also it's downfall that they went for realism over fun. pretty much everything i can do in this game i can do in real life except be russian and shoot people and i have no strong desire to do either. the story is good but small in scale compared to other games nowadays and it didn't really feel like i'd accomplished much when i'd finished with it. imo san andreas was better and this has probably put me off the future installment because it looks just as unjustifiably dull.… Expand
  56. mathmike
    Jul 14, 2012
    4
    I didn't buy this game but I played it when I was at my friends house. From what I played the story wasn't very interesting. I didn't really like the shooting and as for the jumping it wasn't top notch. The only thing I found fun was driving around at high speeds and jumping off high ledges. It got boring for me fairly quickly for me.
  57. mobius
    May 7, 2008
    10
    I agree with all the mags, but after seeing that the 360 version has sharper graphics a higher HD resoulution and far less pop up buildings when in the helicopers aswell as the easy to use multiplayer game access and I had to return my PS3 version and get the 360 version instead. and as i am lucky to have the two consols i have to say that the 360 is the better version. i understand thatI agree with all the mags, but after seeing that the 360 version has sharper graphics a higher HD resoulution and far less pop up buildings when in the helicopers aswell as the easy to use multiplayer game access and I had to return my PS3 version and get the 360 version instead. and as i am lucky to have the two consols i have to say that the 360 is the better version. i understand that the PS3 version is the port of the 360 version anyway.… Expand
  58. NikoBellic
    Jul 15, 2008
    10
    hey ANTHONY M. i am one of the Rockstar developers you talked about and yes i do smoke cockroach repelent on the job. giving the cops god powers was my idea. not to cover up the ai (it is fantastic), but because smoking all that cockroach repelent makes me feel like i have god powers. there was going to be an exterminator mission in the game but my idea got rejected. so then i suggestedhey ANTHONY M. i am one of the Rockstar developers you talked about and yes i do smoke cockroach repelent on the job. giving the cops god powers was my idea. not to cover up the ai (it is fantastic), but because smoking all that cockroach repelent makes me feel like i have god powers. there was going to be an exterminator mission in the game but my idea got rejected. so then i suggested that there be 200 cockroaches randomly placed in liberty city that could be killed with cockroach repelent. in san andreas there was spray paint to leave your gang sign, so i thought that cockroach repelent spray paint could be a great way to kill the rodent and leave your mark. that was accepted but then later replaced with pigeons and there was no cockroach repelent spray paint. but yes since i will get fired if i say something bad about this, this piece of crap game is the best game in the entire star wars galaxy.… Expand
  59. Slate
    Apr 7, 2011
    8
    Instant classic, tons of missions, fun gun play and great car chases. The story is great and this game is brutal in a classic rock star way. A few let downs about this game, no garages to store more than two cars, no gym to change appearance, and a few other things that were left out that I liked in the other gta series. But its still a great game overall.
  60. Zilcell
    Nov 9, 2012
    5
    The biggest problem with the game is the controls. Could they have made driving not feel like a chore? And because they put the cheat system in the phone, its very difficult to access. San Andreas is better because it had more weapons, better controls, and better cheats. San Andreas has a jetpack and flying cars cheats and other great ones. Does GTA 4 have any of this? No.
  61. timbers_WSU
    Nov 13, 2012
    6
    I suppose I understand the appeal of these open world games but some games are not for everyone. I have never been a fan of GTA or Saint's Row and this is not changing my mind. It's boring. Good story, bland gameplay. The humor kept me going
  62. StephenL.
    May 5, 2008
    8
    This is a good game for all types of gamers but it wasn't a big enough improvement on the last game to get an 9 or 10. Moving around on foot is clunky and most of the buildings are like cardboard cut outs, people dont die as satisfyingly as in the previous games, the feds are on your case in the airport and you cant blow up planes. The is plenty of good tho, the soundtrack, the This is a good game for all types of gamers but it wasn't a big enough improvement on the last game to get an 9 or 10. Moving around on foot is clunky and most of the buildings are like cardboard cut outs, people dont die as satisfyingly as in the previous games, the feds are on your case in the airport and you cant blow up planes. The is plenty of good tho, the soundtrack, the characters and the drinking missions. Gameplay wise its just as good as the previous games but I was hoping for more.… Expand
  63. MrFairrate
    May 3, 2008
    10
    All the people I see giving the low scores are all whining about the same thing: GTA IV isn't much different than other GTAs.......ARE YOU RETARDED?!?!?!? 16 ONLINE MULTIPLAYER!!! 16!!!!! This GTA is very different than the other GTAs. Very good ragdoll effects on the civilians. The vehicles are fun to use. The new police escape feature is new. So if you say that GTA IV is noAll the people I see giving the low scores are all whining about the same thing: GTA IV isn't much different than other GTAs.......ARE YOU RETARDED?!?!?!? 16 ONLINE MULTIPLAYER!!! 16!!!!! This GTA is very different than the other GTAs. Very good ragdoll effects on the civilians. The vehicles are fun to use. The new police escape feature is new. So if you say that GTA IV is no different, please, do us all a favor and shoot yourself.… Expand
  64. Conservative316
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    GTA4 is one of the most overrated and quite Liberal games in history. An example, the ingame TV playing "Space Republican's" a cartoon which mocks and portrays republicans as warmongers taking over alien planets and killing their people out of stupidity and for fun. Another example, the "Talk radio" channel that can be heard while in any car portraying "Freedom loving American's" asGTA4 is one of the most overrated and quite Liberal games in history. An example, the ingame TV playing "Space Republican's" a cartoon which mocks and portrays republicans as warmongers taking over alien planets and killing their people out of stupidity and for fun. Another example, the "Talk radio" channel that can be heard while in any car portraying "Freedom loving American's" as sexist. They even go so far as saying "Men are the superior gender and women deserve whatever damage they get from men." Almost all of the plot has Liberal undertones. Almost all of the pun's are now outdated and tired. One such joke is that the "President[at the time Bush" blocked off part of the city due to being afraid of a terrorist attack that doesn't exist. This game's "jokes" makes no sense in our modern times. Only Jon Stewart watching brainwasted immature dorks would find these joke's funny. Do not waste your money for a "cinematic" experience, the gameplay just plain sucks. In a game that should be about the sandbox experience and freedom to do what you want to do- One still feels the very linear push to only do what the game's developers make you do and nothing else. Nothing even remotely fun gets unlocked unless you do pointless storyline missions with a less than immersive plot/story-telling atmosphere. The whole game feels like a giant series of tutorial missions where you do whatever you are asked and anything else is wrong. The Critic's are wrong, this game is garbage. Go buy Saint's Row 2 if you really want a fun sandbox game that let's you be in control and do whatever you feel like doing. Also, Just Cause 2 is a fun game if you get a chance, even though it is repetitive at times.… Expand
  65. kerberus
    Dec 5, 2012
    3
    Severely over-rated game. Repetitive, extremely bland, no great story and no character anywhere near memorable.

    3, vice city and san andreas were all good because they were ahead of their time and did things no other game had done before. 4 was just boring.
  66. Bigredd77
    Nov 12, 2011
    1
    A definate step backwards from my personal fave San Andreas. I really don't understand how this crap got a positive score from the "Critics" bunch of shills they are. This is one of the most overated games of all time and I love GTA, but this game is a solid step backwards right into a pile of dog S*it.
  67. met306
    Jun 23, 2012
    4
    You will play this game for about 4 or 5 hours before throwing your controller at the wall. There is NO checkpoint system. EVERY SINGLE OTHER GAME has some sort of checkpoint system, but in this game you can die at the very last part of a mission (which could range from 5-30 minutes) and start ALL OVER. Hey though, at least I found out that the game DOES relieve stress, because afterYou will play this game for about 4 or 5 hours before throwing your controller at the wall. There is NO checkpoint system. EVERY SINGLE OTHER GAME has some sort of checkpoint system, but in this game you can die at the very last part of a mission (which could range from 5-30 minutes) and start ALL OVER. Hey though, at least I found out that the game DOES relieve stress, because after starting the same mission over again for the 14th (more or less) time, I went on a killing spree, and it made me feel more relieved. The game is also incredibly repetitive. I can give you the mission layout for almost all, no ALL the missions. Step 1:Something to do with a car. Always. Step 2.Something to do with a car/firefight. Step 3. Something to do with a car/firefight. That's how ALL the missions work. Its incredibly boring. Your phone is also a pain. About every 30 minutes mid-game someone will call you and want you to do something. If you don't do it, they start to dislike you. I would focusing on finishing the horrible story mode first so you can go and hang out with real friends. But, all is not terrible (most of it is though) because of the endgame where you can roam around Liberty City. There is hours upon hours of extra content after you beat the game. The multiplayer is also really good. Its fun to get a friend and just roam around Liberty City. But the terrible story-mode is so terrible, you shouldn't pick this up, unless you find it in the bargain bin for around 10$.… Expand
  68. dimon94xx
    Oct 30, 2011
    1
    WOW, that game is just SO bad. First of all the story : by far the worst characters in a GTA game, and the worst story as well : Dude comes into another country searching foor another dude who has betrayed him - revenge time! but ends up saving his cousin over and over and over again , by the worst story and characters. Then there are graphics....and like always the graphics are outdatedWOW, that game is just SO bad. First of all the story : by far the worst characters in a GTA game, and the worst story as well : Dude comes into another country searching foor another dude who has betrayed him - revenge time! but ends up saving his cousin over and over and over again , by the worst story and characters. Then there are graphics....and like always the graphics are outdated at least by a year. Music on the radio is so bad for the most part that im just driving with radio off - something i have never been doing in a GTA game. People in Liberty City are so pissed,, even if you close by somebody, he'll say "WTF?", which is just completely inappropriate. Car controls are probably the worst in the gaming history. Then there is multi-player: That's the place where i had a little fun running around with my friends and shooting everything that moves, still the game is all hype, and i still don't understand how did it get 98/100… Expand
  69. JerryMichaels
    Apr 18, 2008
    10
    Man, I beat this game today (got an early copy) and it was something else! This was the best game ever made, past-present-future. There will never be a game better than this. After I am sick of this game (shouldn't be for a few more months) I am going to sell all my videogames and never play anything ever again because everything else will be a waste of time.
  70. MegWhiteley
    Apr 16, 2012
    0
    I don't understand the reason for that all the people love this awful game, the story is different in all the games, but all the games be same, kill, kill, kill, and kill this game is boring, Rockstar Games do better things, but GTA is one of the most boring sagas.
  71. AnthonyMir
    May 13, 2008
    10
    This game is simply amazing. I was skeptical to purchase at first, but now I'm glad I did. There is no need to play the story. I have stayed up over 24 hours playing this game and during that time I was just picking up hookers and going to the strip club.
  72. xxAntag0nisTxx
    Apr 4, 2011
    2
    I have always been a fan of the GTA series, from back in the day when I played on PC with the birds eye view. This was a classic series that was so revolutionary during the times of GTAIII and Vice City. Needless to say, my expectations for this game were very high!

    One thing I really noticed when played this game is that Rockstar have really gone for a grand storyline- and in turn the    I have always been a fan of the GTA series, from back in the day when I played on PC with the birds eye view. This was a classic series that was so revolutionary during the times of GTAIII and Vice City. Needless to say, my expectations for this game were very high!

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

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

    Anyway, many people will enjoy this game but it may be a game you hire instead, or wait until it hits the bargain bins. My personal opinion is that this game is the first GTA that i would not recommend buying!    … Expand
  73. colchar
    Sep 25, 2011
    4
    it's just not the tipe of game i like graphics aren't the best game play is not that good cars suck hitting things with cars are just terrible but good car chases and it's fun driving a helicopter and a boat
  74. GeorgePalmer
    Apr 8, 2008
    8
    Grand Theft Auto IV is a worthy addition to the GTA series. It improves on a lot of the original GTA concepts that never came to fruition in earlier games, such as the poor shooting mechanics and lack of ability to control the plot line. Most GTA fans wont be disappointed, but it is not a game that's going to attract people who have never played GTA before.
  75. RickyF
    Jul 5, 2009
    2
    What the hell are the critics thinking?!? This game is just terrible in comparison to San Andreas. The 2 is only for the graphics. The missions suck. The gameplay sucks. This game sucks. Hopefully the series will improve, otherwise GTA will sink as a franchise.
  76. KentLassen
    Feb 14, 2009
    3
    Grand Theft Auto IV is takes itself too seriously for a game that is supposed to be about having fun in an open world. It also includes boring settings and lackluster graphics that drag it down further. The game is a step away from what made the previous versions good and you would be better off playing a game like Saint's Row.
  77. dragonselite2
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    This is a best game since,i play the xbox 360 is a
    very very good game and doesn t have any error with the game. This is a expetacular and the best productions of rockstar games. i recommend.
  78. AndyHuber
    Apr 30, 2008
    7
    it's really amazing how overhyped this game is. i guess rockstar couldn't possibly have bribed all those reviewers. but still i'm wondering where it comes from, because:

    the "great voice acting and facial animation" - give me a break. there's a >lot< better in e.g. mass effect or lost odyssey. the lip synchronization often doesn't fit, characters move there    it's really amazing how overhyped this game is. i guess rockstar couldn't possibly have bribed all those reviewers. but still i'm wondering where it comes from, because:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    so why do i still give the game 7/10 if i don't like all those things? well, the game world IS huge and impressive, the way people around the city behave and react to various influences is great and if the combat controls work like they should, it's really fun as well. also while the story, missions and such might not be the best, they are still moderately interesting.    … Expand
  79. JamesO.
    May 9, 2008
    8
    Don't listen to a word these "professional" game reviewers are selling you. This game is far from heaven sent. It provides a fun, realistic world in which to run amok with your friends, but the last-gen controls and graphical glitches keep it humbled in the presence of games more worthy of your hard earned cash.
  80. NikoBellic
    Jul 15, 2008
    10
    hey ANTHONY M. i am one of the Rockstar developers you talked about and yes i do smoke cockroach repelent on the job. giving the cops god powers was my idea. not to cover up the ai (it is fantastic), but because smoking all that cockroach repelent makes me feel like i have god powers. there was going to be an exterminator mission in the game but my idea got rejected. so then i suggestedhey ANTHONY M. i am one of the Rockstar developers you talked about and yes i do smoke cockroach repelent on the job. giving the cops god powers was my idea. not to cover up the ai (it is fantastic), but because smoking all that cockroach repelent makes me feel like i have god powers. there was going to be an exterminator mission in the game but my idea got rejected. so then i suggested that there be 200 cockroaches randomly placed in liberty city that could be killed with cockroach repelent. in san andreas there was spray paint to leave your gang sign, so i thought that cockroach repelent spray paint could be a great way to kill the rodent and leave your mark. that was accepted but then later replaced with pigeons and there was no cockroach repelent spray paint. but yes since i will get fired if i say something bad about this, this piece of fun game is the best game in the entire star wars galaxy.… Expand
  81. JetEngineJesus
    May 29, 2008
    7
    Overall a very good game, but not deserving of the perfect scores coming from the game "journalists". Characters are all well-developed, writing and voice acting are top notch. Niko is easily one of the most interesting (and strangely moral...?) protagonists in modern video games.
    Gameplay marred by clumsy control and camera issues. Missing a lot of the features that made San Andreas so    Overall a very good game, but not deserving of the perfect scores coming from the game "journalists". Characters are all well-developed, writing and voice acting are top notch. Niko is easily one of the most interesting (and strangely moral...?) protagonists in modern video games.
    Gameplay marred by clumsy control and camera issues. Missing a lot of the features that made San Andreas so much fun (mountain biking, jet-packs, parachutes, etc.). The radio stations all seem like an afterthought, without any standout music or DJs, and get annoying VERY QUICKLY; I've had the volume on them turned completely off for weeks now.
    I don't know what Wallpaperman has been smoking. I'm at 79% complete, with only the story missions remaining, and am sitting at around 70hrs of gameplay.
    Definitely a must play, in spite of all of the criticisms. Just don't go in expecting ZOMGBESTGAMEEVAR!1!!!1!!!!!ZOMGITHINKIMGONNAPLOTZ!!1!    … Expand
  82. DesO'F
    Jul 15, 2008
    9
    It's kind of overrated but what isn't these days (I'm looking at you Halo and MGS!)? GTA4 has its flaws like most other games. Unlike most other games though it manages to not let these issues ruin it and delivers an incredible experience from start to finish. Jam packed with features that really do add up to more than the sum of their parts, this is a game you really haveIt's kind of overrated but what isn't these days (I'm looking at you Halo and MGS!)? GTA4 has its flaws like most other games. Unlike most other games though it manages to not let these issues ruin it and delivers an incredible experience from start to finish. Jam packed with features that really do add up to more than the sum of their parts, this is a game you really have to experience for yourself - not hear about from your friends - to fully appreciate. 30 hours of incredible story and endless fun in a varied multiplayer component: whats not to like?… Expand
  83. JohnSmith
    Apr 30, 2008
    9
    Though of course the game has great audio and picture, the frame rate is all over the place going between 15-35 constantly getting you to adapt to stuttering and sputtering, on top of that there are pop ins, and game crashes. If you're a console gamer who doesn't know what any of these things mean then this will mean nothing to you.
  84. StevenHoulihan
    May 26, 2008
    7
    The graphics and overall surroundings are probably the best feature of GTA IV. I think it is over rated as i grew tired of the game after a while and i am a big fan of all the other GTA's. In some aspects it was a big step up from San Andreas but fell down in most parts, for all the hype before its release i thought it was going to be awesome, at least with san andreas it took me agesThe graphics and overall surroundings are probably the best feature of GTA IV. I think it is over rated as i grew tired of the game after a while and i am a big fan of all the other GTA's. In some aspects it was a big step up from San Andreas but fell down in most parts, for all the hype before its release i thought it was going to be awesome, at least with san andreas it took me ages to complete i cleared this one in a few days. There was just so much more they could have done with it. But Rockstar don't care they've made their millions… Expand
  85. JakeSanford
    May 30, 2008
    6
    Three steps forward, six steps back. Its too bad the steps taken backwards of course, are the best things about previous Grand Theft Autos. I speak of course for the story, gameplay, weapons, vehicles, missions, and all around scale of the previous games. GTAIV though, seems to take a giant leap backwards in each of these categories. All in all GTAIV amounts to nothing more than an updateThree steps forward, six steps back. Its too bad the steps taken backwards of course, are the best things about previous Grand Theft Autos. I speak of course for the story, gameplay, weapons, vehicles, missions, and all around scale of the previous games. GTAIV though, seems to take a giant leap backwards in each of these categories. All in all GTAIV amounts to nothing more than an update in graphics, physics, and comedy. If your looking for a sequel to GTA3, this is it. If you want something larger in scale compared to San Andreas, you will not like this installment of the series.
    6/10    … Expand
  86. ConnerDarrell
    Jul 22, 2008
    10
    I don't know about you guys but i think this is probably one of the funnest games I have ever played in my life.it has amazing graphics, amazing game play and even amazing physics! can any of the people who said this is game was "OVERRATED" or doesn't like the score,I think you guys haven't played the game and are trying to give it a bad vote so people won't like itI don't know about you guys but i think this is probably one of the funnest games I have ever played in my life.it has amazing graphics, amazing game play and even amazing physics! can any of the people who said this is game was "OVERRATED" or doesn't like the score,I think you guys haven't played the game and are trying to give it a bad vote so people won't like it from reveiws like that but if any of you haters of gta would've actually played the game you would've put a ten.
    all I'm saying is that this game is rockin' and should be a higher score.    … Expand
  87. JakeChappelle
    May 18, 2008
    7
    It was fun for awhile, yet as the game went through it's course, there were numerous problems that bore down on it's performance. The main character went from being a confused immigrant into a "cold" in killer less than a quarter of the game. The mission redo structure could definitely use improvements, a checkpoint for when you reach the destination perhaps, instead of having toIt was fun for awhile, yet as the game went through it's course, there were numerous problems that bore down on it's performance. The main character went from being a confused immigrant into a "cold" in killer less than a quarter of the game. The mission redo structure could definitely use improvements, a checkpoint for when you reach the destination perhaps, instead of having to trek across the city or use a cab. It was a fun game, but a bit of a disappointment in a lot aspects.… Expand
  88. DanielMikula
    May 19, 2008
    7
    A good game, but not a great game. I'm not too surprised that so many journalists have jumped on the bandwagon to tout Rockstar's latest release, but it seems just a little too soon after San Andreas to give it such high ratings --- especially when they universally note that GTAIV doesn't even have the same level of content that the previous title had.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    With a story that's hardly revolutionary and an ending that leaves players with that same letdown as from the likes of Halo 2, GTA 4 doesn't have much going for it. While it's a gorgeous game, it'd taking a few steps back from the sort of random fun from Vice City and San Andreas. Hopefully the downloadable content will fix some of this, but even in the end you'll probably wind up paying for half a game when you pick this up off the shelves. Rent it, play it, decide if you like it, but this is no 'ten out of ten' game.    … Expand
  89. dingd
    Dec 27, 2009
    0
    The game is just downright terrible and doesn't deserve any praise from critics. The controls are clunky, driving a car feels like driving a log. Walking around should not be so clumsy and stiff. A story involving the city's top criminals would be great yes? Nope, it's surprisingly bland. There aren't as many funny scenes and parodies as in the previous games. The The game is just downright terrible and doesn't deserve any praise from critics. The controls are clunky, driving a car feels like driving a log. Walking around should not be so clumsy and stiff. A story involving the city's top criminals would be great yes? Nope, it's surprisingly bland. There aren't as many funny scenes and parodies as in the previous games. The missions don't have any checkpoints and it's easy to screw up for some stupid reason, like going through a wall thanks to a glitch or the stupid AI falling off a tall building and died. The game focuses more on trying to be gritty and realistic but instead turns out awkward and unenjoyable. It's really not a fine game. Heck I know many gamers like myself and they all think pretty much the same thing.… Expand
  90. GoodTasteGamer
    Dec 21, 2012
    6
    People need to stop living the "2008" hype and start to see this game for what it really is. GTA IV is a okay game with wasted potential. This new game of the acclaimed GTA franchise could have been even more exciting and "mind-blowingly" fun than GTA San Andreas, but it fails miserably for the sake of "realism". Dear Rockstar, if i wanted to eat a hotdog on the f#cking street, talk on thePeople need to stop living the "2008" hype and start to see this game for what it really is. GTA IV is a okay game with wasted potential. This new game of the acclaimed GTA franchise could have been even more exciting and "mind-blowingly" fun than GTA San Andreas, but it fails miserably for the sake of "realism". Dear Rockstar, if i wanted to eat a hotdog on the f#cking street, talk on the phone with people that i don't care about; going to lan houses and forced to go to extremely boring places like theaters i would have done it. Why i didn't make any of those activities ? Because they are BORING! That's why i play videogames. I admit that GTA San Andreas was compromised with reality at a certain level, but it also gave you full character costumization; the possibility of buying houses; learn karate movements; costumize cars; fly airplanes; awesome radio stations; much more cool places to explore along with interesting characters and missions. GTA IV doesnt have any of that, instead, we have boring stuff like playing darts and surf on the internet. Actually, you won't remember almost anything of the game besides the graphics, city and multiplayer. Nearly all the characters are boring or just irritating. God, i hate Roman so much that i would be able to punch a kid right in the face if that could shut Roman's mouth permanently. I also can't stand the "overweighted" accent of Niko Bellic, despite of how hard i tried to like him. Most of the other characters are always asking favors in desesperate and annoying ways. In GTA San Andreas, the missions with Sweet felt natural, like if you were helping a friend. In GTA IV, people sometimes screams(literally) for help as if you owe them a favor or something like that. Maybe i'm being too nostalgic, but the thing is that GTA SA was way more fun and had much more likeable characters (except for Catalina). The great part of the missions in GTA IV follows the logic: "get a car - go to a place - kill thousands of people - return", with that "little to no variety" you can get easily bored after a couple of hours. The city is brown and ugly, sorry but it's true. The "euphoria" thing makes Niko move sooo slow that is almost painful to watch. "Because that's realistic" - Rockstar would have think. The combat system is an improvement over the old GTA games but the super slow "pseudo-realistic" movements ruins the flow of the battles. If all of this would not be bad enough, the frame rate is always an issue. Multiplayer is multiplayer. Let's be honest, you know what to expect: "deathmatch","team deathmatch", a "sandbox" multiplayer mode where little psycopath kids can have fun by creating hell on earth on NY streets and etc. Even 7 for this game feels like a generosity, but the game can be actually fun sometimes. I'm glad to see at least a 7.9 user score on metacritic, it means that not all the people here have "half-brain". If most people out there where more critic with these game, we wouldn't be living on this "over-casualizated attack of the modern warfare clones " age of videogame industry.… Expand
  91. funzoid123
    Jan 25, 2013
    10
    i think Grand Theft Auto is appropriate for ages 10+ the reason why is because you can censor all the bad language. This is also much like the game saints row it is very similar to Grand Theft Auto and Saints row is also not that bad i recommend it to. so this is my opinion im funzoid and a think Grand Theft Auto is a appropriate game THANKS!
  92. ChristopherK.
    May 13, 2008
    7
    An extraordinarily impressive virtual world, very interesting, but not as fun as it could be. The character and vehicle don't seem much improved on San Andreas and the gritty realism causes the sandbox feel that made the GTA series legendary to go away.
  93. EricS
    Aug 2, 2009
    8
    This game was a very well done game. The driving was realistic which is probably why everyone hated it but thats life. The glitches were aplenty but no one could forget the swingset glitch or the skydiving glitch. The contols were sketchy and that costed this rating a whole point and the repetitive missions plus the fail-and-do-it-ALL-over-again also costed this rating a point but the This game was a very well done game. The driving was realistic which is probably why everyone hated it but thats life. The glitches were aplenty but no one could forget the swingset glitch or the skydiving glitch. The contols were sketchy and that costed this rating a whole point and the repetitive missions plus the fail-and-do-it-ALL-over-again also costed this rating a point but the graphics, funny characters, GREAT story, and diverse world with its internet and advertisments galore made the grand theft auto series what it is today.… Expand
  94. JamesM.
    Nov 7, 2008
    9
    One of the best games ever, story is great and you get to make choices that can change the direction the story goes in. Multiplayer is good too, a great laugh with mates. The only reason to not give it a 10 is the pop ups, I knew the game would have random pop ups due to the speed you can tear around a gigantic city that is so very detailed. A must own for all gaming fans.
  95. NickM.
    May 4, 2008
    10
    I don't know how people can't give this game a 10. It is almost perfect. It is probably my second favorite game ever, and the best game since Zelda: Orcarina of time(nothing gunna top that, sorry GTA). My favorite isnt even as good of a game (crysis), Its just a personal preference. Maybe better graphics, because if you compare it to other games of today, thats it weak spot, and I don't know how people can't give this game a 10. It is almost perfect. It is probably my second favorite game ever, and the best game since Zelda: Orcarina of time(nothing gunna top that, sorry GTA). My favorite isnt even as good of a game (crysis), Its just a personal preference. Maybe better graphics, because if you compare it to other games of today, thats it weak spot, and has been for every other GTA, But the addition of a physics system makes this game 4 dimensional. The next GTA may be perfect if it keeps up, like this. But Niko Bellic had better be the main character next time, he is a badass.… Expand
  96. MarkH.
    May 5, 2008
    7
    Intense game, but VERY glitchy, lots of popup, unplayable at times, and long load times. Taken it back and swapped it for the better PS3 version. If you have the choice between both versions, get the PS3 one (9/10 on my rating, with much less graphical issues, and much shorter load times)
  97. PhilipM.
    Jun 24, 2008
    8
    Though the city looks amazing and the story feels like an episode of The Sopranos: Eastern Block, the missions feel exactly the same as all the old GTAs. I feel like I've played this game over and over again.
  98. TheoT
    Oct 5, 2009
    10
    Superb game. The story is magnificently put together and is a crime epic akin to a Scorsese classic. The story and setting are mature and sophisticated, with the undertone of R* humour and satire still very prevalent. These come together to make a wonderfully crafted game. So what if you can't do some of the inane things you could do in San Andreas or Saint's Row (1 & 2)? This Superb game. The story is magnificently put together and is a crime epic akin to a Scorsese classic. The story and setting are mature and sophisticated, with the undertone of R* humour and satire still very prevalent. These come together to make a wonderfully crafted game. So what if you can't do some of the inane things you could do in San Andreas or Saint's Row (1 & 2)? This game is for a gamer who wants to play an adult game with an adult mindset. Top notch. Contender for game of the decade.… Expand
  99. alexa
    Nov 1, 2009
    10
    this is the best game ive played for 2 years i would recon it for anyone because out of the entire series this one is the best by far the story the characters the vehicles and even the phone rockstar did very good on this game the diserve a round of applause
  100. MichaelK
    Feb 18, 2009
    10
    Once again the gaming community has disappointed me with there narrow minded bashing at an excellent game. Grand Theft Auto 4 took GTA to a next-gen level. Everything about this game is polished and fine tuned. Visually the whole city is a treat to the eyes. From outstanding animation to the life of the city, you will at, one point. end up cruising the city to see the life and visuals Once again the gaming community has disappointed me with there narrow minded bashing at an excellent game. Grand Theft Auto 4 took GTA to a next-gen level. Everything about this game is polished and fine tuned. Visually the whole city is a treat to the eyes. From outstanding animation to the life of the city, you will at, one point. end up cruising the city to see the life and visuals that it supplies (which are rather impressive for such a large map.) The best part is the steady framerate. Almost always 40-50 FPS. I only expeirenced about three dips in framerate and one was because I blew about 20 cars up all at once (don't ask how *cough gas station cough*)Now onto the gameplay. I found that the controls were tight and became natural at one point. I never once had to say, "How do I go to cover." It's all well mapped onto the 360/PS3 controller. The guns feel real and have fantastic SFX that go with them (I go to gun ranges and the AK sounds like an AK.) My personal favorite thing about this game is the physics. I'm not just talking about the environment (which quite a few things break in: fences. poles, benches, statues, etc...) I'm talking about the cars. Not one car feels the same as the other. All handle differently and realistically. You will learn to be a good driver, but those who bash it are just naturally bad drivers.The single player (which starts out a little slow and takes a little while to get into to) will last you a fantastic MINIMUM of 17 hours. That is my fastest time. But, if you spend your time in a fun manner, without the side stuff, you will get about 40-60 hours of gameplay. No joke. With side stuff (which I'm so close to completing) I've logged 137 hours. No life right :D. The story is PHENOMENAL while the characters grow on you (except your fat ass cousin Roman) and you will begin to actually feel for them. I personally think Dwayne, Little Jacob and Dwayne are some of the most real people you'll meet in this game. Preferably Dwayne, but most of all you will become attached to Niko, the main character. You feel for him, he came to this country to get away from the war and horror of his country and also too [***SPOILER***] sorry. And as he progresses through the city and builds up a reputation, you feel for him. His coldness just gets too you and makes you find him mysterious and odd. You will become attached to him and the characters he meets. Not onto the multiplayer, which is surprisingly robust! There are 14 modes total and all are outrageously fun. I prefer free mode because you and friends can explore the city and find stuff to do. Whilst there are the basic modes: TDM & DM, there fantastically orgional ones that actually revolve around characters from the story: Kenny Petrovic missions and so on, Hangman NOOSE (extract VIP from airport to extraction point) and Bomb Da Base II (hijack an armored car, take to heliport, fly helicopter to boat, plant bomb, run like hell [almost forgot! KILL EVERYBODY!] BIG BOOM!). Then there are other modes like ruling different points in the city, gang wars, etc... Overall I found this game so detailed and refreshing that I had to give it a 10. It's a game you must give your respect to due to its insane amount of detail and story plus others. Buy this game or not, just give it a try.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2008
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
1
#1 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
98

Universal acclaim - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 86
  3. Negative: 0 out of 86
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    100
    It's got a world you believe in, a cast you care about and a script stuffed with brilliant moments... Utterly stunning in every resepct. [May 2008, p.79]
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  2. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    98
    Rockstar have surpassed themselves, delivering unquestionably the definitive GTA and perhaps the greatest videogame of all time. [June 2008]
  3. IGN
    100
    I could go on and on about why Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the best games we've ever seen and why even folks who are easily offended should play it, but that would be pointless. The only thing you need to know is that you have to play this game. Period.
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