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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. TerranceM.
    Apr 22, 2008
    0
    What a terrible game you can't kill kids or dogs.
  5. MattM.
    Apr 28, 2008
    0
    Buying reviews is wrong, ergo it doesn't deserve fair rating on my part.
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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
  20. cidgrad01
    Aug 28, 2013
    1
    Rockstar has been making the exact same game ever since GTA3 came out on PS2. Why are people acting like GTA4 is something different? It’s not, except for two things: it’s on a new generation of consoles and is actually worse than GTA3.

    First off: anyone praising the graphics is blind or has never played a video game before this one. Textures are muddled, colors are drab, environments    Rockstar has been making the exact same game ever since GTA3 came out on PS2. Why are people acting like GTA4 is something different? It’s not, except for two things: it’s on a new generation of consoles and is actually worse than GTA3.

    First off: anyone praising the graphics is blind or has never played a video game before this one. Textures are muddled, colors are drab, environments are bland, all of which combines to make it difficult to see where you are and where you’re going.

    Second: they jacked up the driving physics of the game so now it feels like everything is moving underwater. Turns that used to be simple now send you sliding into walls, which gets frustrating given the large number of slow, crappy cars you seem to be forced to drive in this game.

    Third: the stale mission-structured gameplay is exactly the same as it was over 10 years ago. It’s so tedious now. You get a mission giver, you have to drive across town to start the mission, then you have to drive to your mission destination, then back to your house if you want to keep your car. Fail the mission and you have to start the commute again. They have even added in “features” like toll booths now, which create traffic on bridges that honestly make you feel like you are commuting to work because if you charge through them you get an automatic wanted rating.

    Oh, and did I mention something about keeping a car you want available? Well, in this game they decided to do away with garages for some reason. You know: the places you used to be able to store vehicles. Now your various pads with have one or two parallel parking spaces out in the middle of the AI-trafficked street and if you park a car there *perfectly* it will be saved. However, if it’s a big car or if the AI traffic knocks it slightly out of place, it will be gone when you reload.

    Possibly the most annoying new “feature” of this series is the dating mini-games. You can hang out with certain people to increase their affection toward you, which reaps you certain benefits, but then ALL of them CONSTANTLY call you to hang out, even if you’re in the middle of a mission getting chased by the cops, or in the middle of commuting to do your next mission, or commuting home from your last mission. Whatever. And if you tell them no, even if it’s your own cousin asking you to go bowling again, though you just went bowling with him two days ago, he will get upset and you’ll lose affection. You can’t tell them no.

    Also, Liberty City is big but incredibly empty. You will not be rewarded for exploring b/c there is simply not much out there. Instead of secret packages to collect, this time around you have to kill special pigeons, which are very frustrating to find even with the help of a guide. I got to about 20 or so before I asked myself why the hell I was doing it, because I wasn’t having any fun.

    Finally, the “story” I keep seeing so many positive reviews refer to is stupid & nonsensical. You’re an illegal alien who begins a career as a professional criminal as soon as you step off the boat. Not much different from any other GTA protagonist aside from not already being a US citizen, right? Except now you’re Borat. AMAZING! There IS NO story! You’re a criminal who makes friends with other criminals throughout the game and then commits criminal acts. *spoiler*

    Furthermore, while there may well be 20 hours’ worth of cutscenes (which tend to go on forever) & dialogue (which also never ends during your mission commutes with NPCs), it seems like it was all written by a 10-year old boy. Penis & fart jokes, characters needlessly dropping f-bombs twice a sentence to be “edgy” (I guess), and all-around lame humor in general that makes you roll your eyes and want to skip through every cutscene you come across. Unless you are a 10-year old boy, in which case I guess you’d be in heaven. Maybe that’s the targeted demographic now?

    But Rockstar will keep making the same game as long as sheep keep buying it. Anyone who wants to see what an improvement in this genre looks like, I’d direct you toward Saints Row the Third. Not the best game ever, but one that is actually, you know, “fun” to play. Something Rockstar left out of GTA4.    … Expand
  21. DannyG
    Jul 20, 2008
    3
    just the fact that it is SO G*D DAMN OVERATED, just look at all those 100/10's its just stupid. everyboddy is just blinded by 3 words: Grand Theft Auto. the got tens probably before they even played the game just because of that name.

    because seriously the graphics are totally NOT impressive, not at all and all those weard ass glithes ( and there are a lot of them). the Gameplay    just the fact that it is SO G*D DAMN OVERATED, just look at all those 100/10's its just stupid. everyboddy is just blinded by 3 words: Grand Theft Auto. the got tens probably before they even played the game just because of that name.

    because seriously the graphics are totally NOT impressive, not at all and all those weard ass glithes ( and there are a lot of them). the Gameplay is sooo slow.. even a slug is faster.    … Expand
  22. MattE
    Nov 27, 2009
    2
    This game is redundant in the worst way. It's just a repeat of previous versions. It's incredibly repetitive and I completely lost interest 3 hours into the game. Absolutely doesn't deserve your money!
  23. dpila33
    Aug 19, 2011
    4
    Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas were all ok... This game is just a polished up version of those games though in my opinion. It has the same awful control scheme, the same repetitive "chase this guy and beat him up" missions... I'm done with the series.
  24. TomL
    May 16, 2008
    2
    This game is dreadfull, the storyline is boring and repetitive, cars still look worse than vice city, acting is ok, multiplayer is a good addition but isnt layed out anywhere near well enough, graphics look a year out of date and the whole customisation area that was brought up in san andreas goes out the window!! I dindnt w8 since san andreas for rockstar do come up with this. giving it aThis game is dreadfull, the storyline is boring and repetitive, cars still look worse than vice city, acting is ok, multiplayer is a good addition but isnt layed out anywhere near well enough, graphics look a year out of date and the whole customisation area that was brought up in san andreas goes out the window!! I dindnt w8 since san andreas for rockstar do come up with this. giving it a 2 is generous.… Expand
  25. IkanB.
    May 5, 2008
    0
    The game is horrible. It does have decent graphics, but that doesn't make up for lack of character development, pop-ins occurring every other minute, immense load-times and another rehash that everyone has to hype over. I don't see how this game is better than San Andreas.
  26. tylwrdem
    Aug 1, 2011
    0
    Stupid, over rated and no good. Piece of **** This has no story meaning and nothing of attraction, just guns hookers and a lot of cars. How people like crap like this is unknown. Critics always seem to like useless and unattractive stuff such as GTA4. $9.00 on game market is still too much for this game. They should pay you to take it. This was a let down and basically a huge waste ofStupid, over rated and no good. Piece of **** This has no story meaning and nothing of attraction, just guns hookers and a lot of cars. How people like crap like this is unknown. Critics always seem to like useless and unattractive stuff such as GTA4. $9.00 on game market is still too much for this game. They should pay you to take it. This was a let down and basically a huge waste of my time.… Expand
  27. strebsb
    May 30, 2009
    4
    Style over substance methinks, missions become repetitive, not much else to do in the admittedly beautiful world. recommended for rental, i enjoyed saints row 2 more than this. what a disappointment, san andreas was awesome!
  28. assman123
    Jul 26, 2011
    0
    Many in the franchise is missing in this game. The "Busted and Wasted" is removed. Cool weapons like flamethrower and chainsaws are missing.

    But what makes it fall flat face on the ground is that the walking thing sucks. You have to press A in the Xbox 360 console to make the protagonist sprint. The cheat machine suck as well, making the game kinda boring based on the destruction you can make.
  29. GregC
    Nov 21, 2009
    4
    I was very disappointed. I have played all the other GTA games and this was the worst. First when I installed it I had to create 3 accounts just to play the thing. Second the turn radius is poor the driving is totally unrealistic. Even if you get the worst car the turn radius should not be that bad. Unfortunately this is not just my opinion because a large number of us in the game lab all I was very disappointed. I have played all the other GTA games and this was the worst. First when I installed it I had to create 3 accounts just to play the thing. Second the turn radius is poor the driving is totally unrealistic. Even if you get the worst car the turn radius should not be that bad. Unfortunately this is not just my opinion because a large number of us in the game lab all had the same thoughts. Questing should be left to RPG type games. GTA is a drive down the sidewalk with the FBI chasing you game. Sorry it… Expand
  30. SinisterVortex
    Mar 13, 2011
    4
    I have never encountered a game so over hyped on Metacritic before. Okay, so this game has lots of content, but the quality is **** Bad graphics (lighting is most problematic), terrible voice acting (woe betide Jamaicans, I can't understand a single thing they say in this game), poor design (start a mission-get shot-die-start over-cycle repeats). You get my drift. Just because a game hasI have never encountered a game so over hyped on Metacritic before. Okay, so this game has lots of content, but the quality is **** Bad graphics (lighting is most problematic), terrible voice acting (woe betide Jamaicans, I can't understand a single thing they say in this game), poor design (start a mission-get shot-die-start over-cycle repeats). You get my drift. Just because a game has prostitutes in it does not warrant it to automatically have high reviews!… Expand
  31. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    0
    Don't get the hype, there is nothing "revolutionary" about this game. All I experienced was an extremely dull game with often repetitive missions and monotonous combat.
  32. random_guy
    Jul 25, 2013
    0
    0/10 game does not do what it says
    not good
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  33. MungAS.
    Apr 27, 2008
    0
    Overrated overhyped tripe - avoid like the plague - how can a game get 100% ?
  34. UsukUsuk
    Apr 28, 2008
    0
    this game sucks, way overhyped nothing really better about it than the other gtas except some better graphics and physics
  35. AssholE.
    May 1, 2008
    1
    Not deserving even half of its praise. Its a OK game, but so were the other ones. This is the same GTA but with better graphics. Most over-rated bullshit ever.
  36. MT.
    May 7, 2008
    0
    Boring missions, can't see anything in the dark, same old game no innovations, graphics are just ok. I fell for the hype and after the overhyped halo 3 this is the last 360 game I bought, this is the game that got me to trade in my 360 and get a wii yesterday and I couldn't be happier!
  37. ChrisR.
    Jan 5, 2009
    4
    *sigh* People are going to hate me for doing this. Folks its alright, and that is at a push. Now as far as a sand box game goes, the concept is pushed far here. But as far as a linear story line game goes, its pretty plain and boring. The Combat, occasionally confusing and not a great amount of skill is involved. Strenious, half the game is just pointless training missions. To be honest I*sigh* People are going to hate me for doing this. Folks its alright, and that is at a push. Now as far as a sand box game goes, the concept is pushed far here. But as far as a linear story line game goes, its pretty plain and boring. The Combat, occasionally confusing and not a great amount of skill is involved. Strenious, half the game is just pointless training missions. To be honest I have never really liked Grand Theft Auto in general APART from Vice City. The realism isnt appretiative in this game. I dont particularly see the fun in this game. Its always up to u to push for some action, it doesnt happen naturally. Basically im saying, if your creative enough and not easily bored, get it or try it. Whereas if your like me, prefer to get right into some action like tucking in to a nice steak pie get Gears of war 1 + 2… Expand
  38. MaxMontgomery
    May 3, 2008
    0
    This game is a masterpiece. If you say it's just like all other GTAs, your an idiot. The online multiplayer sets the bar very high. However, the game did freeze on me countless times and now I have the Red Ring of Death flashing on my Xbox so it gets a 0....
  39. StevenHolman
    Sep 10, 2008
    3
    very poor game, didnt live up to any expectations at all. the new hand to hand combat system is useless, and is un needed. clinging to walls is tedious and glitchy. game has way too many glitches. driving just gets annoying, as well as travelling from and to repetative missions. nothing new since GTA3 apart from slightly better AI (only at times), nicer graphics, with a few more featuresvery poor game, didnt live up to any expectations at all. the new hand to hand combat system is useless, and is un needed. clinging to walls is tedious and glitchy. game has way too many glitches. driving just gets annoying, as well as travelling from and to repetative missions. nothing new since GTA3 apart from slightly better AI (only at times), nicer graphics, with a few more features that are either tedious or hardly used.

    the only good thing about the game is the amount of detail that has been put in the city, that makes it feel alive    … Expand
  40. MGMG
    Jul 19, 2008
    4
    this game was terrible, i am unsure as to what the critics were thinking when they gave this game 100's. I found this repeptitive and even after only playing the other GTA's once or twice i found this to be exactly the same and deadly boring. Mission after mission involving driving somewhere or shooting someone or a combination of both.
  41. Sean
    Feb 9, 2009
    4
    Did I play the same game that the major reviewers played? This game is BORING. The spark that made the past few games truly great is completely gone.

    This isn't a chink in the armor; this is a fundamental flaw in this series, and I hope it's corrected before the next one comes out, because I miss GTA.
  42. FredBabb
    Oct 16, 2008
    3
    Disappointment City. 30 minutes into the game and I was feeling like I was playing early GTA games. Better graphics, but the storyline and running from cops got a little old in early GTA games, so doing it again in this entry doesn't warrant the rave reviews placed on the game.
  43. JimM.
    Apr 29, 2008
    0
    It's an alright game but putting it over OoT is an outrage.
  44. /b/rotherasdqwerty
    Aug 31, 2009
    0
    This game is really lame, the hotdog stands make the game unstandable, they really ruin the game in general. Also the cars look unrealistic because they have wheels. Real cars dont have wheels -_-

    This game is really bad because it lacks of many things as i stated above...

    So im giving it 0/10
  45. NikoC.
    Jul 23, 2008
    4
    And it only got that high because of the graphics. After San Andreas this is just a complete letdown. Doing the missions was NEVER the best part of the game. The best part was owning the town. The city was huge and complex and SO FULL of.....Nothing. Where are the safe houses to buy and business to own? Where is the warehouse to save nice cars? Where are the multitudes of clothes theAnd it only got that high because of the graphics. After San Andreas this is just a complete letdown. Doing the missions was NEVER the best part of the game. The best part was owning the town. The city was huge and complex and SO FULL of.....Nothing. Where are the safe houses to buy and business to own? Where is the warehouse to save nice cars? Where are the multitudes of clothes the customize your look?
    Simply put ... this game lacks all the details and freedoms that made this series so fun to play. I would have happily lived with less graphics if it meant i could do more than drive in circles and follow the linear storyline.    … Expand
  46. BinarySplit
    Jun 21, 2017
    0
    Take Two and Rockstar threatened to sue a modder without good reason. This sort of toxic behavior should not be tolerated. Don't support them by giving them your money.
  47. peloxi
    Oct 17, 2012
    1
    Un paso atrás. El anterior título era mucho mejor, esperemos que para el próximo hayan aprendido de los errores. Y que escuchen a los usuarios... Queremos un juego interminable :)
  48. Birdieguy
    Feb 24, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. GTA4 is terrible compared to SA VC. Can't do anything without cops harassing you.. Not even vigilante missions, which is what's the most fun. Just too many cops roaming around very unrealistic. It's no longer FUN to drive a motorbike (controls, easy death, etc..).. The constant phone calls from "friends" gets so annoying, you have to just put your phone on sleep in order to enjoy free-roam play. 8 max RPGs? --stupid. No minigun? Pigeon completion is a horrendous task. Can't fly planes. Can't freely look around the airport. Helis are scarce. Money is hard to come by after story completion. Story missions are good, graphics are very good, and pedestrian reactions are funny. The best thing about GTA4 is the auto-save. At least you can avoid being stripped of $20,000-worth of weapons, or avoid a ludicrous $10,000 health fee and go back to where you left off. I can't wait for GTA IV… Expand
  49. EzzOmen
    Jun 17, 2013
    3
    GTA IV Has to take the gold for being the most overrated game of all time.

    Pros: -Lengthy Story, a lot of gameplay available -Sandbox game, can be played an unlimited amount of times, providing you can find something fun. Cons: -Clunky feeling controls and slow character response -Game is almost becoming a normal life for a criminal, where has all the fun things from GTA:VC and    GTA IV Has to take the gold for being the most overrated game of all time.

    Pros:
    -Lengthy Story, a lot of gameplay available
    -Sandbox game, can be played an unlimited amount of times, providing you can find something fun.

    Cons:
    -Clunky feeling controls and slow character response
    -Game is almost becoming a normal life for a criminal, where has all the fun things from GTA:VC and GTA:SA Gone?
    -Online provides no actual purpose, only a few sketchy gamemodes and a sandbox mode which most players will choose, however nothing really more to it than the story with a few friends
    -Color seems to have flown out the window, the only colors this game using is Grey, black and murky colors.
    -irritating real life style situations, in GTA IV you can go bowling with a cousin, go on dates with girls and generally do things which you can do for real, however in GTA the fun is taken out of it when you are constantly called or text messaged asking you to do certain things, and if you don't, your relationship with the character drops, resulting in a forced,broken up feeling to the idea of a fun criminal game.

    GTA IV deserves nothing more than a 4 or a 5/10, with a few fun things here and there, and if you can actually involved in online and find something to do, the game can provides hours, but really, there isn't anything TO do, other than shoot each other and steal a few cars, sound fun? wait until you try to drive them, the car responses will have you screaming    … Expand
  50. whales
    Jul 22, 2013
    4
    I haven't played video games since 2003 and that was GTA San Andreas for the PS2. After seeing all the ads for GTA 5 I went out and bought an Xbox 360 and a copy of GTA IV in preparation for September 17th. Man I could not be more disappointed. Boring characters, boring story line, boring environments (How they managed to make Brooklyn boring is beyond me), the streets are way too circularI haven't played video games since 2003 and that was GTA San Andreas for the PS2. After seeing all the ads for GTA 5 I went out and bought an Xbox 360 and a copy of GTA IV in preparation for September 17th. Man I could not be more disappointed. Boring characters, boring story line, boring environments (How they managed to make Brooklyn boring is beyond me), the streets are way too circular and wined-y and make navigating the landscape more annoying than anything else. Visually, the game is incredibly dark and lacking color. No side quests, nothing to do. It's like they took all the freedom you had in San Andreas so you're relegated to the boring story line (and unlike-able characters) they put in place. This release gives me serious reservations about buying the new game. I was bored after 30 minutes.… Expand
  51. lolito06
    Sep 19, 2013
    3
    Un juego que no prenta ninguna novedad para el jugador.Su narrativa totalmente lineal lo comvierte en un juego que cae ante los topicos que presenta.Graficamente notable y banda sonora acertada.
  52. luisclaudiobp
    Feb 18, 2014
    4
    The worst game in the GTA series! The history is boring, the engine is poor, mobility is the worst, missions are boring! The worst bet of Rockstar! I consider lower than the average!
  53. WatchMyShortz
    Sep 19, 2014
    3
    Maybe it's my fault that I have had a horrible time playing through this game. I have a curse for running into numerous bugs and mission-breaks throughout many of my play-throughs. Either that or this game is so terrible that it shows all that is ugly and wrong with our modern gaming journalists, countless of which proceeded to give this game a perfect rating. Now I know that this game isMaybe it's my fault that I have had a horrible time playing through this game. I have a curse for running into numerous bugs and mission-breaks throughout many of my play-throughs. Either that or this game is so terrible that it shows all that is ugly and wrong with our modern gaming journalists, countless of which proceeded to give this game a perfect rating. Now I know that this game is a bit outdated, but 2008 was still a damn good year for videogames and I have truthfully not played a game this mind-numbingly dreadful in a long time. I am not trolling, I am being genuinely honest about my opinions for this game. I'm just saying exactly what I thought about it when playing through and I have nothing against the developers, the controversial stuff, or the franchise as a whole.
    How anyone can rate this 10/10 is beyond me. The game simply isn't fun, nor does it excel in any particular areas. At the start of the game I was really excited to play through it and had positive opinions and expectations after the countless reviews and awards I'd seen it receive. I've only recently played any of the GTA games so this was the first one that I got to truly sit down and play through properly. The first issue that I had was something that flawed the game greatly right from the start: the vehicles. They control like crap, feeling like they're floating on a pocket of air and having horribly ineffective brakes and stiff hand brakes. This ruins most of the game for me, as the main missions have a huge focus on driving sections and a lot of your fun you'd expect to come from outrunning cops. But with these **** stiff driving mechanics it's scary to go over 20mph in-game because you're doomed to crash at the next minor turn.
    Secondly, the story is massively overrated. I couldn't give a blind **** about any of the characters, especially Niko who, instead of feeling like badass criminal with moral dilemmas and awesome lines to make him at least memorable, really feels like a completely lifeless **** who spends the game doing petty [law-breaking] chores for his lazy, **** cousin. I couldn't bring myself to connect with any of the cardboard characters, even when I tried, hard.
    Thirdly, and this is probably the biggest problem, the ****ing checkpoint system sucks balls. I cannot count the amount of times I have quitted the game pissed off at this ****ing terrible checkpoint system. Why does it suck so hard? Because there essentially are no checkpoints for most of the missions in the game. You'll play through a boring sequence and then have to chase or shoot a guy, or outrun the cops and which point you'll likely fail or die because, despite it being an open world game, everything feels incredibly trial-and-error-based. So when you fail you have to start the whole mission all over again right from the start and worse, if you die you respawn outside the nearest hospital (which is retarded and makes no ****ing sense because you've usually been shot by the police) and then have to travel in your floaty-ass car to your mission start point and do everything all over again. This has been a problem with other previous Rockstar titles (such as Bully: Scholarship Edition) but it's amplified here because the missions are a lot less imaginative or enjoyable and with the dreadful driving mechanics you're gonna fail a lot more often.
    They're the main problems I have with this game, but all of my other annoyances essentially boil down to how shockingly unoriginal everything truly is. There are far better open world games out there, even ones that came out in or before 2008, like Oblivion, Bully and Saints Row 2. Rockstar is, in my opinion, a great developer, but this is easily their worst work. I'm baffled by the reviews for this game and I do wonder if many of the critics were bribed to give it such untruthfully high scores. Nothing here ever impressed me and I couldn't stop saying out loud how bad this game was at times. It was overall a chore to play through and that should never be the case. **** this game.    … Expand
  54. Kaprawiec
    Sep 9, 2016
    3
    In every single aspect worse game than GTA San Andreas. Such a disapointment. Why this one has better score than GTA V and GTA:SA...damn even Saints Row 3 was waaaay better - compared to GTA4 it should get perfect score! Why does this long forgotten crap have such high rating is just beyond me.
  55. punchedhalo3
    Sep 5, 2015
    3
    Gta IV was good but not 98. it had so many missions where you do things for roman and Gta V is better ( GTA V is also great but not 97 ,I'd rate it at a 92-93)
  56. TomTomMETA
    Mar 20, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game has to be the most annoying/frustrating game I have ever played! It is a chaw to play any of the missions or side missions. The controlls have to be the worst in a video game. The gameplay is SO repetitive, who would want to run around the map looking for 200 pigeons!? The only the redeeming factors are: the map (which is so fun to explore), and the subway (I loved just riding around in them, I know I am weird!). Maybe if I played this game when it first came out I may have liked it more, considering the amount of 10/10 review scores this has. If you're looking to play a GTA game, definitely play Grand Theft Auto V (maybe the best game ever made)!… Expand
  57. Broyax
    Apr 13, 2017
    4
    Qu'on ne se méprenne pas : GTA 4 est incroyable par le travail titanesque de modélisation de sa ville immense, très soignée et par son réalisme teinté d'un humour si grinçant... C'est superbe graphiquement même si souvent la fluidité de l'ensemble fait défaut, c'est peu de le dire.

    Les phases en voiture sont fort réussies ; ce n'est pas le cas des phases à pied à la maniabilité    Qu'on ne se méprenne pas : GTA 4 est incroyable par le travail titanesque de modélisation de sa ville immense, très soignée et par son réalisme teinté d'un humour si grinçant... C'est superbe graphiquement même si souvent la fluidité de l'ensemble fait défaut, c'est peu de le dire.

    Les phases en voiture sont fort réussies ; ce n'est pas le cas des phases à pied à la maniabilité exécrable, au système de visée grotesque et à l'interface très mal pensée : il s'agit à cet égard de l'un des pires TPS en la matière (devoir marteler le bouton pour sprinter par exemple est juste ridicule...) Le manque de points de sauvegarde dans les missions est aussi très irritant avec un certain abus des scripts qui n'aide pas, loin de là. Etre obligé de rentrer à la planque pour sauvegarder est aussi très dommageable.

    Pas de trousses de soin, pas de régénération non plus et ce n'est pas le système de couverture dans des environnements qui ne sont pas adaptés qui peut y remédier en quoi que ce soit. On est trop souvent en galère de munitions et d'armes.Tout cela est regrettable, car le fond du jeu est potentiellement excellent mais la mise en oeuvre est à revoir : impossible d'attribuer la moyenne dans ces conditions.    … Expand
  58. rz1993
    May 27, 2019
    1
    98/100?!?! Are you kidding me???? This game sucks. The gameplay, graphics, story, setting sucks and the music in this game sucks San Andreas and GTA V are much better than this boring and bland GTA game. Missions were too repetitive and it got old.. driving sucks .. the game is limited too.. Rockstar if GTA 6 isn't an amazing game, GTA 6 will be a huge failure just like this boring and98/100?!?! Are you kidding me???? This game sucks. The gameplay, graphics, story, setting sucks and the music in this game sucks San Andreas and GTA V are much better than this boring and bland GTA game. Missions were too repetitive and it got old.. driving sucks .. the game is limited too.. Rockstar if GTA 6 isn't an amazing game, GTA 6 will be a huge failure just like this boring and bland game. You guys should be ashamed!!!… Expand
  59. Duliryx
    Nov 23, 2019
    0
    Boring history , few opportunities ,and this game and this game is called better than GTA 5?
  60. BigPapa1
    Jan 16, 2021
    0
    An objectively overrated and mediocre mess of a story. It's not bad, but it ain't deep. Niko is a very generic character and a hypocrite. Story at that good.
  61. THarris
    Sep 4, 2008
    4
    This game is a prime subject of what hype can do. It is not neccessarily a bad game but it doesn't dare to do anything new. The gameplay is almost exactly the same as all of the other GTAs with shallow controls and repetittive missions. The graphics make it look quite believable but is very bland. Characters are the same cliched stereotypes. A very dull game that doesn't try This game is a prime subject of what hype can do. It is not neccessarily a bad game but it doesn't dare to do anything new. The gameplay is almost exactly the same as all of the other GTAs with shallow controls and repetittive missions. The graphics make it look quite believable but is very bland. Characters are the same cliched stereotypes. A very dull game that doesn't try anything new because rockstar knows that it will sell anyway.… Expand
  62. JamesD.
    May 1, 2008
    3
    Great presentation and idea, however failing a mission and having to drive half way across a city to do it again (even with the taxi ride) is just plain frustrating and time wasting. Also the lock on to enemy is rubbish aswell, whats wrong with free aim? Drive, kill someone, cut scene, do it all again and again and again, boring. Sorry everyone, I just dont get the hype?
  63. TomE
    May 11, 2008
    2
    Way overhyped! Not down with cop killing and prostitution.
  64. EricS.
    May 18, 2008
    0
    This game is okay but not worth buying.
  65. EmilyJ.
    May 18, 2008
    0
    I will not let my husband play this. There are much better things to do with your time than prostitution, killing, stealing, swearing, drinking, and all forms of immorality!
  66. DrewT.
    May 19, 2008
    0
    Ok let me begin by sying this game blows ass. it blows ass because theres too much blood and that scares me. it obviously deserves a 0
  67. MartinL.
    May 20, 2008
    3
    Keywords: Overrated, hyped, frustrating gameplay, decent graphics, slobby controls, repetetive missions. Brings absolutely nothing new, other than High def & a little more reaction from the NPCs. Funny random melee massmurdering, but apart from that a disappointment.
  68. iRKeb
    May 4, 2008
    4
    I don't get the 100 scores. I just don't. I've been playing this game for well over 20 hours, and while it's good, it is nowhere near a perfect score. The camera sucks, melee fighting is sloppy, driving cars is a study in frustration and is clunky and counter fluid, your characters movements like turning and running are mechanical and just plain pathetic, and I don't get the 100 scores. I just don't. I've been playing this game for well over 20 hours, and while it's good, it is nowhere near a perfect score. The camera sucks, melee fighting is sloppy, driving cars is a study in frustration and is clunky and counter fluid, your characters movements like turning and running are mechanical and just plain pathetic, and what's with the cops? I punch one guy in the face and the cops are all over my ass. That's not fun, that's anti-fun. Did nobody play Saints Row? The first game is far superior to all the things I mentioned above. Saints Row 2 will blow this away. Sorry, but this game is frustrating, even after all the time I've put into it.… Expand
  69. JohnM
    May 7, 2008
    3
    this isnt good, do NOT BUY IT! it doesnt live up to the hype the graphics dont look that great and the missions arent that fun, this isnt good, STOP BUYING THIS CRAP!
  70. HenryJ.
    May 7, 2008
    1
    Here's the problem; after all the hype you are left with a game that has a lot *less* activity than the previous GTA's. It's the console factor again, dumbed down. Compare this to the PC version of Vice City, which was special and had real game dpeth. PC gaming is dead but something special died with it, 'immersion'. I keep looking at my XBOX and wonder when Here's the problem; after all the hype you are left with a game that has a lot *less* activity than the previous GTA's. It's the console factor again, dumbed down. Compare this to the PC version of Vice City, which was special and had real game dpeth. PC gaming is dead but something special died with it, 'immersion'. I keep looking at my XBOX and wonder when it's going to deliver with a really 'GREAT' game but it just doesn't have a sole. Ever feel like you've been cheated?… Expand
  71. DorianJ.
    Jun 21, 2008
    0
    In actuality, I rate this game higher than a zero, but it was such a disappointment to me, that I wouldn't feel right about even giving it an above-zero score.
  72. ManoelQ.
    Jun 20, 2008
    3
    Americans may like this thing, but definitely, when you live in a country where violence is always near, you never enjoy this game. Besides, there's no fun about killing people that are walking around and I don't understand why people like this. Rockstar must review its concepts and ethic principles before launching titles such as "Grand Theft Auto" or "Bully". It's not Americans may like this thing, but definitely, when you live in a country where violence is always near, you never enjoy this game. Besides, there's no fun about killing people that are walking around and I don't understand why people like this. Rockstar must review its concepts and ethic principles before launching titles such as "Grand Theft Auto" or "Bully". It's not good at all.… Expand
  73. JabboS.
    Jun 6, 2008
    0
    I thought halo 3 was over hyped but gta 4 redefines the concept. There is no way this game deserves the landslide of perfect scores it has recieved, and the only reasonable conclusion is that the reviewers were paid off. The gameplay is the same as ever and it gets very repetative and dull. drive to point a. shoot some dude. drive to point b. ad nauseum. The story is a complete joke where I thought halo 3 was over hyped but gta 4 redefines the concept. There is no way this game deserves the landslide of perfect scores it has recieved, and the only reasonable conclusion is that the reviewers were paid off. The gameplay is the same as ever and it gets very repetative and dull. drive to point a. shoot some dude. drive to point b. ad nauseum. The story is a complete joke where they throw in every gangster cliche and sterteotype in the book. Nico Bellic has the personality of a cardboard box, save yourself the trouble and watch scarface instead. And the graphics are seriously sub-par. The characters are super blocky and look like something from the original xbox or ps2, textures are bland, and overall its pretty unimpressive. Unless you have a thing for the demoiselles d'avignon you are not going to find the strippers here attractive. dont be fooled by the press. save your cash.… Expand
  74. DruD.
    Jun 8, 2008
    1
    Good story and graphics. But i can not use the poor third person car view why the camera doesn't stay behind the car? They forgot the fundamentals of any good game playability! i have to use the first person view when driving but I preferred third person in the previous installments. a big mistake by Rockstar I hope they fix it next time if it ain't I wont be buying!
  75. PaulWilson
    Feb 15, 2009
    0
    OMG are these game critics serious? 98 average? WTF. It is soooo boring. For one thing the physics program is too real. What happened to the good old days of Vice City? That game ruled. It wasn't graphics busy. The extra missions were fun. It was easy to get around. Just about everything was FUN. When did games become a second life? It makes no sense for GAME to be REAL. There isOMG are these game critics serious? 98 average? WTF. It is soooo boring. For one thing the physics program is too real. What happened to the good old days of Vice City? That game ruled. It wasn't graphics busy. The extra missions were fun. It was easy to get around. Just about everything was FUN. When did games become a second life? It makes no sense for GAME to be REAL. There is such a thing as TOO real. The next GTA game will be one where a guy who had a bad past life and is a master with all weapons moves to New Yor- i mean some completely new city and takes on the mob but gets assasinated by a hitman in the first 5 minutes of game play. Thats it. Real enough?… Expand
  76. NajamUddin
    Feb 17, 2009
    1
    This is the most over-rated i have ever played.the game play is pathetic and there low class violence.missions are easy and too less.this game had a lot of expectations from all of us but turned out to be a flop.(sigh)this game overall doesn't receive any good compliments from me.this was the worst rockstars have ever made.This game SUCKS! believe me.i ain't lyin'.don'tThis is the most over-rated i have ever played.the game play is pathetic and there low class violence.missions are easy and too less.this game had a lot of expectations from all of us but turned out to be a flop.(sigh)this game overall doesn't receive any good compliments from me.this was the worst rockstars have ever made.This game SUCKS! believe me.i ain't lyin'.don't waste your $60 to buy it.most of the critics score comes from the EDITORS CHOICE.… Expand
  77. JackB.
    Apr 21, 2008
    1
    Character movements are real slow, an the frame rates suffer a lot wen the shooting begins.
  78. StephenS.
    Apr 29, 2008
    1
    Rinse & repeat. May as well have been a first person shooter for all the innovation it introduced.
  79. WillG
    May 16, 2008
    2
    What a bad game. I was bored after 3 hours of playing it. The storytelling is meh, and you're basically driving for the majority of the time, and you don't even get a gun for a LONG time! And on top of that, you have to buy or find your health. I died countless times from forgeting that you had to find a hotdog vendor to survive. A sentence of advice, don't buy this game. What a bad game. I was bored after 3 hours of playing it. The storytelling is meh, and you're basically driving for the majority of the time, and you don't even get a gun for a LONG time! And on top of that, you have to buy or find your health. I died countless times from forgeting that you had to find a hotdog vendor to survive. A sentence of advice, don't buy this game. Games are meant for amusement, but there was no fun in this "game". Buy Saint's Row, it has humor, wit, and you don't have to wait 5 hours to get a gun.… Expand
  80. MrSpecial
    May 17, 2008
    0
    Rockstar clearly bought most of their reviews. Games 10 times better than this don't get 100%.
  81. MikeW.
    May 2, 2008
    4
    It is not much different then all the other GTA's and the online is crap and doesnt seem like they put to much thought in it.
  82. MarkD.
    May 27, 2008
    3
    Over hyped and by the looks of it over rated. Sadly the game isn't half as good as san andreas. I couldn't put that down, but was able to put this down and pick back up call of duty just 2 days after buying GTA4.
  83. DavidS,
    May 27, 2008
    3
    I cannot believe how overrated this game is. Awkward, repetitive, ofen pointless and so boring. For those critics that give it a ten, may I suggest that you try sunlight again. This game is not fun, not engaging and all of the hype leaves such a bad taste in the mouth. I think I actually enjoyed earlier versions slightly better. Muddied graphics (and what is with Niko's face - he I cannot believe how overrated this game is. Awkward, repetitive, ofen pointless and so boring. For those critics that give it a ten, may I suggest that you try sunlight again. This game is not fun, not engaging and all of the hype leaves such a bad taste in the mouth. I think I actually enjoyed earlier versions slightly better. Muddied graphics (and what is with Niko's face - he looks like a misshapen potato) and annoying radio stations - I could go on. After a few hours play I took the disc out and started playing pac-man online - pac man is a bad game; GTA IV is appalling.… Expand
  84. NateB.
    May 3, 2008
    4
    Grand Theft Auto fans will enjoy, but this game getting such great reviews is indefensible. While the music, graphics, cinematics, (like flying out the front of the car window) and polish are all top notch, the controls are sluggish, the gameplay is repetitive and rehashed, and this game does not do anything to further the genre. The mini games have better counterparts in other games (for Grand Theft Auto fans will enjoy, but this game getting such great reviews is indefensible. While the music, graphics, cinematics, (like flying out the front of the car window) and polish are all top notch, the controls are sluggish, the gameplay is repetitive and rehashed, and this game does not do anything to further the genre. The mini games have better counterparts in other games (for instance darts and bowling). The game is good for a few laughs, but at its core the game is nothing more than a prettier GTA 3.… Expand
  85. EricB.
    May 6, 2008
    0
    I didn't play this game but i know this game is aweful just by looking at it, i mean c'mon on!!!! it feels like gta3 but bigger and prettier. they should have made this game more like halo 3 or something...now THAT was a game. HAAAAALOOOO 3!!!!!!! Now that game is badass unlike gta4. go buy that game instead of this boring garbage.
  86. MasJ.
    Jun 28, 2008
    0
    This game has poor graphics for a XBOX360 game and poor taste. It appeals to little teenagers though.
  87. D.Straight
    Jun 29, 2008
    1
    I still don't get the appeal of the series. Yes, our household owns a copy of this game but it sits in my kids room and never leaves. I am just bored with this type of game. Yes, they may have fixed the wonky physics but the underlying boredom remains. Just seems like it would appeal to a bunch of wanna be thugs to me. I dunno, maybe the demographic isn't 30 something Benz I still don't get the appeal of the series. Yes, our household owns a copy of this game but it sits in my kids room and never leaves. I am just bored with this type of game. Yes, they may have fixed the wonky physics but the underlying boredom remains. Just seems like it would appeal to a bunch of wanna be thugs to me. I dunno, maybe the demographic isn't 30 something Benz driving execs. Maybe I'm getting to old. In the same respect I still love FPS. Flame away posers.… Expand
  88. SeanK
    Sep 15, 2008
    4
    I want to play games for fun not to feel like I have a second life. Bar Halo 3 this may be the most over-hyped game ever. The game gets boring, is demanding (not the same as hard), repetitive and unrewarding. The pluses to the game are that it has a very large environment and the most rounded and interesting characters of all the GTA games. Unfortunately I play games for fun and read I want to play games for fun not to feel like I have a second life. Bar Halo 3 this may be the most over-hyped game ever. The game gets boring, is demanding (not the same as hard), repetitive and unrewarding. The pluses to the game are that it has a very large environment and the most rounded and interesting characters of all the GTA games. Unfortunately I play games for fun and read books/ watch films for story-lines and characters. I'm not against development of characters and their lives in games but not when it is at the expense of enjoyment.… Expand
  89. GeorgeF
    Jan 21, 2009
    0
    Rockstar must've been thinking, "Let's take every GTA we've created and release it on 360 as GTA IV." Subpar graphics, storyline, and gameply are all a thorn in the side of this overrated monstrosity. This game does nothing to grab a player's attention, unless you're a passive-aggressive thug that gets off on shooting up the same 10 fake people every three hours. Rockstar must've been thinking, "Let's take every GTA we've created and release it on 360 as GTA IV." Subpar graphics, storyline, and gameply are all a thorn in the side of this overrated monstrosity. This game does nothing to grab a player's attention, unless you're a passive-aggressive thug that gets off on shooting up the same 10 fake people every three hours. Repetative missions and an utterly terrible driving system just shove this waste of disc space down the tubes. I gave the game to my brother after playing, don't waste your money. I was going to give this a 2 to pay homage to the programmers, but considering the huge amount of perfect scores and the tendency to feel like this game was created with a simple "copy-paste-rename" system, it earns my zero.… Expand
  90. BenJ
    Jan 21, 2009
    3
    I don't think I can explain how much I dislike this game. It is possibly the most annoying game I've ever played. The visuals are incredible, but will the NPC's ever just shut up and let me have fun playing without insisting I do something? Controls are bad, NPC's just make me want to turn the game off, gameplay is decent, but not very fun, multiplayer is a complete I don't think I can explain how much I dislike this game. It is possibly the most annoying game I've ever played. The visuals are incredible, but will the NPC's ever just shut up and let me have fun playing without insisting I do something? Controls are bad, NPC's just make me want to turn the game off, gameplay is decent, but not very fun, multiplayer is a complete joke...luckily it's a tad better than Fable 2's multiplayer, but I don't want to play random challenges with people, I want to terrorize the citry freely with people.… Expand
  91. JeremyB
    Feb 19, 2009
    0
    This game sucks, fair enough rockstar tried but to take out all the fun factors of gta like jet packs and hovercrafts and even push bikes shows how really little thought they put into this game. people enjoy using golf buggies and random planes to fly around not a more realistic world game designers tried and failed in their attempt of making their game more like real life. overall theThis game sucks, fair enough rockstar tried but to take out all the fun factors of gta like jet packs and hovercrafts and even push bikes shows how really little thought they put into this game. people enjoy using golf buggies and random planes to fly around not a more realistic world game designers tried and failed in their attempt of making their game more like real life. overall the game is simply a crappy runner up to san andreas that had it all.… Expand
  92. JohnH
    Mar 19, 2009
    4
    A tremendous disappointment, and a huge shame on all of the critics who bloviated so about this weak departure from what has been the wittiest and funnest video game series. Where's the wit and humor that vice city delivered on every radio station? WHere's the fun in the missions? All of the missions are chase somebody down and kill them. Period. All of the praise for this game A tremendous disappointment, and a huge shame on all of the critics who bloviated so about this weak departure from what has been the wittiest and funnest video game series. Where's the wit and humor that vice city delivered on every radio station? WHere's the fun in the missions? All of the missions are chase somebody down and kill them. Period. All of the praise for this game must be for it's improved realism, but that's where I'm sure rockstar has gone wrong. You've sacrificed all of the fun for a realistic NYC from the time of it's most blandest. Congratulations at boring me to tears for my $35. I would go back to San Andreas in a heart beat.… Expand
  93. StuY
    Aug 17, 2009
    3
    After hearing so much about the game, i decided to borrow it from a friend. I played through 10 or 20 mission before i was sick of listening to my cousin talk about nothing. "Hey want to go bowling". "Hey, drive me hear. Take me there." i like GTA 3 where you get the mission and nobody says anything.
  94. ChrisLudwick
    Aug 25, 2009
    2
    I had some fun playing it but its just not the same as the other ones,it doesnt feel like a GTA game.trust me im no GTA hater i loved san andreas and vice city but this one never really made me like have to beat it...hopefully the next one will be better
  95. RegB.
    Apr 27, 2008
    3
    Seen it all before and 50m could not stop Sony from getting the superior product!
  96. Halleluja
    Apr 29, 2008
    0
    Same as every gta. Just better graphics. Characters look like dolls. Bad aura. Only americans and children will like this game.
  97. AdamS.
    May 11, 2008
    4
    Nothing special. It's just like the old ones with nicer graphcis. It feels like the didn't put a lot of time into some of the smaller details. For example one time I was running from the cops and I ran into an alley in which a ladder was hanging down half way from a fire escape, so I pushed over a dumpster, jumped on top of it, and when I tried to get my guy to climb the ladder Nothing special. It's just like the old ones with nicer graphcis. It feels like the didn't put a lot of time into some of the smaller details. For example one time I was running from the cops and I ran into an alley in which a ladder was hanging down half way from a fire escape, so I pushed over a dumpster, jumped on top of it, and when I tried to get my guy to climb the ladder he wouldn't do it. It doesn't really let you get creative with all that stuff. Also the camera view sucks for driving unless you do the in car view. 4… Expand
  98. AaronV.
    May 13, 2008
    4
    Rockstar!? What the crap have you done to my GTA!? What were you thinking!? I don't want N64-paced character movement, and I certainly don't want realistic driving; I want to take corners at 210 mph leaving flames in my wake (ya' know, like GTA3 on PS2, remember fun games!?), not eat a telephone pole at every intersection, or come to a complete stop every time I use the Rockstar!? What the crap have you done to my GTA!? What were you thinking!? I don't want N64-paced character movement, and I certainly don't want realistic driving; I want to take corners at 210 mph leaving flames in my wake (ya' know, like GTA3 on PS2, remember fun games!?), not eat a telephone pole at every intersection, or come to a complete stop every time I use the e-brake around a corner! The driving cam sucks, I constantly have to lift the cam up to see the road/intersection coming up in front of the car. The combat is at a snails pace, and stop trying to win an oscar with the game's story. *sigh* You guys are supposed to the one developer we can count on to give a great big middle finger to boring games and deviate from mainstream corporate game dev practices...what happened? Try to get back on track with GTA5, would ya'? And lose the stupid artsy "Dry Brush/Paint Daub" graphics, that's just plain annoying. See exhibit A: "Saints Row" for graphical clarity, fun factor, fast-paced combat, and customization options of character and vehicles. And for the love, test the game with people who aren't trying to get a job with you. Above all else, make it fun, I appreciate the level of detail and believable environment, but not at the expense of the fun-filled mayhem that kept me glued to GTA3, Vice and SA. Shame on you. Now go sit in the corner and think about what you've done.… Expand
  99. BenjaminC.
    May 22, 2008
    2
    WAY overrated. I... I just don't understand the praise this got from the critics. And im ashamed at the industry for placing this with legends like OOT. Hours were wasted going from place to place, killing drug dealers and stealing cars got repetitive and rather menial. The critics said that the morally aware gamer would love this... no. The more I played, the more I saw my character WAY overrated. I... I just don't understand the praise this got from the critics. And im ashamed at the industry for placing this with legends like OOT. Hours were wasted going from place to place, killing drug dealers and stealing cars got repetitive and rather menial. The critics said that the morally aware gamer would love this... no. The more I played, the more I saw my character for the scumbag he was. and as someone who sees myself as the charcter I am playing, I felt Ill. I am giving it two points more then I want, but you have to give it credit for improvement over the other GTA games, which I was never able to spend more then half an hour on.… Expand
  100. TonL.
    Jun 18, 2008
    0
    Worst game ever. I cant believe Eurogamer, Edge and Gamedaily gave this piece of crap a 10 while they gave a much superior game in MGS4 a "8" . Goes to show how much microsoft paid these reviewers. the Ps3 version is slightly better with a 1
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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

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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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