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. BenC.
    Oct 8, 2008
    7
    Good game, but bad combat controls, slow framerates, frustrating missions. If you have a good gaming PC, I'd wait for the PC version.
  2. ShainE.
    Apr 30, 2008
    7
    This is a good game. However, it has some technical problems which are surprisingly severe. I really expected a better finished product. Far worse technical issues than other recent games have been crucified over. Euphoria engine is great in some places, but really awkward in others. Still, it adds a bit more life to the streets. I do like how the aiming system has improved, multiplayer This is a good game. However, it has some technical problems which are surprisingly severe. I really expected a better finished product. Far worse technical issues than other recent games have been crucified over. Euphoria engine is great in some places, but really awkward in others. Still, it adds a bit more life to the streets. I do like how the aiming system has improved, multiplayer is fun although buggy, and the story is above par for GTA.… Expand
  3. 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
  4. Matt
    Apr 30, 2008
    7
    It's GTA with a new story and new graphics. Not a 10 out of 10. Graphics are average, not as much freedom as Crackdown and the music is nowhere near as good as Vice City's. Good points are attention to detail, cinematography, and sound effects. The driving is also very good, loose and fluid control and great damage modelling.
  5. 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.
  6. crg
    Jan 2, 2010
    7
    Great set piece & immersive world & incredible attention to detail. Excellent story telling & voice acting... but compared to SA its was not as much fun. The mission design was so repetitive, that I wasn't able to play more then a few missions within one session. Beside of that, the game was too easy. And the final mission(s) didn't feel final at all.. I thought Rockstar is Great set piece & immersive world & incredible attention to detail. Excellent story telling & voice acting... but compared to SA its was not as much fun. The mission design was so repetitive, that I wasn't able to play more then a few missions within one session. Beside of that, the game was too easy. And the final mission(s) didn't feel final at all.. I thought Rockstar is trying to fuck with me, when I saw the credits roll ... IMO overrated.… Expand
  7. EricR.
    Feb 1, 2010
    7
    At the end of the day the game did a good job of keeping me entertained until its closure, but nothing about it made me go "wow" or "that should be in other games." I guess most notably the soundtrack was my favorite aspect, otherwise I'd just rent it.
  8. MichaelR.
    May 2, 2008
    7
    The graphics are average.Lots of boring missions driving around from place to place.The detail in the game is excellent and its the most realistic game ever made although it could have been even more realistic.
  9. Impindahizzy
    May 22, 2008
    7
    Wildly overrated in my opinion. The one player game stuns at first, but the repetitive nature of most missions soon begin to annoy. To be honest I prefer my games more 'arcadey' (if that's a proper word?) and actually prefered Crackdown to this!! So it's really not to my taste. However, the reason I gave it 7 out of 10 is for the online multi-player modes which are Wildly overrated in my opinion. The one player game stuns at first, but the repetitive nature of most missions soon begin to annoy. To be honest I prefer my games more 'arcadey' (if that's a proper word?) and actually prefered Crackdown to this!! So it's really not to my taste. However, the reason I gave it 7 out of 10 is for the online multi-player modes which are excellent and great fun to play (doesn't come close to the likes of CoD4 and Halo 3 online though), otherwise I would have given it 5 out of 10. To sum up, it's not to my taste but I can understand why the game is well liked. Overrated.… Expand
  10. ILikeGamesSmooth
    May 3, 2008
    7
    A great game, a stunning work of art for Rockstar but frankly neither of the consoles are powerful enough for the game to be done justice to. I played PS3 version for quite some time then sold it because as much as I loved the content I could not contend with the blurred graphics (from scaling) the bad aliasing and especially the low low frame rate (may times sub 20fps esp at times when A great game, a stunning work of art for Rockstar but frankly neither of the consoles are powerful enough for the game to be done justice to. I played PS3 version for quite some time then sold it because as much as I loved the content I could not contend with the blurred graphics (from scaling) the bad aliasing and especially the low low frame rate (may times sub 20fps esp at times when you need it to be high/smooth ie during car chases/shoot outs). If only it ran as smooth as I'm sure Rockstar would have liked then it would be gaming nirvana (or at least sandbox gaming nirvana as it's not without it's gameplay faults either). I loved Vice City and I ran it on PC fast and with antialiasing and of course it looks very bad next to GTAIV but it FELT good to interact with as it was fast (at least on a fast PC). I hope for a PC version of IV by the end of the year and will rebuy it and run it as it deserves to be run without constant visual reminders that you are playing a game and a poor performing one at that. And it's understandable that the consoles are hampered by this work of art, it's just too much for them to handle right now and maybe R* should have scaled their design back a bit and got the frame rates and resolutions rock solid first as interaction will always be more important than 'cool features' in games. I'm hoping to give 10/10 on PC if it scales well and allows better clarity in the graphics. As it stands on PS3 i'd give it a 7 due to it's technical burden and tiresome interaction, but probably a 9 for the game itself if those restraints were absent.… Expand
  11. BOBJ
    May 3, 2008
    7
    Just GTA They've done it before. 10/10? Overrated. Still it's GTA if you played one you played all. They just added a really good multiplayer.
  12. SteveK.
    May 4, 2008
    7
    this whole review debacle is a classic case of game magazines and reviewers getting doped up on the hype and extreme expectations that surrounds some games in the run-up to the release. gta4 certainly is a good game, but very far from perfection, even far from being excellent. it's very enjoyable sometimes and sometimes outright dull. why countless reviewers have overlooked the this whole review debacle is a classic case of game magazines and reviewers getting doped up on the hype and extreme expectations that surrounds some games in the run-up to the release. gta4 certainly is a good game, but very far from perfection, even far from being excellent. it's very enjoyable sometimes and sometimes outright dull. why countless reviewers have overlooked the glaring flaws is beyond me. a review score shouldn't rate effort and ambition. gameplay is king and in regard to that gta4 is certainly above average, but falls short of greatness. a healthy 7 points, I say.… Expand
  13. TruNorth
    May 4, 2008
    7
    Not the best, but good. The radar map is too small, so is the cell phone.(on a 47" 1080p)The graphics are anything but stunning, I was expecting a sharpness that wasn't there. now of course you can go anywhere and do alot, but If I want to wine and dine a girl, it'll be a real one. As for the story, now this is the best part of the game. I have only rented this game and will Not the best, but good. The radar map is too small, so is the cell phone.(on a 47" 1080p)The graphics are anything but stunning, I was expecting a sharpness that wasn't there. now of course you can go anywhere and do alot, but If I want to wine and dine a girl, it'll be a real one. As for the story, now this is the best part of the game. I have only rented this game and will only buy it at a discounted price. The one thing I hope is that other developers don't see this a what they can get away with and make clones that look even worst then GTA IV.… Expand
  14. 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
  15. TimBremner
    Nov 11, 2008
    7
    This is by no means a bad game, its not a great one though either. Aside from what has already been pointed out about the uselessness of money, poor multiplayer and repetitive everything! This game was really killed (my vocabulary is very limited, I know) by the lack of enjoyment after finishing the campaign and also the developers choice to go down a more realistic path..... Bad move Rockstar.
  16. Roger
    Apr 30, 2008
    7
    Its got a great dynamic world with great weather effects. Its a maasive game with a great story. BUT i think the missions are a bit dull and the basic gameplay is old. Very dissapointed to be honest after all the hype. I see nothing to justify a 10/10. Im not saying its bad its just nothing special.
  17. DocK.
    May 1, 2008
    7
    Nothing special as far as I can tell, just a typical GTA game with a few graphical improvements. Story is ok so far, but overall I think the game is vastly overrated.
  18. 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.
  19. SteveC.
    May 2, 2008
    7
    Same game, (*yawn*), new engine. Driving is terrible but the cars look excellent, characters look awful, acting is worse than Britney Spears. Environment looks great. Missions are "okay."
  20. 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
  21. BruntFCA
    May 3, 2008
    7
    A great story does not make it a great game on all accounts. I am feeling quite disappointed with the title so far; if I wanted a great story I could just watch a movie, I expect more from a game. KOTRO/Bioware/Fable etc, have been making Moral Choiceâ??s in their games for ages now, itâ??s hardly a new mechanic. So far my choices have mounted to kill someone or A great story does not make it a great game on all accounts. I am feeling quite disappointed with the title so far; if I wanted a great story I could just watch a movie, I expect more from a game. KOTRO/Bioware/Fable etc, have been making Moral Choiceâ??s in their games for ages now, itâ??s hardly a new mechanic. So far my choices have mounted to kill someone or notâ?¦deep. NO matter how amazingly good/twist the end is, I expect to have fun and innovation **along the way**, I donâ??t see how having a great ending should allow a game to get such hire scores. From what I see so far Go here, shoot that person etc gameplay Few real interactive places to go in an otherwise impressive looking city Very few interaction with NPC outside of scripted NPC Money is almost meaningless. no homes to buy, no territory. No flying, no hair customization/car customization. Insane/Outgragoes slapstick humor of SA gone. In SA its not problem that the protagonist is a Psycho since its such a spoof. SO far I see GTAIV taking itsleft a bit too seriously (TV adds aside, Republican space rangers are gold). The main guy is an almost Psycopathic killer with some vague loyalty thing.… Expand
  22. Solidzell
    May 30, 2008
    7
    Ok this game is not 10 not even a 9 the graphics is 6-7. this is not ps2 any more this ps3 the nextgen game system if you compare the graphics with mgs4 this would get a 5 for graphics. im starting to get pissed off at people that say this game is great because you can do anything. but the thing you do is not all that fun i rather have a smaller game with better graphics better gameplay Ok this game is not 10 not even a 9 the graphics is 6-7. this is not ps2 any more this ps3 the nextgen game system if you compare the graphics with mgs4 this would get a 5 for graphics. im starting to get pissed off at people that say this game is great because you can do anything. but the thing you do is not all that fun i rather have a smaller game with better graphics better gameplay and amazying story and i mean amazing story and bioshock is a fine example of it not just a game that has a bad graphic striper gaves u a lap dances. this is almost like sims but with the M rating and there are so many games better than this period.… Expand
  23. 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.
  24. SebastianI.
    Jun 30, 2008
    7
    I had really high expectations prior to the release of IV, and maybe that's why I didn't like it as much as I could have. Most things about the game are great, especially the seamless scenery, but there are some things that really bothered me while playing. The feeling that I'd done it before was what annoyed me the most. It's almost exactly the same thing as the other I had really high expectations prior to the release of IV, and maybe that's why I didn't like it as much as I could have. Most things about the game are great, especially the seamless scenery, but there are some things that really bothered me while playing. The feeling that I'd done it before was what annoyed me the most. It's almost exactly the same thing as the other games in the series, with some more detail. And the missions are basically the same thing as well. A common scenario is: "Go there, talk to a guy, go there kill some other guy, go back." Sometimes with a twist like, "kill 20 guys by yourself, and take item", added. The game was a good gaming experience, but with all the hype I expected something better.… Expand
  25. A.Mora
    Jul 8, 2008
    7
    This is fun but is more for thugs wannabe most critics get wrong give this game a 10.
  26. Jani
    Sep 22, 2008
    7
    How is it possible that the critics gave this game 98 points out of 100? GTA IV isn't a bad game by any means but it's not that good.
  27. LukeD
    Nov 2, 2009
    7
    The game is great at first, in fact its amazing at first but then you discover you cant do some of the things you can do in San Andreas, which made me angry. you can't fly planes; do-up your cars; pump weights; get fat; get hair cut and more. I don;t know why they didnt include these so I'm giving it a fair 7, a vey fair 7
  28. MichaelL.
    Dec 22, 2008
    7
    I'm not going to argue that this is not a good game. I think all the games in the GTA series are good, but this game does not deserve anywhere near the praise it is getting. The story is not any better than any of the other games. Nico simply says, I feel bad about what I"m doing while he blasts people away and people eat it up. That is not realistic behavior at all! The shooting was I'm not going to argue that this is not a good game. I think all the games in the GTA series are good, but this game does not deserve anywhere near the praise it is getting. The story is not any better than any of the other games. Nico simply says, I feel bad about what I"m doing while he blasts people away and people eat it up. That is not realistic behavior at all! The shooting was a little better, but still awful. The driving was worse than any of the other games since 3, and that should be the best part of the game! A lot of people say the ending is where the best part of the story is, but I just don't have the patience to make it that far, and I don't think I missed much.… Expand
  29. VladimirR.
    Apr 29, 2008
    7
    The game is fun but nothing special. Minor improvement over past Grand Theft Autos.
  30. RRahman
    Apr 29, 2008
    7
    Over rated, more of the same lark.
  31. Firehead
    Apr 30, 2008
    7
    10/10 means a perfect game, and GTA IV isn't. Anyone who gives it a 10 is kidding themselves. It's a good game, very addicting, and its popularity just got bigger. But games like Bioshock, COD4, Crysis (for you PC fanboys) have raised standards so high in terms of graphics, sound, and gameplay that GTA IV falls a bit short, albeit by not much. And those games didn't get a 10/10 means a perfect game, and GTA IV isn't. Anyone who gives it a 10 is kidding themselves. It's a good game, very addicting, and its popularity just got bigger. But games like Bioshock, COD4, Crysis (for you PC fanboys) have raised standards so high in terms of graphics, sound, and gameplay that GTA IV falls a bit short, albeit by not much. And those games didn't get a 10. So it's only fair that GTA IV doesn't either. And to those saying that GTA IV "is your life"... dude...… Expand
  32. MikeB.
    Apr 30, 2008
    7
    Good game, meh graphics, overall overrated! PLease compare GTA 4 to GTA SA or even Saints Row before labeling this the greatest game EVER! It's the same ol fun to play formula with the usual weaker than everything else available graphics that GTA fans have come to love but lets not get ahaead of ourselves.
  33. JonM.
    May 1, 2008
    7
    I agree the engine looks great, especially the lighting. But I am so bored. It is no where near as good as the amount the praise it has received.
  34. SteveL.
    May 1, 2008
    7
    This is a GOOD game, but not nearly the 100 score reviewers think it is. Camera controls, melee fighting, controls, driving, minigames, gps/map... they're all lackluster. GTA really shines with it's incredible storyline/openworld aspects - the attention to those asset details are amazing... but it really could use some more polish before it gets any game of the year praises.
  35. TD
    May 1, 2008
    7
    The game hasn't changed much from the past beside prettier graphics. There are plenty of glitches and uncomfortable controls. It gets off really slow due to having a mission for every little feature in the game. My enjoyment comes not from the game itself but just goofing around and seeing the behaviors. They definetly benefitted from using euphoria to make their game seem really The game hasn't changed much from the past beside prettier graphics. There are plenty of glitches and uncomfortable controls. It gets off really slow due to having a mission for every little feature in the game. My enjoyment comes not from the game itself but just goofing around and seeing the behaviors. They definetly benefitted from using euphoria to make their game seem really life like. An pretty good game at best but not 100%. Reviewers are caught up too much with the hype. Nobody cares to talk about negative or if they do they say there are all these issues but I'll give it a perfect score anyway.… Expand
  36. 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
  37. DharmaD.
    May 13, 2008
    7
    Good game, but overrated. The driving is fun but could have been a little better, the free roaming and exploration is cool, but not as deep as Oblivion, and the shooting/aiming is lame. Seriously, for the amount of $ they put into making this game they couldn't have made the shooter part of the game rival halo, instead of an auto-lock system that seems made for 8 year olds? I'll Good game, but overrated. The driving is fun but could have been a little better, the free roaming and exploration is cool, but not as deep as Oblivion, and the shooting/aiming is lame. Seriously, for the amount of $ they put into making this game they couldn't have made the shooter part of the game rival halo, instead of an auto-lock system that seems made for 8 year olds? I'll spend lots of hours in this game, I just hate seeing a game that could have been spectacular, only end up being very good.… Expand
  38. 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!
  39. 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
  40. ScottD.
    May 28, 2008
    7
    The main thing that sets this game to a high standard, was the high expectation and to me, it did not deliver. i am yet to see a GTA game better than Vice City for the fun factor, the latest have been all too shoot first, ask questions later.
  41. AnonymousMC
    May 29, 2008
    7
    Hmm.

    I haven't yet played for more than about 7 hours, and I got it on the day it came out. The thing is, there's nothing drawing me too it. To be fair, it is probably one of the best games around, it's just unfortunate it isn't the first GTA, because I think some of the others were better. Bearing in mind I haven't played it as much as some, and so may have    Hmm.

    I haven't yet played for more than about 7 hours, and I got it on the day it came out. The thing is, there's nothing drawing me too it. To be fair, it is probably one of the best games around, it's just unfortunate it isn't the first GTA, because I think some of the others were better.

    Bearing in mind I haven't played it as much as some, and so may have not been given or found out certain things, but these are my main problems:

    Where are the gangs? Remember GTA III with the mafia mob etc? GTA SA as well. Maybe this is something i'm yet to discover.

    Why can't you swim under water? In prior to SA you drowned if you fell into the water. They then realised that was unrealistic and stupid. Now you can't go under water. What, was that too realistic?

    Ah, I knocked the guy who was attacking me to the floor, a quick stamp on his head and - oh. Just punching is it? Why? And what about all the fighting styles of SA?

    Anyone remember that great feeling in Vice City when you took over that mansion, and you could park your sweet car in the garage, and go to the weapons room? At that point you really felt you'd made it ... Some of the magic has been lost.

    Is it possible they're trying to be too realistic, and some of the fun has been lost?

    I feel harsh giving it a 7 because it's still better than 99% of games. But by GTA standards, something is lost.    … Expand
  42. ZacL.
    May 4, 2008
    7
    This game was way easier than previous GTA games. Most missions were about 10 minutes of driving to the location and back, plus shoot a guy in the head which takes 4-5 seconds. Certainly entertaining, not as good as San Andreas.
  43. 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
  44. 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)
  45. RaunchyR.
    Jul 12, 2008
    7
    Honestly, I'm not impressed. The new GTA makes me want to say, "If you've played one GTA you've probably played them all". This isn't even GTA SA wrapped in new skin this is GTA VC wrapped in new skin. Meaning, instead of advancing in ideas (other than the horrible online play) it went back to basic mission after mission with no real character progression. If you Honestly, I'm not impressed. The new GTA makes me want to say, "If you've played one GTA you've probably played them all". This isn't even GTA SA wrapped in new skin this is GTA VC wrapped in new skin. Meaning, instead of advancing in ideas (other than the horrible online play) it went back to basic mission after mission with no real character progression. If you haven't played the other GTA's or if you are into going around a massive city causing havoc then this is the game for you. However, if you're the type of player who needs some reason for the rhyme then I would steer clear of this game. Overall...awesome graphics with the same old same old.… Expand
  46. DominicM.
    Aug 19, 2008
    7
    The missions are very repetitive, and if you fail you often have to drive a long way, which is very frustrating in the later levels. The driving is realistic, but this also makes those street races next to impossible. Multiplayer is nothing special, overall very overrated game. Definetly not a 10/10.
  47. KapiusT.
    Sep 25, 2008
    7
    Undoubtedly an excellent game, GTA 4 fall short in several places that make the game less playable than other games. The fights are often intense and action packed, but when the character dies, he is forced to go all the way back to the scene of the fight, often killing the vibe that could be created by more frequent checkpoint use. I often found myself throwing the controller away from Undoubtedly an excellent game, GTA 4 fall short in several places that make the game less playable than other games. The fights are often intense and action packed, but when the character dies, he is forced to go all the way back to the scene of the fight, often killing the vibe that could be created by more frequent checkpoint use. I often found myself throwing the controller away from myself in disgust after failing for the third straight time and facing the prospect of driving for another 3 minutes to survive only 20 seconds of combat. Additionally, the lack of freedom initially makes the game less appetizing to people who desired the open world aspect. I'm all for unlockable content throughout the game, but for the majority of what I played, it seemed as though I was confined by walls which could not be passed through. I didn't even know about the ability to get in boats until well after I had reached my frustration point in the game. Undoubtably it is a good game, but several flaws keep it from being really "fun."… Expand
  48. montedoucette
    Mar 26, 2009
    7
    Truthfully its a big upset to any one expecting to build a character like they had showed in Gta 4 good real voices it was interesting you should really have alot more custom things in games now a days this was way over rated and if you need help on the next one call me id be glad i know what truw gamers want
  49. AaronS
    May 12, 2009
    7
    This is one of those games you can have fun just running around randomly. I love games that are still fun even if you aren't in the mood for getting into a "mission". This is thanks to the physics and animations that make the world really interactive. The missions aren't terribly frustrating, and the ability to easily restart the mission if it's failed is nice as well. I This is one of those games you can have fun just running around randomly. I love games that are still fun even if you aren't in the mood for getting into a "mission". This is thanks to the physics and animations that make the world really interactive. The missions aren't terribly frustrating, and the ability to easily restart the mission if it's failed is nice as well. I would have given it a higher score if it weren't for the frustrating Microsoft Live integration, that can cause your save games to be orphaned on a different account whenever you decide to switch from an offline account to an online account. It is also frustratingly difficult to get into an online game due to having to start a single player game before you can access the ingame "phone" to start multiplayer. Multiplayer can be quite fun, but I rarely am in the mood to deal with trying to get into it.… Expand
  50. AdamW
    May 21, 2009
    7
    The storyline was extremely fun to play (apart from the bike chase because of the rubbish control when driving a bike) but after I had completed the game I had no reason to play it again. The side missions are boring and repetitive and the multiplayer is very dull with no skill involved at all.
  51. AdamB.
    Sep 2, 2009
    7
    I fail to understand how this game could score a perfect 10, much less a higher score than the much more enjoyable Saints Row 2. The graphics are bland, the characters are forgettable, there's not much customization, and the missions are the standard "pizza delivery" fare the series is known for. On the plus side the multiplayer is pretty fun.
  52. jamieholland
    Nov 28, 2008
    7
    great storytelling and visuals marred only by below average gameplay unforunately.
    the numerous poor technical descisions are astounding. weapon scrolling, lock on to manual targeting is LT pressure sensitive, cannot run whilst locking on, camera movement is sloppy, rubbish tilting 1st person on motorbikes, no more fuel caps, pool minigame insulting(can clip through ball to make shot) and    great storytelling and visuals marred only by below average gameplay unforunately.
    the numerous poor technical descisions are astounding. weapon scrolling, lock on to manual targeting is LT pressure sensitive, cannot run whilst locking on, camera movement is sloppy, rubbish tilting 1st person on motorbikes, no more fuel caps, pool minigame insulting(can clip through ball to make shot) and many more. it just isnt user friendly like saints row but is still quite playable surprisingly    … Expand
  53. CR
    Oct 14, 2008
    7
    This game suffers from shoddy graphics, shoddy sound, shoddy play control, a lack of direction at certain points in the game... But despite all of that remains a heck of a lot of fun to play. I still can't believe so many critics labeled this defective game 100. There's no reason for that kind of over-hyped score. This game is nowhere near a 100, but it is a lot of fun to play.
  54. ImaanM.
    Dec 11, 2008
    7
    I enjoyed this game massively until the final mission. This mission literally ruined the game for me so badly I traded it in the next day. The whole 'you killed my cousins wife so I kill you' storyline to it was horrible, there were loads of loose ends (eg. more missions with playboy/his friend depending on who you kill) For this reason it only gets a 7.
  55. BartM
    Dec 12, 2008
    7
    I don't understand the 98% rating, as I didn't find this game to be that great, or even very good. yes - the model of the city is nice, and cool soundtrack as usual, but I find the gameplay repetitive, with a series of "drive there" missions. Controls are sub-par. Animations are sub-par. Voice acting is OK, not at the level of, say, the one in Bioshock. As for the "Oscar-worthy I don't understand the 98% rating, as I didn't find this game to be that great, or even very good. yes - the model of the city is nice, and cool soundtrack as usual, but I find the gameplay repetitive, with a series of "drive there" missions. Controls are sub-par. Animations are sub-par. Voice acting is OK, not at the level of, say, the one in Bioshock. As for the "Oscar-worthy story", well, hum, when was the last time you guys so an "Oscar worthy" movie? I mean, are you kidding me?… Expand
  56. AndyM.
    Apr 29, 2008
    7
    Good looking game but far too much hanging around waiting for something to happen for my liking. If you love GTA, you'll probably LOVE this, if you love games, you'll just LIKE this.
  57. JayD.
    Apr 29, 2008
    7
    Good gameplay, better than average audio, mediocre graphics. 10/10? No way in hell.
  58. 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
  59. 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
  60. LukeV
    May 27, 2008
    7
    Here's the thing, GTA 4 is a very good game, don't get me wrong. It's just that the original trilogy was 100 times better. All of the missions seemed very dull and without purpose. In San Andreas and Vice City I loved driving around the city, but in the new Liberty I found myself using the cab nearly every time I wanted to go somewhere. The characters are well voiced, and Here's the thing, GTA 4 is a very good game, don't get me wrong. It's just that the original trilogy was 100 times better. All of the missions seemed very dull and without purpose. In San Andreas and Vice City I loved driving around the city, but in the new Liberty I found myself using the cab nearly every time I wanted to go somewhere. The characters are well voiced, and well animated, but I soon discovered that I didn't really care what happened to the characters. Unlike the other classic GTA characters, who were driven to continue by forces like a brother in prison (CJ) an angry mob boss who wants to kill you (Tommy) or an escape from prison(Claude), Nikko is constantly pushing ahead through his anger and lust for revenge. Not to mention that both of the endings were by far, some of the most disappointing conclusions I have ever experienced. This made me feel detached and unsympathetic for him. Not to mention that both of the endings were by far, some of the most disappointing conclusions I have ever experienced. The graphics are amazing, there is no mistake there, and the ambience is good as well, but the fact is that most of the music is unfamiliar to me and therefore takes away from the setting whereas the previous games had the late 20th century to help set the mood. The gameplay is also good, but I felt I was too sluggish and weighed down. The models relied too heavily on rag-doll physics and just weren't as believable as even the old school animations. The accuracy of the weapons started to become frustrating as well. Overall, the experience was not even CLOSE to the fun I had playing the first three GTA games and I hope that Rockstar realizes that they need to go back to the core story and setting elements that made the originals so epic. VERDICT: 7/10… Expand
  61. meme
    May 27, 2008
    7
    This game does not deserve the 100% scores it's getting. It has a lot of control problems and the camera is really annoying sometimes. The game is a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, but it's not the 10/10 masterpiece that these fanboy reviewers are making it out to be.
  62. olivermartin
    May 28, 2008
    7
    this game is good. im not that far into it and i hope it will get better, but at the moment i am board of the lackluster missions (drive there then hear and maybe shoot a few people on the way) so far theres no real diffrence in the missions. i have herd that there ment to get better but why should i have to do 20 boring missions just to get to the good ones. the world looks verythis game is good. im not that far into it and i hope it will get better, but at the moment i am board of the lackluster missions (drive there then hear and maybe shoot a few people on the way) so far theres no real diffrence in the missions. i have herd that there ment to get better but why should i have to do 20 boring missions just to get to the good ones. the world looks very impressive but to be honeset so far there isn't a huge deall to do at least thats rally fun. (taking my friends and girlfriends out is a real chore, not that you have to do them). the police side missions are enjoyable however. multi player is the best part of this game and has been talked about to death so im not going to. alot of people have said how great the lead character is but i dont really care about him and why should i when he dosn't show any real emotion. the vehicles are the best of the series however the new camera angle is a real let down, you do get used to it but its a real pain going around corners you cant really see whats there untill you have ether hit somthing or untill your well passed the corner. The handling of the poorest cars is down right shocking the is no point in them having a handbrake because even if your driving at a normal speed you fly round doing at least a 180 degree turn and with the poor camera angle you just end up looking at the front of your car. now there are a lot of very good things about this game and i have just stuck to the negatives, as alot of you will have a go at me for doing. but a game that has got this much high prase and so many 10 out of 10s should not really have this many negatives. should it?… Expand
  63. ColO.
    May 31, 2008
    7
    The game doesn't have any new features. the graphics are ok but the missions are repetitive and the game in general is easy. (in the final missions i wasn´t even killed). and also where is the plane? Why almost all the mission are on cars, what abouts boats and hellicopters?
  64. ArtW
    Sep 21, 2008
    7
    First off, I played the 360 version so your experience may differ from what I noticed. The over all story flowed fairly well, but unfortunately the story line seemed to be all there was in this game. GTA 4 seems to almost totally devoid of all the little subgames and such that made the previous games so much fun. There were no " pickup this hidden weapon and kill X numbers of people", First off, I played the 360 version so your experience may differ from what I noticed. The over all story flowed fairly well, but unfortunately the story line seemed to be all there was in this game. GTA 4 seems to almost totally devoid of all the little subgames and such that made the previous games so much fun. There were no " pickup this hidden weapon and kill X numbers of people", "get into this car and drive around a RC car to blow other cars up", "no missions that would give you bonuses that you could use from then on". The cellphone "keep your friends happy thing" was interesting but got to be super annoying before you finish the main story line. If you had enough friends all you would be doing is going out on date after date and not doing anything else. The graphics were very well done, but i'm not sure if I quite agreed with the choice to move away from the previous cell shaded titles. The wardrobe interface was inadequate. None of the clothing had a name once it was in your wardrobe and many of the shoes looked exactly alike. Flipping one at a time through your selection of clothes was laborious at best. It was very obvious that rockstar was trying to appease the ratings board. The realistic modeling of being drunk (the cops instantly knowing when you were drunk, even after you had stopped randomly serving was not realistic). Even though you got "warm coffee" within the very first date with michelle and they appeared to be thumbing their nose at the review board, in reality it was too much an easy gimmee and there seemed little else remarkable about it. The cellophone idea was pretty cool, esp the option to dialup ZIT to get the name of the song and artist currently playing on the radio. There was a decent variety of radio stations, but still needed the ability to play custom MP3 playlists. I'm not sure why all the big review sites gave this game such high scores, the game was fun yes, but not awe inspiring. I think if you look at the playing publics score you will see a more realict score and not one that makes the game reviewers look like corporate shills. A good review means nothing when everything they review gets the same scores. Throwing in a lame duck game review of something like Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis, does not balance out all the 90+ scores given out these days. In conclusion, the game had it's good moments but I felt like there was always something missing from the experience.… Expand
  65. IIIIIIIIIIIIIssssss
    Jul 31, 2009
    7
    This game was good but nowhere near as fun as GTA San Andreas. The story and graphics were good but after the main missions are complete this game is borning. There are not enough rewards, not enogh variety in weaponairy or vehicles. Where is the Hunter(Military Helicopter) Rhino(Tank) or (Hydra) Fighter Jet. Where are gang wars or Hot Ring Racing. Too realistic reccommended only forThis game was good but nowhere near as fun as GTA San Andreas. The story and graphics were good but after the main missions are complete this game is borning. There are not enough rewards, not enogh variety in weaponairy or vehicles. Where is the Hunter(Military Helicopter) Rhino(Tank) or (Hydra) Fighter Jet. Where are gang wars or Hot Ring Racing. Too realistic reccommended only for rental. The critics have overrated the game.… Expand
  66. AnonymousMC
    Nov 18, 2008
    7
    While the visuals and the combat have been improved the game is extremely slow. It takes literally HOURS before you get your first gun and even after 4 hours of playing I still haven't opened up any of the other islands. Yeah it's fun messing around in the city with your friends, but if you're playing through by yourself it's pretty damned boring.
  67. 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?).
  68. Funbumb
    Apr 27, 2011
    7
    Story mode is boring, stopped 30minutes in. Basicly you are driving people around town and then shooting a couple dudes and repeating the same garbage over and over. Free roam and Online play is the only way I found any entertainment. Online is a bit glitchy but runs smooth enough to enjoy. Game is worth buying, only $19.99 now.
  69. siveZ
    Jul 5, 2012
    7
    Motion blur and depth of field kills the game. Even on X360, graphics are too "soapy", blurry and LODs are awful. I have both PC and X360 versions and i enjoy PC version much more. Though, the game itself is nice (everyobody must already know it). 6 for X360 version, 9 for PC version.
  70. iAMsoBEAST1
    May 10, 2012
    7
    The actually begins to get good after ten hours and you switch to your new safe house. Before that it's just tutorials which can really drag on.......
  71. Upgrayedd69
    Mar 7, 2012
    7
    It was on ok game. Definitely not the best in the series. I much prefer San Andreas or Vice City to this game. I am hoping the next one in the series is more fun. I have moved onto a far more fun game, Saints Row
  72. namDa65
    Jan 17, 2012
    7
    overhyped,overrated. Also, xbox version looks like a donkey's butthole. Its not a bad game, but many of GTA IV's missions are pretty bland. The game gets points for good voice acting, and having a relatively large open world. I would have rated it an 8, but damn, the graphics are bad on xbox.
  73. sympathy4saren2
    Apr 2, 2012
    7
    A brilliant, well written, fun game that has some things that bring it down a notch. It's a great game with lots to do, and combat is fun. The main issue I had was the fact I couldnt beat it because of a bug that wouldn't let me get onto a helicopter. That was disappointing. I also wish the map was bigger and you could fly aircraft. However, beyond those issues, Grand Theft Auto IV is aA brilliant, well written, fun game that has some things that bring it down a notch. It's a great game with lots to do, and combat is fun. The main issue I had was the fact I couldnt beat it because of a bug that wouldn't let me get onto a helicopter. That was disappointing. I also wish the map was bigger and you could fly aircraft. However, beyond those issues, Grand Theft Auto IV is a good game borderlining on greatness but for me was held just back a tad.… Expand
  74. 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
  75. JackYaLate
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    Graphics: 6/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Story: 7/10 Voice acting: 7/10 Enjoyment: 6/10 = 6.8 (good)
    The graphics are just a blurry mess, I know it came out 5 years ago but even then it just looked like a blurry mess. Although games aren't all about the graphics so lets talk about the game.
    This is not Grand Theft Auto! This is Niko's Chavy Day Out Simulator. This is nothing like the others except    Graphics: 6/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Story: 7/10 Voice acting: 7/10 Enjoyment: 6/10 = 6.8 (good)
    The graphics are just a blurry mess, I know it came out 5 years ago but even then it just looked like a blurry mess. Although games aren't all about the graphics so lets talk about the game.
    This is not Grand Theft Auto! This is Niko's Chavy Day Out Simulator. This is nothing like the others except it's an open world in an American city. Where's the funny characters? Where's the funny humor? Where's the funny?
    GTA 5 please bring back the funny.
    Thanks for reading and I'll JackYaLater.    … Expand
  76. Nlwt
    Jun 27, 2013
    7
    GTA IV is a fantastic game don't get me wrong, but to say it is overrated is a MASSIVE understatement. I have played and completed all GTA games numerous of times and enjoyed them all, but this isn't even the best GTA, nevermind the best game I've played. I completed this twice and chose different routes/paths in the storyline both times. I played this probably more than any other gameGTA IV is a fantastic game don't get me wrong, but to say it is overrated is a MASSIVE understatement. I have played and completed all GTA games numerous of times and enjoyed them all, but this isn't even the best GTA, nevermind the best game I've played. I completed this twice and chose different routes/paths in the storyline both times. I played this probably more than any other game because it was a great way to spend time but I can't see what some others see when they say it's the "best game they've ever played'. They must've played some shocking games to say this is the best. Driving is good and the selection of cars is broad and the shooting isn't too bad. I did enjoy the multiplayer more than the single player but what really lets it down for me is after you've completed it. I have a total of 105+ hours of game-time which is a lot, but most of that was after completing the game. I spent hour after hour roaming around the map wondering what to do and could find nothing other than enjoy the odd game of bowling or go around shooting all the pigeons for an achievement the achievements were the only thing keeping me playing it. There should've been something extra at the end something to keep you engaged once you have completed the storyline a couple of times but there wasn't. This is a fantastic game don't get me wrong, but you can easily get tired of it, and just because I'm calling it OVERRATED, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, because I did. 7/10.… Expand
  77. Ghostlymatter
    Nov 12, 2013
    7
    Grand Theft Auto IV, has an amazing story line, there are many action packed missions involving many different unique characters as well as completely different situations. The three-dimensional graphics were good. The sound quality was average, I enjoyed driving the vehicles around just to listen to the sound of their engines, it was beautiful.

    The multiplayer was generally    Grand Theft Auto IV, has an amazing story line, there are many action packed missions involving many different unique characters as well as completely different situations. The three-dimensional graphics were good. The sound quality was average, I enjoyed driving the vehicles around just to listen to the sound of their engines, it was beautiful.

    The multiplayer was generally entertaining; I have had many great times with my friends while playing this game. The different activities in multiplayer were entertaining, such as, “GTA Race” or “Cops & Robbers”
    Although there are some slight problems, such as, when driving any vehicle in single player or multiplayer the controls are a little wacky. It was difficult to turn the headlights on or off as well as to turn the radio off.

    I do enjoy playing this game with or without people; therefore I give this game a 7/10.    … Expand
  78. aathegamer
    Dec 28, 2013
    7
    This game is overrated. It's rated as the best game of all time by the critics but in reality this game is nothing special. The graphics in this game lack color and they are full browns and grays and this game looks washed out. The graphics are average for a 2008 game.The sound design is pretty average and the voice acting is atrocious. The plot is somewhat interesting but the charactersThis game is overrated. It's rated as the best game of all time by the critics but in reality this game is nothing special. The graphics in this game lack color and they are full browns and grays and this game looks washed out. The graphics are average for a 2008 game.The sound design is pretty average and the voice acting is atrocious. The plot is somewhat interesting but the characters are uninspired and bland. The missions range from being fun to boring escort tasks. The gameplay is alright. It's not a great third person shooter but it's not bad either. Overall it's an average game and the worst Grand Theft Auto.… Expand
  79. DeathLeaper
    Aug 14, 2014
    7
    I don't know why this game got a score of 98. From the three GTAs I've played this one is my least favorite. In my opinion San Andreas and Vice City are way better than GTA IV. I missed the fun from the previous games in this one.
  80. WhiskeyStories
    Jul 12, 2019
    7
    Amazing world-building for its time. The plot is nothing new or extraordinary, an outsider trying to make it in the big city, but this time it's a Russian. I had a slight issue with this simple, bland, worn-out story and plot structure, the characters and the living-breathing city full of possibilities was what really kept my attention. The gameplay is a bit clunky in GTA IV and almost allAmazing world-building for its time. The plot is nothing new or extraordinary, an outsider trying to make it in the big city, but this time it's a Russian. I had a slight issue with this simple, bland, worn-out story and plot structure, the characters and the living-breathing city full of possibilities was what really kept my attention. The gameplay is a bit clunky in GTA IV and almost all of the side missions are repetitive and not that fun. The single-player campaign had these short-comings, though from what I heard and remembered the online multiplayer was a blast.… Expand
  81. RyanRetroGamer7
    Feb 28, 2023
    7
    Some games age well, others do not. This one is somewhere in the middle. It is painful gameplay wise, but it is good in a sense of the characters and the world that you can interact with. If you can handle clunky controls, then its a fun time.
  82. yangfanhong
    Jan 7, 2023
    7
    ****** The stupid bug in the final mission which blocked me from beating the game ruined the whole game and dozens of hours of my playtime.
  83. mlnsn
    Jul 16, 2021
    7
    Gameplay : 8/10
    Design (video + audio) : 7/10
    Story : 8/10
    Technical aspects : 7/10
    Repeatability: 7/10
  84. Drone6448
    Oct 10, 2021
    7
    The game story is pretty good and serious, but that's not exactly what people want. Game itself is good, but kinda empty, Niko is acting poor while he recieves 10k+ for every mission.. and it have a very small choise where to waste money, all you can buy is street foods, clothes and guns (maybe something else) . Im glad that rockstar made GTA 5 more fun style like.
  85. Yojimbo2015
    Jul 4, 2023
    7
    While GTA makes use of the Xbox 360's far superior technical specs to create an amazing elaborate and lifelike city to roam around, the lack of likeable characters and sense of humour make it far less fun to play than the PS2 GTA games. Technically very impressive, but ti's yet another case of developers prioritising realism over fun.
  86. MattL.
    May 6, 2008
    6
    It's just like every other GTA game with a bunch of extra, they didn't raise the bar here or anything. It's insanely repetitive and designed to make you play the game twice for achievement. News flash developers, if your game needs achievements to make me play it again, it's not worth playing the first time. Multiplayer is mediocre and uncreative. It's riddled It's just like every other GTA game with a bunch of extra, they didn't raise the bar here or anything. It's insanely repetitive and designed to make you play the game twice for achievement. News flash developers, if your game needs achievements to make me play it again, it's not worth playing the first time. Multiplayer is mediocre and uncreative. It's riddled with mad design and because of the "seamless" design you often spend more time on load screens then you do playing when you get one of the two popular connection problems. When you look at games like Halo, Call of Duty 4, and Rainbow 6 Vegas 2.. the mutliplayer of GTA is a real let down. The game was definitely overhyped and Rockstar should have kept it until the holiday 2008.… Expand
  87. ChrisC.
    Jun 6, 2008
    6
    It's not great. It's not awful. Just repetetive and boring like Assassin's Creed- I was excited but then when I lost my game save it seemed like a chore to play so I stopped. I'd say that any game that says it offers so much yet only a small percentage of people who play it actually experience it, then I'd say it's not worth full price. I'm confused why It's not great. It's not awful. Just repetetive and boring like Assassin's Creed- I was excited but then when I lost my game save it seemed like a chore to play so I stopped. I'd say that any game that says it offers so much yet only a small percentage of people who play it actually experience it, then I'd say it's not worth full price. I'm confused why anyone makes excuses for this game. Do they own stock in the company? One more thing, I have in the past been hired to 'fill' user reviews on here and yahoo with a team so don't trust any reviews that are 10's on public forums. It's an industry practice that falls under marketing/pr. to fill in gaps so that a game doesn't track poorly. Remember, people get paid on how well a game or movie's scores are on here.… Expand
  88. JaceN.
    May 5, 2008
    6
    In an odd "apples & oranges" kind of way id compare GTA4 to The Elder Scrolls 4 - Oblivion. Both are in their fourth official outing (minus side stories), both received major pre-release overhype, both sold through the roof, both retain all the problems previous episodes suffered from, both focussed more on technology than what made people love the series in the first place and both In an odd "apples & oranges" kind of way id compare GTA4 to The Elder Scrolls 4 - Oblivion. Both are in their fourth official outing (minus side stories), both received major pre-release overhype, both sold through the roof, both retain all the problems previous episodes suffered from, both focussed more on technology than what made people love the series in the first place and both sacrificed features previous episodes had for no apparent reason. Although GTA4 goes one better in that it...at times...can frustrate you to despair! Combat is slow and stilted, driving often ends in a lightpole/12-car smashdance and the new pay & spray rules make its completely worthless. Its a well made game no doubt and worth a high score but its for workmanships sake alone. Im hoping 5 if and when it appears will be more of a leap forward instead of sideways with more window dressing.… Expand
  89. Bernard
    May 7, 2008
    6
    am afraid to say that this is just GTA3 in a pretty dress, that isn't such a bad thing, but its a case of DON'T BELEAVE THE HYPE!...every single fault with GTA 3, the pop ups, the twichy controls, the in-door enviroments, the unfair mission structure, the cops that seem to able to lock a tractor beam on to the back of your car an follow you were ever you go, are still all there, am afraid to say that this is just GTA3 in a pretty dress, that isn't such a bad thing, but its a case of DON'T BELEAVE THE HYPE!...every single fault with GTA 3, the pop ups, the twichy controls, the in-door enviroments, the unfair mission structure, the cops that seem to able to lock a tractor beam on to the back of your car an follow you were ever you go, are still all there, a lot of reviewers are talking about the refinement of the controls but as far as i can tell there is none, the aimming system is still "lock on", the cover system feels like an afterthought, GTA 3 really was a gaming landmark an for this you forgave all the promblems an enjoyed the sheer amount of freedom the PS2 game gave you....if your a GTA fan and have played the games that came before this will be nothing new at all. that said its GTA so if your feeling a little bit retro...an fancy reliving the joys an the sorrows of the series then give it a go...but i would recommend that you put GTA 3 in your PS2 or your x box an just to remind yourself of what to expect from its replacement.... it really should be called GTA 3 HD.… Expand
  90. Vultan
    Jul 30, 2008
    6
    Totally overated. Cannot believe all the 9 and 10's this game's got. Repetitive and the graphics are nowhere near the best the 360 has to offer. The claims of interactivity and a fully realised city are just wrong, most of the buildings in the city cannot be entered and have horendous textures when up close. Missions repeat themselves and multiplayer no better than averageTotally overated. Cannot believe all the 9 and 10's this game's got. Repetitive and the graphics are nowhere near the best the 360 has to offer. The claims of interactivity and a fully realised city are just wrong, most of the buildings in the city cannot be entered and have horendous textures when up close. Missions repeat themselves and multiplayer no better than average FPS. Dissapointing.… Expand
  91. RC
    Apr 29, 2008
    6
    It's overrated, just like the older ones.
  92. BenL.
    Apr 30, 2008
    6
    THis is my standpoint. They went from Grandtheft auto 3.. Straight to Grandtheft auto 4. They forgot things that they used in Vice City and San Andreas. 1. Character customization is hugely lacking in this game - San Andreas you could pick haircuts, hairstyles, colors, control the weight of your character. 2. No planes - wow San Andreas had it. 3. Multiplayer and you cant go to the strip THis is my standpoint. They went from Grandtheft auto 3.. Straight to Grandtheft auto 4. They forgot things that they used in Vice City and San Andreas. 1. Character customization is hugely lacking in this game - San Andreas you could pick haircuts, hairstyles, colors, control the weight of your character. 2. No planes - wow San Andreas had it. 3. Multiplayer and you cant go to the strip club 4. Did you learn anything from your competition Saints Row had the best character customization yet for this style of game.. Come on 5. Wow is everybody broke in New York because in San Andreas you kill someone you at least got 12 dollars - I guess you just have to stake out ATM's. 6. San Andreas you had homies that you could summon and ride along with you. Basically they had a lot of features that they just plain forgot about that made grand theft auto better then previous copies. Yes it does have mulitplayer but terrible co-op… Expand
  93. TerryG.
    Apr 30, 2008
    6
    Standard Grand Theft Auto. Graphically impressive with a robust, alive world. Really impressing. The multiplayer should've been cut down to free roam. To access MP is an insult to intuitive design and should be completely remade. I have never dealt with more frustrating Multiplayer in my life. If it wasn't for multiplayer I would give it an 8/10. It is not a 10/10 game... thats Standard Grand Theft Auto. Graphically impressive with a robust, alive world. Really impressing. The multiplayer should've been cut down to free roam. To access MP is an insult to intuitive design and should be completely remade. I have never dealt with more frustrating Multiplayer in my life. If it wasn't for multiplayer I would give it an 8/10. It is not a 10/10 game... thats just stupid game reviewer hype they just don't want to anger their customers.… Expand
  94. TomJ.
    Apr 30, 2008
    6
    Same old game with new graphics. Not worthy of all the hype.
  95. FPSMaster
    Apr 30, 2008
    6
    I'm just not seeing where all these 10/10's are coming from. I don't even see how it could manage to get an 8/10. They took out a ton of things that every other GTA game let you do to deepen the gameplay. Is there any point to free-roaming now other than to watch yourself go through a windshiield? Where are the RPG elements and hidden things to find in the environments? The I'm just not seeing where all these 10/10's are coming from. I don't even see how it could manage to get an 8/10. They took out a ton of things that every other GTA game let you do to deepen the gameplay. Is there any point to free-roaming now other than to watch yourself go through a windshiield? Where are the RPG elements and hidden things to find in the environments? The graphics are very jaggy and blurry and constantly jitter even when you're not moving. They never look clean or crisp, something Saint's Row did better in 2006.The character movement is still blocky and PS2-ishy feeling so the animations are stilted and last gen as are the character models and when you go to do something your character may or may not do what you want him to since the controls are still very much broken and very, very sluggish. Fist fighting, gun fighting and aiming are no better than before and they almost always do the exact opposite of your button inputs because again, the controls for them are very sluggish. Vehicles handle like Test Drive 5's from PS1 meaning they do whatever they want, skipping and sliding all over the place making the entire point of GTA redundant now: just stay on foot. The hyped Euphoria engine is a joke and does nothing we haven't seen a hundred times already this gen from physics engines, and in some cases seems a generation behind still. Music sucks, using the cel phone sucks and the text and screen cut-off makes things unreadable. The A.I., explosions, voice acting and lighting are decent, but the same old/same old GTA fetch-quest story mission structure is getting boring after rehashing the same game and the same missions 6 times now. MP seems thrown in at the last minute and lags to Hell and back and just doesn't fit GTA at all. I've been doing these same missions and playing this exact same game since 2001, although last gen versions destroyed this one EASILY. Rockstar can sleep well now knowing they managed to do something no other developer has been able to do up until this point: make the exact same game as the other 5 from last gen, NOT push any envelopes but instead make the same standard jump every other developer has with new hardware this gen, and still have the most overhyyped, overrated game in the history of gaming still sell out and still get PERFECT scores. If the 360 was around in 2004, this is what San Andreas would have been. Meaning there's nothing here that couldn't have been done by any developer given new hardware. Rockstar BLOWS as do "PRO" reviewers..… Expand
  96. Josh
    May 18, 2008
    6
    Okay, never take a game review to see whether or not you buy a game, first off, critics judge a game on popularity and hype not how good the game actually is, and that's fact. And user's, well a good portion of people are just stupid sheeps, and most people rate a game so incorrectly as to how they truely feel, I guarantee you everyone taht agve it a 10/10 played for 3 hrs with Okay, never take a game review to see whether or not you buy a game, first off, critics judge a game on popularity and hype not how good the game actually is, and that's fact. And user's, well a good portion of people are just stupid sheeps, and most people rate a game so incorrectly as to how they truely feel, I guarantee you everyone taht agve it a 10/10 played for 3 hrs with the hype image still in their head, came here and rated the game, this is more poorly overhyped than halo 3, can't anyone obtain some intelligence or logic seriously.… Expand
  97. MichaelB.
    May 3, 2008
    6
    I am surprised that no one has mentioned the tremendous amount of violence, swearing, and immorality that goes on in this game. Parents beware!
  98. RobK.
    May 3, 2008
    6
    Decent. Exactly like its predecessors but with an extremely annoying physics engine (controlling Niko and driving are both unnecessarily sloppy... It's almost a chore to just go on a cruise through the city) and shiny graphics. A familiar and uninteresting storyline make it difficult to get through the game. Avoid buying this rehashed, made-up harlot of a game and rent it instead.
  99. S.A.R
    May 3, 2008
    6
    I don't know why everybody is saying how awesome this game graphics are, they aren't the best and they aren't even near the best. The shadows just don't look right, and the trees look horrible. The game play is better than the graphics, although most of it, like watching TV, going to bars and playing pool, were just too much like reality to make it worth doing in a I don't know why everybody is saying how awesome this game graphics are, they aren't the best and they aren't even near the best. The shadows just don't look right, and the trees look horrible. The game play is better than the graphics, although most of it, like watching TV, going to bars and playing pool, were just too much like reality to make it worth doing in a video game. It all reminded me of one bad month in my life, when I used to play WOW. I suppose this is a bit biased since I don't like games set in the modern world. All in all, not worth buying, maybe renting, but not buying.… Expand
  100. BruntFCAFCA
    May 6, 2008
    6
    Better graphics, less gameplay than prior games. Nothing to do with money, no gambling, pointless mini games, very few real buildings to enter. Boring repetative missions. It also suffers from well documented Freezing/Crashing and Pop-Up, so no way is it 10/10. Main character is a 2 dimensional psychotic loser. Most NPC are sterotypes. One the hype dies down, I think a lot of ppl are Better graphics, less gameplay than prior games. Nothing to do with money, no gambling, pointless mini games, very few real buildings to enter. Boring repetative missions. It also suffers from well documented Freezing/Crashing and Pop-Up, so no way is it 10/10. Main character is a 2 dimensional psychotic loser. Most NPC are sterotypes. One the hype dies down, I think a lot of ppl are going to trade this in.… 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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