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8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3784 Ratings

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  1. MattF
    Mar 7, 2009
    10
    A stunning technical achievement that includes a world full of detail, stunning graphics, incredible storyline/voice acting. Anyone who rates this 0 is a cynical loser who thinks going against the grain and down-rating a popular game makes them smart or better than everyone else, and nothing will ever appease them.
  2. MatthewEdwards
    Mar 3, 2009
    5
    Sure it's smooth, violent, edgy, and huge. However, it is still the same game it was when GTA 3 came out. So little has changed except for the graphics that I got bored in under 2 hours. I'm pretty sure the only reason it scores so high is that Junior High kids love any game that says F&%K. Screw Rockstar games and the dusty old horse they rode in on ( and charged $60 for).
  3. AnonymousMC
    Feb 25, 2009
    9
    George F, you have no credibility whatsoever. "Subpar graphics"? When were you born? 2112, maybe, when graphics are more realistic than real life itself? Don't mind that an ENTIRE CITY is crammed into a game with very minimal load time. Don't mind that people react realistically depending on what part of the body you shoot. Don't mind the realistic crash physics. TheGeorge F, you have no credibility whatsoever. "Subpar graphics"? When were you born? 2112, maybe, when graphics are more realistic than real life itself? Don't mind that an ENTIRE CITY is crammed into a game with very minimal load time. Don't mind that people react realistically depending on what part of the body you shoot. Don't mind the realistic crash physics. The storyline is quite good, but you may think otherwise because you were born in a rich neighborhood that were ignorant of the social depravities and injustices occurring only a few blocks down. The gameplay is incredible, due to the exact OPPOSITE reason you provide. The missions are NOT repetitive, and the driving system is spectacular. Watch as the environment blurs as you put your foot to the pedal and watch it realistically crumple as you crash into another car. And since the game is shooting up "the same 10 fake people every three hours" and is for "passive-aggressive thugs," you gave it to your brother. Good job, troll, and trust me, there are other games that actually deserve zeroes.
    The only problem with this game is it's mission setup. When you fail, it takes you back from the beginning with less money and lost weapons depending on how you failed the quest. Another small flaw that I didn't really mind was the radio. It got smaller compared to the previous GTA. The GPS system was a very nice addition to the game. This game was definitely better than GTA3: Vice City and San Andreas where you were literally hearing the world "n*gger" twice every sentence. This game is one of the deepest games out there in terms of storyline and gameplay and it blows the current "competition" out of the park (Halo, Gears, Fable, I'm looking at you!).
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  4. JohnP
    Feb 21, 2009
    8
    How dare anyone call these graphics 'sub-part' and the storyline 'crappy.' Grand Theft Auto IV is not about presenting an Oscar winning story line. The franchise has set out epic after epic game of pure fun. Who doesn't love driving around, killing pedestrians, taking it to hookers, and changing outfits? Well, maybe not outfits. But this game hit the money with How dare anyone call these graphics 'sub-part' and the storyline 'crappy.' Grand Theft Auto IV is not about presenting an Oscar winning story line. The franchise has set out epic after epic game of pure fun. Who doesn't love driving around, killing pedestrians, taking it to hookers, and changing outfits? Well, maybe not outfits. But this game hit the money with the gameplay. It did lack in its openness factor though and was rather small compared to San Andreas. Expand
  5. 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
  6. MichaelK
    Feb 18, 2009
    10
    Once again the gaming community has disappointed me with there narrow minded bashing at an excellent game. Grand Theft Auto 4 took GTA to a next-gen level. Everything about this game is polished and fine tuned. Visually the whole city is a treat to the eyes. From outstanding animation to the life of the city, you will at, one point. end up cruising the city to see the life and visuals Once again the gaming community has disappointed me with there narrow minded bashing at an excellent game. Grand Theft Auto 4 took GTA to a next-gen level. Everything about this game is polished and fine tuned. Visually the whole city is a treat to the eyes. From outstanding animation to the life of the city, you will at, one point. end up cruising the city to see the life and visuals that it supplies (which are rather impressive for such a large map.) The best part is the steady framerate. Almost always 40-50 FPS. I only expeirenced about three dips in framerate and one was because I blew about 20 cars up all at once (don't ask how *cough gas station cough*)Now onto the gameplay. I found that the controls were tight and became natural at one point. I never once had to say, "How do I go to cover." It's all well mapped onto the 360/PS3 controller. The guns feel real and have fantastic SFX that go with them (I go to gun ranges and the AK sounds like an AK.) My personal favorite thing about this game is the physics. I'm not just talking about the environment (which quite a few things break in: fences. poles, benches, statues, etc...) I'm talking about the cars. Not one car feels the same as the other. All handle differently and realistically. You will learn to be a good driver, but those who bash it are just naturally bad drivers.The single player (which starts out a little slow and takes a little while to get into to) will last you a fantastic MINIMUM of 17 hours. That is my fastest time. But, if you spend your time in a fun manner, without the side stuff, you will get about 40-60 hours of gameplay. No joke. With side stuff (which I'm so close to completing) I've logged 137 hours. No life right :D. The story is PHENOMENAL while the characters grow on you (except your fat ass cousin Roman) and you will begin to actually feel for them. I personally think Dwayne, Little Jacob and Dwayne are some of the most real people you'll meet in this game. Preferably Dwayne, but most of all you will become attached to Niko, the main character. You feel for him, he came to this country to get away from the war and horror of his country and also too [***SPOILER***] sorry. And as he progresses through the city and builds up a reputation, you feel for him. His coldness just gets too you and makes you find him mysterious and odd. You will become attached to him and the characters he meets. Not onto the multiplayer, which is surprisingly robust! There are 14 modes total and all are outrageously fun. I prefer free mode because you and friends can explore the city and find stuff to do. Whilst there are the basic modes: TDM & DM, there fantastically orgional ones that actually revolve around characters from the story: Kenny Petrovic missions and so on, Hangman NOOSE (extract VIP from airport to extraction point) and Bomb Da Base II (hijack an armored car, take to heliport, fly helicopter to boat, plant bomb, run like hell [almost forgot! KILL EVERYBODY!] BIG BOOM!). Then there are other modes like ruling different points in the city, gang wars, etc... Overall I found this game so detailed and refreshing that I had to give it a 10. It's a game you must give your respect to due to its insane amount of detail and story plus others. Buy this game or not, just give it a try. Expand
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. JacobWilliams
    Feb 7, 2009
    10
    I'd give it 9.5 if that was an option, but since i can't i'm rounding up. Best game i've played in a long time. The few problems it does have are more than made up for by the amount of fun. If you don't like this game, stop playing GTA games.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. TimmyC
    Jan 17, 2009
    6
    Considering the hype and acclaim, this was an extremely disappointing game as far as the GTA series go. Aside from the graphics and overall feel of the game, it feels like a huge step back. Compared to the size, depth and variety of San Andreas, this game comes up extremely short. Character and car customizations are essentially gone along with the planes and bikes. The missions are Considering the hype and acclaim, this was an extremely disappointing game as far as the GTA series go. Aside from the graphics and overall feel of the game, it feels like a huge step back. Compared to the size, depth and variety of San Andreas, this game comes up extremely short. Character and car customizations are essentially gone along with the planes and bikes. The missions are pretty cut and dry (chase this guy and kill this guy). There are no rewards besides xbox achievements and 100% completion for doing most anything. The available arsenal is stripped down with very few weapon choices It seems like much of the effort that was put into the fun free-for-all feel of SA and VC was transferred over to things like dating and bowling, which are more annoying than fun. I don't play GTA to date girls and take friends to play pool. I'll play the Sims if I want to do that. I play it because of the almost limitless opportunities to create havoc and humor. Additionally, the single player campaign and story is pretty decent, though not quite as good as VC and SA. I wouldn't say it's disappointing however. Overall, it's still a GTA game. It's great fun and has a pretty solid campaign. What I don't understand is why Rockstar seems to be putting a limit on how fun the game should be. San Andreas was far from broke, so I don't know what they were trying to fix by stripping it down. My only guess and hope is that they want the room to hype up future releases. Lowering the bar so that you can raise it later isn't progress, and I'd expect Rockstar to know better. Expand
  15. 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
  16. ChrisLambert
    Dec 24, 2008
    10
    Grand Theft Auto IV is definitely the best game I've ever played in my life! Anyone who gives this game below a perfect score of 10 has impossible expectations out of games. Rockstar North put an indescribable amount of detail into GTA IV, and I still play the game frequently, despite my having had the game since early May.
    You absolutely need to play this game (if you haven't
    Grand Theft Auto IV is definitely the best game I've ever played in my life! Anyone who gives this game below a perfect score of 10 has impossible expectations out of games. Rockstar North put an indescribable amount of detail into GTA IV, and I still play the game frequently, despite my having had the game since early May.
    You absolutely need to play this game (if you haven't already)!!!!! 15/10 (if I could rate that high)!!!!
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  17. RafaelC.
    Dec 23, 2008
    10
    Grand Theft Auto IV is a must play game, best than any others of the GTA series. This game is way better than San Andreas, because of the graphics, the cellphone, history, voice acting, vehicles, and the whole athmosfere that the game put you in. The carachters in GTA IV are great, and you will be involved with then, you care about then, that's a great point because other games Grand Theft Auto IV is a must play game, best than any others of the GTA series. This game is way better than San Andreas, because of the graphics, the cellphone, history, voice acting, vehicles, and the whole athmosfere that the game put you in. The carachters in GTA IV are great, and you will be involved with then, you care about then, that's a great point because other games don't give you this immersion. Well, in the game city you can do wherever you want, go for a drink, eat junk food, pick up your friend and go to a strip club, take a helicopter tour, that's all part of the amazing world of GTA IV Expand
  18. 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
  19. Maxg
    Dec 15, 2008
    10
    No its not perfect but the game is a masterpiece. Yes it has control flaws but what game doesn't. All the problems that plagued the last three have been fixed control wise. The world is fluid and living and is fun to watch. Playing the game is more engaging than any of the last three. GTA: SA was a bit of a let down gameplay wise with ridicuolously bs difficulty missions where as No its not perfect but the game is a masterpiece. Yes it has control flaws but what game doesn't. All the problems that plagued the last three have been fixed control wise. The world is fluid and living and is fun to watch. Playing the game is more engaging than any of the last three. GTA: SA was a bit of a let down gameplay wise with ridicuolously bs difficulty missions where as here you never feel a sense designers make it too difficult. Also the story is one of the finest written in any medium in years. The characters are rich and acted well, you care for them, and it stings when some of them die. The graphics have finally come to meet the mature devolped tone of the games, realistic gritty and superb. Sure the missions are not very varied, go here, kill this guy, steal this go here epeat, but they are done so well it doesnt matter its fun everytime. Simply put this is one of the best games ever made. Expand
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. DylanE
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    gamertag: gamezombie009
    send me a message about any negative word about gta iv, wether you saw this in the game or some one told you, and can can prove it wrong

    @ John H.
    hopping in a taxi can teleport you to any part of the city if you "press A to skip" when inside
  23. DylanE
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    What people need to remember about this game is it's not Gta III canon. gta iii, vice city, and san Andreas were all part of gta iii's story and gameplay style. Those games focused on mindless, silly action (which is not at all a bad thing), while this game is all about character development and realism, emphasis on the real, giving the series something it never had and What people need to remember about this game is it's not Gta III canon. gta iii, vice city, and san Andreas were all part of gta iii's story and gameplay style. Those games focused on mindless, silly action (which is not at all a bad thing), while this game is all about character development and realism, emphasis on the real, giving the series something it never had and separating itself from typical sandbox games. Think of gta iii's games as lethal weapons. and gta iv as the godfather. (When i say this i dont mean gta iv is superior, just that its more serious and real.) With San Andreas perfecting the style they aimed for in the gta iii series, it was definitely the right move to go with a different approach for the start of a new grand theft auto. The AI is so realistic that yes, if unskilled, civilians might be able to beat you in a fight, (for better explanation of how awesome the AI is, read game informer's review) . The driving is so good that i consider that handling (while sometimes so unforgiveably realistic depending on the condition of your car, popped tires, dented frame, etc. *Not a bad thing, if anything this immerses you further into the world of the game) to rival some of my favorite racing games. To use a remark made by game informer, the gunplay's auto aim (optional) makes you feel like a skilled assassin. These features only name a few. If you are a fan of the series, and by some ungodly miracle you don't have this game yet, i want you to run outside, jack the nearest car, and go buy this game. just don't expect it like anything you've ever played. If you play this game with the mindset that its an improved san andreas, it's gonna ruin your experience. As for online, i wouldnt really recommend deathmatch or any of the typical online game modes. however cops n crooks, gta race and the others are pure gold. Free mode is something entirely different. Free mode with friends is just one of those things that seems like a simple idea, messin around in liberty city with ur friends. Sounds fun on paper, but turns out to be phenomenal when you're playing. Ive never had so much fun in any online game. at first you and ur friends will probobaly kill each other over and over until one of you try to set up some kind of truce, and that is when u realize how many possibilities there are. While you can turn off things like cops and traffic, or just play party mode so you can do what ever you want with no consequences, why would you want to? Everybody teamed up while the cops are shooting to kill, watching eachother's backs and fending off swat teams, fbi, and police officers. You feel like youre in an action movie. i remember in particular stealing one of the swat team's armored trucks, screamin at my friends in excitement, tellin them to get in the car. we were all piled in, at least a 5 * wanted level, destroying everything that came at us. it creates this feeling of friendship and connection that I can garentee youve never felt before. it feels like you are in some sort of actiono movie. explosions of enemy cars on both sides of you, the grinding noises of the cops to the left and the right of you, trying to run you off the road. there are bodies flying through the air, high speed chases worthy of any james bond or die hard movie..There are so many moments that make you say : "Oh shit! NO WAY! NO FUCKING WAY! ARE WE REALLY DOING THIS? WE'RE FUCKING RAPING THESE COPS! This is fucking amazing." It models exactly how online gaming should be. Then there are light moments, racing in lawnmowers and forklifts down the runway of an airport is more fun than it sounds, possibly because of the physics of the game, the simplest things can make you step back and say "wow". Trying to describe the game in words is almost a crime against nature, describing it in person might cause you to be at a loss for words, and watching the game be played still wont give you much of a feel about how it actually feels to control Niko. This game is a game that you can't possibly regret buying (do not rent!) If you have some sort of super human ability to still be unsure of wether or not you should buy this game message me on xbox live gamertag: gamezombie009. grand theft auto IV is a game that is impossible to ignore. i havent even mentioned the xbl downloadable content thats coming out in february. grand theft auto IV is worth so much more than 60 bucks. Expand
  24. zackshannon
    Dec 4, 2008
    6
    I really wanted to love this game i really did. Its GTA for christ sakes, i have loved everone of there games up to this point...

    Pros: Amazing Story, Love the free roaming around the city. Decent Multiplayer. Some fantastic missions. Cons: Horrible driving, Bad gun mechanics, boring missions (755 of them) Multiplayer letdown. (some good games but mostly bad) Like i said i really
    I really wanted to love this game i really did. Its GTA for christ sakes, i have loved everone of there games up to this point...

    Pros: Amazing Story, Love the free roaming around the city. Decent Multiplayer. Some fantastic missions.

    Cons: Horrible driving, Bad gun mechanics, boring missions (755 of them) Multiplayer letdown. (some good games but mostly bad)

    Like i said i really wanted to like this game. But ahlast this gets my most disapointing game of the year awayd.
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  25. 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
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  26. 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.
  27. TomasS.
    Nov 17, 2008
    10
    Brilliant game!
  28. MichaelA.
    Nov 15, 2008
    10
    It's apparent from most of these comments here that our society constantly degenerates. Easily one of the best games of the decade with a compelling story and great voice acting, tight gameplay, etc. Seriously, unless you have problems with some of the morals in the game (and the really bad decisions are left up to the player so people really can't get offended...) then I find It's apparent from most of these comments here that our society constantly degenerates. Easily one of the best games of the decade with a compelling story and great voice acting, tight gameplay, etc. Seriously, unless you have problems with some of the morals in the game (and the really bad decisions are left up to the player so people really can't get offended...) then I find it hard to believe so many people think this is overrated. Especially since San Andreas is slightly overrated in itself. Ugh. Expand
  29. 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.
  30. LaclhanC.
    Nov 9, 2008
    8
    While it was worth its money, In play time and fun. I felt this game is far too overrated. There is NO way this game deserves to rate a 98/100 meta score! The game lacks a proper world market. Money is useless in this game, the online is very poor and it would be far better if you were allowed to have your own gang members or posse you could travel with! Although the introductions of While it was worth its money, In play time and fun. I felt this game is far too overrated. There is NO way this game deserves to rate a 98/100 meta score! The game lacks a proper world market. Money is useless in this game, the online is very poor and it would be far better if you were allowed to have your own gang members or posse you could travel with! Although the introductions of choices having an effect on the story was a pleasing surprise, The story line was I felt much worse than the previous GTA. Expand
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. 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]
  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. 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.