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. StephenB.
    May 19, 2008
    8
    Missing features that were present in GTA: San Andreas. . . . Improvable player stats (muscle, weapon skills, etc) Planes and jets Base jumping Henchmen Owning property Vehicle customization Underwater swimming Military on six star wanted level Tanks Firefighting and ambulance missions Most of the character visual customization Helicoptor missiles Jetpack Most collectibles Most arcade Missing features that were present in GTA: San Andreas. . . . Improvable player stats (muscle, weapon skills, etc) Planes and jets Base jumping Henchmen Owning property Vehicle customization Underwater swimming Military on six star wanted level Tanks Firefighting and ambulance missions Most of the character visual customization Helicoptor missiles Jetpack Most collectibles Most arcade games Burglary missions Two-player same screen co-op Katana, dildo, chainsaw, other weapons Car garages C4 Many other things.… Expand
  2. Edward
    May 21, 2008
    8
    A good game, but an overrated one. Weaker storyline, characters, and missions than both Vice City and San Andreas drags it down. Also, the writing on the peripherals (radio stations, television, Internet) is MUCH better than the actual script for the storyline.
  3. JosephR.
    May 21, 2008
    6
    Seriously, I'm pretty sure I just wasted 31 hours of my life. I would have been better to replay gta 3 than try as hard as possible to seriously enjoy this game. While the map is huge, it is nearly empty of things to interact with. Each mission is mostly driving to and from the destination, which once you start taking cabs, becomes even more meaningless. I lost the plot half way Seriously, I'm pretty sure I just wasted 31 hours of my life. I would have been better to replay gta 3 than try as hard as possible to seriously enjoy this game. While the map is huge, it is nearly empty of things to interact with. Each mission is mostly driving to and from the destination, which once you start taking cabs, becomes even more meaningless. I lost the plot half way through, and challenge anyone to explain the interconnecting familys and charectors. Finally, the game is buggy, with it constantly stopping due to "dirty disc syndrome" which I take to mean, catastrophic failure in the program. I won't even begin to mention the cops.… Expand
  4. BenjaminC.
    May 22, 2008
    2
    WAY overrated. I... I just don't understand the praise this got from the critics. And im ashamed at the industry for placing this with legends like OOT. Hours were wasted going from place to place, killing drug dealers and stealing cars got repetitive and rather menial. The critics said that the morally aware gamer would love this... no. The more I played, the more I saw my character WAY overrated. I... I just don't understand the praise this got from the critics. And im ashamed at the industry for placing this with legends like OOT. Hours were wasted going from place to place, killing drug dealers and stealing cars got repetitive and rather menial. The critics said that the morally aware gamer would love this... no. The more I played, the more I saw my character for the scumbag he was. and as someone who sees myself as the charcter I am playing, I felt Ill. I am giving it two points more then I want, but you have to give it credit for improvement over the other GTA games, which I was never able to spend more then half an hour on.… Expand
  5. BigPapaSteve
    May 22, 2008
    10
    Truly amazing. I've noticed a lot of people complaining about having to drive a bunch after failing a mission. you do realize that if you fail a mission you can take out your phone and retry the mission?
  6. NickW.
    May 24, 2008
    10
    Despite the flaws, this game has to be played.
  7. JoeB
    May 26, 2008
    5
    It's amazing that "VIce City" in my opinion is the best GTA, then GTA 3, then San Andreas. GTA 4 is a MASSIVE Disappointment, Rockstar needs to get back the the drawing board and re-invent their franchise, before people start realizing the GTA games are rehashed, linear, un-fun, crap. Rent it, then buy it. Save your money for FALLOUT 3.
  8. JohnN.
    May 26, 2008
    9
    To all of those people who say "Where are my hat and glasses?" If you die, or are in an accident, they will fall off. Simple as that. Pay attention for once! Anyways I liked it a lot. Niko was the best GTA protagonist, because there is a better sense of remorse. I like this game a lot, but it is not the best ever.
  9. 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
  10. 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.
  11. Wallpaperman
    May 28, 2008
    10
    GTA4 = Best Game Ever. To get 100% on this beast takes well over 200 hours. Well worth your money.
  12. 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?
  13. Tony
    Jun 16, 2008
    9
    I really gave this game 8.5. I really love gta franchise especially gta:vice city.the problem with this game is that i bought my Xbox lately and thought great ill be able to play games with brilliant graphics and with these graphics it will unlock things never imagined.things that are on the next level.So my expectations were like i am rating this game not on par with the last generation I really gave this game 8.5. I really love gta franchise especially gta:vice city.the problem with this game is that i bought my Xbox lately and thought great ill be able to play games with brilliant graphics and with these graphics it will unlock things never imagined.things that are on the next level.So my expectations were like i am rating this game not on par with the last generation console games but on a next level.I thought that what the next generation console allowed these games the game delivered but they forgot about what makes games great and that is playing the story. I didn't really love niko I didn't find him loveable maybe its cause hes eastern European.. i would have much preferred a spanish/south American or even Indian! but Niko just seemed cold. but I understand why they did it :provide variety and mabye open new markets. the missions lacked real imagination and like in the missions someone like phil would say he hopes nothings gonna happen but ITS A MISSION AND THERE IS GONNA BE KILLING!!!!!!! gods sake! do they think that we are fools or something .alot of the missions lacked creativity and variety.And then youd pass these magnificent buildings and you cant even go into them like what the hell you cant even go into some of the monuments.Thats most of the bad points...the good points have already been pointed out before in other comments.… Expand
  14. TonL.
    Jun 18, 2008
    0
    Worst game ever. I cant believe Eurogamer, Edge and Gamedaily gave this piece of crap a 10 while they gave a much superior game in MGS4 a "8" . Goes to show how much microsoft paid these reviewers. the Ps3 version is slightly better with a 1
  15. MasJ.
    Jun 28, 2008
    0
    This game has poor graphics for a XBOX360 game and poor taste. It appeals to little teenagers though.
  16. MasJ.
    Jun 28, 2008
    0
    This game has poor graphics for a XBOX360 game and poor taste. It appeals to little teenagers though.
  17. JohnK.
    Jul 13, 2008
    8
    This is a good game but its not the greatest game ever as the critics would tell you. Everyone knows the strengths so I'll just point out a couple of things that irked me. The game really needs a checkpoint system. If you fail a mission its not like you just start over, you typically gotta drive for 5 minutes and then try again. I noticed a few framerate drops when there is heavy This is a good game but its not the greatest game ever as the critics would tell you. Everyone knows the strengths so I'll just point out a couple of things that irked me. The game really needs a checkpoint system. If you fail a mission its not like you just start over, you typically gotta drive for 5 minutes and then try again. I noticed a few framerate drops when there is heavy action going on. The camera angles are just awful, you always get trees in the way of your vision when you drive in certain areas. (its funny because framerate and camera angles were the main complaint that dropped critics score of Ninja Gaiden 2, but when the game is heavily hyped apparantly they don't notice, even though the camera angles are 10 times worse in GTA) There should be different difficulty settings. I wouldn't mind playing through on a stepped up difficulty the second time through. The multiplayer is unimpressive.… Expand
  18. BobE.
    Aug 12, 2008
    6
    This game is very realistic, but it is too realistic as well. I loved San Andreas because you could do stuff that would be impossible in real life. But in GTAIV, the realism gets in the way of gameplay. I hate the driving physics, which are impossible to control, and i hate how you have to give yourself carpal tunnel by mashing A just to run. Rockstar has taken a big leap forward in terms This game is very realistic, but it is too realistic as well. I loved San Andreas because you could do stuff that would be impossible in real life. But in GTAIV, the realism gets in the way of gameplay. I hate the driving physics, which are impossible to control, and i hate how you have to give yourself carpal tunnel by mashing A just to run. Rockstar has taken a big leap forward in terms of realism, but a giant leap backwards in terms of fun.… Expand
  19. MolayM.
    Aug 13, 2008
    6
    Its really an 8, but it sooooo over hyped. especially the online multiplayer. Which Sucks.
  20. EliF.
    Aug 17, 2008
    8
    There's fun to be had here, but the main mission design and gameflow are deeply flawed. Retrying a failed mission usually requires several minutes of driving. I quit playing after the game failed me twice for not wearing "only smart shoes with a suit" to a meeting with a lawyer. It turned out my shoes were fine -- the problem was that I was wearing sunglasses. I had to drive all the There's fun to be had here, but the main mission design and gameflow are deeply flawed. Retrying a failed mission usually requires several minutes of driving. I quit playing after the game failed me twice for not wearing "only smart shoes with a suit" to a meeting with a lawyer. It turned out my shoes were fine -- the problem was that I was wearing sunglasses. I had to drive all the way home to take them off.… Expand
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. SuleimanM.
    Mar 15, 2009
    8
    While not nearly as superior as it is acclaimed to be, GTA IV is a solid title nonetheless. If you go into it forgetting the hype, you'll emerge from the experience quite satisfied. With a riveting storyline, an enjoyable single player campaign, and a multiplayer mode to lean back on once the single player portion is complete, you can't go wrong with GTA IV.
  24. Mike
    Mar 21, 2009
    2
    I was pretty disappointed with this game. Graphics are very nice, although the filter washes everything out to where I can't really appreciate them. Music was subpar compared to previous titles although that could be my disdain for modern music, but they should have at least had an oldies station. The new driving system didn't really bother me with it's added realistic I was pretty disappointed with this game. Graphics are very nice, although the filter washes everything out to where I can't really appreciate them. Music was subpar compared to previous titles although that could be my disdain for modern music, but they should have at least had an oldies station. The new driving system didn't really bother me with it's added realistic physics, it did require a greater degree of skill than previous titles but I found I was able to get it down after a while. The gun play was awkward with an inability to manually target enemies well, although I did like the cover system. I guess the bulk of my disappointment was with the story, which I found lackluster, and the actual "fun" of the game. Realism is something I don't want to see in GTA games, they have always been "arcadey" and campy. To take out all the fun little details that have made past games so engaging is the height of stupidity as I see it. I bought this game right after it came out and I got to the end of the game and lost my desire to even finish it, it sits on my shelf collecting dust. I give this game -200 pigeons.… Expand
  25. 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.
  26. sprinkill
    Dec 13, 2015
    6
    This is the black sheep of the GTA series. As I played through this game years ago, I didn't understand why they straight-up eliminated so many of the innovations they added to GTA: San Andreas. You just don't have as much to explore. The city is rendered very well, of course, but that's the bare minimum for a Rockstar game. There's not a lot of interaction to be had with the environmentThis is the black sheep of the GTA series. As I played through this game years ago, I didn't understand why they straight-up eliminated so many of the innovations they added to GTA: San Andreas. You just don't have as much to explore. The city is rendered very well, of course, but that's the bare minimum for a Rockstar game. There's not a lot of interaction to be had with the environment in this game.

    And then there's the annoying "buddy system," which they excised from GTA V, and for good reason. Basically, you'll meet people throughout the game. In order to unlock various little "perks" that these people have to offer, you must build the relationship up to a friendship. How do you do this? Do you go on shoot-em-up missions wherein you alternate between piloting and manning the MG of a helicopter as you traverse the narrow corridors of a nearby canyon or canal? Not even close. No, what Rockstar decided was that it'd be cooler if you randomly received calls on your cell phone from these people. Like a real cell phone, you never want to take their calls. If you do take their calls, however, they'll invite you to go to a fried chicken fast food restaurant, play darts, or get drunk. In order to become their friend, you must accompany them for same. Eating at the fast food restaurant is exactly like it sounds - you pick them up from their house, drive to a fried chicken restaurant, eat fried chicken with them, and drive them home. The same goes for the other activities. At least with the darts you actually do play a dart mini-game, FWTW. Pretty lame, guys...pretty lame. Am I being picky? Nope. That's because this is a substantial part of the game that takes up a lot of time. It was almost like Rockstar thought this to be the gameplay's crowning achievement. So much so that they thought it adequate to trim away all the innovations introduced in GTA: SA.

    You're not going to care about the main character, or his brother, or any of the other characters in the game for that matter. You won't play this game again. If you haven't played GTA: IV, then don't. Move on to GTA: V, which corrected all the problems I noted above.    … Expand
  27. jb369
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    It puzzles me as to how some people have given this game any lower than a 10. This is undoubtedly the best game of this generation, and perhaps of all time.
    It took a tried and tested open world formula, applying a realistic story and creating one of the most detailed citys ever to appear in any game, let alone open world games. The characters are amazing, from the rastafarian Jacob, to    It puzzles me as to how some people have given this game any lower than a 10. This is undoubtedly the best game of this generation, and perhaps of all time.
    It took a tried and tested open world formula, applying a realistic story and creating one of the most detailed citys ever to appear in any game, let alone open world games. The characters are amazing, from the rastafarian Jacob, to the fumbling Roman.
    I'll agree that it was a risky move to break away from what made San Andreas so great, but it was a risk that payed off on so many levels.    … Expand
  28. DarkEnergon
    May 27, 2012
    10
    A solid 30 hour+ story mode with a compelling plot, diverse and interesting characters and a beautiful, well designed world, the vehicles handle well (with the exception of the ridiculously easy to fall off motorcycles) and the new cover-based action works perfectly and seems a natural evolution for the series. The online free roam mode is endless fun with friends (seriously, four years onA solid 30 hour+ story mode with a compelling plot, diverse and interesting characters and a beautiful, well designed world, the vehicles handle well (with the exception of the ridiculously easy to fall off motorcycles) and the new cover-based action works perfectly and seems a natural evolution for the series. The online free roam mode is endless fun with friends (seriously, four years on my friends and I are still playing this game). All that's left to do is to compare it to the previous instalment, San Andreas. And honestly, I'm not sure where I stand on this front. The gameplay is smoother and more workable than ever before. The story and characters more interesting. But the map is too generic when compared to the huge-scale, diverse behemoth that was San Andreas, and the upbeat, slightly comical elements of the gameplay and story are almost entirely obliterated in favour of a more moody, darker tone. Above all else, I like the main character, he has depth, which is a trait that no main character in the numerous previous titles possessed, he doesn't kill unnecessarily (well, not unless I make him) and when he does it is with remorse, unlike, say, CJ from San Andreas, who as I recall pushed someone into a hole and buried him under cement for no apparent reason, moments like that just made me sick. So yeah, A f*cking good game that's more than worthy of a buy (It's cheep as chips now too, so the least you can do is snag it for a few bucks in preparation for GTA V)… Expand
  29. 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.
  30. Javis
    Jun 4, 2013
    10
    After years of playing this kind of games, I finally play a wonderful game that gives so many freedom, so realistic, that makes the game very dangerous, but at the same time is so much fun. It is a big-smash to your face, or a shot, one of my favourite games, and one of the best I've played.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
98

Universal acclaim - based on 86 Critic Reviews

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