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. 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
  2. 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
  3. RC
    Apr 29, 2008
    6
    It's overrated, just like the older ones.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. TomJ.
    Apr 30, 2008
    6
    Same old game with new graphics. Not worthy of all the hype.
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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!
  10. 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.
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. LugoP.
    May 7, 2008
    6
    I have loved some of the other GTA's. This one just feels more of the same. However, it just feels like there is more sleaze in the game. It feels like they stepped back from San Andreas with a lot of the game but they stepped forward with more of the filth. I'm surprised that there are so many people that "love" this game. I give it a 4 for single player (yes, I know, a bit I have loved some of the other GTA's. This one just feels more of the same. However, it just feels like there is more sleaze in the game. It feels like they stepped back from San Andreas with a lot of the game but they stepped forward with more of the filth. I'm surprised that there are so many people that "love" this game. I give it a 4 for single player (yes, I know, a bit steep) because it just feels like a step back. Multiplayer is quite fun but it gets old fast. I give it an 8. The avg score is a 6. I've already left this game for some of my other favorites.… Expand
  14. PeterHamilton
    Jul 25, 2008
    6
    Here's what I LOVED about VC- radio controlled stuff, Lance Vance- that **** was funny, the soundtrack, helicopter missions, motorbike missions, Lovefist, all manner of retarded missions and side missions, the motorcycle gang race, the feeling when you finally get the mansion.But, most of all, the HUMOUR. SA- bmx, mountain bike missions, the jet pack, the feeling you were on a missionHere's what I LOVED about VC- radio controlled stuff, Lance Vance- that **** was funny, the soundtrack, helicopter missions, motorbike missions, Lovefist, all manner of retarded missions and side missions, the motorcycle gang race, the feeling when you finally get the mansion.But, most of all, the HUMOUR. SA- bmx, mountain bike missions, the jet pack, the feeling you were on a mission with freinds, the forest town of Pine Falls, the country music channel, the flying, that annoying rapper who worked at Cluckin Bell, even thinking back on all this makes me laugh. I played both games 4 times through. Sadly, GTA4 has none of the FUN- it is just mission after mission of shooting people for employers you don't care about. The city is claustrophobic, Niko is a depressing psycho, the radio is awful, the side missions are drive rubbish car and shoot, and the motorbikes are not worth riding. What happened to the fun? What happened to the characters? The humour? nice graphics, pity about the 'game'. It's like playing an endless game of 'snap', just with fancy looking cards. Rockstar- could do better.… Expand
  15. DragovicDemitie
    Jul 8, 2008
    6
    i give gta iv a 6 becasue anything higher would just be because of it's reputation. think about it, no push bike, can't fly a jet, can't fly a jumbo jet Can't, Can't get a parachute. I mean what the fuck are we doing here. you might have gone back and made the graphics better on gta3 and made the graphic's better. Holy fuck, You cheap gta designers. youi give gta iv a 6 becasue anything higher would just be because of it's reputation. think about it, no push bike, can't fly a jet, can't fly a jumbo jet Can't, Can't get a parachute. I mean what the fuck are we doing here. you might have gone back and made the graphics better on gta3 and made the graphic's better. Holy fuck, You cheap gta designers. you screwed the series up with this game didn't you. but i give the graphics a ten. now that we had a look at cars. well it's cool you go threw the winsheild when you hit something hard enough, thats cool im down with that.it's cool how you can strip the rubber of the tyre that it goes to the rim. thats all good. but every mission you do your driving, i mean jesus christ i drive everywhere! My second point of problems is that when you get on a car and it goes 3mph it's like you break your leg!! and your laying there on the bonnet with your" leg Broken" and you still geting hurt and the car is still going 3mph and your left there saying wtf??? Also when your running away from the police and you get hit by a car that was going 5 mph, you just sit there waiting for the ketle water to boil for a cup coffee. Because tapping a dont work and he is like a girl. he can't do any karate moves, if a sniper could shoot 160 miles away from a target. It wont Matter!! cause they still know who you are when your over 2 miles from the target i mean common!!! Wake up to ur self designers. i think they would hav been better off if they did another san andreas instead of another gta 3 cause this one Is Crap, Is not worth it's reputation. You can't hook up and have a truck hook up to other trailers. thats what i wanted it to have but no they put these other shitty trucks which are good but where's the road trains??!?!?!? and why has the police helicopter have no aimer to shoot people and cars? if you love gta san andreas this is just gta 3 just with better graphics.WTF you can't swim under water, you can't increase the brakes, cause they an't worth anything i stop better with the handbrake than with the frount brakes. oh yea you can't loose the cops with six stars!!! So what is the point with all the fun you used to have running away with six stars and hoping you could survive, Now you have no chance.but dont get me wrong i think that it could have gone futher and it had potentional. i Point this as a real screw up (aplause) nice work rockstar, nice work. Designers did a 10 on graphics but think about buying this game before you do. this game has a repuation way over thier head, Becareful… Expand
  16. 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.    … Expand
  17. JakeC.
    May 11, 2008
    6
    In terms of actual gameplay elements and innovation id say this is more like grand theft auto 3.2! A little bit more environment to explore and a few fixes and additions here & there. Combat is awful as Nico never moves properly and far too many enemies get far too many free hits on you before youve even got a chance to react, take cover or do anything other than get drilled till you end In terms of actual gameplay elements and innovation id say this is more like grand theft auto 3.2! A little bit more environment to explore and a few fixes and additions here & there. Combat is awful as Nico never moves properly and far too many enemies get far too many free hits on you before youve even got a chance to react, take cover or do anything other than get drilled till you end up outside a hospital $100 poorer. Proof that hype covers all flaws a milion times better than "soft focus"!… Expand
  18. ThomasR.
    May 10, 2008
    6
    The developers wrote a fairly decent story, but forgot to make a fun game in the process. Pretty much every element of this game is fundamentally flawed, and I'll be surprised if I actually end up finishing it.
  19. BrentonC.
    May 18, 2008
    6
    It's a good game, just its missing that extra "edge" that San Andreas had. It feels like GTA 3 on steroids. There is just something missing that is drawing me away from the game. The storyline is okay, but not excellent. It is an average game with moderate graphics. I reccomend a rental, and if you like it, buy it. If you don't like it, wait for Saints Row 2 coming out in August 26.
  20. AmbE
    May 27, 2008
    6
    Just another GTA game. Fun for a while, but quickly grows repetitive and boring.
  21. KauriK.
    May 28, 2008
    6
    Extremely overrated. Too much clintches, gameplay far to easy and requires no skills at all. Visually seems ok, but must say, Xbox version seems more like Beta test version for the PC version. To compare critics reviews with user reviews, then it looks like all the max points from reviewers are coming because of advertising money (we all know that in Gamespot it's this way).
  22. JakeSanford
    May 30, 2008
    6
    Three steps forward, six steps back. Its too bad the steps taken backwards of course, are the best things about previous Grand Theft Autos. I speak of course for the story, gameplay, weapons, vehicles, missions, and all around scale of the previous games. GTAIV though, seems to take a giant leap backwards in each of these categories. All in all GTAIV amounts to nothing more than an updateThree steps forward, six steps back. Its too bad the steps taken backwards of course, are the best things about previous Grand Theft Autos. I speak of course for the story, gameplay, weapons, vehicles, missions, and all around scale of the previous games. GTAIV though, seems to take a giant leap backwards in each of these categories. All in all GTAIV amounts to nothing more than an update in graphics, physics, and comedy. If your looking for a sequel to GTA3, this is it. If you want something larger in scale compared to San Andreas, you will not like this installment of the series.
    6/10    … Expand
  23. AnonymousMC
    Jun 6, 2008
    6
    This isn't a bad game but it definately isn't the holy grail of gaming that all the critics are making it out to be. How can you give a game 100% when there are serious camera issues, control issues (especially during combat) and repetiiveness issues. The problem is GTA4 doesnt have the same impact that GTA3 had all that time ago when it was something new and not done before.This isn't a bad game but it definately isn't the holy grail of gaming that all the critics are making it out to be. How can you give a game 100% when there are serious camera issues, control issues (especially during combat) and repetiiveness issues. The problem is GTA4 doesnt have the same impact that GTA3 had all that time ago when it was something new and not done before. Here it just feels the same old same old with better graphics. Also Liberty City is way less interactive and interesting than some are making it out to be. This has made me rethink my buying choices based on critics reviews - if a game gets numerous 100% I expect it to be perfect - quite simply - this isn't.… Expand
  24. EstebanF
    Jul 8, 2008
    6
    In just 2 simple words: EXTREMELY OVERRATED.
  25. KevinRickett
    Aug 12, 2008
    6
    Eh... It's pretty good... for about the first 2 hours but then it starts to get repetitive and boring. This game makes me realize how much fun San Andreas was compared to this. The multiplayer is ok to play with friends but there are some games that just don't need a deathmatch or team deathmatch or racing multiplayer modes and this is one of those games. The only multiplayerEh... It's pretty good... for about the first 2 hours but then it starts to get repetitive and boring. This game makes me realize how much fun San Andreas was compared to this. The multiplayer is ok to play with friends but there are some games that just don't need a deathmatch or team deathmatch or racing multiplayer modes and this is one of those games. The only multiplayer mode that this game really needed was co-op, nothing else. Overall, the game is ok but it could've done a whole lot better.… Expand
  26. RV
    Aug 18, 2008
    6
    Gets to feel like a chore at times, doesn't let you unwind and enjoy the environment, controls are stilted outside of the driving.
  27. BrettD.
    Aug 18, 2008
    6
    This game took away a lot of the features that made the series good. It is a mediocre title at best and should not have recieved the critical acclaim that it has.
  28. Andrew
    Sep 3, 2008
    6
    The most over-rated, repetitive , over-hyped, boring game i've bought. I tried, dearly tried to force myself to finish the game but the controls suck, gameplay sucks, and it's nothing new. Game reviewers need to stop rating for hype and what people want to hear. I'd give it nothing more than a 6-7. Average mediocre game. Nothing special.
  29. JonW
    Sep 7, 2008
    6
    It is a pretty average game does nothing much new and when driving the camera takes ages to catch up with you on corners.
  30. 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
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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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