Part of the appeal of this entry has to be the graphics, which, for the first time ever, don't completely suck. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this is a spectacular looking game. No, it's not as detailed as Gears of War, Call of Duty 4 or BioShock, but considering the scope of this world I don't see how you could fault them for it. It's clear that Rockstar Games had to cut a few corners to make everything work, just like they've done ever since Grand Theft Auto III back in 2001. There are a number of glitches and imperfections (background pop-up, disappearing cars, etc.) that seem to dog this franchise no matter what system you program them for. Thankfully none of these issues impact the overall enjoyment of the experience, but it is funny to see some of these problems still rearing their ugly head seven years later (on new hardware).
But in my excitement to talk about the story, the city, the improved controls and the greatness that is Niko, I have forgotten to mention one of the most substantial additions to Grand Theft Auto IV. It's this improvement that takes this game from merely a 50 hour experience and turns it into something you'll spend hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours playing. It would have been easy for Rockstar Games to take the easy way out and give us only a few different game modes, all of which are half-baked and pointless. But that's not what they did here; they turned Grand Theft Auto into an online experience that feels like no other game on the Xbox 360. This isn't just another online third-person shooter, the addition of cars, people, cops, huge buildings and helicopters make it all magic. It's not as streamlined as Call of Duty 4, but it's one of the best online multiplayer games you will play this year.
Believe it or not, this game comes pre-loaded with 15 different online modes, including everything from free-for-all shooting to races. At their best these modes are extremely rewarding and exciting, even if you'll sometimes complain about cheap deaths and bad starting locations. A lot of the game modes require teamwork, especially when it comes to play cops versus robbers and things like that. Even something as simple as an online race can turn into all out warfare with the addition of guns and grenades. What could have felt like a watered down Midnight Club sequel is given a unique twist that makes you like it even more. On top of that, you will be collecting money for every person you kill and race you win, and as that money adds up it will level your character up and allow you to customize your character even more. It's not nearly as deep as the Call of Duty 4 system, but it's not bad for being something tacked on to a 50 hour video game.
Grand Theft Auto IV is an event. It's like that major blockbuster movie that you absolutely must read or that TV show that everybody keeps talking about. I don't think it's too much to say that this is the game that Rockstar Games will be remembered for years from now. It's a massive game full of great locations, a fantastic story, a ton of online modes and one of the greatest video game characters of all time. Even if you're not the kind of person that normally likes these Grand Theft Auto games, I have a hunch that once you meet Niko Bellic you're going to fall in love. After putting dozens of hours into this game, I have no problem calling this game an absolute masterpiece, easily one of the greatest action games of all time.
A+
It's easy to talk about how amazing Liberty City is in Rockstar Games' newest action game, Grand Theft Auto IV. But this time around the city isn't the real star; instead that part goes to Niko Bellic, one of the greatest video game characters of all time. This is an event game, the kind of thing you simply need to own ... even if you don't consider yourself a Grand Theft Auto fan.
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