Grand Theft Auto IV
GTA IV, GTA 4
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Action, TPP, cars, gangster, sandbox, TPS, co-op, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet, LAN
OpenCritic
Steam
The fourth installment in a best-selling action game franchise. The title was developed by Rockstar North Studios under the supervision of Chris Sawyer. The protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV is Niko Bellic, an immigrant from Eastern Europe who recently came to America, where he starts a career in the criminal underground.
Grand Theft Auto IV for PC, PS3 and X360 is an action game, which is the next installment of the best-selling and at the same time very controversial series, whose roots go back to 1997. This title was created in the tenth anniversary of the series, which traditionally tells stories of individual criminals, who start just as errand boys and guys who do the dirty work, but then climb higher and higher in the rank of the criminal world.
The game’s script was written by Dan Houser, who also worked on Canis Canem Edit (a.k.a. Bully), Manhunt and The Warriors, and of course put his hand to most of the previous GTA games. The plot revolves around a foreigner called Niko Bellic. Influenced by letters received from his cousin the protagonist decides to leave the Eastern Europe and comes to the United States. Unfortunately, the reality he faces is far from the one described in the e-mails. Roman had evidently lied about having two wives, a sizable collection of cars, and several-digit sum of money on his bank account. Moreover, it turns out that the unruly relative constantly gets into some new troubles, and his life is not so colorful.
The first jobs are given by Roman who slowly introduces the protagonist to the local criminal network. Of course, as you successively perform the missions, the list of potential employers increases. You can contact them both personally or via mobile phone (it is also used to launch the multiplayer mode). It is noteworthy that the story develops depending on your decisions and the order in which you do the missions. This allows the player to influence the current situation as well as creates a level of replayability.
While performing a specific mission you must travel across a maze of streets to reach the destination marked on the city map. You can cover that distance by walking, taking a famous yellow cab, or drive an acquired (read: stolen) vehicle, among which there are motorcycles, trucks, or cars. As always, while driving you can listen to a radio station of your choice playing licensed songs. One of the radio DJs is Lazlow, known from the previous installments of the series. When you reach the destination, you often have to deal with numerous opponents – to do this you can use the available weapons (including pistols and various types of rifles).
Grand Theft Auto IV for PC, PS3 and X360 is set in Liberty City, which heavily resembles New York and even has buildings typical for that metropolis (including the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and Empire State Building). The world was divided into five districts: Broker (Brooklyn), Algonquin (Manhattan), Dukes (Queens), Bohan (Bronx), and Alderney (New Jersey). The game’s environment is entirely urbanized. An extensive network of roads and the modern architecture, presented in a very realistic way, promote continuous exploration.
In order to prepare the richly detailed artwork the developers used RAGE technology (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine). Owing to this engine you can admire the amazing shading, reflections of light, smoke mixing with the air, and well-polished animations of characters, who walk around a hole in a sidewalk, carry shopping bags, or sit on benches. What is also impressive are sunrises and sunsets, which dramatically affect the appearance and color of the otherwise gray city.
Last updated on August 14, 2015
Last Update: June 6, 2008
Grand Theft Auto IV Game Guide
Detailed walkthrough, main quests, side-quests, achievements, hints and tips.
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GamesRadar+: 5 / 5 by Mikel Reparaz
To say there's a lot to uncover in Grand Theft Auto IV is a gross understatement. There's an absolutely phenomenal amount of stuff in here, and even after you finish the story mode (which involves 90-plus missions and took us close to 40 hours, in a week spent doing almost nothing except playing the game), there's enough here to keep you occupied for months. Hell, even Niko's cell-phone is completely customizable with new themes and ringtones, and there's a ton of weird, silly things hidden on the in-game internet that many players will probably never even read. Frankly, the thing is a ridiculous value for the price; it's easily the most ambitious game ever attempted, and that it came through with only a few notable flaws is outstanding.
GameSpot: 10 / 10 by Justin Calvert
A superb single-player story mode and online support for up to 16 players make this the best Grand Theft Auto game yet.
TrustedReviews: 4.5 / 5 by Stuart Andrews
GTAIV shows the pretenders how it should be done, with an incredibly rich world, strong characters, great technology and a truly compelling story. Provided you can handle its skewed morality, it’s the year’s most essential video game.
The main pros of the game
- Compelling Storyline: Many users praised the game's narrative, highlighting it as one of the best in the Grand Theft Auto series. The character development, particularly of Niko Bellic, was noted as a strong point.
- Atmosphere and Setting: The depiction of Liberty City was described as immersive and alive, contributing to the game's overall atmosphere.
- Physics and Gameplay Mechanics: The game's physics engine received commendation for being advanced for its time, enhancing the driving and overall gameplay experience.
- Diverse Activities: Players appreciated the variety of side missions and activities available, adding depth to the gameplay.
- DLC Content: The inclusion of expansions like "The Lost and Damned" and "The Ballad of Gay Tony" was seen as a positive, providing additional content and experiences.
The main cons of the game
- Poor PC Port: A significant number of users reported that the PC version is poorly optimized, leading to frequent crashes, stuttering, and low frame rates.
- Bugs and Glitches: Many players encountered game-breaking bugs, particularly in critical missions, which detracted from the overall experience.
- Frustrating Controls: Some reviews mentioned that the controls, especially for driving and combat, felt awkward and sluggish.
- Mandatory Rockstar Launcher: Users expressed frustration with the requirement to use the Rockstar launcher, which they found unreliable and cumbersome.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Improved Optimization: Many players felt the game needed better optimization for modern hardware to run smoothly without requiring extensive modding.
- More Checkpoints: The lack of checkpoints within missions was mentioned as a frustrating aspect, making it challenging to progress without repeating difficult sections.
- Enhanced Music Variety: Some users noted that the radio and music selection felt limited compared to previous titles in the series.
- Expanded Money Use: Players expressed a desire for more ways to spend money in the game, such as purchasing properties or vehicles, which were lacking.
Summary
- Overall, while "Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition" is recognized for its strong narrative and engaging gameplay, the technical issues and poor optimization on PC significantly hinder the experience for many players.
Summary generated on:
GAMERS Score
Average score from 39365 votes. 7287 players anticipated the game.
16
GAMES
in Grand Theft Auto Game Series
Game Series
Grand Theft Auto Series
A series of open-world action games, considered one of the most profitable and at the same time controversial in the history of the industry. The fathers of the Grand Theft Auto series are David Jones and Mike Dailly and the DMA Design studio. The publishing rights to the franchise are owned by Take-Two Interactive, and its development is handled by Rockstar Games.
16 video games
Grand Theft Auto IV Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows December 2, 2008
PlayStation 3 April 29, 2008
Xbox 360 April 29, 2008
Developer: Rockstar Games
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto IV System Requirements
PC / Windows
Recommended: Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM, graphic card 512 MB (GeForce 8600 or better), 18 GB HDD, Windows XP/Vista
Xbox 360
Supports: Xbox Live
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