“Hey cousin, fancy going to a t**ty bar”

Rockstar and the GTA franchise brought us the first open world crime simulation and since the ye-old -days of the original birds-eye viewed game, the GTA franchise has only moved from strength to strength becoming known as the founders of the open world genre and masters of there art. With the leap shown by GTA 4 and up and coming open world games such as Red Dead Redemption, there is no doubt that the guy’s and girls over at Rockstar have no intention of slowing the franchise and this bad boy is more than adequate proof (Grand Theft Auto 4 Release date 29th April 2009).

Graphics and Presentation

Since the release of GTA 3 on the PS2 console there have been a whole host of open world games trying to walk in the shoes of the mighty Grand Theft Auto (Sanits row, True crimes and more) but GTA still hold the crown and may do so indefinitely. 

The presentation in this latest vesion is phenomenal and as usual the presentation starts way before you load up the games disc. The games booklet serves as a type of Liberty City (Liberty City is the fictional City in which the games story is told) sight seeing guide, listing points of interest including gun shops, burger joints, pub, clubs and strip bars.
Liberty City has had a hefty make over since its first 3D appearance in GTA 3 on the original Playstation2 Console.

This new rendition of the city looks beautiful with its appearance/atmosphere changing with every different time of day (morning, afternoon, evening and night) and also having all the details you would expect from a next generation GTA title. The trend for most PS3 games has so far been a display of 720p, in terms of HD output resolution, but I’m glad to say GTA 4 supports everything from 720p-1080p, allowing PS3 users to enjoy Grand theft Auto 4 at its max capacity.

GTA 4 is Packed to the nines with the little things, like heading back to your current apartment after a long day of completing story missions or after a day of frantic rampaging through liberty cities streets and at the end of it all, simply being able to kick back to Ricky Gervais or Kat Williams on the T.V. It’s a great experience one rarely had in a video game.

The GTA games have always had a well-selected cast and intricate story attached to the sex, drugs and ultra violence of the gameplay and again this latest iteration is no different. All the characters in the game are wonderfully envisioned and brought to life and the story will no doubt have you craving for another morsel at every twist and turn and by the end of this epic, you’ll definitely have a list of most loved and most loathed characters. The game is also packed with its usual assortment of radio stations from jazz to funk to hip-hop and even those funny radio talk shows from previous games.

Sound

Well there’s not really a bad word you can say about the games music. There’s so much here you’re more than likely to find something to suit your taste. The voice acting is even better, with some staggeringly good interpretations of various accents.

Gameplay

So… what can you do in GTA 4, gameplay wise? Well… the real question is what cant you do? The game, as always, is overflowing with things to do and see and every detail is beautifully represented in the games world.

The games story follows Niko Bellic and his cousin Roman, as they try to aspire to a better life in liberty city. Liberty City itself is “Huge!” and its many varied inhabitants make it feel like a living breathing world. I’ve spent so many hours roaming Liberty City and I always got the feeling that if I stood idol for too long, I’d miss something that could be happening around the next corner.

This is definitely one of the games major appeals; the fact that the world goes on with or without you is great. Crimes are committed and people waddle along muttering random thoughts or direct comments, carrying their cups of Superstar “bucks” café coffee. Things like driving around seeing cars break down and their drivers get out and pop the bonnet or seeing a crazy driver mow someone down and speed off, as concerned citizens rush to the sight of the incident is great, adding to the already immense level of immersion granted by the games graphics and atmosphere.

Cars have always been an integral part of the GTA series, mainly ‘robbing’ them and with GTA 4 this still holds true, the cars look great. Each vehicle has its own feel and handling mechanic, although some options have been limited this time around. The option to kit cars up and change their appearances seems to have been left with the likes of the PS2’s GTA: San Andréas. Combat has been dramatically improved too, giving Niko Bellic the ability to take cover in the game (Ala Uncharted) which has made a huge difference to the combat mechanic, changing it from the previous games hectic hullabaloo to a more precise, solid and methodical affair.

You’ll also be given the opportunity to surf the web from time to time. Yes, surf the web in the game! At times this is like a game in itself, checking out dating sites or liberty city car sites or just typing random things in to see what comes up. I spent a few hours on this myself and I must say it yielded some interesting results. On top of all that, for the first time ever in any GTA game, Rockstar have also added an online function to the plethora of many features and this in itself will have you hooked for hours at a time.

Aside from all the things I’ve currently mentioned thus far, a lot of GTA’s gameplay will depend solely on ‘you’ and the limits of your imagination. All of the tools are laid out for you to do with what you will; it’s just down to you to do them. For example, imagine strolling down trough a park at the crack of dawn, seeing joggers on their early morning run burning calories from last night’s burger shot special, when your suddenly accosted by some random thug with a five inch blade. In the struggle to disarm and restrain the thug, your pump action shotgun finds its way into the scuffle and you ‘accidentally’ blow his head back five Sundays. A passing patrol officer witnesses the ruckus and radios for back up. You panic and steal the nearest vehicle to hand, wheel spin, pulling off to the nearest express way, making a quick glance in your rear view and you notice a sea of red and blue lights on your tail as you evade and maneuver through traffic. You wipe the musky sweat dripping down your brow, when suddenly ‘Pow’, you plow into an LCPD squad car and flight through the windscreen of your freshly stolen vehicle. Your health’s low and options for escape are limited. Without hesitation you throw yourself over the roads barriers and plummet to the residing sea below. Two choppers hover above as you decide to make a swim for it and are swiftly gunned down by the LCPD. A totally viable event in the world of GTA, but also totally unscripted and unique. The world is your oyster when it comes to gameplay.

Grand Theft Auto 4 has so much to do and see in its game world that I could not possibly explain it all in this review, but am sure you’ve got an understanding of just how much is on offer in this gun tooting, car stealing beast of a game. As a good friend once told me “some things can not be told they must simply be experienced”. 

Closing Comments

GTA 4 is every thing you could have possibly imagined it to be, aside from maybe a few minor niggles. The game brings together great graphics, an intriguing story, great music, a tone of variation and a well rounded driving and combat mechanic. If theres anything bad to be said about the game or the franchise, it is that it continually brings such a high standard to the table.  With every new iteration, the expectations of gamers around the world sky rocket. If you are looking for an enjoyable and entertaining game, with some of the best graphics for a sandbox experience around, then look no further. Buy Grand Theft Auto 4 and don’t come back till you run that city.

Free Region Video Games : Beste PS3 Spiele, VideoSpiele, Spil, Juegos, βιντεο παιχνίδια

Simon Currie