Grand Theft Auto IV

Comment: I bought this product was not aware, as it was not advertised, that the game does not work in this country.
As i do not pocess a printer i was unable to print the labels you offered me to send it back for a refund.
Please in future can you advertise that certain games only work on certain systems.

Comment: This game has a very nice long and amazing storyline. The lovable characters especially the protagonist, Niko Bellic who came to America to live the "American Dream" it didn't workout so he became a hit man. If you don't play this you're missing out. This game is fun, great graphics and an excellent storyline.

Comment: Those looking for a revolution of the Grand Theft Auto tradition, GTAIV may not be quite for you. But for those that who crave the logical extension from GTAIII (Vice City and San Andreas included), this title is bound to satisfy. More guns, more cars, more areas, more missions, more items, more jumps and more polygons all mean more fun; and for the modern gamer, these now mean more choices, (but I'll explain those shortly).

Does all this content really qualify the "IV" of the title, (proudly stamped across advertisements like an ominous religious relic), or would a mere subtitle after GTAIII describe the game more accurately? Well, for the most part, the IV is warranted. We see a new playable character, a contemporary time setting, and a set of new interactions and dealings for the player to involve himself with. The level of detail has been upped dramatically, and the city is full of a minutia of content that really does worry players like me: "What am I missing, should I stop driving here, and what can I do at this place?" These are the questions that constantly challenge my sense of direction. The distractibility of the city is phenomenal. It is a study in level-design intricacy, as well as a phenomenal example of virtual town-planning.

The missions take a "choose-your-own-adventure" style structure in that certain jobs are optional, impact on future events, and often ask the player to choose a particular story-branch. Sadly, some missions are painfully trivial, and can force the player into virtual dates, nights-out drinking or at a vaudevillian show (the latter being the most impressive). As to how your choices affect the end result is a mystery to this player, but the idea that the game may have to be played through multiple times is a staggering thought. The replay potential may be through the roof.

Camera control is an issue for me - the price of such a living, breathing world seems to be questionable collision detection and a spasmodic, inconsistent camera. "Fishin' Lakitu" would be quite disappointed I'm sure. But new to this iteration is the physics engine that gives not only the inanimate objects a respectable realism, but also for the carbon-based biped population (people) of Liberty City. Tossing a grenade into a traffic jam has the convincing effect of what it may do in real life (although this writer has yet to make any bench-tests on this occurrence, I suspect Rockstar have made suitable inquiries) - metal and flesh will rain upon the pavement alike.

Furthermore, arming yourself with a truly devastating selection of assault paraphernalia has never been more satisfying in the series than in IV. The current trend to portray a line-of-sight from behind the protagonists shoulder (3rd-person view) finds it's way into IV, and a street battle with the (strangely psychotic) LCPD feels like something from a certain Michael Mann film, (or more respectfully to this author, the battle scenes of "Dr. Strangelove"). While the aiming system is certainly improved, it has not yet reached the standards of the other staple over-the-shoulder shooters. Arguably, this is not the focus of the game, but rather a sub-scheme of the games control. That is true, but I found myself having to reacclimatise myself to merely holding the left-trigger half-way down to "free-aim". Holding it down completely engages an auto lock-on scheme which admittedly, is quite handing for those far-off targets.

The "Auto" of the title certainly makes sense in IV. We have a smorgasbord of four-wheeled machines, not to mention more novelty rides than you would ever care to bother to program (amazingly, Rockstar did). Gratefully, each model has its own feel and nature. Plucking a car from Liberty City's inexhaustible vine is like a lucky dip of larceny. Chryslers, Fords, Toyotas, Nissans are all absent. Yet eerily reminiscent simulacrums populate the heavily worn roads of Liberty City. That's right - auto companies are not represented in this game. I guess the licensing is either too complicated, or the prestigious mobile makers have an aversion to seeing their products involved in manslaughter on a mega-scale. So be it.

Nevertheless, the game has so much to offer that any of these side issues are really quite negligible. GTAIV is a breath-taking accomplishment, and at least a great, playful and dramatic video game experience. Weather effects, musicality, real-time events and character interactions (some just plain bizarre) all hold the game on course. Certainly, the game poses all sorts of moral issues at the player, and it is often staggering how easy it is to slip into the lifestyle of a true sociopath scumbag. It's funny that the immigrant (Niko) alleviates his culture shock with such barbaric and criminal impulses, but it's even more staggering that this is vital to his assimilation.

Comment: This game is almost perfect. Love the story, love the concept, the characters, all of that is 5/5.

Negatives :

1) No planes
2) City feels a little claustrophobic, much smaller than San Andreas
3) Almost no replay value
4) No "extras" like Ambulance missions, Fire truck missions, taxicab or aircraft missions. At the end of the game all you can do is steal cars, or be a vigilante cop.
5) Driving physics are a little stupid. Feels like all car tires are greased with lard. Doing good drifts is almost impossible. Some cars turn like pigs.
6) The camera angles are stupid. Some cars you are expected to drive, and all you can see is the back bumper, can't see in front of the car to avoid a crash.

Overall 4/5, they came pretty close.

-D

Comment: Grand Theft Auto IV thrusts the player into a world created by the people at Rockstar. A world that is completely original and full of wild and kooky characters, and yet it is a world that feels very familiar and not artificial like many other games feel.

As in the other games in the GTA series, you can run around in sandbox-style play and do basically "whatever the hell you want". The games environments are beautiful, there is a large assortment of cars, trucks, helicopters, and other vehicles, and lots of comedy. However, while environments look amazing, character models look pretty rough at times. Facial expressions are very good though, showing emotion and telling a whole story in themselves.

There are the few graphical glitches and bugs, but for the most part, the game runs extremely well. There is little to no texture pop-in, lag, screen tearing, etc.

My only gripe with the game is that there is nowhere near as much character customizing as there was in San Andreas.

Definitely my new favorite game.