Grand Theft Auto IV Review - Xbox 360

For a long time, gamers and critics alike have debated the age-old question: Are video games art? In 2007, many of those discussions were put to rest with the release of epic games like Bioshock and Mass Effect. But the arrival of the once delayed, next-gen Grand Theft Auto game should end the debate. If you’ve seen my score already, then you know what I’m going to say, but here it goes anyway: Grand Theft Auto IV is the masterpiece of this gaming generation.

Before GTA became this big, however, the violent franchise was still finding its own, trying to survive the jump between 2-D and 3-D. The original GTA was exclusively played from a top-down perspective, encouraging players to steal cars, run from the police, and take out criminals. When that concept was dropped into a fully fleshed out world in GTA III, Liberty City made its first appearance in 3-D. It was the first open world (any game where you can explore and complete missions in a non-linear manner) and one of the biggest breakthroughs in gaming history. In the mainstream press, Rockstar and its franchise became synonymous with controversy when a modder was able to “unlock” a sexually explicit scene in GTA: San Andreas dubbed “Hot Coffee.” Now, years after the incident, Rockstar has recovered brilliantly and recreated Liberty City into a living, breathing satire of New York City.

 

While GTA III stars a character with no personality or dialogue, GTA IV features a fully fleshed out, non-traditional character named Niko Bellic. The opening sequence (which is one of the coolest openings in any movie or video game) shows Niko sailing in on a ship from his home in Eastern Europe to meet his cousin Roman. His cousin convinces Niko to come to America, telling Niko that he is living the American dream. Of course, Roman is overstating things a bit. As soon as Niko lands in America, however, you can begin exploring the most realistic virtual city to date.

As soon you take control of Niko, however, you discover that this game isn’t anything like San Andreas. The scope of the world has been tightened and narrowed to depict a very detailed city. Just driving down the road, there are many changes. For one, the roads are now sculpted and feature undulations. If you are driving in a poorer neighborhood, you’ll feel the pot-holes that you driver over; or if you’re down by the harbor, you’ll notice severe slope of the road; or if you’re in a historical area, you’ll feel the cobblestone vibrate under your car. Of course, in Rockstar fashion, the whole city is not open at once. The other boroughs are closed because of a terrorist attack (the game is set in present day), but become unlocked as you play through.

The detail of the buildings is also unbelievable. While in previous games, especially San Andreas, Rockstar used many of the same textures to depict buildings. But not here. Rarely have I seen a building duplicated anywhere. Nearly every building is unique and features a distinguishing feature, whether you’re looking at a crummy convenience store on the corner or a penthouse in Algonquin (the GTA version of Manhattan).

 

The draw instance is also better than ever. Considering the level of detail that is in the game, it’s hard to believe that Rockstar could create a game world that is persistent without loading times. Depending on the weather, it’s possible to see the expanse of Liberty City completely from atop a high building or riding in a helicopter.

The visual effects from the weather are also unique to this game. On a clear day, if you’re looking out over the harbor towards Algonquin, the building will appear slightly hazy, and of course the area around you will be very sharp. It’s a subtle effect, but one that really drives home the realism exhibited in this game. When it rains, you see and feel the wetness covering the roads. If you’re driving, you’ll spin out easier. If you’re walking, you can hear the slosh in Niko’s shoes and if you stop, he’ll shake the water off of his arms. Other people will be walking with umbrellas or running through the rain, covering the heads.

Similarly, in daytime, the detail of the people of the city makes this Liberty City feel unbelievably alive. In my first 10 minutes, I explored the harbor next to Niko’s safehouse in which I bumped into a guy carrying a coffee cup from The Bean Machine and he dropped and then cursed me out, saw a lady taking pictures of the harbor, and passed a guy sitting on a bench reading a book. What makes it cool, however, is that nearly everyone is doing something. If you drive by the docks in the morning, you’ll pass workers out running around. If you pass a construction site, you’ll see hard hats doing work under a guy who is directing them. The character animations are very impressive and convey some of the most realistic movements ever in a next-gen game.

 

One of the sorest spots in the GTA franchise has been the controls. But, you needn’t fear. The gun controls and aiming have been given a Gears of War makeover of sorts, and now you fire from an over-the-shoulder perspective and take cover against objects. You fire pulling the right trigger and lock-on with the left trigger. If you want to just free-aim, only pull the left trigger halfway. It’s intuitive, fun, and it works.

The driving mechanics are the smoothest and best I’ve ever played in any game, and the car feels like it’s actually built of different, moving parts. When you wreck (this is Grand Theft Auto) the damage is modeled more realistically than ever. If you wreck enough, and this has happened to me many times, the car will eventually just give up and Niko will say “Come on, start. Start!” Similarly, you can hear an engine sputtering if it has been beat up badly.

And that brings to one of my favorite aspects of GTA IV: the sound. Like all GTA games, you have access to many different radio stations. Rockstar spent two years putting together these stations and their music, which feature everything from classic rock, to techno, to laid-back jazz. There are also talk shows (Lazlow makes a return!) and one called LPR is a parody of NPR.

But Rockstar went beyond radio this time: you can watch TV. Yes, you can sit in a your room playing GTA on a TV, watching Niko sit in his room watching TV (mind blown). The shows are hilarious, like the political parody cartoon Republican Space Rangers or the historical documentary of Liberty City, and offer tons of content. If you get bored of watching TV, you can now go to a comedy club and watch Ricky Gervais or Katt Williams do standup. The satire that pervades the radio, TV, and billboards is even more hilarious and smart than in the past. Since the game is set in present day, the parodies subtlety poke fun towards American politics and culture.

Beyond all of these other breakthroughs, however, Rockstar is truly innovating in storytelling. The hundreds of voice talent in this game appear in cut scenes and regular dialogue. While I am not a big fan of cut scenes interrupting the flow of my game, Rockstar has smoothly integrated these scenes with the best writing I have ever seen in a video game. For those scared Rockstar would lose its sense of humor while going hard edge like the Godfather, have no fear - this is the funniest GTA to date.

The character of Niko is my favorite part of the game, however. He is incredibly sympathetic and exhibits a complexity that has never been a part of the franchise. The protagonist is no longer the Scarface character we’ve grown accustomed to. Niko Bellic has many motivations for doing what he does, and the game slowly reveals his complex past.

One of the pastimes of GTA games is to run from the police. That has been given a makeover as well. Now, depending on your wanted level, the radar will draw a glowing circle. For one star, the circle is small, but if you have say 4 stars, the circle will grow greatly. If you can escape the circle, your wanted level will go away. With this mechanic, escaping the police feels much more like a chase and it gives you a parameter to reach.

 

This time the missions you get from various characters are all fully integrated into one another. No more going to so-and-so for this mission and feeling like it is a story thread unconnected to the rest. The characters you interact with and get missions from all have relevance to one another. Not only that, but because the interface is now tied to the cell-phone, you stay in touch with them all the time. If a character calls for you to go out and play darts, and you turned him down last time, you might want to accept this time, to maintain your relationship. Those relationships will matter eventually. Similarly, your girlfriends have relevance on your relationships with other characters. Ultimately, it all ties into a web of different characters that you get to know and eventually care about. It makes Liberty City the most realistic virtual reality I’ve ever played.

GTA IV is the most fun I’ve ever had playing a game. From the mission variety to the spot-on satire that exists everywhere you look, GTA IV will pull you in and give you the best game experience of your life. After leaving Ricky Gervais’ standup routine, driving down a pot-holed laden street, and swerving to avoid a guy opening his trunk, I forgot for an instant that this wasn’t real.

Gameplay: 10
The controls have been totally revamped and now shooting is actually fun! Driving also feels more realistic than ever.

Graphics: 10
It blows my mind that a game could look this good and cover so much virtual territory. The details on any given street are painstakingly rendered.

Sound: 10
From the endless music and radio shows to the sound of your engine chugging along after a serious wreck, you’ll be wishing you had that 5.1 surround sound.

Difficulty: Medium
Some of the missions require a retry. But after failing a mission, you’ll get a text offering a replay. Simple as that.

Concept: 10
The story of GTA IV is phenomenal and feels like a Martin Scorsese film. The character of Niko alone is a leap in immersive storytelling.

Multiplayer: 10
Multiplayer is not a requirement for GTA in my book, but Rockstar pulled no punches. A fully fleshed-out multiplayer experience, from simple Death Match to the always fun and unpredictable Cops N’ Crooks, can be accessed from your cell-phone at any time. The matches can take place over all of Liberty City.

Overall: 10
GTA IV seamlessly integrates open-world exploration and character-driven storytelling, unlike any other game to date. Liberty City is now a living, breathing work of art that is ready for you to explore.