Grand Theft Auto 4

WHAT I LIKE

1. Beautiful lighting system breathes life into a world that feels very ‘alive.’ The different lighting schemes for different weather help to set dramatic moods and look amazing. That’s not to mention the truly awe-inspiring explosion effects in the game.

2.The new combat system, which includes lock-on targeting and a Gears-esque cover system, holds its own against other strict shooter games. It goes way beyond what one typically expects from a game with so much else going on, and is an incredible step for the series, making combat with a number of enemies not only possible, but really fun.

3. The main character, Niko Bellic, is incredibly likable. He has a deep backstory, clever dialog, and his voice acting is superb. You want him to succeed. In fact, almost all the characters in the game are very well acted and unique. While this has been standard for the past few GTA games, 4 steps it up even more, giving you many choices which will influence the way other characters will treat you. To become friends (or stay friends) with characters, you actually have to treat them like friends, by taking them out for drinks, bowling, or a number of other activities.

4. The level of detail in the game world and its mechanics is stunning. There is a huge amount of content that many people will probably never see, and more unique gameplay mechanics than ever – you can search out criminals by stealing a cop car and using their criminal database, you can watch TV in your apartment for hours, you can surf the in-game internet and get new cell phone ring-tones, or go to a dating site… the options are really stunning.

5. The new physics engine makes carnage feel quite brutal, and adds another level to an already very ‘alive’ city. Hitting someone with a car is almost painful to watch, and will leave realistic bloody marks across your hood. The citizens have a much more believable self-preservation AI, as well. During one intense police shootout, I noticed a civilian had taken cover behind a car I was about to steal. When I drove away, he looked genuinely shocked to lose his cover and ran away in fear.

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WHAT SUCKS
1. While the lighting system looks great during the day, at night the city loses a lot of its flavor, and the graphics no longer look next-gen at all. On a purely visual level, it barely looks better than San Andreas at night. The character/car/building models alone don’t cut it, and it is only with the beautiful lighting that they truly stand out.

2. The vehicle physics feel as if they are designed for more realistic (read: slower) driving, which takes a lot of getting used to. Gone are the days of speeding through the city with the pedal to the floor. If you want to make a tight turn in this game, you have to slow down pretty far, or you’re likely to spin out entirely. While I understand the desire for more realistic driving in such a down-to-earth world, I still hate it. This is a videogame, let me live my street-racing fantasies! For those frustrated by the driving, though, the new Taxi system helps. You just tell the driver where to go, and you can skip right there if you like, for a small fee.

3. For how animated the city is, barely any of the building can be entered. It is somewhat disappointing to have this incredible world on the outside, but almost no access to interiors. I would love to be able to get in an elevator (or stairs) in a really tall building, go up to the roof, and start sniping. Now I have to get a helicopter.

4. There is no good metal station. Liberty City HardCore is as close as it gets, but is terrible. San Andreas had a good hard rock station, why not 4?

5. The god damn game corrupted my save file after 32 hours of glorious play, crippling my progress and frustrating me to no end. One day in game, I simply found I had no more available missions, and none of my contacts would answer their phone. Bah.

IN CLOSING

Overall, this game is just amazing. Notice that most of my “negative” comments are followed by positives which negate them somewhat. Aside from getting screwed really badly by corrupt data, I really can’t complain about this game, as it is one of the most incredible experiences you will have playing a game to date. All the elements of the game work very well together, from the city to the characters to the story. You will have fun playing this game. With the American Dream as such a prevalent theme, this game is just that. Buy this game.