Video Games : Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)

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For Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't.

Beginning with the 1997 release of the original Grand Theft Auto, the GTA series has been one of the most prolific, controversial and down right entertaining franchises in video games history. This pedigree of success guarantees that the highly anticipated eleventh game in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, will garner at least as much attention if not more.

Return to Liberty City.

The dream as Niko expected it. View larger.

There's always a catch. View larger.

But some skills are international. View larger.

The Plot
Grand Theft Auto IV is a brand new adventure in the GTA universe following the experiences of Nikolai "Niko" Bellic, a new immigrant from an undisclosed eastern European country whose troubled pa st and the persuasion of his cousin Roman have brought him to the fictional Liberty City. Unfortunately, Niko's search for the American Dream and a much needed fresh start, hits an immediate snag when the rags to riches story Roman spun to pique Niko's interest is exposed as not only a complete fabrication, but a ploy to enlist Niko's well-known skills as a tough guy against the ample list of enemies clamouring for Roman's debt-ridden blood.

Because Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City he begrudgingly accepts his role as Roman's protector despite the deception. But as time goes on Niko comes into his own, and his experience on the wrong side of the tracks proves more valuable than he could have ever imagined as he fights for survival and later supremacy on the crime ridden streets of Liberty City.

Game Environments
Based on several of the boroughs of New York City and parts of New Jersey, Liberty City, familiar to players of previous games in the series, has been entirely redesigned for GTA IV. Players can expect visible detail down to the weeds growing in the cracks in the sidewalk, cars and buildings of visibly different ages and a much greater level if verticality in the buildings and bridges that they are able to explore as Niko moves through the city streets. In addition, pedestrians in GTA IV are much more realistic. No longer simply moving cardboard cut-outs, these NPCs are intelligent, modern, human representations that laugh, cry, eat, drink, use cell phones and ATMs, and talking amongst themselves regardless of Niko's interaction with them.

Gameplay
Historically GTA games have focused heavily on mission-based play, requiring successful completion of fixed tasks in order for players to progress through the game, but this has changed to a great extent in GTA IV. Players will experience an entirely new and exciting emphasis centred on the blending of on-mission and off-mission play, resulting not only in an increased sense of realism, but more interesting and unrestricted gameplay.

Features
Aside from the car jacking and a detailed city environment here are the new features for GTA IV:

• Improved combat system - Now you can use cover and also a target lock system, which allows you to take out targets with greater ease and accuracy. Plus, you can engage in some hand-to-hand combat if you can't get your hands on a piece quick enough.
• Cell phone - Not just for basic phone calls anymore. Use your in-game cell phone to receive missions via SMS, snap photos, and ZiT (tag) songs that can be downloaded exclusively on Amazon.com/mp3.
• Free time - In between missions you can take advantage of "me" time. There are gentleman's clubs, comedy clubs, bowling alleys, and bars, which all house unique activities.
• Take a break from the storyline - A variety of side missions allow you to help run a car service, "borrow" cop cars, assassinate targets, help solve problems for those on the street, or take to the air with stunt jumps that are scattered all over the city.
• Control your own fate - Throughout the game choice moments will arrive causing you to make a decision that will affect relationships and money.

Multiplayer
Give Niko a rest and create your own multiplayer "hero." GTA has added multiplayer modes allowing you to take your creation out to play online in competitive, co-op, and free form modes. Competitive mode has you fighting against the cops, jacking cars, or racing to finish odd jobs. Co-op challenges you and your friends with various tasks including Hangman's NOOSE where you are responsible for escorting a wanted kingpin to a safe extraction point. Freeform lets you and 15 others lose on Liberty City. Use this mode to hit up the bar and play virtual darts versus each other or head out to the streets and set up your own drag races. If you can dream it, you can do it in Freeform mode.

Average Rating:

Rating: - A Masterpiece, so why am i disappointed
Many reviews have highlighted the plus points to this awesome game, the inclusion of the mobile phone, the much improved combat and the friendships that you have the time to cultavate and which can serve in making the game eastier or at least a little different.

But, there is something missing and that something is ambition. San Andres may have been all over the place but the sandbox was large and encompassed many ideas. Niko is a mission machine who will work for anyone but he makes no headway in any organizations and more importanly there is nothing to spend your money on making side missions pointless.
Gone are businesses you can buy and cars you can modify, gone are gang wars and the ability to alter your charactor beyound ... Read More:

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Rating: - GTA III with all of the fun and humour sucked out of it
I have grown fed up with the hype that surrounds the release of video games these days, so I now wait for a few weeks after launch and then decide whether or not to buy. I decided that amongst the gushing reviews from young manboys who desperately want to play gangsters to the moral outrage in the press that there might be a game in there worth playing.

I put GTA IV into my PS3 (knowing full well that there would be a long install time) and kept an open mind. The first thing that struck me about the game was the graphics. They may not be the most technically brilliant graphics for the PS3, but the level of detail is impressive. More than any other GTA game before it, this really feels like (If you'll excuse the cliché) a living ... Read More:

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Rating: - GTA 4 Review
The good........

The graphics of GTA4 are simply outstanding, especially in high def. This is best illustrated when flying in a helicopter or viewing the city as a passenger in a taxi cab.
On the subject of taxi cabs, their enhanced capability's make for much better gameplay. In such a complex city of narrower and more congested roads, driving across liberty city can be a time consuming task. Taxis allow one to either get in and allow the driver to take care of the road, or even better get in to the cab and then select skip journey. From a to b in the tap of a button.
The new shooting options are excellent. Drive by's now require a bit more skill as you need to manually aim. On the up side, you can now shoot at a much greater ... Read More:

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Rating: - A little dissapointed
This game is good, but not great. We patiently waited soooooo long for it to come out and bought a PS3 just to be able to play this game. It just doesnt live up to San Andreas or Vice city.
You earn piles of cash, but whats the point? there is nothing to spend it on. We havent had the usual fun of exploring, running around looking down alleys, swimming in the Ocean, climbing up onto roof tops to see what might be hidden up there etc
The missions are OK and the story in depth, but all this keeping people happy is such a drag and feels like a huge waste of time, very irritaiting and totally pointless.
Was hoping for Amazing, but got Average.

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Rating: - WARNING! adult content...
This game is great. I'm not going to go overboard in graphic terms with regard to content as with the huge numbers of reviews already here it's not wirth repeating that, but if you're wondering whether or not to buy this game as a present for a youngster, then think again. This game has more than earned it's 18 rating. In addition to the strip clubs you can take your in game friends to and pay for private lapdances rendered beautifuly in 3D, it's possible to buy hookers, graphically murder and get involved with drugs, gangs and guns as well as thieving cars, and the dialogue is gratuitous even by the standard of Goodfella's.

I don't want to paint a black picture it's great ADULT fun, but it just ain't for kids.