Grand Theft Auto IV

the game is realy good but its not as good as san andreas you dont have jet planes nor ur jet pack or the parachoot,the cars are realy sexy and the graphics.

I bought the Xbox version instead. Why? Because it doesn't include virus-like DRM copy-protection or frak up my computer.

My copy cost ~$10 Used at my local gaming store, so Rockstar's decision to include Virus-like DRM software on the PC version cost them a $50 brand-new sale. Serves them right. Any company that seeks to damage my computer is not going to see a single penny from me.

As for the game itself -

Did you like GTA3 Liberty City, Vice City, or San Andreas? If so, you'll like this too. It's the same great game, albeit the PC version is marred by Rockstar's poor decision to include DRM, which is why I recommend the Playstation or Xbox version instead.

I've never understood why critics (and gamers) consider the GTA series to be artistic. Sure they're fun and have certainly reinvented the sandbox genre, but really you're ususally just some thug-of-choice running around shooting and driving. Maybe it's the stories (chuckle chuckle).

Well whatever it is, you're usually in for a fun, wacky time when you're playing a GTA title. The stories over-the-top and you can have fun driving over, shooting, and/or beating up pedestrians and police....at least you could before GTA 4 came out.

Now, don't get me wrong. GTA4 is a technical marvel from the A.I. of the pedestrians to the little grimmy details of damage on cars and vehicles. But as a game, it just didn't engage me like the first three did (GTA3, Vice City, San Andreas). The story is kinda cool, but ultimatly feels like a modern gangster flick with questions about morals and family etc. This isn't a bad thing, but when it makes it seem like every pedestrian/cop/criminal is a real-life character it takes a bit of the fun out of killing them in creative ways. It's like, they'll give you a choice on which character to kill but then they'll show you a cut-scene that shows why you should feel bad about what you just did. This wouldn't be so bad, but when the game forces you to do this to progress the story then slaps you omn the hand for it it kinda sends the wrong message.

Another thing I didn't like was the lack of custimization. In San Andreas you could go to any number of clothing stores and car shops to change your character' and your cars appearance. In GTA4 there's only three clothing stores with VERY limited selections.

Also it seems helicopters are your only mode of air transportation. I realize this is more realistic (which sucks!), but it would've been nice to have more variety in vehicles.

The combat in this game is much improved from the previous titles, from covering to targeting specific body parts. The controls themselves can be a bit clunky (and VERY sluggish), but you can generally get your character to do what you want them to do.

In closing I don't think GTA 4 is a bad game at all. In fact it's one of the most technically impressive titles to come out this year. But as far as the game-core goes, it feels like a HUGE step back.

Ok all the hype has died down. How good is this game for real?

Well for starters, its fun but it takes a while to get to that point. The story line is fantastic. Who doesn't like Niko Bellic? The visuals are good and there are tons and tons of laughs, big ones, all throughout the game. Rockstar has gone to lengths to immerse you into a real living city. From the new radio stations and good weather effects, to the seemingly endless parade of street characters, GTA 4 has a true unique feeling. But its not without some clear faults.

GTA 4 takes awhile to get rolling. The first chunk of the game is slooooow going. The early pieces of the game are really a snooze, many times feeling like a SIMS rehash until you can start doing some real damage with larger crime. I would have hoped they could have started the storyline and gameplay with a lot more of a bang.

The helicopter, cars, boats and stuff are nice to have around but while the controls are improved in someways, you still feel as if your thumbs are treading up hill through mashed potatoes. The cover system is welcomed, but doesn't work very well sometimes. Definitely not as well as the cover system in the GTA rip-off, and now ancient, Godfather game. Seriously, it can't be that hard to get a smoother and more responsive set of controls in this game. Is it really necessary to make crappy controls part of the necessary game experience? Some of the vehicle controls in particular, with or without SIXAXIS, can be incredibly frustrating.

Sure the game can be a blast in places. And Niko's story is one you just keep wanting to see unfold. But despite the traditional fun of running errands for crime bosses and smashing into people on the sidewalk with your car or motorcycle, Grand Theft Auto 4 still could use some work. Its fun, but feels unfinished and is by no means a masterpiece.

There is some real value and replayablilty in the sheer amount of things to do, and on that basis, I recommend the purchase. However, if you are looking and some stunning piece of polished work. Forget it. The best reason to pick up Grand Theft Auto 4, is simply to hang out with Niko Bellic. He's a bad dude but he's also funny and surprisingly sympathetic.

I love playing WOW. It's so fun!

WOW helped me get the follow accomplished with my life:
1. Helped me earn college credits from home! Yes, Blizzard is now accredited Regionally. You earn credits in Information Systems, Math, Alchemy, Physical Education, Military Science, and Time Management. Incredible huh!
2. Helped me get chicks. Being on a computer all day helped me become a chick magnet! Girls were asking for my myspace URL left and right!
3. Helped me learn time management. Instead of being like the losers that I went to high school with, I spent 80+ hours a week doing something that will help with progressing in my life. and to think all these losers joined the military or went to State Universities.. LOL!
4. Helped me learn foreign language '1337'. Leet is very useful these days.. especially in the IT industry. LOL!

Plus, the game is just so fun! Funner than Call of Duty 4 and the GTA series!

A very good game but perphaps I`ve been spoiled by its precursors... by the fact that there is nothing outstanding from the previous generations of the game, the only difference to me is the storyline incredible graphics online connectivity and everything that this platform offers but other than that more of the same!

One of the best games I've ever played. Ranks in my top three PS3 games.

all the updates and trophys now added just make this game more fun trust me i put this down for a while till i found out about trophys. and now far in it! I dont have saints row 2 which ive heard is better but is has no trophys. So get GTA4!

This game is too difficult for me which made the experience frustrating and ultimately unplayable. I see others find it too easy. This could have been easily solved by having 5 levels of difficulty from very easy to very hard. The game would appeal to a much greater consumer base and would have had much greater sales if it had 5 difficulty levels.

The other major related problem is that one cannot save in the middle of a mission. Because of this one must repeat the same driving sequence over and over to finally get through the hard part of the mission (ultimately I could not pass missions and had to stop playing the game).

Because of the two problems above, I find this game more frustration than fun. I will not buy any more games of this series or any games that do not have levels of difficulty (hopefully 5 levels).

Half a year after its release, Grand Theft Auto IV has received praise and criticism alike. Being the latest edition to the series and since it's been out for so long, I thought it might be time to sit down and take the time to give my take on it.

If you're new to the series, then let me start you off like this (if you're not, then skip this section): you play a Nikolai "Niko" Bellic, a sailor and European immigrant who has come to America to start a new life in the company of his cousin, Roman Bellic, who promises mansions, fast cars, and women. But when you first drive through the slums, you find this not to be the case. As a matter of a fact, it's quite the opposite. Welcome, "friend", to Liberty City, a hell-hole with shootings, gangs, and organized crime galore. The ideal place to carry out the American dream? Hardly.

Upon jumping into the game, you'll notice a definite change in graphics (if you've seen anything of the previous installments), tone, and realism. It's gritty, apparent, and really makes you feel like you're in a city. Cars screech by, people fight and argue with each other, bums sleep in dark alleyways and beg for money. Hey, there's even the occasional nut who babbles on about alien invasion.

Cool right? It gets better. People on the street can be seen using phones, MP3 players, and iPods. They smoke cigars and cigarettes, drink coffee, read newspapers, and converse with other pedestrians.

Some of the more dynamic things have also changed. A minute in the game lasts about four seconds now, shadows can be seen changing with the time, rain affects the performance of cars and causes the city to take on a different look, and HDR lighting makes the game all the more beautiful.

Phones, although previously used in some of the other GTAs, play a bigger and more important role than ever in IV. They are your link to the world and the people involved in it. You can text message, call contacts, take pictures, and more. You can even customize things like your ring tone, background, and phone type.

The Internet is one of the newest additions to the series. Niko can enter Internet cafes and use a computer to access the world wide web. He has an email address and he can register and use things like dating websites and forums. There are pop-ups, spam emails, and more. Better still, Niko can respond to certain emails.

Most of us who have played San Andreas will probably recall some of the games that could be played. IV brings them all back, plus a few new ones. Niko can bowl, play darts, shoot pool, and gamble. These activities are pretty much only used on dates, though. Diners and fast food places have also been brought back to the game. It's awesome, to say the least.

One of the newest features is the buddy system. To elaborate a little more on this, Niko can call up a person who is his friend and propose they do something together. He can ask them to play a game, go out for a drink, go get something to eat, and more. Hey, he can simply sit there and do nothing but talk with them if he wants to.

The drunk driving mini-games are a challenge, for two reasons:

1) The screen and car physics behave differently.
2) The Endorphin Physics Simulator causes Niko and his bud to frequently lose their balance.

You don't have to drive, however. The safest thing (unless you want to be arrested) is to just find a cab and call it over to you.

Comedy clubs, bars, amateur theatre plays, and nightclubs are some of the improved features. Rick Gervais actually supplied voiceovers for the comedy club skits, and they are actually pretty entertaining to watch. The theatres also offer plenty of entertainment. Different acts come up (jugglers, knife throwers, magicians, you name it) and they're hilarious.

Niko can also watch TV, go swimming, and of course listen to the radio (and I will spoil NOTHING about the radio).

You also have more freedom in IV. You can decide who lives or dies on occasion and who's side you will take. These choices can affect the outcome of the game... you've been warned.

With all these new features, you're probably thinking there's a hitch to the game, and there is. I'm going to be honest with you and say that yes, IV is not perfect, far from it. Let me clarify.

The Endorphin engine provides some of the smoothest and most realistic movements for Niko and other characters. However, it also causes some basic problems. Niko, when bumped, can stumble around and fall like a fool (he apparently has no way of controlling his balance). This gets repetitive and annoying after a while. It also causes the motorcycle physics to behave in a strange fashion. If Niko hits a bump even at a relatively slow speed, he will fly (yes, FLY) off and smash into the concrete. It takes him quite a while to recover, and the Endorphin AI isn't the brightest when you tell Niko to go back over and mount the bike. It might cause him to walk around in circles for a bit; it might do nothing. Depends. This gets frustrating, especially when you're playing a chase mission (if you fall off a bike on one of these missions, your chances of beating it on the first try are not good).

AI is also a bit of a harassment. The drivers seem to have no common sense when it comes the rules of the road, they will frequently get in your way when you're running or chasing someone, and they will run over Niko... a lot.

The missions in general get old pretty quick, too. They're all the same: go kill this guy or go find this vehicle and bring it back. Gun-play will be involved in every single one, rest assured of that. The cutscene briefings will tell you otherwise, but don't listen. EVERY SINGLE MISSION WILL INVOLVE NIKO SHOOTING SOMEONE... or he'll be the one getting shot at. You get the point. It makes for fun at first, but gets tiresome.

I have no other complaints or rants other than the mission dynamics could have been improved... slightly. Like I said, play one, and you've played them all.

While IV is a solid game, it does have a few dents and splotches here and there, like a bullet-riddled Mercedes under the Brooklyn Bridge with a grease-monkey's body in the trunk. However, it's fun and die-hard fans of the series will not be disappointed (I was quite satisfied). I would recommend it to most people, but not to beginners. I would advise them to try GTA III and then work their way up through Vice City and San Andreas (skipping some of the smaller games for the PSP and PS2). I wasn't disappointed, and I don't think you will be either... so buy it... What? That's my opinion, take it or leave it.

This takes the GTA game style to a whole new level. Yes, it doesn't have any bicycles and you can't choose the color when you repaint your car and there are other small details people are complaining about. But all of this can be completely overlooked given how great the game play is.

What is really amazing is that events can happen in this game which may never ocurr again. There's no predictability factor like in previous gta games. People says thing which may never be repeated, the way you fall when hit is never the same. The game just flows like real life.

With the new physics, you feel the character so much more than in San Andreas.

The driving, shooting and pretty much any other activity they put in here all feel realistic.

The graphics are great. The cars look almost real from some angles.

If you feel like San Andreas has more bonus features and more things to do when you're just roaming around, you are correct to some extent. BUT, try playing this game, then put San Andreas back on and you will see that San Andreas feels stiff and has awful graphics by comparison. All they need to do now is add downloadable updates for this game along the lines of new car colors or weapons and this game will have it all.

I never got the game

sussan never sent it to me??

This was the first that I played in PS3 and it was an excellent PS3 experience.
This game introduces the user to the benefits that involves the PS3 experience.

The graphics, the real movements and the interaction with the world are the better of this game.

If you want to play a game that provides the possibility to do the most of things that you are thinking, gta is the better choice.

This game is awesome, it is so much fun. The game came real quick and in perfect condition. I love playing it.

I just ordered my first xbox when the price dropped, and I got a half-dozen games at the same time. This is my huge favorite. I tried all the others, but now I never want to stop playing GTA4 to play the others.

It is very challenging. I must try most missions several times to succeed in them, and that is usually with tips/videos from the Internet.

Words of warning: The instructions are pretty weak and some times just plain wrong. (e.g.: Sniper rifle scope zoom is done with the left stick, not the right one as shown under Controls in the program.) That's why I often have to go online to get info about how to do things.

After popping $100 for a steering wheel, I was disappointed to learn that GTA4 doesn't support it, and driving with the joystick is far from easy, but eventually you get the hang of it, though it always remains awkward.

Words of advice I haven't seen elsewhere:
(1) You get around by jacking cars (hence the name), either parked or waiting at a light. Before jacking one, do a quick look around for cops. Sure, you can get away from them, but why waste the time? One of the most fun things in the game is trying out different rides. If you spot a limo, for example, follow it around until you get a chance to jack it. You can run the streets in dump trucks, armored cars, sports cars, SUVs, city busses, motorcycles, even forklifts.
(2) Drive like crazy unless you want to spend all your time sitting in traffic. The cops won't stop you for speeding, hitting cars/people/objects, etc. Other cars will usually try to avoid you.
(3) When being chased or chasing, don't go any faster than you usually do. The worst thing you can do is go too fast and crash, then the cops get you and/or the bad guys get away from you.
(4) You get money for each mission completed. Before starting a new mission, go to the firearms store and stock up, including body armor, then go back to your safehouse, stopping to eat if your green health bar is down. Once in your safehouse, head for the bed and you will be asked if you want to save. Save your current, fully-stocked status. You will probably bomb out of missions the first couple of times you try; the game lets you try again, but minus whatever weapons, ammo, armor, vehicles, etc., you lost. If you saved, you can instead easily start fresh and fully equipped by clicking Game-Load on the Pause menus.

u can do anything that u want !!! and Amazon has very good service ! Fast and cheaper than another website !!!!! Thanks

This is the best looking GTA game ever. There is a ton of stuff to do in this game. Great story telling in this game. The controllers are very good in this game. Driving in this game can be a bit challenging at first since it is more realist than before since you will need to use your breaks to be able to make most turns. You can't make a turn driving at 90 MPH anymore.

By far one of the most satisfying buy ive had to date. This game definitely lives up to the hype. Its intensely fun and it looks absolutely beautiful.

To be ultra critical however there are a few flaws that need working out such as the motorcycle control. Its a bit floppy/loose; in other words its hard to maneuver through traffic (which is exactly why you'd want to use one). Also the missions they send you on aren't in a variety like in san andreas but its forgivable because of the addition of the multiplayer online.

Overall its a great game. Get it and make the city yours.

The game itself is not bad. The missions and reputation you have to get with the others makes it more interesting than just going around destroying everything I wish they would just make it so you could download more missions or something.

I was pleased to see the differences in comparison to GTA3. Most of the redundant tasks were removed and replaced with good quality and fun games and activities.

Well, I was excited for GTA4 to come out and couldn't wait to play it. But as the game progressed I have to say I actually got bored. The storyline didn't grab me as much as other GTA's. The graphics were nice, and it was a fun at first just exploring, but I guess I miss the variety of San Andreas with its forests, deserts, mountains, small villages and big cities. To be totally honest I actually stopped playing GTA4 and went on to other games. It's now sitting on my shelf collecting dust for now. Maybe in the future I will play it again, but for now I got other games to play.

Well if you enjoyed the other GTA episodes get ready for yet another round of fun. It's a bit hard to make moeny at the start of the game as it appears that much of the early on money making tricks have been removed. However after a while you're making enough money to buy the toys you need.

Considering the vast changes and improvements this series has seen, from the overhead Micro Machines headache of the first two, to the improvement of GTA3 and Vice City, and then the huge environment of San Andreas, I was expecting great things with this latest release...but was let down. This is by no means a total disappointment but it does have some serious flaws that make me question all the hype around it. Granted, a Grand Theft Auto game arrives with considerable interest and enthusiasm from the video game world but here the ends don't seem to justify the means.

For starters just firing up the game and playing was a demanding experience; a two minute load screen and a whole new set of controls are an unpleasant way to start. I was really hoping the new systems wouldn't require load screens, or at least ones this long, but they're still here. The control scheme was also completely reworked, and though some players may enjoy this change, it was still frustrating to not be able to just start playing the game without a checking the instruction manual. Even when I switched over to the classic setup things just were not as responsive or crisp as past games, particularly vehicle control, this game's Achilles' heel.

If a game is titled Grand Theft Auto, and is part of a series that revolves around stealing, driving, and eventually crashing cars, then it would stand to reason that vehicle play would be at least somewhat intuitive and natural. Here though cars behave as if the streets are paved with ice or at least covered in snow. Hard turns, even at low speeds, produce spinouts and violent fishtails. Just basic driving is slow as most cars sound and behave as if they are permanently stuck in first gear or are just really underpowered. Generally the more powerful and fast a car is the harder it is to drive -- even at very low speeds. You're stuck between choosing small engine compacts with predictable handling or more powerful, but nearly unmanageable, vehicles. I quickly came to dread missions that would require chasing someone in a car as you can simply be outmaneuvered before actually being outrun. Also the vehicle camera is once again stuck in a low behind-the-trunk angle that makes for an enormous blind spot directly in front of whatever you are driving. I soon learned to just hold the thumbstick at a proper angle for a better view, but it would be really nice to see some kind of driving camera patch in the future.

(Personally I think the best all around vehicle is the Humvee; powerful and big enough to knock most traffic out of the way and climb stairs or small obstacles. Oh, and it's the one vehicle capable of moving on grass because for some reason all parks and lawns in the game are apparently very wet and most vehicles will just helplessly spin on them even if they are perfectly flat.)

The improvement in the vehicles comes in their reliability, or the fact that once they catch fire they don't explode a second later, instead you have plenty of time to get out and run for cover (small cars still produce big explosions). Cars also smoke, lose windows and body panels, and sometimes just shut off after a hard crash, all of which is an upgrade over past games where every vehicle was like a time bomb if you crashed it or flipped it over. Here they aren't quite as top heavy, but they can toss you through the windshield crash test dummy-style and sap up a lot of health (I guess seatbelts and airbags aren't in the code).

The game's strength is in its story, or rather in the depth and path in which you choose to play it. The sandbox style of gaming has always been very open-ended but here you can choose from multiple friends and, uh, business associates with whom to interact and perpetuate crime. Most get very annoying very fast, including Niko, this release's stereotyped protagonist, an Eastern European scumbag with a gut (he can't run very fast) and a short fuse (he ends up instigating a number of murders despite other characters' protests). Early on you get a cell phone and you end up with most contacts, services and shortcuts being only a call away. This combined with a very detailed and dirty environment and you have quite a bit of fun exploring and exploiting things throughout the game without having to drive really long distances or reload old saves.

The depth and detail seems to also hinder some play; there are almost too many people and vehicles to easily get around the city without involving yourself in multiple fender benders and hit and runs. The police are also very vigilant and you have to outrun them rather than just wait them out like in past games. Just stealing a car (practically the series' trademark) is risky as police will come racing after you and most drivers, from hunched over seniors to wannabe gangbangers, will actively fight you for their ride. Fortunately there are numerous parked cars (including unoccupied police cruisers) to steal and they are all for the taking because you can now simply smash a window rather than be stopped at a locked door.

I wanted to give this a higher rating but the frustrating gameplay just doesn't allow it. Graphically it is an improvement, especially after San Andreas felt like a noticeable downgrade from Vice City, but despite its grimy beauty there were still heavy shadows and blinding sunlight at times. Despite doing away with pointless details like having to work out or wear correct gang colors, there was still a lot of dumb filler; the Internet and cable in the game are interesting for maybe two minutes each and then you wish game designers had spent their time engineering workable vehicle physics and playable controls rather than silly extras. After playing and enjoying GTA clone Saint's Row on Xbox 360 I was hoping that Rockstar would take note and clone the clone, but they didn't. That's what is so unbelievable after Grand Theft Auto IV: how could an imitator produce such a fun copy and the original series not completely outdo it in every manner? If you have never played a GTA game this can still entertain even with a demanding learning curve, but veterans deserve better.

just rent it.... shooting cops gets old. I beat this game in just 2 weeks. I have yet to play it again.

I'm not a huge GTA fan and never will be but that didn't stop me from playing Rockstar's latest entry which got perfect 10's from online sites. However after about 30 minutes into it I was completely bored and detached. Yes, there are some new innovations like dating girls, etc. but as a game it didn't make the experience any more compelling than San Andreas. Graphics are of course better but it doesn't change the fact that there is low replay value and a really gullible/lame protagonist. Why anyone would want to run around carjacking and shooting people with this awful character is beyond me. Save yourself the trouble and buy a better game.

First the positive. This game had better "big" missions than the previous games (like the "heat" one). The minor missions were a little better. The shooting improved, but I liked that in san andreas you can increase your skills (like shooting and driving).

I played GTA IV mainly because I expected it to be awesome. It is a great game, but it lacks in what makes it what it is: being a sand box game. I was disappointed by its lack of customization. I liked how San Andreas (besides the fact it was too big, but with the new taxi feature it would have great) gave you the option of buying things. However I found that I had no need for money in IV resulting in an obvious choice between the two endings. In the previous games i felt like I could do whatever I wanted. In this one (and like the food, territories, and working out in san andreas) I felt totally stuck in doing what the game wanted instead of what I wanted. The driving and shooting also have something to be desired. The storyline produced no emotional attachment to any of the characters. The minor missions (especially the minigames, which fortunately they didn't force you to play to often) were better. I missed the ability to gain new skills from the ambulance, fire truck, etc. missions (not the missions themselves). I wish their were more missions like the hitman and most wanted ones, to help you gained those abilities. I also didn't like that they took out the airplane and parachuting abilities from the game.

If they could find some happy medium between all the gta games then they would be perfect.

This edition of GTA will live up to your expectations for the series.

It looks great - buildings, cars, car damage, character motion, etc. It all makes great eye-candy.

Sounds - the music is awesome on the radio, voice work by the characters is perfect. Niko's voice is awesome.

Playability: It's the same as the previous versions. No learning curve here. It's great - the mini-games are nicely tweaked too: bowling and darts in particular.

Plot: Confusing at times. You end up for several people silmutaneously and at times you must make a "choice" about what to do - which helps with the replayability issue. But I can't say I remember why I'm doing something - only that I'm told to and it's fun.

Great game. I've just about won it. I'd say it's shorter than the other games but now I can go back and explore the other "options" based on those choices they give you.

Basically, GTA3 with graphics that are a bit better. Same old same old. Definitely not worth the hype, and not a perfect 10.

this game is the best ive wasted so much time on this game...the first 2 days i got it i spent about 13 hours each day playing it because my girlfriend was out of town so i had time to just do nothing...lol...and in the first 3 days i was only 45% done with the game but of course u cant just do missions all day there was plenty of time just free roaming around messing...lol...but yeah THE BEST GRAND THEFT AUTO!!!

So GTA4 finally came in lastnight and i finally got time to play it today. i must say for someone that hasn't played any of the previous GTAs i was really blown away. i only had like an hour to play this game today (try playing this game with a 1 year old running around) but within that 1 hour i was already hooked. the cut scenes were really nice i think niko's cousin roman is kinda annoying but thats his character. i really need to sit down for a few hours and actually play this game. i am not a serious gamer so i think i won't be breezing through this game anytime soon. at time during the free roaming i found myself just stopping right in the middle of the street and just looking at all the detail this game has. the driving i still got to get use to, i mean i ran over quite a few people haha. but i know once i get to play a little more it will be alright. really do think this game is just crazy good. the detail alone in the graphics and what u can do in the city is reason enough to get this game. if u don't have it .... go get it .. its worth it

This game is the violent version of second life. You develop a character by building relationship before you start cracking heads. Rockstar out did themselves with this one.

I bought this game based on the so called "10" reviews from the major outlets. I now no longer trust reviews from these so called major outlets. San Andreas was awesome, but this one is just... so blah.

Why?

#1. A story that went no where. "Godfather" of video games? That's laughable. There is nothing that propels the story forward.
#2. Characters that have no depth. Stupid villains and extraneous characters. I didn't care for any of the characters in the game.
#3. Gimped game play from previous game. They took out all the elements that were fun in the previous games.
#4. Money serves no purpose in the game! You can't buy anything in the game!
#5. After the first 3 hours, the game became repetitive and boring.

Rockstar, you've lost a fan.

In terms of gameplay, story, characters, graphics, voice acting and most importantly fun, this game is in a class of its own. It is maybe with the exception of the Metal Gear games, THE game that could be adapted to the big screen and actually be a great movie.
So, why only 4 stars after all this? well, simply because after spending almost 100 hours playing this game to achieve a 100% game completion (this was the first time I actually managed to finish a gta game btw), I was disappointed to find out that I couldn't start a new game with all my saved stats. While roaming through this huge world may seem fun at first, it is the story missions that drive this game and make it so great and addictive. It is one small quibble about an overall fantastic game, but still one that manages to trim away from an otherwise perfect score.
Something for Rockstar to ponder about for future installments maybe?

If this was the first GTA I've played then I would be amazed and blown away. I just kinda felt bored after a few hours with this one. I never really had that feeling of "I can't wait to see what the next mission is" like in San Andreas. Instead I was almost thinking "I wonder how annoying and boring the next mission will be."

The positives are definitely the graphics, although they're not flawless like Uncharted. Getting hit by cars is a nice addition, and breaking the glass of locked cars is fairly cool as well. But.....

Niko's cousins accent gets really annoying really fast. It seems pointless to bother having the girlfriend. The combat system is annoying and slow. Why is it that every person you pull out of a car can fight like Mike Tyson? Are this many ordinary people professional boxers who are ready to throw down when being car jacked?? The police are waaaay too aware and quick to respond. I attacked some dude on the beach in the middle of nowhere and the cops were on me in 5 seconds...in New York? Please.

Why do you have to hold X to run? That's annoying because walking is soooo painfully slow. The driving cameras are frustrating and move without you doing anything. It's very difficult to see what's ahead of you because the camera continues to default behind your trunk. Getting continuously double and triple teamed by pedestrians was cool the first few times but quickly gets old when you're constantly being chased by an angry mob for jaywalking. I got knocked down by a car, then the driver gets out and starts hitting me along with two other guys. What's that about?? New York is a rough place but give me a break.

Overall, I think I've been spoiled by playing better PS3 games. Rockstar maybe lagging a bit behind the times here. It could also be that I'm generally bored with the premise of GTA seeing how I played San Andreas until I nearly crippled my hands. Oh well, hopefully number 5 will wow me again.

this game is boring and unimaginative. Its just shoot, shoot, shoot. It takes a long time to get through one of their boring shooting scenes. I have played games for years. I've communed with animals, explored caves, roamed through Africa in other games. In this game, everything is stupid and predictable. I hate this game, its pure misery.

This is my first experience with GTA and I'm very satisfied. The endings were little soft and the game did get a little repetitive, but it's a solid game. Well worth the price. Makes me want a 'What would Nico Bellic do?' tee-shirt... and where are the Nico Bellic endorsements? Why am I not seeing Nico jacking a Pepsi truck in primetime?

This game is more fun, than the club on a saturday night. What I liked most of all was the character interaction. Sorta reminds me of how the guys, and myself interact with each other. Carjacking, who doesn't wish that at least once in your life you could do it, and get away with it (without hurting anyone). This game truly absorbs you into the life of Nick, and his crazy cousin, who has dreams of grandure, but doesn't know excatly how to get there. I could not stop playing, this games has it all, some parts laid back, some parts intense, and some wacky off the wall type stuff. you will love this game....If you don't have it yet GET IT, IT'S A MUST HAVE. For those of you who do have it .... way to go bro, and sis's. After all it's not just guys playing this anyway.

The best GTA by far. Rockstar outdid themselves again with GTA IV. An absolutely phenomenal game and by far the best on the PS3. Rockstar utilizes the PS3 hardware well. The gameplay is better, the storyline is omre developed, the graphics are amazing, and on and on. Not much else to say, incredible game!

This game is not that good as some people say, the gameplay is horrible compared to previous versions. In my opinion San Andreas is way to much better, the only good thing about this game are the graphics and the story, nothing else

The fact that anyone could be disappointed with this title blows me away. It is EXACTLY what I hoped and expected it would be, which leaves me wondering- what did other people really expect? The ONLY reason this game has a 4 star rating as of this writing is because it was a victim of overhype from the start.

GTA IV is a ton of fun to play, pure and simple. I debated back and forth between this and Metal Gear Solid 4, and I do not regret my decision to buy a game instead of a digitally rendered film.

It's just like anything from Grand Theft Auto III and up: You get your kicks out of stealing a few cool cars, running over some pedestrians on purpose, hijacking police boats, and blowing up SWAT team trucks with a rocket launcher. If you enjoyed the other games, you are truly going to love this one. Not only are the graphics superb, but the depth of the characters goes beyond any previous GTA game. You become the main character, make decisions for him, live his life. It is more than just a run-around shoot-em-up, though it can be that if you want it to. If you play the missions and follow the story, you will be impressed by the dialogue (I constantly laugh at the jokes made in this game) and the progression of "Niko" from nobody to somebody.

I almost let some of the bad Amazon reviews sway me away from buying this, and I'm so glad I didn't. Absolutely an A+ title- great graphics, huge world that you will easily get lost in, and most importantly, a heck of a lot of fun.

Well, I never did get past the first cutscene. Tried a new disc and it did the same thing (even with the new patch from Rockstar that was supposed to fix the freeze issues). Some sites suggested disabling internet on the ps3 settings etc, and after jumping through all kinds of hoops... same result! Well, THAT was fun! What a dud! At least I was able to return the game.

My PS3 is a 60GB version bought new when PS3 first came out, which happens to be the model that is having the most issues with GTA IV. Besides this buggy game, I have not had any issues with the PS3 previously. Only a small percentage of people seem to be experiencing this problem with the game, but for us unfortunate ones, it's a BIG issue! Especially after all the hype!

Great mix of following the story line or just having fun stealing cars and joyriding.

GTA IV is easily the best game of 2008. It's amazing what Rockstar has done here. They've created a living and breathing world with such fine detail. It is truly a simulator of what real life is like, but with a tad more sex and violence that is.

The graphical detail in this game is astounding. The gameplay is refined from previous installments. The single player is an epic tale that'll be remembered. And on top of all of that, Rockstar has put in a HUGE multiplayer mode. There are a ton of different modes and all can be played out across the entire map with up to 16 players. The cities are just as crowded with pedestrians, too. It's amazing they got it up and running with so much going on at any point in time.

Rockstar has outdone themselves with GTA IV. They refined and improved everything about the GTA franchise with GTA IV.

This is what the current-generation is all about. Don't miss out.

I just need to keep playing this game for hours and hours! It's not for the sensitive folks out there though; there is a certain audience for it. Some might be desensitized by the violent content but as long as you accept it for what it is (a videogame) then you don't have anything to worry about.

The story gets you hooked right from the start and you do feel for Nico and want him to win. Graphics may not be the best but the size of sheer size and detail of its world make up for it. It does have shining moments though wherein I felt like I was really in New York City. As for the gameplay, the title says it all. Just take a helicopter tour and just driving around bridges while the sun sets are amazing.

It is one addicting game...combines most of all the elements in a ps3 gamer's world: shooting, cars, good story, great graphics, fun side quests, etc. Definitely a must buy for the older audience.

This games has great graphics but I felt like I was doing the same things over and over again. The storyline of this game sucks, it is not creative at all and to me it seems the makers were mostly interested in the graphics and cars, not the game itself. I regret buying this game, I was expecting it to exceed San Andreas but it failed miserably.

I bought this game on Launch night, and I proceeded to play it and was impressed with the first 2 hours. I played about 8 hours into the game, and it still didnt hook me. Niko had a very lifeless personality that was hard for me to get into. Im sure throughout the end it probably got better, but I couldnt get past the very repetitive missions. The game is an open world, which is incredibly impressive, graphically. Obviously comparing this game to ther genres would be pointless, but for an open world, id compare this games graphics with a action game like uncharted (which were beautiful). Now an open world game will obviously lower the graphic capabilities because of the sheer magnitude of computing power it takes, so don't expect Uncharted Graphics.

It was fun for about 2 hours, and I had to force myself to play up to 8 hours because from the 2 hour mark on I had been regretting my purchase. I haven't been intrested in open world games before, so im obviously biased, If you are into these types of games, then by all means this is the best example of an open world game to date. I prefer linear story lines, so just by saying that alot of people can throw my review out the window.

The online play also had the same effect on me. There is alot of variety to make it fresh, but the fact people don't pay attention to the objectives online (every match type is a Death match, or atleast thats how people play it...), makes it difficult and not fun (this is not the game developers fault by any means). Also with alot of online games it seems like not many people actually use a head set. This baffels me completely, Online gaming promotes strategy to be used, and how else would you go about doing this without using a head set (also not game developers fault). People dish out 400$ on a system and can't buy a head set thats 30-40$? I realize people hate screaming 12 year olds shouting obsenities and racial slurs (i hate them too), but not everyone is one of those people. Online got old for these two reasons.

Over all I bought into the hype of the wonderful glowing reviews, and surely this game is a technical feat, but story wise i felt it was lacking. Repetitive missions (sometimes they do varry it up, by making you think you're doing something different, but really you just hunt down some guy, etc etc etc.) got incredibly old. If you're into Open World games, Then this game is for you, if not, then its defiantely worth a rent.

Game sites reviews gave it 10/10? i'd give it a 6/10.

I'll stay away from a novel here. This game offers nothing new in terms of core gameplay. If you played and loved the other games in the series - you are probably only reading this review so you can flame me for not going "5" stars.

Rockstar has employed the quantity over quality technique. You will play the same missions you've been playing for a decade. People will curse like they have touretts, the cars are tough to control and the graphics still can be distracting... but...the story is really good. Nico is very likeable and I was compelled to see what happened next all the way through. Had the story not been as strong, this game would have wore out its welcome after the first couple of hours. I'm usually not a sucker for story, but in this case I'll make an exception. The targeting and cover systems are well implemented for the action sequences, but like most of this game, it is a jack of all trades, master of none.

There are a lot of games that do some of things GTA IV does much better, but only pieces. The game is tremendous fun and I can't stress enough how great the characters are, but you've played it before, this version just has the shiniest wrapper.

Excellent game, it really includes it all!! It has really detailed graphics. What i really like it's that they give importance to little details, for example variety of songs, the way you ride your car and the different scenarios. Not recommended for little kids due to its violent and sexual content, but highly recommend for action lovers!!

This game is great. Whether you choose to complete mission, or just rampage about town trying out new cars or other vehicles and speeding through the streets of New York (er, i mean liberty city). Definitely not for kids. I think anything less than 16 or 15 is very questionable unless you think it's time for them to learn about the seedier elements of our real world..

The game is very fun and entertaining! Gameplay is very realistic and interactive. Graphics are very detailed, excellent! It is intended for mature adults and noone else.