GAME REVIEW: Grand Theft Auto IV for PS3 and XBOX 360

By Lex Eskobar

It’s been a long time coming but finally Grand Theft Auto IV has arrived. The game has come a long way since its first release in 1997. Since then the franchise has seen major success across multiple platforms with many different releases. The most recent game has the player controlling Niko Bellic, “a European fresh off the boat hoping to escape his past.”

In GTA III the story took place in “Liberty City” and it was always assumed that this fictional city was inspired by New York. Rockstar Games has brought us back to Liberty City in this new release and now there is no doubt about the location’s inspiration. Liberty City is a living, breathing miniature version of New York.

GTA has always had a cartoonish feel to it but in this latest iteration, Rockstar has ditched the look of previous games in favor of a much more realistic imagining. People, places and all objects in Liberty City are chock full of detail this time around and it is easy for a native New Yorker, like myself, to cruise down the streets of “Algonquin Island” and recognize the inspiration for landmarks in the fictional city.

The controls of the game also got a retooling in favor of realism. In the previous versions of GTA hardcore gamers and newbies alike could get behind the wheel of a car and drive like Al Unser Jr. Those days are gone. Using the handbrake is not as easy as it once was and oftentimes it just causes your car to spin out. Additionally, all the vehicles now have a true sense of weight to them and every vehicle handles very differently from the next. I appreciate this new change in the driving but, admittedly, my frustration level went through the roof during my first play through of the game.

The gunfight controls in this game have also been changed dramatically. You still lock on to targets but now you can take cover behind walls and other objects and blind-fire from behind cover. It makes most shootout segments of the game much longer but also way more exciting.

The music in Grand Theft Auto has always been a staple of the franchise and this game is no different. There are many great radio stations to listen to. They all have funny ads as well as radio personalities and there are even news alerts that coincide with whatever random acts of violence you commit.

The addition of an online multiplayer is a much-needed breath of fresh air into the series, allowing up to 16 people to free roam, play death matches or a number of other modes together. While all this is great, I wonder why they decided to omit the local two-player mode that was included in GTA San Andreas.

While GTA IV is graphically amazing, it is still lacking some elements that were present in previous releases. It isn’t enough to make this game bad per se, but I do feel that when playing a sequel it should never be missing any elements that made its predecessor good. All that being said, this game is probably the best thing out right now to play while stoned. Light up a J of that Diesel and call some friends over for a night of addictive gaming fun.

I’m giving Grand Theft Auto IV 5 out of 5 pot leaves.