I'm actually very glad I waited to write down my thoughts about this game. At first I thought GTA 4 was the definition of over rated. IGN gave it a 10, 1up gave it an A+, EGM gave it a 10, so when I first played the game my expectations were at the 10 level. So naturally I was dissapointed. Weeks have passed and I've put about 35 hours into the game, and with some perspective I feel I can give GTA 4 it's fair score.
8/10......Here's how I broke it down.
Gameplay:
How a game plays is the square one, most important factor of any game. This was frustrating for me, because where GTA excells in so many areas, it is very inconsistent when it comes to actually controlling your character. The aiming system works very well and is an improvement over past GTAs. The ability to lock on to your enemies is a plus, especially considering the terrible free-aim function. The cover system is very clunky also, especially if you have played games like Gears of War and Uncharted. Sometimes when I try to take cover between to objects that are close to one another, Niko just starts shaking and wigging out. This usually ends up with me dead and my controller somewhere across the room. The driving system takes a little getting used to, as it's very tight and more realistic than past GTAs. This is nice until you start trying to chase people down and instead of bullets through their back window I end up in a bank of newspaper kiosks. I got used to many of these flaws over time, mainly because the story of the game really draws you in, making it easier to overlook the games control problems.
Story
Some games are just games, like sports franchises and Guitar Hero, but then there are games who do much more with the medium than people give credit. There has been a great-deal of hyperbole centering on GTA 4's storyline. IGN described it as "oscar-worthy", but what this really means is that Rockstar toned down the toungue-in-cheek jokes a little and turned up the serious drama. However engaging the story may be, it is not an oscar calibur tale. Once you reach the Florian/Bernie missions you'll soon understand what I'm talking about. It's not much different than past GTA plots. You start from the bottom of the crime latter and work your way to the top. What sets this game apart though is the fact that your character has a conscience, and you as the player make key decisions that effect your character. The character of Nico isn't some mindless thug. Sure he commits murder, steals and might pick up a prostitute or two.....but he feels guilty about some of it! That's drama if you didn't know.
Visuals
When you first look at GTA 4 you might not be very impressed by the overall look of the game, as their are many "prettier" games on the market. My advice is to just walk down the street and pay attention to the ridiculous amounts of detail. Every street has a name, every building has unique markings and weathering, the traffic lights and crosswalks work in harmony. Liberty City feels very real and it's amazing the amount of work that must have gone into its creation. I found myself sight-seeing quite a bit, which is justified, as Liberty City is a modern work of art.
Replay Value
I have always hated games that I play through one time and never have any use for after that. With games costing $60, I like to get my money's worth. The single player mode in GTA4 can take anywhere from 25 hours to 50 hours depending how deep you want to go. That my friends is replay value. This isn't even counting the time you will surely spend just blowing things up and running people down with your car.
The Rundown
At first I was supremely disappointed in GTA 4. Mainly because I didn't feel it lived up to the seemingly perfect review scores it received. Once I was able to separate hype from reality I was able to finally figure out how I really felt about the experience. GTA 4 is a very solid and enjoyable game that if nothing else is an example of how far video games have come. They are no longer silly little time wasters. Games can now be considered art with enough time and effort, and GTA is art. However, the game play elements fall short in many ways which in my eyes is 90% of the what makes games enjoyable.
So once again.....
8/10
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