Grand Theft Auto IV Review - Xbox 360

9

Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 9
Audio: 10
Multiplayer: 9
Innovation: 7

When reviewing possibly the most highly anticipated game ever made, you have to be sure that you know what you’re talking about. Reviewing GTA IV is no easy task, and to have a review up around launch time with a complete knowledge of the game’s capabilities is an achievement in itself. We’ve spent over 50 hours with GTA IV and now feel comfortable enough to let our fans know what we think of it, so here it is… Sliced Gaming’s first GTA IV review.

Gameplay

You play as Niko, an Eastern European (most likely Ukrainian due to his cousin named Roman, which is a common Ukrainian name) fresh off the boat in New Y… Liberty City. From there, it’s up to you to meet new friends as you work your way up the ranks of the town to ultimately seek revenge on one of the men that destroyed your village back in that country in err.. Eastern Europe. Not having a name for a town or country really makes the story almost seem pointless as you can’t relate it to an actual area of the world, but that’s the direction Rockstar chose to go with their latest GTA iteration.

The basic gameplay is the same as all the previous 3D GTA games. Hijack cars, cruise around, get the cops on your tail, kill them, lose them, run around a bit more, and then go swimming. There really isn’t much more to GTA IV than that… Unless you want there to be. The GTA games have always been about causing as much havoc as you can until you get bored and then do the missions, and GTA IV is no exception. What separates GTA IV from the GTA 3 games is the social interaction you have with the various characters throughout the game. There are no gangs in Liberty City, just lots of angry people that will shove when you push. Instead of dealing with gangs, GTA IV is more about your interactions with individuals. You make close friends, go bowling, play darts, and even get drunk. Getting drunk with your friends is one of the funniest experiences to have in GTA IV as you have to make your way home once the night is over, and guess what, your character actually moves around like a drunkard. The safest way home is by a taxi but of course you can drive if you choose. Needless to say, driving can prove to be quite difficult when drunk off your nut.

As you get closer with your friends, start dating girls, you’ll find yourself completing the main storyline too. The story consists of dozens of missions that should take the average gamer around 30 hours to play through. There’s actually an achievement for beating the story in less than 30 hours, so ignoring the other pastimes is a suggestion if you want (continued next page)