Grand Theft Auto IV

THE GOOD:
Brilliant, vibrant graphics
Clever humour
Great, convincing voice acting
Intruiging storyline with the most detailed character backgrounds in a GTA ever
Targeting system
Diversity in the looks of NPC's
Rockstar's attention to detail
Cover system which outclasses most
Physics engine is brilliant
Near flawless multiplayer
GTA IV is an expandable title, with Microsoft lining up at least two new DLC's

THE BAD:
Framerate occasionally slows
Parts of Liberty City a little too dark
Some parts of the storyline are extremely challenging for some
Slighly more expensive than an average game (in Australia)

SUMMARY:
To start things off, Grand Theft Auto IV is completely amazing. GTA IV excels in nearly every way, from the new cover system to the subtle humour which has you chuckling at Rockstar's jokes throughout the game. Apart from a few minor glitches, there is nothing that really brings GTA IV down, so this game is a must for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC owners. During GTA IV, you take control of Niko Bellic, an interesting eastern European man, around 30 years old, with a dark past and an eagerness to forget it.

GTA IV is essentially a driving game, and the automotive controls and physics have been completely revamped since San Andreas. There are over 100 cars in the game, each of which has its own unique feel and look. Car handling is much more realistic, meaning it may be a sharp learning curve to get used to driving should a player be used to other GTA games. While playing, the controls feel natural, and once you have got the hang of power slides and handbrake turns, you can rely on your instincts and reactions to successfully avoid crashes and spinouts. There isn't any other game on the market that gives you such a feeling as when you are flying along at 200km/h, swerving in between oncoming traffic with the police on your tail. When your heroic, death defying driving comes unstuck and you crash, the graphics really deliver. Sparks fly, windows shatter, metal crumples. Huge impacts can nearly wreck a car, as can consistant minor crashes, but the damage system isn't overly realistic, and therefore does not take away any of the fun in driving.

Rockstar has introduced a new shooting system to GTA IV. Pulling the left trigger halfway down activates free aim, which is usually used to shoot things which aren't people. Once the trigger has been pushed fully, the game locks you on to the nearest enemy or person on the screen. Usually the targeting system works great, but occasionally it locks on to the wrong enemy and leaves you vulnerable to fire from other enemies. When this does happen, you can easily change who you are locked on to by tapping left or right on the right control stick. This semi and full trigger pulling system may sound awkward, but it works extremely well despite how it sounds. There is a wide range of weapons to choose from, ranging from assault rifles and submachine guns to rocket propelled grenade launchers. When the time comes to engage an NPC at close range, there is a new melee fighting system to experiment with. You can now choose in which way to attack someone, with three different types of attacks. You can choose wether to kick, punch or use an alternate attack (headbutts, elbows). The system works well, and you can now perform counter-attacks and disarms on attacking NPC's, which is a huge help. The only disapointment here is the lack of melee weapons. You can wield either a knife or a baseball bat, whereas in San Andreas there were 9 weapons to choose from.

Niko Bellic goes through a wild experience while in Liberty City. The storyline is easily the best written of the GTA series, and each mission seems to have a purpose in the overall plot. I felt hooked to the storyline, which makes you think about your own morals as well as Niko's, because he is such a solid main character. The basis of the story: Yugoslavian ex army solider Niko Bellic moves to Liberty City, believing his cousin, Roman, is living the American Dream. Roman claims to have fast cars, a mansion, three girlfriends and lots of money, but when Niko arrives, it is clear he is roughing it. Roman is being pestered by Russian loan sharks, and Niko must defend his weak cousin. Niko is then dragged in to a criminal underworld, where he is in debt and a wanted man. The plot thickens as Niko's dark past is slowly and cleverly unveiled, allowing players to connect with the GTA character like none before.

The visuals are absolutely fantastic. Liberty City has been recreated to the finest detail, giving each suburb a distinct feel and vibe, something that no videogame has ever done before. Framerate is nearly flawless, but occasionally during huge explosions of multiple objects, the 360 struggles to keep up. On the bright side, this gives you more time to marvel at them. Liberty City looks its best from in the air, where you can see nearly every single building in the entire city. The reflections off the water make everything seem real. These graphics truly are some of the best ever seen.

GTA IV uses a combination of the Euphoria and Endoprin physics engines, which enables the game to create animations on the fly, which gives the game a great deal of originality when it comes to crashes and falls. No two accidents will ever look the same, as Niko and the NPC's feature their own separate muscular and nervous systems. Falling off a motorbike is probably the best way for someone to experiment with the physics, as the combination of ragdoll effects, gravity and speed create a brilliant looking crash, usually with Niko tumbling, rolling and splatting his way down the pavement. The Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) truly lives up to its expectations.

GTA IV is the first Grand Theft Auto to include a detailed online multiplayer mode. Multiplayer can be activated from your cell phone in game, and gives you access to 16 different modes of play, including Free Mode (up to 16 players doing what ever they feel like in Liberty City), Cops n' Crooks (a detailed version of online tag, where one team must capture or kill every one the the enemy team while the Crook team attempts to reach a destination) and Race (simple car racing or 'GTA Race', with weaponry). All modes are great fun to play, and bring a great variety of things to do to the online mode.

All in all, Grand Theft Auto IV is a must for any 360 or PS3 owner. Brilliant visuals, plot, voice acting and physics combined with a solid online multiplayer mode gives this game near infinate replay value, and to top it off if you are a 360 owner, Microsoft have invested $50 million US dollars in securing exclusive DLC episodes. These will be available from the LIVE marketplace and will download straight to the console. Liberty City has been recreated with amazing detail, and the payoff is a classic game which has become the benchmark of the sandbox action shooter genre.