Review: Grand Theft Auto IV (360)

Sometimes perspective can be a wonderful thing. Its easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding the release of a new game. Easier still when the game happens to be perhaps the most eagerly anticipated title of this generation. So, with a few more playing hours under our belts (and hopefully a little more perspective) than most other reviews, Gamestyle casts our critical eye over Rockstars latest offering.

Once again you’ll find yourself assuming the role of a low-level hood on the mean streets of Liberty City. This time, there’s no Mafia or L.A. gang culture angle to enliven proceedings. Instead, you’ll be stepping into the shoes of fresh off the boat émigré, Niko Bellic who hails from the distinctly unfashionable and helpfully non-specific Eastern Europe. Armed with nothing more than a vendetta and a bumbling cousin, Niko sets about his quest for revenge, despite initially displaying a reticence to embark on a life of crime in the Land of Opportunity. Fear not though, because it won’t be long before Niko is up to his eyes in stolen cars, guns and murders.

It soon becomes apparent that with GTA IV Rockstar are aiming for a greater degree of realism than in previous instalments of the series. Where this is most noticeable is in the massive leap in quality of the cut-scenes and the wonderful characterisation. Although the plot loses touch with itself, it’s difficult not to connect to and be moved by Niko’s story at some point. The initial collection of characters are superbly drawn. Brucie, Little Jacob and Roman stay strongest in the memory, even after their influence on the story has waned and they have become bit-part players. Sadly, the plot starts unravelling by about half way through the story missions. Instead of developing the original ensemble of characters, new characters are constantly introduced and not given time to grow. Faces drop in and out of the story, seemingly at will and this mission’s murderous diamond thief is nothing but an afterthought by the next mission. In cut-scenes Niko continually complains about not having enough money, but with a bit of perseverance you’ll soon be sitting on a cool half-million or more, with nothing to spend it on. The final mission feels like an afterthought and the villain of the piece is neither who you expected it to be, nor the person you wanted it to be.  

The mission structure remains completely unchanged from every GTA game since the third instalment. The missions themselves remain fabulously uninspired and consist of the usual drive here/shoot people or collect something/escape school of design that the GTA games have excelled at for some time. If you’ve struggled to understand what all the hype’s about, GTA IV is not going to turn you into a believer. However, the big change from previous instalments is arming Niko with a mobile phone and allowing him to make friends with the other characters. Essentially, it’s the girlfriend mechanic from San Andreas applied to a number of key characters. But, whilst driving across Liberty City and picking up a friend to go bowling is an amusing distraction at first, it soon becomes irritating at best and a tedious bore depending on how much patience you have for this sort of thing. Impress your friends enough and they’ll offer you the use of their special skill, almost all of which you’ll never use with the exception of Roman’s free taxis. The NPC’s constant badgering of Niko to go out with them is wearing to say the least and it is fortuitous that Niko’s mobile has an off switch.

In keeping with the added air of realism, the vehicle physics engine has been greatly improved. Both cars and motorbikes now handle more realistically. A simple tap of the handbrake will no longer be enough to see you making it round the corner that you’re really going too fast to take. However, whether this is an improvement is debateable. The “realistic” motorbike handling has killed the enjoyment of them for Gamestyle. No more can we be found making improbable leaps and successfully land on both wheels. Instead, such is the effort required to control the most powerful bikes, we found ourselves avoiding them.

The combat system in the GTA games is much maligned and usually rightly so. GTA IV seeks to redress this by improving the targeting and adding a cover system. In a similar fashion to Gears of War, it’s now possible to grab cover and blindfire. Unfortunately, blindfiring is far too accurate and contributes to the missions being far easier than they were in previous instalments, even with Rockstar still failing to include mid-mission checkpoints. It is also far too difficult to detach from cover.

Instead, what sticks in the mind for Gamestyle, is what’s missing from GTA IV. Gone is the levelling up from San Andreas. Niko could as easily complete the last mission at the start of the game as he could after 30 or 40 hours worth of play. Gone is the level of character customisation seen in San Andreas. Gone are betting shops, there are fewer weapons. It’s no longer possible to burgle houses or go on a rampage. Some side missions, like the vigilante missions remain and it’s to Rockstar’s credit that they’ve made it far more enjoyable than the tedious version that could be found in the last few instalments. Note to Rockstar – scouring the map for 200 hidden packages is not fun, even if you’ve made them pigeons this time. We only did it for the achievement.

GTA IV is the first title in the series to feature online multiplayer. However, this is beset by problems. Aside from the game attracting the type of player Gamestyle normally tries to avoid on Xbox Live, ranked matches are laggy and too much time is spent searching for a gun instead of shooting the opposition. The party system is unreliable and it takes far too long to find a match. Whilst there are some interesting game types, far more fun can be had with friends in free mode. This places all of Liberty City at your disposal and it’s up to you and your friends to make you own entertainment. This has led to some of the most fun that Gamestyle has had online and we could fill this entire review recounting our escapades. Whether creating our own games, upsetting the police, or simply enjoying the scenery, free mode is an inspired inclusion to the game’s online experience.

So, some perspective then. Perhaps this review sounds overly negative. Liberty City is amazingly well designed. The game is stuffed to the gills with the series’ usual charm and irreverent sense of humour. The graphics, animation and sound are all first class. The voice-acting is great and despite its shortcomings, GTA IV is still a thoroughly enjoyable game. But when the flaws that have plagued the series since it made the move to three dimensions still have not been properly addressed and the core gameplay remains the same after seven years, it’s difficult to declare GTA IV as one of the greatest video games of all time.

Rating: 8 / 10

Words by Andy Lucas