The release of Grand Theft Auto 4 was as close as we will get to a video game release turning
into a national holiday.
People took off work and high school classrooms were half filled.
Everyone was going out to get a copy of the next generation of the famous series.
The game sold 3.6 million copies its first day and 6 million its first week.
So far the game has sold 22 millions copies.
Practically everyone has a copy of this game and for good reason.
The game was hyped and it actually lived up to it.
The game was a big departure from other games in the series, with much darker and more serious
themes and new gameplay changes, the game set a new standard for video games.
You play as Niko Belic, an eastern European immigrant to the United States.
He is here looking for the American Dream but the story evolves into more than just
that.
You will learn of Niko’s dark past and the real reason he came to America.
Niko is surrounded around by a great cast of characters which include his cousin Roman,
his finance Mallorie, and also the non-understandable Little Jacob.
Each one is voice acted really well and really bring you into the story.
Nico’s story will become a part of you.
One of the major changes from previous games is the combat.
The game now uses cover based shooting which works very well and makes the combat much
more interesting.
You will be using the environment to work your way into areas, jumping from cover to
cover.
It is great to drive to an area, jump out of your car and use it for cover until the
car catches on fire and you have to move before it explodes.
But the best thing about Grand Theft Auto 4 was the city itself.
The game is set once again in Liberty City, but this is a Liberty City unlike any you
have seen before.
Never before had a felt like I was in a real city.
You can tell how much care went into each and every detail.
From each street having its own name to seeing random people getting into fender benders
and getting out of their car.
All these little things add up to creating a living, breathing city.
Each area of the city feels very different than one another.
From industrial Broker to the business district Algonquin.
There are so many things to do if you don’t feel like doing the story.
You can go to a Internet cafe and use a dating site, or you can take your girlfriend bowling
or play darts with your cousin.
Or my personal favorite and take a helicopter ride and see how good looking the city really
is.
My only complaints are more nip picks than real problems.
I would have liked to see a mid-mission checkpoint system.
Nothing is more frustrating than being almost done with a mission and being killed by someone
you don’t see and have to start from the beginning.
And some of the missions can take over twenty minutes.
Anther thing, the driving it very touchy.
I get that it is suppose to be more realistic but I had worrying about spinning-out than
driving I would have also liked to see the GTA humor
continue.
This game is very serious and gritty.
There is some humor but it much darker than before and not as laughably ridiculous as
say San Andreas, which had jet-packs.
Grand Theft Auto 4 should continue to be seen as it is: a crowning achievement of video
game design.
The game is beautiful, engrossing and great to play.
And should be held as the gold standard of open world games, or at least until Grand
Theft Auto 5 comes out.