Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Rockstar Games
• Released on: 2008-04-29
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• ESRB Rating: Adults Only
• Platform: Xbox 360

Amazon.co.uk
What does the American Dream mean today?

For Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't.

Beginning with the 1997 release of the original Grand Theft Auto, the GTA series has been one of the most prolific, controversial and down right entertaining franchises in video games history. This pedigree of success guarantees that the highly anticipated eleventh game in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, will garner at least as much attention if not more.

Return to Liberty City.

The dream as Niko expected it. View larger.

There's always a catch. View larger.

But some skills are international. View larger.

The Plot
Grand Theft Auto IV is a brand new adventure in the GTA universe following the experiences of Nikolai "Niko" Bellic, a new immigrant from an undisclosed eastern European country whose troubled pa st and the persuasion of his cousin Roman have brought him to the fictional Liberty City. Unfortunately, Niko's search for the American Dream and a much needed fresh start, hits an immediate snag when the rags to riches story Roman spun to pique Niko's interest is exposed as not only a complete fabrication, but a ploy to enlist Niko's well-known skills as a tough guy against the ample list of enemies clamouring for Roman's debt-ridden blood.

Because Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City he begrudgingly accepts his role as Roman's protector despite the deception. But as time goes on Niko comes into his own, and his experience on the wrong side of the tracks proves more valuable than he could have ever imagined as he fights for survival and later supremacy on the crime ridden streets of Liberty City.

Game Environments
Based on several of the boroughs of New York City and parts of New Jersey, Liberty City, familiar to players of previous games in the series, has been entirely redesigned for GTA IV. Players can expect visible detail down to the weeds growing in the cracks in the sidewalk, cars and buildings of visibly different ages and a much greater level if verticality in the buildings and bridges that they are able to explore as Niko moves through the city streets. In addition, pedestrians in GTA IV are much more realistic. No longer simply moving cardboard cut-outs, these NPCs are intelligent, modern, human representations that laugh, cry, eat, drink, use cell phones and ATMs, and talking amongst themselves regardless of Niko's interaction with them.

Gameplay
Historically GTA games have focused heavily on mission-based play, requiring successful completion of fixed tasks in order for players to progress through the game, but this has changed to a great extent in GTA IV. Players will experience an entirely new and exciting emphasis centred on the blending of on-mission and off-mission play, resulting not only in an increased sense of realism, but more interesting and unrestricted gameplay.

Features
Aside from the car jacking and a detailed city environment here are the new features for GTA IV:

• Improved combat system - Now you can use cover and also a target lock system, which allows you to take out targets with greater ease and accuracy. Plus, you can engage in some hand-to-hand combat if you can't get your hands on a piece quick enough.
• Cell phone - Not just for basic phone calls anymore. Use your in-game cell phone to receive missions via SMS, snap photos, and ZiT (tag) songs that can be downloaded exclusively on Amazon.com/mp3.
• Free time - In between missions you can take advantage of "me" time. There are gentleman's clubs, comedy clubs, bowling alleys, and bars, which all house unique activities.
• Take a break from the storyline - A variety of side missions allow you to help run a car service, "borrow" cop cars, assassinate targets, help solve problems for those on the street, or take to the air with stunt jumps that are scattered all over the city.
• Control your own fate - Throughout the game choice moments will arrive causing you to make a decision that will affect relationships and money.

Multiplayer
Give Niko a rest and create your own multiplayer "hero." GTA has added multiplayer modes allowing you to take your creation out to play online in competitive, co-op, and free form modes. Competitive mode has you fighting against the cops, jacking cars, or racing to finish odd jobs. Co-op challenges you and your friends with various tasks including Hangman's NOOSE where you are responsible for escorting a wanted kingpin to a safe extraction point. Freeform lets you and 15 others lose on Liberty City. Use this mode to hit up the bar and play virtual darts versus each other or head out to the streets and set up your own drag races. If you can dream it, you can do it in Freeform mode.

Customer Reviews

Simply Brilliant
I think my header says it all. This game is a must have, with so many recent games falling short of the mark this game excels in all area's. I didn't buy the last GTA game so went into this new one with an open mind and can honestly say I don't have a bad word to say about it. The graphics are truly brilliant, the voice acting is excellent and the plot is meaty and intelligent.
The City itself has everything you would expect from a GTA game, it is vast, beautiful, ugly, and full of things to do...you can literally walk around the city for hours without getting bored, on previous titles I always roamed by car, but not with this one, I actually prefer to walk so I can take everything in.
The cars are amazing and look out if you are speeding down the motorway, you might want to avoid hitting anything head on, as your character will literally fly out the front windscreen onto the road - awesome!
I really like the mobile phone development where by you can ring your cousin or local gangsters for jobs and I love the auto save which means you don't have to drive halfway across the city to save your game...
All in all wonderful - game of the year so far!

A violent work of art
I haven't been this impressed with a work of fiction since the first time I saw the Godfather.

It is a superb, genuis game. Truly cinematic production values with a story and backdrop to make most multi-million dollar pictures envious.

But where it scores is in the gameplay and fun factor. Immersive and intuitive the game is just hard enough to be challenging but not too hard so as to discourage.

I've had it for about 48 hours and am only just getting to grips with things. On top of the superlative nature of the single player game, the multiplayer which I'm just trying out is also excellent with the options and gameplay as good if not better than anything else I've ever played on line.

Buy it and enjoy !!!

Good graphics, but at what cost?
This review comes from a hardcore GTA gamer. I have spent copious hours on GTA 3, Vice City, Liberty City Stories, and literally hundreds of hours on the amazing San Andreas. So it is with disappointment that I tell you that GTA IV, a massively anticipated game brings very little new to the table that hasn't been seen before.

It seems that the series has taken a step back from San Andreas. Many side missions, vehicles, stores and things that made previous GTA games what they were have just disappeared. Replaced by fancy menu screens, flashy graphics, snappy camera angles and an irritaing wanted level system, has GTA lost its soul? You can't fly, go underwater, ride bikes, take over hoods, buy safehouses, drive tanks or better yourself physically like CJ could do. Someone dared to describe this a game that would outdo even the wildest expectations from GTA fans. WRONG, this isn't far off GTA III just with better graphics and a more powerful engine. Play the vastly superior San Andreas instead if you want to see what GTA is all about.

In the immortal words of Chuck D....don't believe the hype.