Grand Theft Auto 4 Review

After waiting for GTA IV for over 3 years, it's finally out and has been for quite some time. Now Sandboxshootout will finally review the game that created the framework for this website.

Single Player:

Graphics- When you review a next gen title, graphics is a very hard category to look at since all games (hopefully) run beautifully in HD. GTA IV may not be the prettiest, but it still looks pretty good. The game, like Battlefield has a very grainy effect popped over the screen which can be turned on and off by messing with the 3 display effects, but most of the time doing this results in horrendous effects. Grand Theft Auto features a very in depth thoroughly built city and characters are vey realistic, in cut scenes. The Niko Bellic in game reminds me of a PS2 game.
8.5/10

Controls- This game runs pretty smoothly on the controls compared to other GTA's where shooting was a face button. However the car handeling in this game is crap. They tried to make it realistic and in turn failed. Remember when in San Andreas where you sucked at driving but "leveled" up? Well, in GTA IV you are at level 0 the whole game. The controls for in the vehicles are a little messed up where, if you go to break quickly you'll on instinct hit "X" or "Square" but this will in turn... adjust your headlights. Pretty useless. I can't tell you how many times I'd be approaching a bend and slam on the x button and the headlights would brighten but I'd slam into a wall and be ejected through the windshield.
6.5/10

Different- This game is called GTA IV for a reason (and I emphasize IV). Because it's the same thing. Just a new city, in hi-def. Though many new features have been added like bowling and seeing a cabaret show. Many other features were taken out like tanks, rampages, and flamethrowers. However this game is called GTA IV (I now emphasize GTA) for another reason. It's fun, open, and you can have a body count of 2,000 and still be having fun.
7.5/10

Story- I personally have always loved the story lines behind the GTA games, except that San Andreas made you play a "gangsta" and therefore killed the class (which I say loosely) of the past Mafioso games. This game returns to the mafia-esque plot, the revenge, and the blood. Wait... I've seen those elements somewhere else before... a thousand times. However the story was heavily realistic and kept me playing the game. Despite having seen the plot so many times before, it was well exectuted and was very enjoyable.
8/10

Missions- With about 90 missions in this game it's hard to nit pick, because if there is a problem it would likely repeat. And there are pleanty of problems here. For one, because of the massive amount of features, the whole game was really a big tutorial to using all of them, and I believe you are given directions on how to do something on the final level. Which was used for a dramtic effect, but was still a tutorial. There are many other examples I won't get to specific about. Also, the poor vehicle handling killed the fun of racing, and the auto lock on that just won't stop looking at corpses took the fun out of the gun-fights (I highly recommend you turn off the auto-lock feature). The missions were fun, but repetative. But how can't they be when there are 90 of them. The old quality vs quantity fight (which you are about to see again).
7.5/10

The City- Every game will get it's own category (Battlefield's was sound). I think GTA's city is enough of a reason to check out this game. While being modeled after Manhatten, Queens, The Bronx, and New Jersey; it is still it's own interactive, breathing city. It is beautiful, amazing, and the best open world setting yet. However, not the biggest
9.5/10

Replayable- I can't really give you an explanation. It's an open world game and you can do anything. Don't argue with me.
10/10

Realistic- Very. Perhaps to realistic. Many of the features from past GTA games were taken out (airplanes, rampages, fun vehicles, fun weapons, gang wars (wouldn't make sense here, but a little war in Manhattan would've been FUN) to keep the game realistic. This makes the game feel like a errand/repetative snooze fest. You will eventually feel all you are doing is running errands so don't mess around for too long.
9/10

Fun realism- This is just to show that the enjoyability of realism in a GTA game is unexistent. However, it makes the game's graphics, and gameplay stand out.
5/10


Multiplayer

It seemed that Rockstar has been shut in their caves for the past 3 years making this game because it shows. It shows in the in depth feel, the realism, and apparently they missed the realization us gamers had: Quality > Quantity. Rockstar missed that realization since their internet signal is low in these caves.
There are 15 modes in total but I only count that as 11:

Team:
Team Deathmatch
Team Mafia Work
Team Car Jack City
Turf War
Cops n Crooks

Non-Team:
Car Jack City
Deathmatch
Mafia Work
Race
Gta Race

Other:
Free-Roam
Co-op

I have Co-op as one mode compared to 3 because... one mission doesn't count as a modeit's like calling GRAW's co-op missions modes. You don't do it.
However, back to this realization... When you play multi-player with your friends you'll ask "What do you want to play?", the reply is either a rocket to your face or "free-roam". This is because your friends are douches and the multiplayer modes of GTA suck. Sorry.
The Rockstars up at Rockstar decided if you have friends you can only play the team modes with them in ranked... good call. However, they forgot to include the most team based game in the Team category; CO-OP... bad call. If you want to play co-op you have 3 possible outcomes:
1- You get in a room where there are high levels and they say "Oi! Look at this moronic level 5, he's not a god so boot him. He probably doesn't know what to do." And you say "Yes I do" and you say exactly what you should do. You get booted anyway.
2- You get in an empty game and the lobby gets no other players... ever.
3- You get in a game with a moron, a mute, and the self proclaimed King of the World. The mute turns out to be the only one who knows what tto do, but you can't talk to him so it doesn't matter. The moron has no idea what to do and talks loudly about being "O.G.", but won't listen to you yelling at him that he's driving off to the edge of the world where he will fall off. And the King is ordering everyone around, and half the time he knows what he's doing... he's just loud and annoying so you don't listen and mute him.
This is how fun co-op is.
Team Deathmatch is pretty standard but it always ends up in a 2v2v2v1v2v2v2v3... at the Airport or Prison. The 2 least fun areas. The only fun I ever had was a 5v5v5 in Bohan. But the game ended half way through. Which happens a lot.
Mafia work has you running around the city doing errands which makes you realize... I'm play Grand Theft Cauffeur IV, and have been since I beat the game.
Car Jack City is the same feeling as Mafia Work, but more prodominent and it forces you into the fetal position and makes you scream "Ima reTard" loudly or else you lose.
Race and GTA Race are the same thing, but you can get guns in GTA race, but it doesn't really matter. The car handeling is enough of a gun, aimed at your own head.
Cops n Crooks is actually a bit fun... until you are put in the backseat of a moron in a ity with no cars in it when the traffic is turned on high. You either walk, or stay in the car but both screw you over.
And that leaves us at Free Roam... the Free Roam in this game is what you are going to be playing until the next title you pick up (which looks like Gears in November). This is because no one likes the multiplayer modes and would rather kill their own friends. You can turn cops on, but nothing ever feels accomplished by playing this mode except racking up more deaths than a blind guy playing shipment in Headquarters whose controller forces him to immediantly cook a grenade until it kills him.
However, I will openly admit that free roam is fun. Flying helicopters through the city, barracding you and your friends in the middle of times square defending a 6 star wanted level, or just messing around. This makes up for (almost) everything else.
7.5/10

SINGLEPLAYER- 8/10
MULITPLAYER- 7.5/10
SANDBOX SHOOTOUT RATING- 8/10

Way too low for a game that will be talked about years from now. A game that will change sandbox games, and even open-world titles in general. However, it is your opinion, not mine. Good review though, well written.

yeah, i just looked back and i never finished the end of multiplayer so when i went over it it looked like a low score, multiplayer went from 5 to 7.5 and overall went from 7 to 8

what should i review next?
i'll do rock band 2 since it's almost out when it comes out