Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest addition in the addictive sandbox genre Rockstar games are best known for. GTA4 represents more than just the next game in the series, it represents Rockstar's first attempt to bring the series to the next gen arena running on the Xbox 360 and the PS3.
GTAIV returns once again to Liberty City and follows the story of an European immigrant who found his way over to America in the hopes of finding fame and fortune. However when he arrives he realizes things aren't that easy...so he returns to the same old story root that GTA has always ran with. New guy in town wants to get rich, commits crimes and gets paid accordingly.
Despite how good you hear GTA4 is, personally i found the game a little disappointing. With the next gen platforms i expected huge leaps to be taken but i couldn't help but feel backward steps were made as well.
First of all Liberty City is no not as large as San Andreas. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing as the game is a lot more dense, it feels like a little bit of freedom was traded off. The lack of jet packs, parachutes and airplanes will be disappointing for fans of san andreas but it doesn't stop the game from being fun.
Another problem with GTA as you accumulate wealth in the city, it gets a little silly when you can't spend it. Old GTA games had you saving up money to buy various property which could net you more money but this was completely left out in the game. At some point in the game, you get about 250k and that is essentially the bulk of your money for the rest of the game.
From a technical standpoint, GTA is also pretty disappointing. While the lighting is superb and the visual style is pretty good, animations could definitely be better, music tracks could be more and there could be more vehicle types. I found very little to show me the next gen leap aside from the graphical enhancements and the freedom from loading. As a next gen game, i wanted more and there was never a single moment in the game that seemed to wow me. The missions are basically same old same old GTA missions from past games but with a different twist or story.
The one thing that really impressed me in this game was the physics engine. The Euphoria engine really shines in this game as everything behaves very realistically. I was generally impressed by ALL the physics interactions including the handling of the cars. However, whenever the physics got too intense, the frame rate seemed to slow down noticeably which got a little annoying after a while.
Improvements to the gameplay include a cover system and a lock on aim which are very welcome additions to the game and both work very nicely. The online portion of the game is also a new addition which helps give the game additional replay value. The online modes are pretty solid and will be fun when gathering a group of friends to play online. T
Overall GTA4 is a pretty good game, with a pretty good story but still falls short of full potential
GTA IV turned GTA into a more grounded franchise where storytelling and immersion became just as engrossing as wrecking up open-world sandboxes.
Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."
Here here
Those that were around before 2000's i am sure are like me that think we entered a world of non readers or those that follow without question.
I can not wait to see fallout 3 a goty game even though it was about water with non content until you add the dlc/updates then you got the performance/crashing
1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.
It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!
I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.
Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.
Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.
Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:
- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2
I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.
Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.
I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.
I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.
But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.
Just about every year in the 7th generation was great and something we most likely won't experience again.
2009 for example had Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Halo 3: ODST, Killzone 2, Borderlands, Bayonetta, and Demon's Souls to name a few.
It still amazes me we got over 7 rockstar games ps2/ps3 but 3 for the ps3/ps4/ps5
Dragon age 1-3 and mass effect 1-3 in 7ish years what a generation.
Grand Theft Auto 4 is an important game for Rockstar, not least because it was the first title in the franchise to use the newly created RAGE engine.
Professional reviewers score: 10
Everyone else: 9
lol...if the game is so great, why isnt it on everyone's favourites games list? This game took too many steps back in the gameplay department...not as fun anymore.
Good review Sonarus :) ...ill be waiting for the MGS 4 one....but no bias there :D ...i bet your trying to hack n4g's scoring system so you can give it an 11/10...lol.
GIVE IT LESS GIVE IT LESS
This is exactly how I feel about this game after I finished playing through the storyline. Good, but could have been so much more.
I'd even give Uncharted a 8.9 and this game an 8.8 because I enjoyed it that much more.
Good review man