Grand Theft Auto IV

Raz Review: "The best PS3 game so far. If you don't have it, get it. It is simultaneously a sandbox adventure game, a socio-political satire on North America spanning every imaginable aspect available, and a perfect example of spectacular writing for a video game. It's like playing a movie.

Multiplayer lets you loose in the city to cause mayhem with or against friends, over a wide area or in tight quarters. Avoid the games where auto-aim is turned off unless you're a serious marksman.

Speaking critically, the fighting system is clumsy. I also don't like the fact that the controls aren't truly customizable; or that you have to 'half-hold' down the targeting button to free aim - that leads to problems.

Driving is equally clumsy, thanks to the physics engine; we didn't need Gran Turismo in GTA. It does, however, provide a more realistic experience, and serves to slow you down a bit so you can properly enjoy your surroundings as they whizz by.

There is, of course, everything we've come to expect from GTA - from strippers and drug deals to wanton shootouts. Yet, it's not about the kills, thrills and spills. This is the true beauty of a sandbox game like GTA IV; you get to make choices, just like in real life.

You don't have to work for anyone if you don't want to. You don't have to ever fire a gun. You can just cruise around the city in your cousin's taxi, taking it all in - that's almost a game in itself. Liberty City is DETAILED - you've never seen a more realistic urban environment in a game.

Ultimately, the appeal of GTA IV (for me, anyway) is the experience of "playing a movie". The plot and characters are well developed, the story is engaging, and the main character isn't a soulless killer - he's a regular guy, a veteran and recent immigrant who is just trying to keep his head above water and look after his bumbling cousin in a city rife with corruption, perversion and violence.

That's the subtext which makes this game a giant socio-political satire - not the characters, not even the gameplay itself; but the environment within which the game occurs, as it mirrors our own reality.

So to those who criticize the GTA series for its portrayal of violence and sexuality, and complain about a 'corrupting influence'; I could speak at length about the decline of education, community, socio-economics and parenting in general. It's easier to scapegoat than it is to address the real problems."

Online: Yes
Rated: 9.5/10

---2008 Game of the Year---