Grand Theft Auto IV
Description official descriptions
The Serbian ex-soldier Niko Bellic had witnessed the horrors of war, which turned him bitter and cynical. Disappointed by life, he immigrates to the United States, which his cousin Roman enthusiastically describes as a country of wealth and pleasure. However, the reality is quite different: Roman is poor, has no stable job, and owes money to some dubious individuals. As Niko attempts to help his hapless cousin and pave a more secure future for both of them, he becomes more and more involved in the life of crime. A burning desire to find a man who had betrayed him in Serbia forces Niko to make deals with his conscience, and once he crosses the line, there is no way back...
Grand Theft Auto IV is the ninth title and the fourth main game in the Grand Theft Auto series, and also the first for the seventh generation of consoles. Following the tradition of the 3D installments of the series, the game is entirely located in one of the three cities of the original GTA, Liberty City, but now in present time, and with an environment reminiscent of GTA III, though bigger and more detailed. Liberty City is heavily based on New York, where the protagonist has to gain respect, welfare, and power throughout the game.
Like in most GTA games, the city map is gradually uncovered during the course of the game. The player starts in Broker (based on Brooklyn), and, in order to access the other three districts of the city (based on the other major boroughs of New York City), has to make progress in the storyline. The game has the usual structure based on missions. The player can sometimes engage in various missions at the same time and has free access to the non-mission features of the game while being on one.
Most of the usual elements of exploration and interaction with the city are included in GTA IV. Niko can cause mayhem in the city, hijack cars, listen to radio stations, observe the behavior of the citizens, enter thematic buildings, work as a vigilante, taxi driver, or ambulance driver, hire a prostitute, go to a strip club, and so on. Among the new features is the possibility to watch television (with several channels broadcasting various fictional programs) and connect to a fictional Internet, with functional websites (mostly of a humorous nature) created specifically for the game, and an e-mail program. Other additions include looking for criminals in the police department database from a police car, hiring taxi cabs to safely travel to selected destinations, extensive usage of the mobile phone, improved A.I. of the pedestrians, and others.
Some features from the previous games are missing, such as drivable airplanes and a few other vehicle types. Niko retains the ability to swim and engage in romantic relationships with female characters, features first introduced in San Andreas. However, the light role-playing elements (training to increase stamina, eating, etc.) from the previous entry have been removed.
GTA IV focuses on third-person shooter gameplay more than the previous installments; most of the missions have larger portions dedicated to on-foot navigation and shooting. Crouching, leaning and taking cover play a more important role in combat. Hand-to-hand combat has also been re-designed, Niko being able to execute more precise moves.
The game uses the euphoria motion engine, an alternate middleware solution much like ragdoll physics, which makes all people in the game world move realistically depending on the situation around them. For example, every time Niko enters a car, a different animation will be generated depending on his position relative to the car.
A new feature compared to its predecessors is multiplayer. The same free-roaming environment is offered for up to 16 players (32 in the Windows version) in 15 modes. Certain modes narrow down the environment to make sure players remain somewhat in each other's vicinity. Compared to the console releases, the Windows release features high-resolution graphics, a video editor to capture and edit in-game footage, and the possibility to customize the radio station Independence FM with its own songs.
Spellings
- Grand Theft Auto 4 - common spelling
- グランド・セフト・オートIV - Japanese spelling
- 俠盜獵車手4 - Traditional Chinese spelling
Groups +
- 3D Engine: RAGE
- Character Feature: Actual person's looks and voice
- Drivable Vehicle: Forklift
- Gameplay feature: Dating / Romance
- Gameplay feature: Game completion percentage
- Gameplay feature: House ownership
- Gameplay feature: Multiple endings
- Gameplay feature: Recordable replays
- Gameplay feature: Simulated Internet
- Gameplay feature: Weather changes
- Games for Windows Live releases
- Games involved in legal disputes
- Games with game-altering copy protection
- Games with player's sound files support
- Genre: Open world / Free-roaming / Sandbox action and driving
- Genre: Sports - Darts
- Genre: Truck racing / driving
- Grand Theft Auto series
- Middleware: Bink Video
- Middleware: euphoria
- Physical Bonus Content: Poster
- Physical Bonus Content: World Map
- PlayStation 3 Platinum Range releases
- Protagonist: Gangster
- Setting: 2000s
- Software Pyramide releases
- Technology: amBX
- Theme: LGBT
- Xbox 360 Classics releases
- Xbox 360 Platinum Hits releases
Screenshots
Promos
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Credits (PlayStation 3 version)
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Reviews
Critics
Average score: 94% (based on 217 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 367 ratings with 10 reviews)
Everything wrong with video games can be found in GTA IV
The Good
It comes in a box, so when you are thoroughly finished with it, you can pack it all back up and throw it in the trash! Convenient!
It all honesty the production values of Rockstar have always been very high. My gripe is that you can polish a turd to a smoky brown gleam, but it's still first and foremost a turd. I like a little more focus on artistic interpretation, rather than always pushing the envelope as to representing the real world on your TV screen verbatim. I mean, if I want crystal clear graphics I can walk around outside. Do I really want to experience a grim urban setting with the utmost clarity though? No thank you. I get enough bland and boring scenes without turning on an SBoss.
The Bad
Where to begin?
Essentially, the magic of video games from the mid-90s has given way to the silliness of GTA and its peers. Instead of artful design, we have pedestrian gunmanship. Instead of the wonder and intrigue of the SNES, we have grotesque urban landscapes, peopled by drug lords, pimps, and loudmouths.
There is nothing inherently wrong with all this, but quite frankly, I play video games as an alternative to the real world, not as an extension of it.
The Bottom Line
Just a waste of time and money. The dour sensibilities of grim Scotsmen have made their mark on video gaming, and it comes under the banner of Grand Theft Auto. What a terrible way for the once-glorious institution of gaming to go. Now practically every marquee title is either a GTA or a Call of Duty clone. Close as I can figure, originality in game design pretty well ended in 2001, with the release of Halo and the demise of EverQuest. Now, it's just a sad little exercise for 18 year old boys and their kin to pop off their allowance for this crud. For shame!
Still, who doesn't hate young men? Even they hate themselves. So it makes total sense that I'd hate the games they amuse themselves with.
Xbox 360 · by Chris Wright (85) · 2010
For every step back Rockstar takes, they make giant leaps forward.
The Good
The GTA series has always been somewhat of an experiment. The first game in the series was a flawed gem, fun and unique but had many problems, yet it had extreme ambition and the premise of being let loose in a big city was unique at the time. GTA 2 didn't go too far forward, but was still fun (Also the first game I got for my dreamcast.) but it was clear that Rockstar had intentions of going even further. They pushed the envelope with the third entry, and created an excellent trilogy that continued to tweak GTA III's groundwork. They slowly pushed the base framework, but didn't really try to change it massively, experimenting on how to improve on GTA III's formula, which was perfected in San Andreas.
Yet GTA IV is a leap ahead of its predecessors in more than just a tech generation. While some of the variety in weaponry and character alteration in San Andreas is reduced in IV, Rockstar makes up by perfecting the concept of a living breathing city. Many other recent sandbox games such as Prototype and Infamous have used an NYC setting, their game worlds felt incomplete. The city didn't feel complete or unique, let alone alive. Those games are great, but their cities still feel like a simple game map. GTA IV's liberty city, which recreates NYC so well that its downright creepy, feels like a real place. Everything feels alive and real. This gives the game a great immersion value. Rockstar has crafted the best sandbox locale ever, and it boggles the mind how they are going to improve.
The story is also incredible. Although its not quite as great as Silent Hill 2's story, it is easily the second greatest story ever told in a video game. Niko Bellic is an excellent character, you feel for him and grow attached. Despite what he gets reluctantly involved in, he's not a criminal or a villain. His story of redemption and finding a new life in the most corrupt city on the planet feels epic and it will tug on every emotion possible. This is quite possibly the only game next to Silent Hill 2 that had me in tears at the end.
The core gameplay is still here and better than ever. The cover system works great and makes the combat more intense while also eases it up a bit from previous games. The targeting system is also improved, while still a bit fidgety at times, you can now aim with true precision and weapons feel better in your hands then they did in the past. They all feel unique and have kick, they sound great too. Combat is satisfying and packs a punch.
The graphics are superb. Liberty City looks awesome, and character models are detailed and have expressive body and facial animations. The animations are further enhanced by the Euphoria engine, an engine that uses realistic ragdoll/collision modeling even when a human is still alive. This basically means that they will never clip through walls, and the models will bend, animate, and interact realistically with the world. They can be knocked over realistically, and this applies to your character too. This also makes combat more satisfying, shoot a specific limb and it will temporarily cripple them as they realistically react and wince in pain. Sometimes if your foe is near a flight of stairs, shooting them will stumble them and they will fall down the stairs and hurt themselves more before getting up. It is impressive and eerily realistic.
The soundtrack is great, the various stations mean that no matter what music you like, there will be a station that plays something to your taste. Except classical. Why the hell is there no classical station? :( But each station has great tracks that will scratch your itch. I love classic rock and jazz, so Liberty Rock Radio and JNR give me good tunes. My wife likes rap and disco, and they have stations for those too, and so many more. The tracks are all good ones as well, I have yet to hear a stinker on my two stations. The talk radios are also funny.
The cell phone system, while it has its cons, works well and is a great communication hub. You can also meet girlfriends and friends and schedule dates and stuff where you can do minigames. While the bowling minigame is atrocious, others are actually kinda fun. I like doing darts and billiards, and there's a rather funny minigame where you go get drunk with a friend or girlfriend and stumble around. The animations are hilarious, the drunken stumbling is enhanced by euphoria and funny and of course it obscures your ability to drive, which leads to a funny yet challenging cop chase. The characters that count as friends all have different perks for hanging out with them and making them happy, and you will want to hang out with some of them because they are genuinely likable characters. I love playing pool with Little Jacob. Little Jacob is awesome and one of my favourite characters.
The missions are standard fare, but usually of a high quality. There are several standout missions, and several where your choices affect the game and ultimately affect the outcome. These decisions truly carry weight and force you to think. One mission you are hired by a corrupt cop to assassinate his drug addicted brother, but his drug addicted brother wants you to assassinate the corrupt cop. Both characters played a big part and became real, who do you kill? You really think over their roles in your life. There are several moments like this where you are given a choice of life or death for certain characters, and both life and death have different and unique outcomes. The best mission in the entire game though is without a doubt, Four Leaf Clover. Have you ever seen "Heat?" Remember how cool the robbery was? Well, Four Leaf Clover is just about as awesome, but you are in control.
Multiplayer! Yay! The multiplayer is great. Its been a long time coming, but we finally have it. There are several very fun modes, my favourite being GTA race where you race around the city but are given the use of picking up weapons off the road and doing drive by's. Bomb Da Base is very fun, and the games excellent combat system makes deathmatch fun and there is also freemode which allows you and your buds to run around doing whatever you want in Liberty City without restraints or goals which can be fun. Me and my wife love to knife fight on the top of high buildings and see who falls off.
The voice acting is awesome, every character has a unique and distinct voice and they all give great performances. Rockstar has done an outstanding job with the voices, and the acting only enhances the great story. Witty banter is here too, and is funny.
Speaking of funny... RICKY GERVAIS! YAY! Yes, you can go see a Ricky Gervais performance :3 If you don't like him you won't like his part in GTA IV, but I freakin' love Ricky Gervais and his show here is hilarious.
The Bad
As good as the graphics are, they have flaws. Namely in the framerate, which takes a dive at random moments, usually during large explosions or if there is a lot of action happening in the water. The game will be very choppy until the action simmers down, and it can be annoying because sometimes this means you don't get to see all of the action. The draw distance, while high, is still annoying and pop up does happen, especially in high speed cars.
Although the car controls have been improved from previous GTA games, they still are annoying as hell. Cars drive clunkily, and its damn near impossible to turn corners, let alone hang a corner. Car control is sluggish and it feels like you are trying to push around a big cart full of rocks. Even worse are the helicopter controls. Air-to-air battles and strafing runs are fun... if you can control the friggen' helicopter. These are THE worst helicopter controls ever. You constantly have to fidget with the height and joystick, it gets confusing because if you don't constantly take your finger on and off the altitude button then you will either go too high or you will sing, and to move the helicopter you have to tilt it a certain direction but they are too sensitive and you will head down and spin out even just barely trying to turn and aiming in a helicopter is nigh impossible.
The cellphone system, while unique, CAN be annoying. Sometimes constant callers will get on your nerves, and even though the girlfriend/friends system can be fun and interesting at times, its annoying when a friend calls you in the middle of a mission and then gets pissed when you decline going out. Also, the bowling minigame is atrocious. I don't know how Rockstar managed to do this since Bowling is pretty straight forward and easy to recreate for just about any form of control, but bowling in GTA IV is about as easy and intuitive as solving the worlds largest Rubiks cube with one hand tied behind your back, one eye closed and the other one with dirt in it, and a 1 minute time limit. Friends often seem to like to go to strip clubs too, which isn't terribly exciting since I'm not turned on by video game girls.
The multiplayer, while incredibly fun, is full of loud mouthed idiots and punks that can ruin your fun. It also sometimes gets laggy and finding games can take a ridiculously long time.
There's no Pink Floyd on the classic rock station, which blows chunks since Pink Floyd is the best band ever. Comon' Rockstar, at least give us "Time" or "Money." Hell, I'll even take "Learning to Fly." Pweease Rockstar? I'll gladly pay more money for at least one Floyd track. Speaking of music, what happened to the MP3/Custom Track player? My 360 has a 120 gb harddrive and plenty of music, and GTA3/VC/SA all had the ability to play tracks from your harddrive, so why not in GTA IV?
While the weapons all have a kick and are fun to shoot, they have been cut down considerably. You won't dual wield anything, you can't use impromptu weapons like machetes, pool cues, golf clubs, etc. even if you see them lying around. I miss the Chainsaw too. Surely there's SOME place in Liberty where you can find a chainsaw?
The helicopter is the only vehicle you can fly. You can't hop into jets or planes anymore, which sucks because I would love to fly around liberty city. Flying is fun, I don't think anyone will disagree. I loved flying around in San Andreas, and there IS an airport with plenty of small jets that are impossible to use, and there is no excuse for that.
The gang AI is somewhat sloppy, and is only marginally improved from before.
Replay value isn't as high as Saints Row 2, but that is a different review.
Not enough Lazlo :(
The Bottom Line
Overall, GTA IV is a masterpiece. While it may take some steps back from San Andreas, it makes up by taking giant leaps forward. Couple the great gameplay with the second best story ever told in a video game, and you have an incredible package. Liberty City is technically arresting and will suck you in, and combat is fun and fast paced. One can only wonder how Rockstar will improve the new generation of GTA, but there is no questioning that they will.
Xbox 360 · by Kaddy B. (777) · 2009
A game of movie like proportions.
The Good
Were to begin?!
In terms of story, GTA IV has got to have the best ever in a game, truly able to match anything Hollywood could churn out. What makes it even better is that it probably has one of THE best ensemble cast's of any game. Ever. And while the graphic's are not the complete bee's knee's, it certainly performs it jobs admirably.
And if the story can't keep you completely entertained, the radio station's do a brilliant job of helping out.Iggy Pop on Liberty Rock Radio alone is a hoot that will give you more than a few smiles. The other delight of the radio is the ever funny Weazel News segments. Real life parody at it's best!
The Bad
BIKES! ARRRRGGH!!! Who ever designed the handling of them deserves a punch, it is just so awful. All they do is remind you why bikes DON'T belong in games like this.
Helicopters are slightly better, but I still dislike them.
The only other complaint that I would have us that adjusting the camera view while walking is a irritant. especially in combat.
The Bottom Line
In spite of a few niggling problems, this is just about one of the best game's out there that you can buy.
Xbox 360 · by Starbuck the Third (22596) · 2009
Discussion
Subject | By | Date |
---|---|---|
Go PC! | Unicorn Lynx (181664) | Jul 7, 2009 |
US$100 million | beetle120 (2415) | Jun 14, 2008 |
Trivia
1001 Video Games
Grand Theft Auto IV appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Australian release
To avoid the problems Rockstar faced with releasing the GTA series in Australia in the past, a modified version was released so that the game could meet the highest rating of MA15+. Rockstar is still refusing to tell Australians what was censored in their release. Here is a rundown of what has been changed:
- There are no blood pools created after the player kills a person, whether they are a pedestrian or enemy; and bloody tire tracks cannot be created when the player drives their car through a blood pool.
- When having sex with hookers, the car can only be seen bouncing from the rear view and players cannot choose between a blow job, hand job, and regular intercourse; and the sex animations are not present. Also, the camera is locked to a rear view and it cannot be rotated.
- Light blood patches representing bruises and bullet wounds on the body are non-existent.
Brucie
Brucie, one of the game's "mission-giving" characters, can be seen working out during one of the cut scenes; it is easy to notice tattoos of Chinese characters covering his body. On his chest is the character 我, which means "I"; on the back are the characters 人妖, which mean... "transsexual"! Consider Brucie's constant bragging of his own masculinity and heterosexuality...
Development
- Originally planned for a 2007 release, the game was delayed until April 29th. According to the publisher the delay was caused by the nature of dual-platform development.
- Katt Williams and Ricky Gervais both did full motion and voice capture for their brief appearances in their own comedy skits on the television.
Melee combat
The fighting style Niko uses is the Israeli martial arts style Krav Maga.
Records
GTA IV has broken the following records:
- Highest Production Budget: in an interview with The Times in April 2008, producer Leslie Benzies estimated that production costs on the game reached $100 million, smashing the previous record of $70 million set by Shenmue.
- Largest Soundtrack in a Video Game: The game features 18 radio stations playing 218 licensed tracks, beating the previous record of 156 songs set in GTA: San Andreas.
- Largest Voice Cast in a Video Game: the game boasts a total credited cast of 861 voice actors, including 174 actors playing named characters, DJs, and TV voiceovers. Many of the additional 687 voices were volunteered by people who just wanted a chance to be heard in the game.
- Most Successful Entertainment Product Launch: on April 29, 2008, the game generated $310 million of sales worldwide in one day.
References to other Rockstar Games
- One area of the game features a wall of graffiti which has the words 'Claude', 'Carl' and the phrase 'Remember Tommy' written on it. These are references to the protagonists of past GTA games.
- Official art from past GTA games is interlaced into some of the random graffiti found throughout the city. Notably 8 ball and El Burro from GTA III.
- If you gain access to Playboy X's mansion the clothes of GTA III protagonist Claude become available for Niko to wear.
- If you visit the miniature golf course it is possible to find the following land marks from past GTA games used on the course: The Ocean View Hotel from GTA: Vice City, the giant chicken from GTA: San Andreas, the farm windmill from San Andreas' countryside, the Watts Towers re-creations from Los Santos and the lighthouse from the old Liberty City, as seen in GTA III and GTA: Liberty City Stories. It is interesting to note that the models and textures are ripped directly from the original games.
- When Niko hands his resumé to the lawyers it says he attended Bullworth University in England. The game Bully, also published by Rockstar, was set in Bullworth Academy in New England.
- If you visit www.littlelacysurprisepageant.com at the Internet Cafe, you will find a page that warns you've been caught by an LCPD pedophilia sting and immediately receive a 5-star wanted level. Little Lacy Surprise originated on the radio in GTA: Vice City Stories.
- Jimmy, the protagonist from Rockstar's game Bully can be found walking outside Hove Beach Railway Station at certain times. This also makes him the first child that can be killed in a GTA game.
References
- The mission called "I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle" is a direct reference to Terminator 2. The exact phrase is said by the Terminator during T2's opening moments.
- Like past GTA's, GTA IV contains references to other open world games. The area Stillwater ave. is named after the city Stilwater (one "L") from Saints Row. The hotdog vendor slogan, 'You can't beat our meat', is also the same as the slogan for the Freckle Bitch's restaurant in Saints Row. Finally there is a 'squids row - budget seafood' billboard which may be another reference to Saints Row. Some people also conclude that this could be a reference to the term "skid row".
- The mission 'concrete jungle' may be a reference to the poorly received Predator open world game.
- The song Concrete Jungle by Bob Marley & The Wailers is also featured in the game on the Tuff Gong radio station.
References to the game
Grand Theft Auto IV was parodied in an episode of "Die Redaktion" (The Editorial Team), a monthly comedy video produced by the German gaming magazine GameStar. It was published on the DVD of issue 03/2009.
Awards
- GamePro (Germany)
- February 26, 2009 - Best Console Game in 2008 (Reader's Voting)
- GameSpy
- 2008 – #6 Game of the Year
- 2008 – #3 Xbox 360 Game of the Year
- 2008 – #4 PS3 Game of the Year
- 2008 – #5 PC Game of the Year
- 2008 – Character of the Year (for Brucie)
- 2008 – Best Story of the Year
- Golden Joystick Awards
- 2008 - Xbox Game of the Year
- 2008 - Soundtrack of the Year
Information was also provided by festershinetop, MegaMegaMan and piltdown man
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Related Sites +
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Grand Theft Auto IV
Official game website -
IGCD Internet Game Cars Database
Game page on IGCD, a database that tries to archive vehicles found in video games. -
X360A achievement guide
X360A's achievement guide for GTA IV.
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by MichaelPalin.
Windows added by Sicarius.
Additional contributors: Unicorn Lynx, Katakis | カタキス, Foxhack, Solid Flamingo, DreinIX, Paulus18950, Patrick Bregger, Starbuck the Third, Plok, Victor Vance, FatherJack, 64er, Facenapalm.
Game added April 29, 2008. Last modified November 10, 2024.