Return to Liberty City and the cruel streets in this second take of Grand Theft Auto IV. Customizable cars let you design Niko Bellic's ride as he travels the city in search of his fortune and an escape from his past. Intricate maps and the hottest music available on the stereo make Grand Theft Auto IV a wild adventure.
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I picked up GTA4 last night at the midnight release and had (between last night and this morning) about 3.5 hours to give it a try. Let me say, as a long time gamer, this is one of the best games I have played in a long long time. The story (so far) is rich and full of amusing characters. The control scheme is familiar (for those who have played the previous installments) and easy to pick up. The one issue I've had is the face that you have to watch the entire opening cinematic before you can jump in and play. I assume this is to give your console a chance to load the extremely expansive landscape that is Liberty City. The mission system is great, and all the missions seem to be unique in one way or another. They're not too hard, but they're not very easy either. Perfect for the casual sit down before work, or the long grind of a late night full of pizza and redbull. This game is DEFINATELY not for the young or easy offended. The language is real, and very graphic, the violence is brutal (including cop killing and other conterversial subjects), and there are continious references and instances of adult themed activities. If you are a parent, I would not reccomend this for your young children. BUT, if you are a gamer, or a fan of the serious, then you will be highly satisfied with the way the fourth installment of the series has turned out. If I could rate this between 1 and 10, I would give it a perfect 10.
What's great about it: Well written storyline, amazing graphics, gigantic environments.