Game Review: Grand Theft Auto IV

Let me not be vague about my message about Grand Theft Auto IV: GTA IV is a good game, but it is not the best game ever, not even the best game of its time. I don’t care how many GTA fanboys object to that – there are several problems with the game that no game of high quality should have.

Now, I’m not one for not giving credit where credit is due. I know the reason GTA IV behaves the way it does is because it has to cut corners to overcome technological obstacles. It does this for good reason as well, as the modern GTA series is one of its only games of its kind. However, the game on a technical and playable standpoint is far from the best thing on the market.

Impressions: Grand Theft Auto IV (X360)

DISCLAIMER: This is more of a rant than it is a review, but since this has aspects of both, I shall categorize it as both. Also, this is an impression, not a full review since I only started playing.

We’ve all heard of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and its infamous Hot Coffee scandal. It’s that controversy that brought Jack Thompson to public attention. The controversy, caused by lazy programmers. ended up making Rockstar execs wipe egg off their face: surely, you can’t add “third party content” to a Playstation 2.It was the only reason I bought San Andreas: they were taking it off the market and it’s now a collector’s item. And the game sucks. I’m not sorry if you disagree. I shouldn’t have to spend five hours doing pointless tasks that feel inane and eventually self-indulgent. It was also the reason I was skeptical to buy Grand Theft Auto IV. With the high ratings given by all – not just many of – the reviewers, I decided this would be one of those games I’d break my rule of “clearly this will be a greatest hit and therefore $20 in the future” and hop on the band wagon early.

Boy, am I glad I was wrong.