| Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360) | 
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| From: Rockstar
Category: Video Games
List Price: £49.99
Buy Used: £18.99
You Save: £31.00 (62%)
New (28) Used (57) from £18.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  134 reviews
Sales Rank: 68
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
ESRB: Adults Only
Media: Video Game
Age: 18 - 18 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 5026555245920
EAN: 5026555245920
ASIN: B000FNDYWI
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A step in the right direction but still lacking June 11, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
First off i'll have to state something: compared to Vice City on the PS2, San Andreas was lacking for me. I was hoping for a return to form for GTA, especially after playing Saints Row and having an absolute ball of a time. Short review - it's good, but i'm still going back and playing Saints Row and Vice City over this.
Pros:
Lovely graphics - slightly sharper on the 360 however there can be clipping 'lag' in the distance. Graphics aren't a huge thrall for me, but still, the realism does come full circle when you're looking at a game as polished as GTA4.
Realistic quality - I'm gunna state right now I don't like how the cars handle. Bikes are still a mystery to me, how you're almost safer on one because crashes don't seem to be coded right for bikes. I digress. Basically it looks and feels like a real city, down to being able to knock over trash cans to seeing random trains/helicopters and even the police chasing down random crooks.
Story - The script is suberb. I think most of it comes down to the quality of the voice cast, but there's not much cheese factor unless it's for comedic value and in that case it's obviously blatent.
Friend/Cellphone system - A great addition that's been added upon from the Saints Row system. Being able to call for backup or a cab is a good idea, it's quite shocking something like this wasn't present from GTA3 onward.
Cons:
Combat - as listed below, someone has mentioned it's quite frustrating. I'll elaborate - it's a bloody mess. The auto-target feature is horrible, and the free target ability just means you sit with your finger on the trigger spraying bullets wildly. Taking cover can be buggy aswell - instead of ducking behind crates, quite often you'll find Niko sticking to a wall better than Spider-Man himself and leaving you completely open to attack from all angles. It's no Metal Gear Solid, that's for sure.
Realism - one of it's greatest strengths is also a huge flaw, in my opinion. Rockstar have created this vast open city, with winding strees and towering buildings, shops, all the stuff you'd imagine to see in a real city like New York (on which this was modelled). However in this incarnation of GTA, almost 70% of the map is purely wasted space. There are easter eggs, granted, but there aren't as many cool little additions such as masses of shops - this is something Saints Row did well, and something San Andreas did to a lesser, more useless extent. Having a huge island may well be awe inspiring, but is it practical in a game such as GTA? Do I really want to have to drive for about 10 real minutes to get from one side of the map to the other? Do I need that level of immersion?
Friends System - quite frankly, a mission where i'm forced to date a girl isn't a mission. That's "The Sims". I could do without it, and I didn't particularly like it in San Andreas - however at least I wasn't PENALISED for not playing redundant minigames with NPC friends.
Short and sweet - it's a nice game. Like Halo 3 before it, the majority of it's selling power is hype, plain and simple. Does it deserve the title of best game ever? No, not by a long shot. GTA4 while being a competant and semi-enticing RPGSim (I'm calling it an RPG because unlike the early versions of GTA up to maybe Vice, you are on a track exploring Niko. You're not a faceless, quite man of your own choosing), is nowhere near what it should be. I can only summise that the development team felt they could make more money in the long run by adding new cars, weapons, shops and features as downloadable content (a deal was sealed between Xbox Live and Rockstar for a lot of exclusive content), which is quite a shame. I remember a time when a game gave you as much as it possibly could from the word go, and didn't drift along lazily waiting for content additions over the next 18 months. Sadly that seems to be a recurring trend with games in general now and is not limited to GTA4.
Bottom line - you'll be amazed for the first hour or so. You'll really enjoy it for the next week. Give it 2 weeks and it'll be easily forgotten about, unless you're a completionist who really can't stand not unlocking all the achievements.
 Business as usual June 8, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
In short, I believe this game delivers everything that was promised. As GTAIV is the first GTA for the new generation HD consoles, the graphics engine has had a major overhaul, and it looks mighty impressive on 360 in HD. The middle distance does look a little fuzzy compared to uber sharp titles on the PC, but that can be forgiven as everything else just looks lovely.
This new game sees a return to Liberty City (from GTAIII) but the game seems a lot more mature somehow, it has a grown up a little. Instead of being asked to destroy the city you are now encouraged to live in it. This is done by keeping social and work relationships in check with your mobile phone that works great as a game interface. The tone of the game is also more 'life-like' with weightier more solid cars, and a main eastern european immigrant character. Gone are the wacky missions involving jetpacks and gone is the requirement to keep fit in gyms. The stories are great and the characters even more so.
My only gripe is that some of the irritations of the previous GTAs still remain, such as difficulty spikes and having to repeat long missions because of them. Otherwise it is a fantastic update to an already well known template as well as a new multiplayer mode. If you like GTA , the fourth installment is highly recommended.
Amazing game, but missing a few things.... June 5, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The most anticipated game of the year, and in my opinion it slightly disappoints......
PROS:
1) Graphics are top notch i.e. you can see reflections in puddles and trees blowing in the wind
2) The plot is good, with a few twists and turns throughout
3) The new combat system is great, especially the ability to use cover
4) The introduction of a mobile phone really adds to the in game experience and offers several new possibilities and options
5) The police A.I. is excellent, and they are often quick to respond to your crimes, but can be shaken off relatively easily
6) The "free-time" aspect is cool, with several leisure activities to try such as bowling and pool, and as you make friends with certain people, it unlocks the useful services they provide i.e. cheaper weapons
7) The ability to catch taxis saves endless amounts of time
8) The cut scenes are well done and the voice acting is superb
9) The radio shows are hilarious - in keeping with the GTA series
10) Finally, the introduction of moral choices within the story missions make it very replayable
CONS:
1) The vehicle handling is pretty bad, especially motorbikes
2) Lack of many types of vehicle
3) Only three clothes shops, very disapointing
4) Lack of any improvable skills, such weapon accuracy and strength/stamina, so no gyms like San Andreas
5) Limited side missions off of the main story
6) Lack of variation in type of mission, just same type repeated over and over with slightly different scenarios
7) No sky diving!!
8) No flying planes!!
9) No properties to save up for and buy like San Andreas, you are just given safehouses at different times in the story
10) After a while, graphics get sketchy and things either disappear completely or "pop in" at random times
11) Not as big a map as San Andreas
12) Hate to say it, but boring after the story missions are done
So to sum up, a very good game. BUT like so many other games these days, its a case of style over substance. Graphics are much better, plot is good, combat system is better, and the introduction of choices make it quite open ended. Alas, no real options for customisation and real lack of variation. San Andreas was bigger, more fun, funnier, and had real variation in mission types. Opportunity missed....
The BEST game ever May 31, 2008
0 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is the best game ever and people who say otherwise are halo fanboys or just plain stupid. The graphics are amazing and every thing has an amazing amount of detail on them. The gameplay has been perfected thanks to a brilliant new cover system and better targeting and better more realistic driving. The sounds and music in the game are also brill and the voice acting as with all gta games is superb. The story is also fantastic and is very long and very engrossing and the way it is told feels like a action packed movie.
Overall this is simply a game you must own and 100% the best game ever made.
GTA 4 May 31, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Im sorry to say the game was a bit of a let down sure the graghic`s are really good but sadly there is not much to do after all the mission`s have been completed. It`s worth owning but i found myself getting bored and going back to play call of duty 4.
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