Grand Theft Auto has always been in the limelight for various reasons. Sometimes for being the best open world game or sometimes for elevating the concept of having a ‘Hot Coffee’ with your girlfriend after a nice sweet date. Even though it might be surrounded by controversy or praise, Grand Theft Auto has always stood its ground and delivered time and time again.
GTA San Andreas was an epic achievement in magnitude and game play options and it had achieved that while being on the PlayStation 2. People wondered how much better the GTA universe could be when the game will make it’s debut on the next-generation consoles, i.e. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Fact be told, expectations were mile high and seeing Rockstar’s previous accomplishments, GTA IV was going to be no different. Today, we Review the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto and will try our best to mention every intricate detail that the Game possesses.
GTA IV is no different from it’s predecessors with pleothera of options at your disposal. Vice City had Tommy Vercetti, San Andreas had Carl Johnson. This time around the main protagonist is Niko Bellic who is an ex-soldier and has come to America. Like anyone or everyone who thinks that America is land of opportunity, the story is no different for Niko Bellic.
Mainly because of his cousin brother Roman, who has been living in America for a long time and has been sending Niko some really over the top e-mails where he mentions that he is living the dream with mansions, sports cars, girls etc. Unfortunately for Niko and fortunately for us all, whatever Niko’s brother had said was not true. On arrival we see that Roman is a small time Business man who owns a taxi service and is stuck in a lot of debt and this is where the whole story of our Mr. Niko Belic starts.
Every previous GTA games had amazing voice acting but it lacked something. The characters lacked a sense of personality, in GTA IV every character and by “every” we mean “every” character has some sort of amazing distinctive personality. Niko Bellic is a quiet but smart guy who knows when it’s right to talk and when it isn’t. He is a far more matured and crafted character then any of the main protagonist from the previous games.
He has a past and the way it is revealed through the game is just damn amazing. Roman on the other hand is a chilled out but scared fellow, he gambles, drinks and has an over the top imagination. When someone does screw over Roman, he is scared and doesn’t care but Niko on the other hand has a rule, no one messes with his family.
The characters have more depth to them then ever before. This is where the signs of the new GTAfication are seen. As you progress through the game, you eventually get acquainted with new characters. You probably won’t be able to remember their names but it’s their personality that defines them. I can’t stress this enough but GTA IV has such a diverse set of characters that are just a pleasure to watch. With time, you might grow fond of one of the characters and there is no telling when you might start imitating them.
With the inclusion of the new engine the character models look more believable. We don’t have to deal with box figures no more. With perfect lip syncing this time, the cut scenes can immerse the players completely. Coupled with extraordinary voice acting and slick script writing, we are being given something that is just out of a Hollywood flick, maybe even better at times.
This is not the end though, there is lot to look forward to in the GTA IV universe. Even though it might not be as huge as San Andreas or filled with insane amount of activities that were present in San Andres. GTA IV even though smaller in size, is undoubtedly the most intricately detailed GTA to date. Period.
Giving a glimpse or even a slight hint of the characters is nothing short of an act of SIN from my part. The game has it’s own way of giving introduction to it’s characters. Basically if you have played the previous GTA Games, the introduction mechanism is practically the same. You meet some characters, they introduce you to more characters and those characters in turn introduce you to more characters. All these people give you missions that you carry on as usual. But, we have a different sort of twist this time.
The game is heavily story driven, the characters get more personal. At times, you have instances when you have long chats through cut scenes with your friends that give an idea about their backgrounds, more or less you get somewhat personally attached to these characters. What’s the problem then? Well, how would “you” react if you were asked to carry out a hit on your own friend? Something new that GTA IV has tried this time.
As I mentioned, “How would YOU react”, if you are giving the option of either this friend or that. It is not as easy and in no way similar to the pathetically executed decision making in Splinter Cell Double Agent. In Double Agent, you were given the option to follow the bad guy or the good guy, which makes the decision easier considering majority of you would rather follow the good guy.
In GTA IV, you are the bad guy and your friends are actually “FRIENDS” (They have been true friends to you throughout), the circumstances that lead you to that point no return, on who to kill and who not to; are very well done and in no way, do they feel as if they just popped out of nowhere. At times I personally was forced to think if whatever decision I am going to make, would it make sense or no.
You rarely get games that force you think or garner emotions towards AI characters, GTA IV has executed that perfectly. The story changes according to the decision you make, it may not have a HUGE impact as you continue through the game but it will change certain things more or less. Make decisions as you feel right. It’s completely your decision and you are going to hate and love it at the same time. What GTA IV has given us is a brilliantly crafted storyline with entertainment from the start to finish. With the inclusion of sensible and thought provoking decision making, GTA IV has taken one step forward in the right direction.
Practically, giving YOU the right to make the decision involves you in the game more deeply then ever before. This time things get personal and you as the player are the pivot handling the situation. There is lot more to say about the story, but that’s for you to experience. An experience that you will remember for a long long long time
GTA IV has some really amazing characters that you are acquainted with as you progress through the game. Well we have something different this around. Some of these characters become good friends and you have to keep them happy. At times, you will get calls from your friends asking if you would like to go for a drink or the strip club or the other optional activities scattered throughout Liberty City. The end result is really fruitful.
If you do keep your friends happy and don’t ignore them, they will eventually grow fond of you and will return the favor by either giving you services (not of that type you sick pervert), but by giving you certain resources that they have access too. If you keep Roman happy, he will provide you a cab from his taxi service that will help you reach your destinations for free. A word of caution though, the driver is one really funny outspoken Indian (Well that’s how he sounded, could be from any South Asian country).