GamesRelay

Name: Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto is a series that carries a long and storied heritage. With its impact upon, and its essential creation of, the sandbox genre, each iteration in the series captures the attention of gamers all around the world. Each release is a landmark even in the industry, made only more earth-shattering by the strict secrecy Rockstar holds each of their products in. Each title is a new discovery – something that, in this modern age of high-speed communications where information is available in an instant, where plot and gameplay mechanics can be analysed thoroughly before a release date is even finalised, is a joy every time.

Returning to the modern day, Grand Theft Auto IV begins as Eastern European Niko Bellic sails into Liberty City, looking forward to finding a new life of fortune and possibility as an illegal immigrant. Drawn by the hedonistic tales spun by his cousin Roman, Niko is quick to discover that the reality of Liberty City is not nearly as glossy as he had been led to believe. He will make wrong choices, he will be deceived and betrayed by those he thought were allies, and his life and the lives of those who remain amongst his friends will be threatened and taken. Liberty City is a haven for the corrupt, and you quickly learn that you have to shoot fast and first if you're going to see another sunrise tower past the skyscrapers.

The story is unprecedentedly well told. While past entries have given rather loose plots, with the emphasis in putting you in outrageous situations to play with the sandbox mechanics, Grand Theft Auto IV dazzles with a vibrant cast of characters, and even includes social commentary about the corruption, the desires and innate melancholy surrounding the concept of the American Dream. While it doesn't portray plot with the same importance and complexity as BioWare's Mass Effect last year, its superb characterisation, fortified with superb voice-acting, propels you into the game's narrative. Regardless, Grand Theft Auto never made its reputation on good storytelling. Gameplay has always been paramount, and Grand Theft Auto IV delivers a visceral next-gen leap to the sandbox genre. Liberty City is a massive playground to explore, though not every area is available at the beginning of the game. It is sprawled over four islands, emulating the different islands of New York City, such as the poor Bronx-like Broker, and the Manhattan-esque metropolis of Algonquin.

The gameplay switches from the two old genres that Grand Theft Auto always relied upon: driving and shooting. Driving has seen a huge change however, with the inclusion of the new Euphoria physics engine. Every vehicle carries with it a sense of weight, and reacts realistically to impacts. Even the subtler touches, such as suspension are included, which becomes apparent as vehicles bounce over hills, with the rear of the chassis scraping off the road as you land. Each vehicle also has dynamic damage done to it – an impact to a tyre from a crash or an explosion will crush the metal around the tyre, stopping it from moving and drastically affecting your acceleration or turning. The differences between the vehicles is also readily apparent because of this, with motorbikes being zippy and non-resilient to damage, cars being slower but hardier, and SUVs being slower but more destructive. It's almost easy to forget that the game doesn't have the series' recurring tank as you're speeding across lanes of traffic while commandeering a bus, watching bikes, cars and SUVs getting tossed around as if they were gravel.

Shooting is done in two ways while on foot. By slightly recessing the left trigger, Niko will raise his gun and you can aim freely by rotating the right stick. By pushing and holding the left trigger, however, a lock-on mode is activated. This is highly useful against fast-moving targets, and the easy switching between both styles of shooting is essential to controlling the gunfight. Headshots, more so than in other games, are necessary to succeed, as it only takes one bullet to the noggin of any single person to take them out. Considering you can be fighting more than twenty people at one time in certain situations, accurate shooting is a requirement – especially considering how fragile your own life is. If you move through a gunfight recklessly, it's a good chance that you'll find yourself toe-to-toe with a couple of Russians with semi-automatic weapons. Your life expectancy in this situation amounts in the seconds, and you usually won't have any time to make a retreat or to fire back.