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Grand Theft Auto IV | 
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| From: Rockstar Games
Category: Video Games
List Price: $59.99
Buy Used: $32.00
You Save: $27.99 (47%)
New (57) Used (60) from $32.00
Rating:  221 reviews
Sales Rank: 33
Format: Playstation
Platform: Playstation 3
Genre: role_playing_games
ESRB: Mature
Media: Video Game
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 17 - 20 years
Operating System: Playstation 3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 37011
UPC: 710425370113
EAN: 0710425370113
ASIN: B000HKP88C
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Used. Excellent Condition. Ships from CA
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| Features:
| • | Carry on the Grand Theft Auto tradition playing through the single player campaign as Niko Bellic | | • | Get cars and other modes of transportation anyway you can | | • | Interact with various colorful characters who give you various missions to engage in | | • | Engage in multiplayer challenges ranging from cover matches to shoot-outs | | • | Game Rated 'M' due to Intense Violence, Blood, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Partial Nudity, Use of Drugs and Alcohol |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 A Thinking Man's GTA? May 1, 2008
Yossarian (Durham, NC USA)
67 out of 91 found this review helpful
Just when you think you have Rockstar Games and their legendary Grand Theft Auto series figured out, they pitch you one heck of a curve. Speaking as a guy who spent so much time running amok in Vice City and San Andreas that I practically had to file tax returns there, I have been consistently surprised by the depth of play in GTA IV. Yes, it's true that the character modeling and some of the action moves are a little choppy, but most of the game looks great. Far more interesting, however, is the fact that this is not a video game per se - it borders on an interactive movie. The crime and violence in fuzzy-lit, pastel colored Vice City is practically cartoonish compared to the gritty reality of life in Liberty City in GTA IV. You're not just a thug with a bat trying to decide which car to lift, you're an immigrant with plenty of emotional baggage, forced into a series of moral quandries the outcomes of which carry implications throughout the entire game. Things you do even turn up later on the in-game radio stations!
Every generation of game console, some game is proclaimed the next coming, be it of graphics, or gameplay, or some other measurable category. GTA IV is different. You can wallow in the muck of street violence and prostitution as always, but there's a deeper moral play going on that feels unlike anything else I've encountered not only in GTA, but in video games in general. Rockstar Games may have finally located that most ephemeral of experiences - one equal parts game and cinema, without belonging entirely to either. It's going to be interesting to see how many critics and politicians seize on only the overt, adult content, without grasping how far more creative and artistic this "game" is than your average deadening FPS or racing game. Rockstar Games is to be commended for what truly deserves to be called "genius."
A Masterpiece. Video Games as Art. May 1, 2008
Your Mother/pot3ntial2suck (New York)
51 out of 68 found this review helpful
Let it be said that I've never liked GTA. But I decided to get GTA4 after reading several articles about the change in direction they were taking and my god, has it paid off. This game is PHENOMENAL.
The Good:
Graphics-
Even though this game is running at 640p and is upscaled on PS3, this is a BEAUTIFUL game. It has some of the best and most natural looking water and light effects I've ever seen that appear photorealistic at times. I often stop and just stare at the waves or park and watch the sun hitting the road as it sets.
Story-
The voice acting is top notch and the cast has some truly memorable characters. This is one of the few games where I actually have an emotional response when things happen to the main characters...which is no small feat. Sometimes you have to make choices whether someone lives or dies and I found myself really struggling with the decision I thought was appropriate to my character. The pacing is great too. Just as you are getting satisfied with a particular location, you get access to a new islands and contacts so things always feel fresh.
Gameplay-
Thankfully, they eliminated all the things that made past GTAs tedious. No more going to the gym to lift weights, no more being forced to drive twenty minutes across town to do a mission. Finally, you can take a cab and opt to skip the driving when you are in a rush. They've also added a much needed cover system where tapping R1 will let you take cover behind virtually any object. This leads to some truly epic shootouts that will literally have you diving for cover.
They also made your cell phone the menu for the game and you rarely have to leave the game world immersion. Just call up your friends for missions or hanging out and watch Niko talk to them while he walks around the city. You can even buy ringtones, themes, and even get a camera phone and organizer.
There are also 200 music tracks on a dozen radio stations with great music and talk shows on all of them. You can waste hours watching TV at your house, going on dates to see shows or play pool and darts, or you can fool around on dozens of webpages at the internet cafe. Basically, there is a ton of depth here that will give the game dozens of hours of extra traction.
Multiplayer-
Just whip out your cell phone in the single player and hop right in to over 14 online game modes. Imagine running around New York with 15 friends and playing paintball in the streets. To just be able to hop into the whole of Liberty City and do ANYTHING is so fun and chaotic words can't describe it. Just last night, I joined Free Mode, where there are no rules. I proceeded to blow up 3 cop cars and run over a flock of pedestrians before getting plowed over by another player who had stolen a commuter bus and was on a rampage in Times Square. That was just the first 10 minutes. And I was having a blast that even my wife couldn't turn away from.
The Bad:
Other than minor framerate and A.I. glitches, my biggest complaint is that the game does some unnecessary forced loading. When you die on a mission instead of just asking you if you want to retry it, you die, it loads a respawn at the hospital and THEN you are asked to retry the mission, which leads to another load screen.
Every time you launch the game, you are forced to sit through a 2 minute intro movie. I suspect this is to distract you while the game loads in the background more than it is to set a mood, but it would still have been nice to be able to skip it sometimes.
Other than that, the clothing selection feature remains terrible. You have no way to quickly cycle through your wardrobe without having to spend 2-5 seconds loading each new outfit. If you're like me, you bought every outfit as soon as you could only to learn that you had to cycle through every single one anytime you wanted to change clothes. And other than buying clothes, money has absolutely no value in this game. For some reason, they didn't include a casino or the option to buy property, so you amass all this wealth and have virtually nothing to spend it on at the end of the game's main story.
The Verdict:
That said, the sheer freedom and realism of this game signal a landmark in gaming and anyone who likes video games should buy this game. It is the most fun I've ever had with a video game and provides 100+ hours of entertainment for sixty bucks. Despite a few flaws, the amount of content, fun, and depth of this game make it virtually flawless and worth your money.
Keeps you coming back for more May 12, 2008
Monkdude (Hampton, VA)
7 out of 13 found this review helpful
GTA IV is worth the hype in my book. It is similar to the other games in the series (not a bad thing), but the graphics are much improved and the acting/storyline are outstanding. The missions are fun, but if you get bored you can always grab a shotgun and raise hell at any moment. This game just feels big. I remember driving my car off the bridge into the water, crawling out the window, swimming around and just staring in awe at the night sky with the city glowing in the background. Just an all around amazing experience.
Niko's first day in Liberty City - the first of MANY. May 1, 2008
The Matrix Fan
11 out of 15 found this review helpful
Even though I have only played one day in Liberty City as Niko Bellic, the only way to review GTA IV is to take you on a journey of those first 24 hours.
After a short 7 minute download to my hard disc drive, the game was ready. At the end of the intro movie I directed Niko into the car with Roman at the shipyard. There's an on-screen tutorial on how to accelerate, brake, handbrake, and turn the radio stations on and off. I'd seen this before in other Grand Theft Auto games, so I wondered: what was new?
Quite a bit, as I would soon discover.
I saw a map option that showed the quickest legal route in a vehicle to my destination (which isn't always the fastest). I found out that the headlights on the car can go high-beam. When I hit the pause menu, I saw a HUGE list of statistics that I would need another 4,000 characters to describe, such as time spent on the internet, time watching TV, emails & text messages sent & received, times I've played darts, shot pool, or gone bowling? And this is just skimming the surface!
After Roman left me in his crappy apartment, I tried out a few controls. I punched the fridge, and it made a sound like hitting porcelain. I watched a little TV, changing channels and adjusting the volume. I left the apartment and saw tagger graffiti in the halls. I tried to swipe a car to speed over to Roman's cab company, but I found out that the Liberty City folks don't take lightly to Grand Theft Auto. They smacked me around a bit, and I had to run through some alleyways to avoid the cops!
The first mission was pretty simple, and during that mission I picked up a crummy cell phone. What a feature: we can read and send text messages, make calls, adjust the volume, and even change the ring tone! I even got to use my charismatic skills to get a date with a fine young lady. I had to go shopping first, though. The shopping option is different, we can walk around to different clothing racks and pick out what we want...a welcome change.
"My idiot cousin was in trouble with some Albanians, but how could I say no to my lady friend? I started to take her to the funfair; we had to take a little detour because I accidentally hit a police car. Being busted would have been a sour end to our date! Once we got to the funfair, we decided to go bowling instead." [This was incredibly fun! We get a bowling tutorial and five free frames to start out, by the end of the tutorial; you'll want to play again.]
"After I dropped Michelle back at her place, I felt the vibrations of my cell phone. [Yet another reason to pick up a Dualshock Controller - I thought my actual cell phone was going off!] Roman reamed me out for choosing the girl over family, but he admitted that he probably would have done the same thing. I dropped him off at his cab company, and I sat in the car and reflected on the day's events."
I can't even put into words how IMMERSIVE this game is. Hot dogs to replenish my stamina? An in-game tutorial on how to use the controller for popping wheelies on motorcycles? Attention to details like bees at a wastebasket? Chinese lettering on cardboard boxes outside a restaurant? Skid marks on the asphalt from using the car handbrake? It's all here.
I ordered the Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition but I just couldn't wait to review this game. After two hours of playing it, I know I'll be hooked for MONTHS unlocking all the secret goodies.
Obviously this game has the right rating. Blood, violence, sexual themes, alcohol consumption, and many other items dictate that this game shouldn't be played by the under 17 crowd. It's not for everyone, though. Some gamers may not like the freedom Liberty City offers, in which case I would highly suggest a more linear game like Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.
This is the type of game that makes me believe there is no difference between motion pictures and video games anymore.
Have fun! I know I will.
Welcome to Liberty City May 3, 2008
A. C. Ege/Acedoh (Stockton, CA USA)
9 out of 22 found this review helpful
Niko is new to America. Brought by hopes and promises of his cousin Roman about how wealthy he is. Unfortunately for Niko he quickly finds the stories to be lies. Grand Theft Auto IV starts as others in the series with an anti-hero. Getting involved in doing the wrong things is all to easy in this game. From the very get go you are learning that living the American life can be difficult and in order to get your story going you must break the law. For the most part Niko doesn't have a problem with this since he has become raw after being a soldier in war.
GTA IV has probably one of the darkest stories so far in the series. This is not the type of game you will play and comment on how cheerful the story is. For those of you who have played previous GTA games you will notice many similarities. From the gameplay mechanics to the story line. Although people who are new to the GTA series will find how simple the learning curve really is in this game. The game gives you an incredible amount of tutorials and guides you thru your first several missions making things easy to understand. Most features in this game are simple to understand and keep this game from getting over anyones learning curve.
What has made the Grand Theft Auto series so superb is the story telling. Excellent voice acting with intense and exciting missions make GTA IV a true winner. From the first moment on you will notice that you aren't really playing a game as much as taking part in an intense crime drama. Think Sopranos from the former Soviet Union. The game is mission based and gives you the ability to choose what you want to do at any given point. You meet numerous characters who are all about committing crimes and they give you certain jobs. Of course these jobs increase your reputation and help progress you thru the story. Along the way you will find numerous characters. Some you will like and others you will probably want to get rid of yourself.
This game has further evolved ideas from previous GTA games. Niko can not only date one woman at a time but several. It's really up to you. Just remember how in real life this can be time consuming it can also be in a game. You will have woman calling and texting you if you ignore them to long. Then comes taking them out for dates. Each woman has different tastes and interests and it's up to you to know where to take them. Some of the activities can actually be fun like playing darts or pool as these mini games do have learning curves. The girl you are with will respond to your success or failure at these games. Obviously there are numerous other activities in wonderful Liberty City. Also it's important for Niko to accessorize and finding the best clothing to wear is important. Image is everything as as you progress you get access to better clothes. The car mechanics have improved in this game but don't expect to have similar handling to a racing game. What is cool to look at is the amazing detail they have put into the car damage. Every little ding makes an impact on the car you are in. Lastly is the music selection. An incredible 200 songs are available in Liberty City to listen to on the radio. Numerous radio stations including the talk ones belt out hit songs and comedic advertisements. Niko even has the ability to watch t.v. They covered every detail in this game and it shows.
As if a single player mode that will take you 30 to 40 hours to beat is not enough there is also online multiplayer. Yes you and 15 others can play on the beautiful streets of Liberty City. The multiplayer is truly open ended for your enjoyment. Several game modes plus the ability to create your own multiplayer. You can also invite seven friends to take on eight others. It's easy to say this game will be enjoyed for months on end.
It's easy to be impressed by Liberty City. It's as close to New York City as any game has ever got. From the pedestrians that make up the neighborhood to the realistic design of the buildings. The weather changes and the days progress realistically. This is one of those games where you can just take it in and enjoy the scenery. In Grand Theft Auto you have the freedom to do what you want. This game is intended for adults. The language and content can be mature most of the time. Although that is at a parents discretion. I wouldn't suggest this game for everyone. Although I would suggest it for those who have enjoyed previous Grand Theft Auto games. I would also suggest it for those who enjoy mafia or crime movies. This game will have you sitting back and enjoying the incredible story. Just don't forget that it's your story to play.
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