Welcome to the definitive multiple choice review for what is potentially the game of the year. Choose your experience to proceed.

For those who've had limited interaction with the game, and most likely the whole series.

Maybe you never really saw the point in the Grand Theft Auto games, or perhaps you don't own an Xbox 360 or PS3 yet (don't hold your breath for a PC version). Perhaps you didn't like the violence. Perhaps it looked too confusing. Or maybe, as I thought for a while, the idea of playing as some Eastern European fresh-off-the-boat character isn't anywhere near as interesting as the mafia and gangsta themes in previous titles.

Well congratulations, you've chosen the shortest version of this game review, because whoever you are, all you need to know is one thing …

You need to go out and buy this game right now.



Simple really. Whatever you think this game's limitations are, you're wrong. Whatever you think about it compared to the previous titles, you're missing the point. And if you've been waiting for that game to convince you to beg your parents, partner, or personal loan manager to allow you to man up and get a next generation console, this is the one. It's one of the best looking, sounding, and playing games on either system. Simple really.

Click here close this section

For the cheapskates who figure they can get the 'gist' of it at a mates place.

I was just like you when it came to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Having already devoted hours of my time to GTA III and Vice City, I didn't see much merit or have any interest in the 'same game just bigger' gangsta themed title. What I did know however, was how much fun the series could be for quick spurts of violent gameplay outside of any plot based missions, so my experience with the game boiled down to driving at high speeds across the countryside and attempting huge jumps into crowded areas.

This method of playing still holds true for Grand Theft Auto IV, but you'll be cheating yourself out of probably the best game of the year by assuming that's all there is to it … or that it's all you'll be interested in.

It's bound to a happen in a self-defined sandbox title, as it gives you the ability and opportunity to do whatever you want separate from the main narrative. Keep in mind though, they reined a lot of the over-the-top elements of San Andreas in here for a reason. The game is nowhere near as big as San Andreas in terms of raw terrain; you won't be donning jetpacks or experimenting with how fat you can make your character. A lot of the gimmicky stuff is taken out (seemingly an angle Saints Row 2 is working on) for a reason though – this is, ultimately, a much more grown up Grand Theft Auto game.

If you end up playing the main story, not only are more areas and abilities opened up to you, but you get more missions, your own residences, fancier cars, more expensive clothes etc etc. And even if your friends already have played through the game and unlocked everything (or you used the cheats – it's ok, we're all guilty), you miss out on experiencing all these new levels, cars, weapons, etc the way they are supposed to be encountered – in fantastically organised and scripted missions and levels. You miss out on all the car chases, sniping stealth based missions, balls-to-the-wall warehouse action set pieces, bank robberies, dating, flying, and so much more.



Spend 5 minutes randomly driving around an area in Grand Theft Auto after you've finished the game, and you'll not only recognise where you are, but you'll remember all the little details you noticed when playing through the story. The obscure posters on alley walls, restaurants with live entertainment, mini-games such as bowling, darts and pool, comedy shows featuring Rikki Gervais, hidden garages and jumps, unique non-player character conversations that populate the city, strip clubs and hookers, the TW@T internet cafe with a fleshed out network featuring HUNDREDS of websites referenced all over the game, and much much more.

Then there's the main reason to invest the 20 plus hours in the single player missions – the story. Without a doubt, there has never been a character in the Grand Theft Auto series of games, or many other games for that matter, with such a defined sense of emotions as Niko Bellic. Fresh off the boat to Liberty City, the story follows his first steps as he re-connects with his unreliable cousin and his ascension through the town's crime syndicates as he searches for the people who have wronged him in the past. Although the missions you do for the many dubious characters can have nothing to do with the main narrative, you are constantly aware of the overall theme and drive behind the main character. And it's fascinating to watch the story unfold.

The final feature that may or may not interest you will be the multiplayer aspect. Having only had experience with the 360 version myself – but not being the biggest advocate of online gaming – it has the distinction of being the only 360 game to get me thinking about getting home to play against other people since Call of Duty 4. Although it's not perfect (no 3rd person game in my opinion will be able to compete against a solid FPS online), it is easy to get into and heaps of fun, with all your standard game types (capture the flag, death match, base capturing, co-op missions) to all the unique ones only possible in a game like this (driving races, carjacking, cops'n'crooks, protection missions).

There is so much to do and experience in Grand Theft Auto IV, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't get your own version to play though ... unless your friend doesn't mind you playing through the game while he watches!


Click here close this section

Still slugging it out, wondering if it's worth continuing or how long is left to go.

Matt and I got our copies of Grand Theft Auto IV around the same time (he got the PS3 version though). Although I eventually played through and finished it, he got stuck on a mission a good ¼ into the game, and after trying to complete it multiple times he lost interest (for now) and stopped playing. I'll be honest, I had my moments with a few of the more frustrating levels as well. If this is you, all I can say is – stick with it, it's worth it, but don't burn yourself out. Take a drive around, do some side missions, try some of the racing missions, or go looking for some of the awesome jumps to complete.

One of the benefits with a game like this is that when you're stuck on a mission you can leave it and find something else to do before coming back to try to tackle it again – perhaps from a different angle this time.

This is also a game that will reward you for the time you invest in the characters. The other NPCs that populate the story all have such unique and fleshed out personalities that you'll find yourself shocked at who lives and dies – most of the time due to your actions, and sometimes even coming down to you making a choice between two characters. You'll find most people when they finish the game will jump online and give their summary by explaining the choices they made. Did you kill this guy or his brother? Did you kill such-and-such or let him live? It's interesting reading these, as sometimes the person you WANT to kill offers the least rewards for doing so ... and it then comes down to how much you care about the characters.



I actually found it most rewarding to jump into the online games after playing through a decent part of the single player. You start to remember street names and how to reach the closest bridge without having to rely on your GPS. It doesn't take long to get proficient with the cover/shooting system, but becoming a headshot expert takes way more practice than I expected (although most online games have auto-aiming turned off sorry!).

The best way to play the game is slowly, since it's obviously the way it was designed to be played. This isn't a John McClane movie, the first few hours being dedicated to taxiing people and going on dates. This is a game that wants you to take your time to get the most out of it.

A few tips I personally found while playing (and from the perspective of someone who's finished the game):

• Understand that by the end of the game you'll have more money than you know what to do with, so don't hesitate to spend it.
• If you fail a mission that required you to drive from one end of the city to another and you don't feel like driving it again, catch a cab – they're easy to find, cheap, and cut off heaps of time.
• Shag Kate. If it's even possible.
• When you get the helicopter, fly to the building in the middle of the city, go has high as possible and jump out. Play with friends, take shots when you land on a car or person.
• Unless you REALLY don't like him, don't kill Dwayne.
• The best car I found to drive was the Sentinel – excellent handling, tough as nails and pretty speedy. Could be because it was my favourite in GTA III as well, but either way ...
• If you find yourself in a car chase mission and you're driving a van – give up, restart, and get a better car.
• If you find armour in a city side street, remember the location. Mark it with a pen on your map provided with the game. Often you'll find it quicker to get to than your local weapons shop.
• Learn how to use the cover system and use it well.
• Look left and right before crossing the street.
• Always switch to the 'The Journey' radio station when it's raining.

No matter where you are in the game, you've got alot to look forward to, and many more wide and varied characters to meet and work for. Towards the end you might have a bit of a 'hurry up and FIND the guy you're looking for' attitude though, as there ARE quite a few red herrings along the way – but the final sequence of events make for a gripping conclusion to what is potentially the best game of the year.

Click here close this section

So, let's talk retrospective here, and did you finish EVERYTHING the game had to offer?

But have you REALLY finished it? What did you do? Personally, I let Ivan go, didn't kill Dwayne's girlfriend, killed Playboy X (and why wouldn't you – sweet pad AND the guy was a douche), killed Francis, let Darko go (but REALLY struggled), killed Dimitri (he deserved it).

So what now we find ourselves asking? If you're like me, finishing a game gives both an enormous amount of satisfaction and a great sense of achievement, while at the same time leaving you feeling a bit empty and disappointed. What now?

There are plenty of smaller things to do that you may have skipped past, race missions, assassin missions, achievements such as finding all the jumps, pigeons, etc. The only problem is that without a main story to drive the game, alot of these extras – instead of being welcome distractions from difficult missions – become slightly meaningless.

It's a double edged sword, since this latest iteration of the series has striven so hard for drama and realism, it's lost a lot of the simple, stupid charm that the previous games had. Sure, you can still watch the TV shows, but once you finish the game it feels like Niko suddenly has no real purpose anymore.

This probably stems from the depressing (yet appropriate) final sequence of events at the end of the game. Choosing not to kill Darko, I felt just as frustrated as Niko. I really wanted to kill him, but by that point I felt like if I did, I would have condemned Niko and lost all hope for his redemption. Deep stuff for just a videogame. No matter what choices you make that lead you to one of multiple endings, the results are similar and the ending still a downer.



I'm going to take this moment here for those that have already finished the game to mention the aspects affected by the lack of an R rating here in Australia.

• No random NPCs on the street can be totally killed
• No pools of blood below characters after being beaten
• Sex with hookers has the camera view move to the back of the car so you can't see anything

These are by no means huge issues that will make you want to import a 'non-censored' version of the game, but you should be aware that the current OFLC is enforcing changes to a game that essentially shouldn't be played by anyone under 18 even if they cut out half the content in the game.

It's wrong, frustrating, and as an adult I should be able to purchase a game designed and developed for over 18 year olds. Have a read of this to see why this is an issue in Australia, and then write an email to this man asking why he is resisting the R18+ rating for games in Australia.

Click here close this section