4. Four is Four, Grand Theft Auto: IV

To be honest from the get go, I am not a super fan of GTA:IV because the main Niko Bellic is from Yugoslavia; and I am not from Eastern Europe. I am not saying I was incapable of roleplaying but the storyline seemed a bit too “stereotypical” and bland. I never really connected with the character or his motives, which, when coupled with the sloppiness of game play, just made for a somewhat disappointing game.

Mr. Freeze, Brrrrr...who turned on the A/C?

The driving mechanics sucked and were too stiff and unresponsive to do well on the races. Now, I will admit gunning it towards a light pole just to watch Niko flying through the windshield when he wasn’t wearing a seat belt was pretty hilarious! ...I may have repeated that feature a few times just to watch his body flail around at different angles but I always wondered how does this game fit in the series? Truth is this game was the stepping stone for GTA:V which we will get to later.

Fist Pump! Get my fitness own! 

Once you get past the stiff game play and hollowness of the character the game did have some cool features. I liked that you could hang out with people you knew - aside from your girlfriends - like your cousin or that crazy push-ups guy who always seemed a bit too excited to see Niko—if you know what I mean. The GPS was a great addition because it means you can spend less time worrying about finding exact road you need to and for once in any game the sat nav worked really well!

The drunk function or the fact your character’s motor functions were changed in the game was sort of a ground breaking thing at the time: only a few other games have tried this, and mostly just by manipulating your stats which you don’t necessarily notice. GTA: IV made you “feel intoxicated” - I remember trying to drive while drinking it was so difficult to get my girlfriend at the time home it took almost three times as long as it should have.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars  …I understand its purpose but I am not really wowed.