Stephen Chinnadorai

Last week, I picked up a copy of one of the most anticipated games of all time: GTA IV. It’s almost impossible that you wouldn’t have heard of this game - it’s been everywhere possible in the media recently, and had its fair share of good and bad controversy. 

Graphics

As you would expect, this game is only available on the next-gen consoles: Sony’s PlayStation 3, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 - not the Nintendo Wii. With the graphics power of these consoles, some incredible quality images can be rendered. GTA IV’s graphics are a definite improvement upon San Andreas’ - but because of the map size, the graphics aren’t quite up to the standards of other games - for example, Gran Turismo 5. Overall, the graphics are more than reasonable on a High Definition screen; the game runs smoothly at a native 720p resolution, and it looks great on most screen sizes. 

Gameplay

The gameplay has much improved upon the San Andreas. The vehicles handle much more realistically, almost life-like. The controls have also changed, and the PS3 now uses a layout more similar to what Xbox users had from the start. You use the R2 trigger to accelerate, which gives much more precision than just the X button - you also use L2 to brake in the same way; both of these minor changes make handling cars much easier, and give you more control over vehicle speeds. The new cover and auto-aim systems are a nice addition, although sometimes don’t work as well as they should.

Audio

In 5.1 surround sound, this game sounds incredibly realistic. You hear cars, gun shots and people from behind you, and around you as you move. The ambient noises around the city, from the people and vehicles on the street, are also very realistic.

As with all Grand Theft Auto series games, the soundtrack is a key element to the game. As you drive around the city, you can tune into a selection of radio stations, varying in genre - the best station in my opinion is Radio Broker.

Conclusion

This game lives up to the hype it’s received over the last few weeks. Rockstar have re-written this game in a brand new engine, and you can tell this game is different to the previous ones. The entire game is a phenomenally realistic experience - from just roaming around Liberty City, to participating in activities with your friends. I’m only 25% through the game, but I’m already blown away by this game.