April 29, 2008 is a day that will forever be remembered as the day that video gaming changed forever: the day that Grand Theft Auto IV was released to the public. Much fervor had been built up during the almost excruciating wait for the game of decade, but it was all worth it when you first booted up the game and were treated to the opening sequence. I had been scrimping and saving my meager college student wages and made sure I had a copy reserved for myself. I was not going to miss out.
Rockstar, the creator of the Grand Theft Auto series, had created a lot of buzz over this game by refusing to release details and keeping the public generally in the dark as to the goings on of this revamped Liberty City. What can I say about the game? First off, I will say that Grand Theft Auto IV is the best game that I have ever played in my life, hands down; nothing even holds a candle to it, not even its predecessors Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City and San Andreas. Taking a step back and looking at why that could be is hard to see at first. Many features were cut from this game including the ability to fly planes, swim underwater, and change appearance. The map was smaller then the previous game, San Andreas, so it almost seemed that Rockstar was taking a step back with this new title. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. What Rockstar loses in features, they more than make up for in the sheer vastness and detail of Liberty City. You start out the game in Broker, their version of Brooklyn, and make your way through Dukes, Bohan, Algonquin, and Alderney (Queens, Bronx, Manhattan and New Jersey, respectively). Each area has a distinct feel and atmosphere; in Broker you will find a heavy Eastern European population near Hove Beach, their version of Little Odessa. Each city block is unique, which is what makes this game so incredible. It is as if they recreated New York City to a tee in video game form. It was amazing to see my friend, a native New Yorker, traveling through the city and recognizing almost every street.
This game has already caused much controversy despite only being out for a week. Many politicians were quick to speak out about the game without even seeing it. I’ll be honest, they were right to speak out. This game is inordinately violent. By putting Grand Theft Auto IV on a next generation console, Rockstar has allowed themselves to push everything to limit, including violence. When you shoot people, they don’t just fall down, they stagger, stumble, fall to the ground and attempt to get up again. It is amazing how you can almost feel the weight of each person, car and destructible object. Casual encounters with police helicopters will find you shooting the men out of the side and watching them fall to the earth. What’s this? A rocket launcher? The explosions are so realistic they will practically blow your mind.
In conclusion, it seems Rockstar has finally developed the perfect equation for a video game. All you need to do is take spectacular visuals, compelling plotlines, stellar voice acting, and insanely fun gameplay, mix it altogether and you’ve got a game that will earn you hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite the fact that I wouldn’t let my child within 25 ft. of it, I am continually amazed at the level of depth this game offers. All I know is that I can expect people to still be talking about this game a year from now. Kudos, Rockstar, keep up the great work!
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