Rockstar North’s fictional take on New York is so believable and the story so immersive that I am going to have to book in a weeks holiday to fully do it justice.
 That’s right I am seriously considering giving up 5 days of my allocated holiday allowance, which could be spent sunning myself in Monte Carlo or hill-walking in the majestic mountains of Glen Coe, to play a console game, without interruption, for a week. I’m 32 years old you know!
For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, Liberty City is the setting for the latest game in the Grand Theft Auto series, GTA IV. It’s the first venture onto next generation consoles for the highly successful franchise and it’s as big a revelation in gaming as the seminal GTA III was on the Playstation 2 back in 2001.
The series has always courted controversy for glorifying crime and allowing players to kill cops, beat up innocents, run over people and generally do whatever the hell they like. Good, say I! Bring it on! I’ll leave the philosophical justification for this to people with larger brains than myself, but it is an 18 certificate game and no worse than most films or even post 9pm television dramas.
I’ve only had a chance to play the game for two hours so far, so don’t be expecting any in-depth analysis of the game play or missions. All I’ve really got round to doing is bombing about the city like a maniac, admiring the scenery and smashing cars, but the level of detail that has gone into the design of this living, breathing city is every bit as amazing as the early reviews promised.
 Different areas of the city have their own distinct feel. Broker (i.e. Brooklyn) is a seedy and rough area with a patina to all of it’s textures which suggests a real history to the city, where wealthy areas have fresh tarmac and clean streets. It’s the same with the people walking around the city. All of them behave in believable ways. When it rains you can watch as they put up umbrellas or run for cover with a newspaper above their head. Of course, being a GTA game you can shoot them dead just for kicks and that’s up to you.
The game-play itself is vastly improved over previous titles and the highlight for me was the new cover system which allows you to shoot from behind obstacles. It isn’t flawless but it does add a level of realism to shoot-outs which has always been lacking in previous games. The characters are amazing. All of the acting and narrative is first rate and up there with any Hollywood movie and the few missions I have attempted have been highly addictive and enjoyable.
The game also features on-line multiplayer modes, which again is a first for the series. I haven’t had the chance to try this yet, but from what I have read in other reviews, it will be one of the best parts of the game. Imagine running around the city with a bunch of mates trying to blow each other up with bazookas!
This game rocks, but you really need a long time to play it.
Where can I get a holiday form? |
