GTA IV Single Player

Normally I would start my review with a small lowdown on the game/franchise at hand but since it’s Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) we’re talking about, I don’t see the need for a history lesson. Besides we’ve got way too much to talk about, so I’ll come straight to the point… GTA IV is not a perfect game; it’s got certain issues, but none of them are capable of dampening one of the most exhilarating and enjoyable gaming experiences of this generation.

Liberty City (LC) is like no other virtual playpen you’ve played in till date. Even though tons of games have tried exploring this genre, none have even come close to the awesomness that is Liberty City. I know I may sound a bit fanboy-ish right about now, but I believe in giving the Devil its due. Walking out of Roman’s apartment for the first time in the game was just as awe-inspiring as exiting the sewers into the gorgeous world of Tamriel.

Liberty City is as chaotic, crowded and unfriendly as New York City probably is. Pedestrians go about their daily business, indulging in some nonsensical (yet hilarious) chatter, motorists abuse one another, people get into fist-fights from time to time, and if you’re really lucky you’ll actually witness a random shootout between cops and civilians.

And then there’s the erratic weather that plagues Liberty City. Some days are bright and sunny while some are as dreary and rain-soaked as in good ol Mumbai. During the latter you’ll see pedestrians frantically opening up their umbrellas while bums and hobos run for shelter, shivering from the cold.

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The reason peds are a bit more intelligent this time round is because of Natural Motion’s Euphoria Engine that not only fuels the game’s physics but also controls the AI’s (artificial intelligence) behavioral patterns. Unlike previous physics engines like HAVOK, Euphoria generates player movements in real time, meaning diverse and varied animations for NPCs (non playable characters) as well as the player.

This engine also adds in a high sense of “self preservation” to the AI, which means both pedestrians and other NPCs will fiercely guard their lives. For example, if during a firefight you shoot someone on the hand or the leg, not only do they crumple to the ground in a most realistic manner, if they aren’t fatally wounded they’ll try and limp their way toward a weapon. Nothing is more satisfying than following these poor saps for a while, only to bludgeon them to death moments later.

But GTA is so much more than just killing, robbing, carjacking and maiming people; it offers players a highly robust and enthralling storyline that’s brilliantly executed thanks to some stellar, (yet relatively unknown) voice acting. As most of you already know, GTA IV chronicles the journey of Serbian immigrant Niko Bellic who’s just arrived in Liberty City to experience the American Dream and enjoy the good life that’s apparently been promised to him by his cousin Roman.

Unfortunately, when he lands up in LC, he realizes his cousin is a big pile of lies and the only reason he’s been called to LC is to help Roman clear his debts. One thing leads to another and before Niko knows it, he’s involved in some serious sh*t that has both him and Roman fighting for their lives.

In true GTA tradition you’ll come across tons of ‘interesting’ folk, but before we discuss the nutjobs of GTA IV, I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to the game’s protagonist, Niko, who unlike previous GTA leads comes across as a very likeable fella immediately. Even though he does joke around from time to time and has a wicked sense of humor, he doesn’t mess about when it comes to getting the job done. He’s always there for his friends and family, and will go to great lengths to ensure their safety. Here’s one guy you really want to sit down and share a beer with… pity he’s fictional.

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Besides Niko and his good-for-nothing cousin Roman (who’s goofy and likeable in his own way) you’ll come across a diverse bunch of characters that include mafia bosses, a testosterone-charged muscle-bound jock, a Jamaican arms dealer who’s perpetually stoned, a gay aspiring wrestler, and much more. All of them are packed with tons of attitude and charisma so even if you don’t end up liking them, you can’t ignore them since they aren’t as one dimensional as characters from other games.

Initially you may feel like someone’s errand boy since the first few missions will force you to play babysitter, during which you’ll have to drop/pick up people (think of it as a glorified tutorial of sorts). As you start making newer contacts, you’ll work on tougher missions that at times are broken into multiple tiers; fortunately these aren’t as annoying as previous GTA games thanks to an all-new revamped autosave point system (that kicks in as soon as you complete a mission) and a new retry mission mechanic that saves a lot of time and frustration (hurray for small wonders).

Another brand new mechanic introduced in this game is your handy cellphone that’s gifted to you by your dearest brother as soon as you land in LC, and it’s via this cellphone that you’ll receive missions and other intel from your contacts. If you get a bit bored of working (a guy’s gotta party in life as well), call up any of your friends and indulge in some of the game’s quirky mini games like bowling, darts, pool etc.

If that’s not your cup of tea, indulge in some social activities like comedy acts and magic shows or call Roman up to get pissed drunk (it’s a riot watching both Niko and Roman utter gibberish as they fall over each other making fools of themselves). Oh, and remember the new retry mechanic I mentioned earlier that kicks in as and when you fail a mission or get arrested or die? Well, it’s accessed via your cellphone as well.

Speaking of getting arrested, escaping the law has been handled differently in this game as well. As and when you do end up attracting the attention of local law enforcement agencies, you’ll be notified with a circular blip on your radar that increases in size as you rack up a higher wanted rating. Driving away from this circular blip and escaping line of sight is the only way you can shake the law off your back.

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As in previous GTA games, you start off by using your hands and legs till you get access to some serious firepower. While hand-to-hand combat in this game may not be as extensive as in the upcoming Bourne Conspiracy game, it gets the job done against unarmed opponents since our man Niko has been trained in the Israeli art of Krav Maga (that’s now being taught in India in case you’re interested).

The more missions you successfully complete, the richer you’ll become and you’ll be able to splurge your newly acquired wealth on weapons, sharp threads, cars etc. Even though you can’t customize the way Niko looks as far as physical and facial attributes are concerned, you can dyke him up in different jackets, jeans, designer suits, and so on.

Once you get your hands on some serious firepower you’ll experience the game’s all-new revamped combat mechanics that work pretty well… most of the time. Draw any of your weapons and press down on the left trigger (LT) to initiate a Resident Evil 4-esque aiming system that makes sure the camera stays rooted firmly behind Niko’s shoulder, giving him a better view of the action. As you approach any sort of cover, simply press the Right Bumper (RB) and Niko will immediately snap to that surface, be it a wall, a car, a fire hydrant, a door, or even a hot dog stand.

As in most games that boast of a cover system, you’ll be able to lay down some blind fire (that’s surprisingly accurate) as well as pop out of cover from time to time for them juicy headshots. Running between cover to cover on the other hand is a tad sloppy and doesn’t feel as fluid as in Gears of War. And then there were times when I ended up taking cover behind objects I really didn’t want to; when you have ten guys laying some serious fire on you, it doesn’t work out too well for ya. All said and done, this is a major upgrade over previous iterations, making 95% of the firefights in this game as intense and enjoyable as a solid third person shooter.

From a technical standpoint this game delivers and I was pretty impressed with the frame rates that remain rock solid throughout most of the game. However, there were times when the frame rate dipped to a crawl, especially when I started blowing tons of stuff up with my rocket launcher. The game also has a blurry hand-drawn look going for it, and the first time you play you may have a slight WTF expression on your face. But after a while (ten minutes tops), once you get past all the blurriness, you’ll begin to soak in the sights and sounds of Liberty City in all its glory.

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One aspect in which Rockstar seem to have outdone themselves is the audio department (radio stations not included). Everything in the game, right from pedestrians’ dialogs to gunshots to explosions, sound as realistic and immersive as possible. One thing I really liked was that there were times when I stood on the streets and I could actually hear radio stations from different cars as they passed me. Very impressive!

Remember I said GTA IV was awesome but not perfect? Well, now we come to the part that makes this game not-so-perfect. For starters I did not like way cars and bikes controlled in this game. I feel San Andreas hit the sweet spot as far as vehicular control was concerned; the realistic approach a la PGR 4 doesn’t work too well for me. Sure, you get better cars as you progress in the game, but they always feel as if they’re on ice, making it really tough to escape cops as and when you do rack up a 3 or more star rating.

I wasn’t too happy with the radio stations in this game as well since they (a) lack the variety we’re used to in previous GTA games and (b) lack the punch previous radio stations managed to pack. You do have your talk shows that constantly poke fun at American pop culture, but for some reason, it just felt… lacking. Also, why the f**k can’t I upload my own tunes to the game like I could in previous GTAs, huh, Rockstar? Hopefully, I’ll be able to do that once the PC version comes about (come on, we all know that it’s happening one day).

Other than these (teensy) issues, GTA IV is a superb game and should be experienced by anyone (and by anyone I mean people above 18 since the game does have a lot of ‘adult’ content) who owns either a PS3 or an Xbox360. We were a bit strapped for time as far the review’s concerned, so as of now we can only offer the single player review. Head back next week for a detailed MP review.

Unfortunately for us Indians the game hasn’t hit stores yet and the local distributors aren’t sure when that will happen, so all you can do is sit and pray or order the game from various sites.