Grand Theft Auto 4: A Wild Ride with a Few Bumps

Hey everyone! I'm still riding the high from "Vice City" and the fifth part, and I'm diving straight into the fourth. That's what this review's all about.

Thanks, Rockstar!Sorry in advance for the wall of text - this review's a bit longer than usual; no spoilers, and as always, I'm using Fraps to capture the screenshots.

I've only recently gotten to know this game because I couldn't afford a gaming PC for a long time. The problem is that Grand Theft Auto 4 isn't exactly designed for weak office computers. Unless you play it on the lowest settings, you'll be dealing with texture loss and frame drops. We've all been there. My gaming soul finally found heaven after I bought a new graphics card and processor.

I picked up the game on "Steam" for a steal - 700 rubles during a sale. Even buying the "full version" didn't prepare me for the twist at the end, but I'll get to that later.

The open worlds in "Rockstar" games will never cease to amaze me with their depth and attention to detail. I've never had a moment where I felt like the creators were phoning it in or rushing to finish the game. It's the little things that add up to make the whole experience.

Graphics have made a noticeable leap compared to the previous parts (EFLC and TBoGT), but it's not as big of a jump as the fifth part was.

What really caught me off guard was the system requirements. They're even higher than those of the fifth installment, which had some pretty impressive graphics. I've heard some people say that the high system requirements are due to the thoroughly developed physics engine, which we didn't see in the fifth part. Maybe that's true. But I'll give it a pass, even if it means I won't be lowering my star rating.

Gameplay and controls are super intuitive and easy to grasp. The standard keyboard layout is WSAD for movement, mouse for camera control, right click for aiming, left click for shooting, Q for hiding, F for picking up vehicles, Shift for sprinting, and space for jumping. Of course, you can reassign the keys in the settings if the default layout doesn't feel right to you.So, in a nutshell, you'll be playing as Niko Bellic in the big, unfamiliar, and unforgiving Liberty City (which is actually based on New York City, for all you old-school fans who remember the third installment).

You don't have to play through the missions to have fun - you can just explore the city, check out the surroundings, fight some pedestrians (just be careful: the cops aren't blind in this part!). However, if you do that, you'll miss out on a lot of what this game has to offer. The fourth installment continued the tradition of locking off certain parts of the city for a while. They'll become accessible once you've completed a certain percentage of the missions.

Trying to break into closed territories will be considered a terrorist act and land you a three-star wanted level. I'll be honest, the game starts in a pretty rough neighborhood. The houses are run-down, the diners are cheap, and the cars are straight out of a budget bin. I've been reading the reviews, and a lot of people were put off by the start. If you're not here for the story, you'll need to get a bit further in the game before you can access other areas and better cars.

Money can be earned the honest way (by completing missions through the police computer or driving a taxi), or by breaking the law (like taking out an armored truck or robbing a store). You can use the money to buy guns, clothes, food, and drinks, or just blow it all on entertainment with your story friends. And, of course, the money is earned through missions – most of which are just someone's errands that you need to run. When you start the game, you'll see this important reminder:

Where the creators remind you that they don't condone or encourage the actions in this game. But, of course, that doesn't stop the mom reviews from popping up – 'my kid's playing this game, and I'm so worried!' ______________

Story and Missions

Niko Bellic, a European guy, decides to turn his life around and moves to the States to live with his cousin. Who wouldn't be tempted, right? His cousin, Roman, promised Niko a life of luxury – a penthouse, American models, and a sweet ride in the garage. But, when Niko gets there, he's in for a rude awakening – Roman's place is a dump, and his taxi business is struggling. And to make matters worse, there's a whole crew of Russians gunning for Roman.

It doesn't take long for Niko to realize that Roman's been using him to get out of a tight spot.

Let's be real, Niko Bellic's got some skeletons in his closet. He moved to the States to get away from a certain Ray Bulgarin - a guy who's convinced Niko's a traitor and wants to get his hands on some lost cash. And with his connections, he's got all the possibilities to make it happen.

I'll give the story some credit - it's interesting, packed with action, but sometimes it feels a bit one-dimensional. Every new character I meet, I've somehow met Niko before - at a party, maybe. But I won't say it was boring. I mean, who doesn't love a good GTA game? By the end, things get intense, and I find myself dropping F-bombs left and right 😊

One of the most memorable moments in the game is the Liberty Bank heist with the McReary crew. There's a rumor going around that Lester Crest from the fifth game masterminded the whole thing.

By the way, in the fifth game, you can stumble upon a random street event near a pharmacy. Two guys try to rob it, but they don't have a getaway car. One of these guys just so happens to be Packie McReary - if you help them out and get them out of the cops' way, Packie becomes a playable character for the Liberty Bank heist. If you take him along, he'll spill the beans about the Liberty Bank job and share some stories from his past.

I've been comparing this part to the fifth, and something's bugging me - the last part of the story feels like it's taking a backseat to the fourth, even though the fourth has three main characters and this one only has one. When you play the fifth part, it's so fast-paced that you don't even get a chance to really get into it.

The missions here are a bit one-dimensional - for the most part, you're just playing as a mercenary. For a fee, of course. There aren't as many of those crazy helicopter missions as there were before, but that doesn't mean they're easy. You'll still have to put in some work. I've got one mission in particular that I'm really looking forward to - "Snowstorm": Niko's gotta get out of a abandoned psychiatric hospital, and the main challenge is that the hospital is crawling with special forces, and there's only one way out.Despite all that, I'm still giving the story a plus.

________________Overall, the game

Liberty City might remind you of the third game, but that's about where the similarities end. If the third game was all about a bleak, depressing city, this one's a whole different story.Liberty City is definitely not a resort town. There are no palm trees, no scorching sun, no tank tops and shorts on the pedestrians. The scenery's mostly autumnal, and the golden trees at sunset are really something special.

I'm actually impressed by the players who complained about the dark atmosphere. A dark atmosphere? Come on?

Niko's wardrobe, of course, is not exactly summer-friendly.

When you finally get access to the other parts of Liberty, it's worth checking out the center - it's super colorful and lively, especially at night. The skyscrapers, giant billboards, ad screens, and colorful streetlights are all pretty impressive. Plus, you've got a good chance of spotting a high-end car. I've gotta say, the Rokstars thought this through too - in the poorer areas, people are walking around in worn-out clothes, and the cars are pretty beat up; in the business districts, people are rocking their office attire, and the cars are, you know, matching.

I mentioned earlier that Liberty was heavily inspired by real-life New York City, and it's crazy just how much it's been copied. I mean, there's even a Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building here. It's pretty wild to see.

It's pretty funny to stumble upon a neighborhood that's basically Russian. Check out the signs on the billboards - they're all in Cyrillic. It's a pretty cool touch, if you ask me. I mean, if the devs managed to learn some of the Russian swear words that some pedestrians and game characters throw around, you'd think they'd also learn what's on the signs. Did they not have a Russian speaker on staff? I guess they did find a Russian guy, Sergei Nagorny, to voice Joseph for the fifth part, though.

Transport in this game is pretty lacking in terms of variety. I mean, it's all about the cars, motorcycles, and mopeds; water transport is just fast boats; and air transport is helicopters. There's an airport in Liberty City, but you can't hotwire planes like you could in the fifth part.

There's no bike transport, and I didn't see any military vehicles either. You can move around on foot or by taxi. If you want to be friends with Roman, you can get him to send you a free taxi with a driver.

There's also a subway system, both above and below ground.

Niko can swim, but he can't dive to great depths.

A little nod to the old parts:

If you check out one of Niko's apartments, you can find Claude's wardrobe.

The real disappointment, though, is the weapons - pistols, SMGs, and micro SMGs; assault rifles and carbines; shotguns; sniper rifles; grenades; Molotov cocktails; rocket launchers; and some types of melee weapons. I mean, it's all there, but it just feels so... lacking in variety.

I was surprised to find that the number of shots it takes to take down an enemy depends on the gun you're using and where you aim for. With a standard pistol, it takes a minimum of five shots to take down an enemy's limbs. A headshot, on the other hand, is usually a guaranteed kill.

What I found really amusing was that in this part of the game, enemies don't always die right away. It's up to the player to decide whether to finish them off or not. Usually, enemies will beg for mercy and crawl away from the line of fire.

The green arc on the mini-map at the bottom of the screen is your main health bar. The blue one is your vest. Health replenishes in many ways: green health packs, buying soda from vending machines, buying food from street vendors and restaurants, sleeping, and having sex. You can also try to get on good terms with a girl named Carmen, who's a nurse at the hospital. If you call her on your phone during a mission, your health will replenish. But don't get your hopes up – it's not always a guarantee.

What really caught me off guard was the lack of ability to buy property and start your own business, like in previous parts of the game. Although, by the end of the game, Niko will have a few apartments. I won't spoil it for you – let's just say it's not something you can replicate in real life.

What I liked about this part of the game was that you can take breaks between missions – either alone or with friends/girlfriends. It's a nice change of pace from the usual action-packed gameplay.

Checking your respect and loyalty stats can give you an idea of how your friends feel about you. If you max out the respect, you can get some sweet perks from them later on. Like, Roman will give you a free taxi ride, Jacob will give you a 50% discount on guns, and Packie will blow up your trunk. It's worth noting that each character has their own favorite activities and times when they're available to hang out. Calling them in the middle of the night will probably lower your respect, and they'll give you a hard time for calling so late.

Yeah, the phone is just a basic flip phone - like it should be in the early 2000s. It just makes calls and takes pictures. If you want to get online, you'll have to hit up an internet cafe or wait until later in the game when you get a laptop.

Entertainment isn't exactly endless, but it's sometimes pretty fun. Remember when you could install games like bowling, pool, and ping-pong on your computer? I used to play those for hours. You've got bowling, pool, and darts here, and most of your friends and girlfriends will be down to compete with you.

You can also hit up the local comedy club and check out some stand-up acts. I won't say I was laughing so hard I cried, but Nico and his friend seemed to enjoy it after the show.

There are a few strip clubs around, and you can always get a private dance or even two girls dancing at the same time. In the fifth game, you get to grope the dancers and then take the party back to their place - not here, though.

I've been to Liberty's bars and clubs, and yeah, they're a dime a dozen. People love going there, but then there's Niko, stumbling out drunk, barely standing on his feet, and the screen's still shaking for a while. Getting behind the wheel's a no-go, 'cause the cops are all over you in a heartbeat for driving drunk.

The cops here are a bit more chill, though. They'll show you a search area on the map, and if you leave it, the wanted stars will disappear. But, you know, it's not always easy - there are cops everywhere, and they can call for backup if they need to.

Oh, and romance is in the air here too. You can meet girls through online dating sites or their blogs.

You can find Carmen Ortiz, Kiki Jenkins, and Alex Chilton online. Each girl's got her own thing going on - Carmen's a nurse, so she'll boost your rep; Kiki's a lawyer, so she'll get rid of those wanted stars; and Alex, the unemployed blogger, will hook you up with a 50% discount at that fancy store, Persey, for a whole day.

Just be sure to call them at the right time, show up looking decent, and drive a nice car. After the date, if things go well, it's cool to ask them out for coffee. Don't expect any hardcore porn, though - you'll just see a window into their place and some, ahem, 'enthusiastic' noises coming from inside. Alex, by the way, loves writing about Niko's, ahem, 'exploits' in her blog. What I love about this part is all the open buildings. The history museum really stood out to me - it's right near one of Niko's apartments, and one of the missions takes place there.

I was surprised to see the "D" restaurant close down as soon as the missions ended.

Another Asian restaurant that stuck out in my mind.

The AI pedestrians were pretty cool - they'd walk around with bags, glance at their phones, and when it started raining, they'd grab a newspaper to cover their heads or pull out an umbrella.

In the vehicles, you can listen to the local radio station. A lot of our fellow countrymen have taken a liking to the "Vladivostok" station, which only plays Russian music; I don't really enjoy listening to it, unless they're playing "Группа крови". I prefer to tune into "Liberty Rock radio", which has a mix of familiar Queen and Genesis tracks, as well as some new ones that quickly ended up on my playlist. Apparently, that's also Niko's go-to station.

If you're not a fan of the radio tunes, you can always upload your own to the root folder.

Classic: the radio and internet only show you the news.

As for the collectibles, there are only infected pigeons scattered throughout Liberty City - a total of 200. You have to... I don't want to say "kill" them. Disarm them. But be warned: after shooting one, there's a high chance of attracting the cops' attention.

Conditions for completing the game 100% can be found online, and they're not as complicated as the ones in Weiscity. They don't require a ton of effort either. If you didn't know, let me tell you that completing just the story mode isn't enough for 100%.

______________________ Characters

The main character is Nico Bellic. I'm pretty sure his name is derived from 'Nikolai'.

He's a European guy who was heavily involved in the Yugoslavian war. His native language is Serbian, so I'm going to take a guess that he's Serbian, although people often confuse him with Russian. He's got a thick accent - Alex Chilton described it as 'very erotic' in her blog. Nico's a determined, serious, and skilled guy.

Nico's a really interesting and memorable character - one of my favorites. I was expecting him to show up in the fifth installment, but he didn't. The voice actor had a falling out with 'Rockstar', so Nico remains a pleasant memory from the fourth part. If you're paying close attention, you might remember that in the fifth part, before the jewelry store heist, Lester said, 'There was one guy from Eastern Europe... but no, he's gone under'.

Interesting fact: Nico Bellic's prototype is probably the hitman Sasha from the movie 'In the Heat of the Night'. He's also a Serbian by blood. The role of Sasha was played by our Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov, and 'Rockstar' even offered him a voice acting gig. But he turned it down. As he later explained, he didn't fully understand the offer and didn't take it seriously. Nico's cousin is Roman Bellic.

I've met guys like this before - they're wannabe business owners, but their business is just average and not really taking off. He's a bit of a goofball and a scaredy-cat, but he's always smiling and seems like a positive guy. He's definitely not the type to be handling a gun.

Bruce Kibbutz

I met him online - he's a bit of a narcissist and loves himself some attention. He tried to flirt with Nikki a few times, but she quickly shut him down. Overall, he's a pretty cool and friendly guy, just a bit obsessed with cars. Dmitry Rasalkov

He's a pretty complex character with a lot of surprises. The McRae family - they've got their work cut out for them.

I think what really stood out to me was Packy (the guy on the right) and his sister Kate.

Actually, Kate's someone you could take out on a date, but let's just say the 'stay the night' option with her is a definite no-go. Other characters

There are so many characters, I'm worried that if I start listing them all out and explaining their roles, I'll give away the whole story. What really gets me is when two characters in the game order Niko to kill each other. And then you get to choose: who do you take out? Your choice also determines the ending of the game, but I'm not gonna lie, the two endings aren't that different.

Hands down, I'd give Niko Bellic and the characters in the game a huge plus for this.__________________________The Sour Note

I've got to mention one major bummer that happened to me (and a lot of other players) on the final mission.

Here's the thing: it depends on the ending, but the problem's pretty consistent in both. In both endings, Niko's gotta grab onto a helicopter's skid, pull himself up, and get into the cockpit. To do that, you need to mash the space bar a few times, really fast.

So, you're mashing the space bar like crazy, but Niko's only getting a little bit closer to the helicopter. Then he just hangs there, and the mission fails. You have to start over from scratch. Yeah, in this part, like in the fifth, there are no checkpoints if you fail the mission, so you have to start from the beginning.

So, I'm trying to get through this mission again, and it's just not happening. I'm mashing the space bar with both hands, and still nothing. I try again, and again, and again. I'm getting a little desperate here.I ended up searching online for a solution. I mean, come on, this is a major plot twist right at the end of the game. I'm all hyped up, and then this happens. And it turns out that a lot of other players are having the same issue, but Rockstar's not exactly rushing to fix it. I scoured a bunch of forums, took notes on a few possible solutions, and nothing worked. Some people suggested maxing out my computer's performance, others suggested using Fraps, and a few suggested tweaking my graphics settings. But nothing worked. In fact, one of the solutions I tried actually caused my computer to shut down, and it wouldn't turn back on. Luckily, my friend's a computer whiz, so he was able to fix it.

I stumbled upon a solution on American forums, and I have to admit, I didn't believe it would work after a month of frustration. But it did! If you're struggling with system overload and Fraps isn't helping, hit me up in a private message, and I'll give you a 99% guaranteed fix that doesn't require any downloads, installations, or testing. Just a simple task manager.

_________________________

Overall Impressions

For me, the game was – and still is – incredibly memorable and atmospheric. I mean, who wouldn't want to stroll through the rainy streets of Liberty, even if it's not the usual sunny vibe of Vice City? The open world is just that good.

The variety of locations and missions keeps the gameplay engaging. To this day, this part of the series is still one of my favorites.I love the characters, and I'm particularly fond of Niko Bellic – his fearlessness, confidence, and serious approach to business are all traits that make him stand out.

The graphics are a definite highlight, despite some minor issues.

The storyline might not be the most original, but the engaging gameplay makes it impossible not to want to know what happens next.

I was a bit surprised that there's no option to buy and develop a business here.

Also, there's a lack of transportation and weapon diversity. It's all pretty bare-bones.

The system requirements are way too high, if you ask me.I also had some issues with optimization on lower-end computers. I managed to get it running on five of them, but I had to tone down the graphics settings.

And then there was that nasty bug that really got under my skin. It's a common issue, apparently, and I had to spend hours reading up on it and troubleshooting. Not exactly what I wanted to deal with.

Needless to say, my verdict is clear. I'd give this game five stars, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys games with a good story, an open world, and some serious action.