By: Stuart Wright

Grand Theft Auto 4 is arguably the most anticipated new release of the decade, and the wait is about to be over with it’s imminent release on April 29th. If you haven’t already pre-ordered it, do it now – as it could well be banned in your country very soon.

GTA 4 brings us back to the streets of Liberty City, Rockstars’ fictional imitation of New York. The streets are just as rough in Liberty City, perhaps rougher, and Rockstar has gone to great lengths to re-create some of New York’s most recognizable landmarks to feature in your destructive reign of crime.

You take the role of Russian outcast Nikolai Bellic, or Niko. Niko comes to Liberty City with a dream, a dream imagined for him by his cousin Roman. A dream of easy money, easy women and the good life.

From the start you will feel as if you’re standing in the middle of Time Square but your surroundings soon become far more grimey as you find yourself at the foot of the criminal underworld – as with all previous GTA titles. You will however feel a level of freedom from the start, never before experienced with Grand Theft Auto titles, as the original mission-based story lines take a backseat and you’re left to explore the open city, after the usual period of introduction sequences.

As you would expect on the XBox 360 and PS3, the level of detail in the characters, buildings, vehicles and even weapons is incredible and the city feels alive. You’ll notice bums laying on the sidewalk – do to them what you wish. Other touches such as wind-blown trash, steaming manholes and the hectic traffic you would expect from a bustling city all add to the games atmosphere.

Escaping the long-arm of the law is often frustrating enough, so news that loading screens are now a thing of the past is a huge relief. The game will continuously load behind the scenes as you play, creating a flawless gaming experience, and you won’t lose all those precious weapons when you’ve paid a visit to the emergency rescue ward at the local hospital!

All the usual gameplay features are back as expected, but have obviously been pimped up. Take a boat for a joyride, or perhaps a helicopter – but sadly no planes. Refusing a call from someone important may put you in their bad books, and who knows, they could put a hit on your ass. The police warning system is much the same as before, basically avoid them and it’ll gradually fade away.

Perhaps the most anticipated feature of Grand Theft Auto 4 is the new multiplayer mode! You and up to 15 other gamers can share the streets of Liberty City in a number of different game modes. To get online, simply pull up your cell-phone during a single player game and jump in to the live world!

Multiplayer modes include deathmatch, street racing, cops and crooks and mafiya work. The first few are self-explanatory. Mafiya work pits you directly against all other players in the game in a race against time to complete a number of missions. You’re allocated missions through your cell-phone – a target will flash on the map, and then it’s a mad, violent and ruthless race to get their first.

To sum up GTA 4, it looks set to become an instant-classic and a must own title for every XBox 360 and PS3 owner. It’s back with a vengeance in full 3D glory. It has the blood, the violence, the speed, the brutality and the atmosphere we’ve all been longing for – it’s time to play!

Publisher: RockStar Games
Developer: RockStar North
# of Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M
Category: Action
Platform : Xbox360 and PS3
Release Dates:
North America – 04/28/2008
International – 04/29/2008