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| From: Rockstar Games
List Price: $59.99
Buy Used: $19.99
You Save: $40.00 (67%)
New (77) Used (105) Collectible (1) from $19.99
Rating:  258 reviews
Sales Rank: 119
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Adventure Games
ESRB: Mature
Media: Video Game
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 17 - 20 years
Operating System: Xbox 360
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: 39012
UPC: 710425390128
EAN: 0710425390128
ASIN: B000FRU1UM
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Complete with original disc(s), case, and manual. In stock and ships right now!
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 258
 open-world fans.. our time has come! April 30, 2008
Raul Duke (Pittsburgh)
18 out of 21 found this review helpful
9.25/10
When Grand Theft Auto III came out(the reason i got a PS2 way back in 2001), i knew something great was in the mix. it was a sign of change in the gaming industry. it showed us there could be more to games than levels, more than high scores, and more than even a good story. it showed us a virtual world you could become totally engulfed in(outside of RPG's). a world where you could go anywhere and do anything(although that was just mostly stealing cars and shooting pedestrians in those days). over the years they've made some serious improvements, from the bikes and helicopters of vice city, to the jets and ability to duck and roll/ manually aim in san andreas(finally!) and now their first venture onto this generation has finally arrived, and its a great day in the gaming world
the series continues to awe with this installment, even in this day and age in video games. Graphically speaking, it is simply beautiful. its amazing how much attention went into every aspect of this world. theres cracks and pot holes ranging in depth in the road, and varying curb heights. vehicle damage is very impressive, from dents and scratches to a hole for each bullet that hits. the lighting system is amazing, with day/night cycles and a rotating sun throughout the day. naturally the game doesnt have the detail of say Call of Duty 4, but you could fit like 50 Call of Duty 4 maps in this city! its that huge. you have to take the size of a game into consideration when rating the graphics, thats been a given for how long now?? just to clear things up for the clowns complaining the graphics.
when you walk out the door theres so much to be done you might want to keep a checklist for the days. although what you actually choose to do is up to you. causing chaos is always an option. you can go bowling, play pool, play darts, get drunk, go to a srip club, get some food, check out the in game internet, and tons more. you could always just surf the channels on your TV.
your cell phone is a pivotal part of the game. you can call friends and girlfriends for various activities(some are listed above), and if you neglect them for long enough, they'll call you. you can also call potential employers for jobs.
theres the standard "go kill this guy" and "go get this" but they have been very entertaining anyway so far. theres much more depth to many missions, including stealth. one example is having to steal a cop car, then proceed to pull over different shipping trucks until you find the one full of TV's.
gameplay is vastly improved. the cover system is great, allowing you to quickly roll and protect yourself behind random cars, trash cans, and basically anything else thats big enough.
the game has a much more realistic feel than previous entries. you'll find yourself making sure theres no cops around before committing crimes. the star system is still here, but this time your wanted level is radius based, and if you can get far enough away from all cops, or at leased out of sight, your wanted level will go down. its honestly genius. i narrowly escaped one by jumping the guard rail and running down a steep hill, only to see another driving my way in the distance. quickly ducking into the alley behind a dumpster, i watched him roll by and waited for my stars to begin to fade. some cars are locked and you'll need to break a window to get in and proceed to hotwire it.
-for all you parents out there, the content is more mature than previous entries. you get a pretty good look at the in-car action with the street workers.. hehe.. and "coarse" language is used every couple minutes(at leased). the violence and blood looks more realistic now too. thats usually not what you guys worry about so much though.
my only real complaints are the hand to hand combat(its the most solid of the series but San Andreas seemed to have more move depth), and the fact that you cant go into more buildings. dont get me wrong, theres TONS of places to go and things to do, but i was hoping for even more. there have been waaay too many things that made San Andreas great and were simply missing here. no car customization, less clothes, less weapons, no property to buy, and more.. in some ways its one step forward and two steps back.
i wont elaborate on the story much, as its already been done heavily. basically your an illegal immigrant from eastern europe. your cousin convinced you to come to America with his stories of mansions and sports cars. when you arrive things arent quite as described. you start in the darkest, grittiest part of Liberty City. a pocket full of change and a head full or dreams. what happens next is in your hands..
 Major, major letdown May 2, 2008
Dan (sarasota, florida)
18 out of 36 found this review helpful
For every really cool thing about GTA IV, there's something that really stands out as crappy. The map system is dysfuctional at best, with the game choosing to not show you many locations at times(such as your house, which is the only place you can save the game), not allowing you to cancel a mission you have already started, and having atrocious motorcycle driving physics. These may sound like nitpicks, but they seriously impact the player's game experience when one has to spend 45 minutes redoing the same damn mission over and over because if you touch a car while on a bike you fly off and lose the mission. Missions where you have to face 20 or 30 guys with the same weapons as you and no support are also fun (not). This is the first GTA game I have ever owned, and at this point (25% missions completed) I am not at all impressed. Sure, it HAS everything, but it doesn't do anything well. Driving is better done by Forza and Gran Turismo, shooting is better done by Halo and Call of Duty, the whole open-world-with-one-character thing is done better by Crackdown. Graphics are subpar to virtually every other major 360 game, although they are not bad.
Why is this game so highly rated? "It's Grand Theft Auto . . . FOUR!!!" so it has to be good. "It has TWENTY radio stations and interactive in-game computers and TV stations!!!" If that sort of thing is what you value in a game, then I encourage you to get this game.
If you like playability without frustration, get any of the other genre games I listed above.
Sorry, GTA fans, but do not add me to your ranks.
GTA, but prettier and more dialogue May 2, 2008
Nima Moayer (Fort Lee, NJ United States)
18 out of 21 found this review helpful
I have read too many reviews saying how "GTA IV is going to redefine games...GTA IV one of the best games ever made...etc." I finally decided I should share an objective view of GTA IV to those of us who aren't GTA fanatics.
Before I get slammed for my views, I would like to mention that I have played all the GTA games (from original GTA for PS thru GTA San Andreas).
Is GTA IV a great game? Yes.
Is GTA IV game redefining or revolutionary? No.
Is GTA IV worthy of a next-gen tag? Probably.
Was GTA IV worth the hype? Not really.
GTA IV is a great game. That's it. End of story. It is not going to challenge the way future games are made. It's not going to raise the bar. This is basic GTA formula, but prettier, more dialogue, and a cell phone. There is a tremendous amount of detail that has been put into this game in terms of graphic and sound, however, that doesn't mean it brings anything new to the table. GTA III was a truly revolutionary game and redefined what 3D action games could do and should do when it was first released on the PS2. On the other hand, GTA IV is basically a rehash of the same formula from GTA III thru San Andreas. Sure, there's a cellphone and the physics have been revamped in this game, but that's not enough to say it's one of the greatest games ever made. I ask those who've played GTA III to think back to how original and innovative that game was and how it fundamentally changed all future games that came out after it. In my opinion, you could probably take GTA IV, dumb down the graphics and cut out some dialogue, and it would probably be playable on PS2. Some call this a next-generation game, but what defines a next-gen game? If you base it on graphics and gameplay, GTA IV does not meet those requirements. There are numerous games out now that look better than GTA IV and the gameplay is the same since GTA III. Not even the misssions types are different! Also, I have major gripes with the camera while you are driving; frankly, it is all over the place. However, the sheer size of Liberty City and the scope of presentation definitely puts the game beyond what the PS2 or XBOX were capable of.
Now beyond that, if you are a GTA fanatic, you will love GTA IV. It will give you everything you love and 1,000 times more! But, if you've played previous GTA games and found they may be too repetitive or they weren't your cup of tea, then don't worry. You're not missing out on much if you don't play GTA IV. Although I haven't beaten the game, I'm about 5 hours into the game, and so far, I haven't had any of those "WOW!" type moments that truly memorable and historically classic games give you. GTA IV will go down in the history books for shipping units, but it definitely won't go down in history as one of the most top 10 influential games. GTA III still holds that crown.
I gave GTA IV 4 stars because it is still a fantastic game, however, not worth the ridiculous hype it is recieving and extraordinarily high reviews it is recieving in gaming magazines and websites. This is definitely not a 10/10 game. There are way too many issues with it to be labeled "PERFECT."
Can I give it 6 out of 5 stars? April 29, 2008
J. Semsch (Wichita, KS United States)
17 out of 27 found this review helpful
First off, if you're reading these reviews, trying to decide whether to get this game, stop reading now and BUY IT!! You will NOT be disappointed.
FIRST IMPRESSION
This must be one of the first reviews because I must be one of the few who can tear myself away from playing long enough to write a review. I purchased GTA IV at midnight and only got to play a few hours before the thought of getting no sleep before work the next day caught up with me.
First impressions: does it live up to the hype? Yes! I was afraid GTA IV would be over hyped and would be a disappointment. It has the same feel as previous GTA's. I was also afraid they would change the controls too much in going to a new system, but the controls are very comfortable and feel familiar.
I haven't had a chance to play any of the multiplayer content, but any time during single player all you do is hit up on your d-pad to bring up your cell phone and select multiplayer. (I accidentally did this trying to change the radio)
Based on what I've seen so far I will be spending many hours playing through the single player campaign, playing online multiplayer with friends and beating up hookers when I'm frustrated with either one.
END FIRST IMPRESSION
Update: As impressed as I was with the beginning of the game, it only gets better and better. GTA IV is EVERYTHING you love about the previous GTA chapters, but EVERYTHING is bigger and better. The actions of NPCs are more realistic too. For example you can't pull into Pay n Spray right in front of a cop and get off Scott free. You have to make sure no cop sees you pull in. To start a vigilante mission you come to a complete stop in a police car and access the onboard laptop. From here you can pull up crimes in progress, the most wanted list and even call for backup. Unlike previous games, when you're hunting criminals as a vigilante the police are actually on your side instead of trying to stop you.
You can watch TV, access the internet at internet cafes. You can go bowling, play darts, watch an on stage performance. You can even pick up bricks from a construction yard and throw them through shop windows.
Story: This is a very deep drama. For the first time in a video game I heard the mention of a soul. You no longer come in contact with one dimensional caricatures. All of the main characters are complex individuals. If the GTA III series was a goofy cartoon, then GTA IV is a serious dramatic action movie.
Sound: The song list is awesome! You wake up in your crappy apartment to the sound of Smashing Pumpkins - "1979" or ELO - "Evil Woman" playing on the radio. The internet cafe has the song from the first trailer playing. While playing Vice City I would change the station every time the Giggle Cream commercial came on. I haven't heard anything on the radio annoying enough to make me change it.
Graphics: The graphics are awesome! GTA IV won't dethrone Gears of War or Assassin's Creed as the best next gen graphics, but if Gears of War is a 10 then GTA IV is a 9. Of course keep in mind that GTA IV has a HUGE draw distance and NO load screens while in Gears of War you have to wait for relatively small maps to load.
Gameplay: This is what matters the most. Is the game fun to play? YES! You are set loose in a huge adult playground where you can do just about anything you can think of. You want to punch someone for looking at you funny as you walk by? Go for it! You want to steal any vehicle you see? Do it! You want to go on a date? Call up your girlfriend. You want to go shoot darts with Roman? Give him a buzz.
Controls: I played all of the previous GTA's on PS2 so I can't compare the current controls to Xbox controls. (From what I hear you had to have a third hand to do a driveby without the extra shoulder buttons) On foot the controls are about the same as San Andreas. You use LT (L1) to auto aim and RT (R1) to shoot. A cover system has been added, which makes shootouts a lot more dynamic. Blind firing around a corner is really cool.
Driving is a LOT different though. RT is gas, LT is brake, RB is E-brake and LB is shoot. You no longer use L2 and R2 to aim 90 degrees left and right to do a drive by. You can lean out the window and use the right thumb stick to move the camera and shoot cars in front of you and to the side. This is really hard to get used to, but I have a feeling once I figure it out, it will be VERY rewarding later on. (You can pick the classic control setup, but I can't comment on this as I haven't tried it yet) Also all of the cars have REALLY loose suspension and lots of momentum. This means pulling the E-brake to make a turn causes you to do a 180 and slide past your turn. You have to actually slow down to make turns.
The Bad: After singing its praises I have to mention at least one bad thing. I've only noticed VERY minor visual glitches. For example as I crouched next to a building my face went through the wall. Another bad thing about GTA IV is that it's too good. It will totally ruin every other "Urban Shooter" out there. It has set the standard for next gen video game quality. I predict that no other game will even be able to touch GTA IV for a VERY long time.
If you're still undecided about whether to get GTA IV after reading my review and several other glowing reviews, then check out what the pros say. Check out metacritic.com. As of posting this review it is THE highest rated game on there.
 Looked good for half an hour April 30, 2008
J. McAulay
15 out of 118 found this review helpful
With all the glowing reviews I felt I had to grab this game and give it a shot. Looks nice and it seems like the story may actually be interesting but unfortunately about half an hour in the game froze.
I can now get it to play for maybe 5 minutes before crashing again.
As it stands I'd recommend renting it to see if it'll even run for you before buying or at least waiting until (if?) Rockstar comes out with a fix for it.
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