Grand Theft Auto IV

Welcome Niko Bellic as he enters the world of crime, corruption and new opportunities in the latest game from the GTA series- GTA IV. The 4th sequel to the series brings in an array of new and innovative elements, making it a must-play game for everyone. The game is for anyone who wants to feel like he owns an entire city. Targeted towards casual as well as hard-core gamers, the game has significant improvements over its predecessors.

The action-adventure game has an open world environment, giving you the freedom to do what you like, when you like. Available on the PC platform, GTA 4 has special features that are not available on the console versions. The ESRB rating for the game is Mature.

Synopsis and Features

The game follows the story of Niko Bellic, a war veteran who has come to USA to achieve the elusive American Dream. As you progress through the story you meet Niko’s cousin, Roman, who wants to make a quick fortune. As they try to make their dream come true, they slip in debt and make some bad choices. Niko discovers how Liberty City has its own criminal overlords, thieves and sociopaths who control the city. He learns its only money and status that can protect you, and if you don’t have the cash, you are as good as dead.

Developed by Rockstar Toronto and published by Rockstar Games, GTA 4 is better than its previous version as it introduces a variety of new gameplay options. The minimum specifications required for the game to run on your computer are Windows XP SP3, an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz or AMD equivalent processor, 16 GB hard disk space, 1 GB RAM and a 256 MB ATI X1900 graphics card. For Nvidia users any GeForceFX series card or better is recommended.

The single player campaign of the game follows in the footsteps of previous games where you accept and complete missions when you please. The story moves forward when you successfully complete each mission. You can unlock additional content and parts of the city, depending upon the completion of your missions. If you do not want to indulge in the storytelling missions, you can play an array of side missions that include street races.

Driving has always been the highlight in the GTA series and the same continues with GTA 4. You can drive anywhere you want; choose any vehicle you want, including helicopters. The game features a Whiz brand mobile phone through which you can receive calls, read texts, take photos for certain missions and even call 911 during emergencies.

There is also an in-game version of the internet in GTA IV that allows you to browse more than 100 websites. You can receive and send mail through this version of internet and even search locations spread across the city. You can try a failed mission as soon as you respawn in GTA 4 by simply clicking on the text message you get in your in-game phone. This is a welcome change as you don’t have to travel back to the place where you accepted the mission to try it again.

Major additions in the GTA 4 include the new cover system. You can now hide behind cars or walls to obtain cover against incoming fire. This is a major help when you are indulged in huge gun fights as you can take cover and shoot your enemies when the time is right.

The graphics are a technological leap over its predecessors. GTA has a great soundtrack and several radio stations from Rock to Country genre for your enjoyment, including a custom radio station where you can add in your own songs. The game also includes a video editor that lets you record a 30 second video and edit it the way you want. With just a push of a button you can start recording, add camera angles, drop in filters and do many more things to make the video interesting.

Online Features

From deathmatches to team-based games, GTA 4’s multiplayer universe is huge. 32 players can login at the same time to enjoy a pure, chaotic and fun-filled GTA environment. The game contains ranked and unranked matches, where winning the ranked matches will earn you cash, elevating you through the ranks.

The different game modes in the game include Team Deathmatch, Team Mafiya Work, Team Car Jack City, Cops n’ Crooks and Turf War. The Multiplayer also has a variety of in-game races and cooperative modes to keep you entertained for hours. Episodic content for the game was introduced with the release of the game. These episodes include The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned. You can download the game updates and patches directly through the company website.