Since the launching of the first Grand Theft Auto title, it has continued to reap success with its succeeding games and is recognized as one of the most popular gaming franchises in the industry. Plus, Grand Theft Auto has continued to step up a notch with each title released and redefining what video gaming is about. There's no question that GTA is up there when it comes to the Sandbox genre, and those who've played it knows the reason why. The ninth installment off the series, GTA 4 ties together the loose ends of the story that was unveiled in GTA 3. And although the story line remains the same, expect a different kind of adventure with GTA 4 as the series has promised fans with each title released.



A common denominator among every GTA story has been that it is, to a certain extent, highly absorbing and out of this world. However, with GTA 4, it aims to take the storyline to a whole new vantage point. In this game, players will get to immerse in the persona of Niko Bellic, who is a former soldier wanting to escape a troubled past, not knowing that more trouble await him in Liberty City. With a rugged look to him, Niko feels a lot like home in Liberty City and leaves a lot to do around the city. However, GTA differs in the use of the character in that there is more depth into the motives behind the character's actions, which makes playing this game all the more gripping. In past GTA games, characters can partake in rampages or other violent acts at will, but because Niko has missions to fulfill, your adventures are defined within that mission.

As for the other characters (even random ones) that are in GTA 4, they have improved significance as far as storyline is concerned in this game. When Niko makes certain decisions, he will be forced to put into consideration certain characters and how that decision will be beneficial (or not) to him later on in the game. Forming relationships with other characters in the game is also crucial in helping you progress in this game, and you will definitely have to take a few considerations first before making impulsive moves.

As Liberty City serves as the setting for GTA IV, it needs pointing out that there probably has been no other videogame before that looked this stunning. Not only will you have access to various locations within the game, but everything looked like much effort has been rendered in order to achieve such perfection in details.

But that is not all that Grand Theft Auto IV has to offer. Learning from lapses or areas where previous GTA games went lacking, Rockstar has incorporated some new elements into this new game. The combat system is probably the best feature of GTA IV. There's definitely more excitement into the game with a few very efficient feature that gamers can use to their advantage. And while there is still the free-aim feature, you can now make use of the very efficient lock-on feature. With this, it is now possible to set your aim on the nearest opponent and fire at them with unwavering accuracy. And once you've done that, there's nothing more left to do but press that button. There is also a new cover system in this game. You can make your character go behind or take cover from the nearest object by pressing on R1. While in this manner, you will be able to effectively take cover from your enemies and it is also best recommended to use this feature when facing multiple enemies. In both scenarios, you will be able to lessen the amount of damage you can get, or even avoid the possibility of death. These new features certainly help to upgrade the level of gaming experience that gamers were already expecting of a Grand Theft Auto game.

If you though that was impressive, wait till you hear about GTA IV's new in-car combat system. With a great lineup of combat tools at your disposal, it is amazing how this new feature can be utilized to your advantage and yet it is nothing less as effective as your regular on-foot combat. While driving a car, it is now possible for players to lock on the nearest target. You still have the option for a free-aim though, it's basically your choice. But it can be a daunting task sometimes having to make sure that you don't crash while you're doing your best to hit the enemies. All these efforts of improving the game play mechanics is done to live up and even surpass fans' expectation of what GTA IV can deliver.

It is important to touch on the mission structure for GTA IV because it is one of the pillars of this particular game. Because the previous GTA's have been proven, this game carries on the winning formula. Here, you have access to the entire city as you do certain missions for some characters, and each single one promises a different kind of adventure. And we have to say, the GTA IV missions are definitely the most action-packed and exciting the game has ever seen.

While in Liberty City, Roman's phone will be used by Niko and plays a key role in the game. This will serve as your control panel and will be a valuable tool for whatever that needs to be done in the game. Through your phone, you can receive calls or messages for new missions, as well as access the multiplayer features, that will help you advance in this game. With the use of the phone as your main control panel in this game, players will feel more involved into the world of the game instead of stopping to send out specific commands.

Also, an exciting new addition to this new GTA game is the online multiplayer feature. This will enable you to share the wonderful experience of playing GTA IV with 15 other players and this will alter the way you have anticipated GTA IV to be. But more importantly, GTA IV is raring to knock off such great games like Call of Duty 4 or Rainbow Six Vegas off their reign and soon be named as the king of Multiplayer with a great new game modes addition.