Grand Theft Auto IV

The King of Chaos is Back, and it's the Best Yet

Years ago, Omegasim introduced me to Grand Theft Auto 3 on the Playstation 2, and I've been a GTA junkie ever since. I often have way more fun just running amuck then I do completing missions. My favorite in the series, to date, was GTA: Vice City. I loved the atmosphere, the action, and the fun odd-ball personalities. San Andreas was great too, with it's huge game world and massive customization, but it was too dark and brooding for my tastes. I feared that Rockstar would continue this trend with GTA4, but that's not the case. GTA4 is a reinvention of the series for the next generation, and it's now the best yet.

Let's start with the personality aspect. I loved Tommy Vercetti in Vice City because he had a wicked, on-edge sense of humor. Niko Bellic, the star of GTA4, reaches back and plucks Tommy's calm yet smart-ass attitude, along with the often entertaining cast of crazies that were missing from San Andreas. Roman Bellic, Niko's cousin and the early game's story driver, is a riot in and of himself, what with all the trouble he gets into and tries to talk himself out of. I also like a number of the contacts you run across, since they too have a darkly funny tinge. This series is at it's best when it doesn't take itself too seriously, and GTA4 does that.

The sound is impeccable. Whoever did the voice casting needs a commendation, because this is some of the best I've ever heard.  The radio stations are great and the chatter of pedestrians on the streets is very, very believable. I don't listen to much of the music that was included (I'm an oldies guy), so I'm often on the talk stations. They aren't as good as Chattterbox (GTA4) or VCPR (GTA:VC), but they hold their own. Everything is uniformally natural and believable.

The game world, though, is something else.

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