Grand Theft Auto has finally succeeded in converting the masses into mindless murdering machines and it’s up to one man to save the day: Jack Thompson.
Check out this series of compilation videos featuring stunts performed in Grand Theft Auto IV. These videos are great examples of how the Euphoria game animation engine kicks serious ass.
Yahtzee is back with his Zero Punctuation review of Rockstar Games latest Grand Theft Auto IV.
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In this Special Edition of Sessler’s Soapbox, Adam addresses some factual errors made by Jack Thompson during Talk of the Nation on NPR on May 1, 2008.
If you missed Jon Stewart last night here is the brief segment by Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi reported live from Liberty City.
Tomorrow happens to be April 29th which means the wait will finally be over for all to play the latest Grand Theft Auto installment. From the reviews that are available GTA IV is the highest rated video game ever - this is a roundup of all reviews and also a couple of exclusive videos for your viewing pleasure.
100 IGN - I could go on and on about why Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the best games we’ve ever seen and why even folks who are easily offended should play it, but that would be pointless. The only thing you need to know is that you have to play this game. Period.
100 IGN UK - Expectations were so high for Grand Theft Auto IV that one of the biggest surprises is that it’s managed to meet them. That it’s also gone on to confound these is truly a marvel, and the game’s Liberty City is nothing less than one of the greatest videogame worlds yet conceived.
100 Playstation Official Magazine UK - GTA IV is richer, deeper and more involving than its predecessors. By the time the story threads start to tie up, the mission trees shake out, you’re totally invested in the characters and their world. I’m actually jealous of everyone about to experience it for the first time. The greatest testament to GTA IV’s brilliance is that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since putting the pad down. [May 2008, p.88]
100 1UP - None of these little flaws take away from Liberty City’s breathtaking vistas, incredibly varied scenery, and lived-in look (the PS3 version has the slightest visual edge, plus motion-control support — but then it’s missing Achievements and the eventual downloadable episodes exclusive to the 360 game). The city just feels alive.
100 EuroGamer - Almost everything you do in Liberty City would be good enough to drive its own game, and the best parts would be good enough to outrun the competition, but the reason it works so well is that Rockstar has made a game that requires no patience to play. This, as much as its usual coherency and the best script in the series, is what makes GTA IV the best openworld game yet, and why it will take something miraculous to rob it of game of the year status.
Playstation: The Official Magazine (US) - The light cast across the spectacuarly detailed facades, the slick road affecting car handling and causing footsteps to kick up splashes, the imposing skyscrapers, the flashing neon, it all changes wiht each passing street, and weather system…That’s what you’ll take away from GTA IV, along with the multiplayer gift that will keep on giving. [June 2008, p.36]
100 GameSpy - The very nature of the American Dream is the central theme in Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto IV, a gaming masterpiece that is a picture-perfect snapshot of the underworld of today’s big cities. This is not only the finest title of the generation thus far, it is one of the best games of all-time.
100 Official Xbox Magazine UK - It’s got a world you believe in, a cast you care about and a script stuffed with brilliant moments… Utterly stunning in every resepct. [May 2008, p.79]
100 Team Xbox - It’s amazing that a sequel that keeps the core gameplay concepts of its prior incarnations can do so much to change itself into something new. Cabs are awesome, as is the cellphones capabilities. But perhaps the biggest innovation is the notion that you can create a game that’s as valid a piece of art as any book or movie. Is this our “Citizen Kane” moment?
100 Game Informer - I now know how film critics felt after screening “The Godfather.” It’s been days since Grand Theft Auto IV’s credits rolled, yet I can’t seem to construct a coherent thought without my mind wandering off into a daydream about the game. I just want to drop everything in my life so I can play it again. Experience it again. Live it again…Grand Theft Auto IV doesn’t just raise the bar for the storied franchise; it completely changes the landscape of gaming.
100 GameDaily - Grand Theft Auto IV lives up to its grand expectations by weaving a Hollywood-ready “American Dream” plotline with a finely-tuned game experience — taking the tried-and-true GTA formula and plugging it into a living, breathing version of Liberty City.
100 GamePro - Considering the fact that it’s been a target of political and media pundits who keep harping on the infamous “Hot Coffee” incident, it’s understandable to think that Rockstar might tone down the adult themes in GTA IV. But thankfully, that didn’t happen. This is a mature game, and a devilishly good one at that.
98 Xbox World 360 Magazine UK - Rockstar have surpassed themselves, delivering unquestionably the definitive GTA and perhaps the greatest videogame of all time. [June 2008]
98 Game Trailers - Grand Theft Auto IV is the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of video games. It’s a little less brave and intimidating this time around, but it?s also the most refined and polished game in the franchise?s history. This kind of sheen is generally reserved for titles with a much smaller scope.
95 Computer and Video Games - Coming back to our original conundrum, GTA IV has its flaws as a game, like the sometimes problematic auto-aim shooting or the massive difficulty jump when you get to the final ten missions. But as an all-round experience it’s truly, hype aside, a standout experience of gaming in 2008.
Take a high-flying tour of Liberty City:
Piss off the cops and get into a high speed chase:
Outrun the cops and live to kill another day:
Electronic Arts upcoming The Simpsons Game is a spoof of Grand Theft Auto. From the website:
When the Simpsons find themselves stuck in video game purgatory, it’ll take everything they have to get back to the safe haven of their living room couch in Springfield. Ah, who are we kidding-they’ll need a lot more than that. They’ll need a huge arsenal of power-ups and your guiding hand to boot. Take a look around this site to learn more about a Simpsons video game adventure like no other!
The Rumor Reporter posted this letter from a “informed source” regarding the recent delay Take 2 made with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV.
Here’s the real scoop as to why GTAIV was “delayed”. It was never going to be released this year to begin with. Take 2 is in big financial trouble, and has been for quite some time. Isn’t it obvious this was the case? Come on, man. If either version of the game were actually causing Rockstar that much difficulty, that version of the game would have been delayed so that at least one version could have been released during the holiday season. Citing “difficulties during development” and not elaborating during a shareholder’s conference is the most obvious and painfully transparent deception of all. Take 2 told their shareholders that they’d have GTAIV out in 2007 so that they’d get more money from said shareholders. No investor wants to hear that the big money-maker is coming out in 2008 – especially when it’s obvious that the company is in financial trouble in 2007. The plan was always to release the game in 2008, not 2007. In fact, I would not be surprised if the game actually ships next fall.
If there are any developmental problems, they would stem from the Xbox 360 version of the game. The PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV has been in development longer than the 360 version has been, despite Rockstar showing off the “360” version every chance they get to show off the game. GTA IV’s technological “problems” on 360 stem from a couple of things. Unlike last generation where the PS2 did not have a standard hard drive, Rockstar is utilizing hard drive-caching and disc streaming for GTAIV. Assuming that they can actually fit all the content onto a DVD, the disc-streaming isn’t a problem for 360 – it’s the lack of a hard drive being standard. Microsoft is quite adamant about a game like GTAIV being able to be played by every single 360 owner. It gives them a marketing bulletin point to note that next-gen GTA can be played on a system that retails for $279.
But again, it’s extremely unlikely that the “developmental challenges” are a legit excuse, anyway. It’s a case of over-ambition and not enough time to deliver that game that resulted in a premature release date. A premature release date to help take a bit of the pressure off of Take 2 to perform, financially.
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PSU has created a selection of montages to illustrate this ‘evolution’ of gaming. Check out the 1st generation up to the the most current generation of your favorite video game franchises.
Click the image below to see a larger version.
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