Let’s face it: the previous Grand Theft Auto games were absolutely pathetic in the shooting department. Press a button to automatically aim, and then press another to shoot. Was it fun? Nope. The only reason past GTAs sell well is the sandbox-style gameplay that lets you do anything (i.e. run over pedestrians, shoot people, steal cars, etc.) you want, anytime.
When Rockstar introduced the concept of shooting individual body parts in GTA IV, it completely changed gameplay. Not only does it add new mechanics for players to toy with—the gunfights are also shortened to a great degree. If you can make …read more

I’ve always hated the tradeoff of using motorcycles versus cars in Grand Theft Auto games primarily because I can’t shoot from inside a car, and that chasing someone in high speeds while riding motorcycles is bad for your health. It was a vicious circle that made GTA more difficult than enjoyable.
GTA IV seems to have solved that problem now that shooting is allowed inside cars. All one has to do is press L1 (or perhaps a shoulder button on the Xbox 360) and Niko would start shooting. If the glass window is intact, our protagonist would proceed to break it. …read more

Accomplishing The Snow Storm mission in Grand Theft Auto IV isn’t easy. It’s loaded with armed crack dealers, a persistent SWAT team, a drawn-out and dangerous car chase, a bag full of illegal drugs, and a few nasty surprises along the way.
There’s always a good chance one won’t survive the mission, so I’ve decided to create a little guide just for The Snow Storm. Beware; I’ve also embedded a video walkthrough at the end of this entry, but it contains major spoilers so watch it at your own risk.

You’ve seen the Gears of War 2 tech demo, but you’ve never seen how the sequel plays. Now’s your chance. Just make sure that you don’t spill your drool all over the keyboard.

Yeah, you must’ve heard that Grand Theft Auto IV is all that, but it doesn’t mean we should all be raving fanboys. Aside from the good stuff I’m churning out about the game, rest assured that there will be well-placed rants, like this post.
What am I going to lambast this time? Artificial intelligence or the lack thereof.
As Niko Bellic, you’ve been tasked to clear a certain area of bad guys with big guns. As you proceed to the location and start shooting, you notice that your enemies are a bunch of brainless gun fodder. The Euphoria engine does nothing to …read more

Clearly, Niko Bellic is not the star of Grand Theft Auto IV. He may be the lead character in Rockstar’s latest murder simulator epic crime drama, but the pièce de résistance is sprawling Liberty City, which is modeled after The Big Apple, New York City.
According to Wikipedia, Rockstar sent full-time researchers to NYC twice during the game’s development. They studied traffic patterns and makeup of every neighborhood, among other details. However, Liberty City is not an exact recreation of NYC. Rather, it feels more like a caricature. Liberty City attempts to depict the real-life city’s sights and sounds, and twists …read more

I’ve just hit the jackpot in Grand Theft Auto IV, and it’s only going to get even better. Remember when Rockstar representatives said that the game is a progression of “rags to slightly-better rags”? I think the publisher’s powers-that-be should sack these reps because they don’t really know what they’re talking about.
At my current playthrough, Niko Bellic has already made it big. Our likeable protagonist is already getting paid thousands of dollars for whacking each of his clients’ enemies. Niko wears the most expensive suits, takes a cab to his destinations (instead of manually driving from point A to point …read more

One of Grand Theft Auto IV’s major highlights is the ability to roam a massive virtual city and do whatever one wants. Jack any vehicle? Check. Swim in the river? Check. Waste time by playing pool, surfing the ‘net, or shopping for clothes? Check.
On top of all these features, GTA IV is a third-person shooter and driving game at its core. Its missions put you either behind the wheel or a gun’s barrel. Because of the game’s open-ended gameplay, performing hits can be hazardous to one’s health. On the way to a destination, any player can easily stumble and earn …read more

Grand Theft Auto IV still feels like a GTA game. You’re treated to the familiar tongue-in-cheek humor no matter what corner of virtual New York you look at, you still drive around a massive city, you still jack cars like there’s no tomorrow, and you still shoot people in the face.
However, the act of shooting people in the face has noticeably changed—it feels refined compared to its earlier counterparts. Niko Bellic, the likeable protagonist, can now shoot like an action flick hero. There’s a little bit of Gears of War and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune in there, thanks to the new …read more

Yes, it took a week but finally, Grand Theft Auto IV hits our local store shelves. There were no crazy lines that greeted me, no muggers out for my blood. I’ve managed to take a picture using an old phone; unfortunately, it doesn’t look so good when I transferred it to my PC.
The GTA IV case feels heftier than other PlayStation 3 games I’ve tried so far, and it’s because of the substantial Liberty City map and guide inserted inside.
Installation would probably take a while, so I might as well do some work (i.e. this post) done.
Image: FPS Rantings
Grand …read more