GTA IV

Attention gangsters! The biggest crime 'em up of them all is here

Grand Theft Auto IV has finally gang-banged it's way in to the shops, bruv. Does it live up to the hype? The quick answer is 'yes', and the three word answer is 'it's a bloody digital masterpiece' (alright then, that's four words). GTA IV's setup feels instantly familiar to anyone who's ever played the series, but it's at a scale truly above anything we've seen before. Straight off the bat you're chasing blokes across train tracks, sniping from the top of skyscrapers and for the first time in GTA, having nail-to-the-wall indoor shootouts with the cops -- which are simply awesome. Basically, GTA IV is like playing a season of The Sopranos.

Along with an excellent, easy to use cover system and vastly improved gun combat, this knack for action is where GTA IV consistently shines. Never before has a game made us say 'bloody hell' out loud so often; Whether you're riding in a cab or listening to the pedestrians on the street, Liberty City never fails to surprise. In the excellent new online multiplayer mode this knack for making you swear is ramped up even further; if you were ever impressed by a GTA game before, just wait until you're playing cops and robbers with seven mates real-world mates in Liberty City; it's absolutely wicked.

Rockstar's series has always provided some of the funnest, standout gaming moments we've ever had, and the fourth game is certainly no different; If you're still looking for a reason to pick up one of the next-gen consoles, here it is.

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