Grand Theft Auto IV: Worth the Wait?

Tuesday marked the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, possibly the biggest video game release of all time. After a few hours of play, the early reports are that it may lack some of the appeal of the earlier games.

The antihero of this incarnation of the game is a Russian immigrant, literally fresh off the boat. This is a problem for two reasons. First, in all the previous incarnations of the game, Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City and San Andreas, the game was seen from the point of view of an American. An Italian-American in the first two and an African-American in San Andreas were the main characters. The appeal was that they were Americans. The second problem with the main character being Russian is that it makes the game dialogue very hard to understand. The opening sequences feature heavy accents in the Russians and in the Jamaicans, requiring that the gamer pay close attention to the dialogue or turn on the subtitles.

The other problem is that the game is set once again in Liberty City. Liberty City was the original home of Grand Theft Auto and several of the games have been set there, but there was a unique appeal in Vice City and San Andreas, which moved to cities more closely modeled on the real world. In addition, they were new and different. This city has new maps, new characters and new music, but it feels recycled.

On the other hand, one nice feature of the new game is a map feature which shows the character the most direct route to his next assignment. Instead of wandering through the city trying to find his way, the main character seems to be outfitted with a GPS system that makes game play much more enjoyable.

After just a few hours, it is hard to say whether Grand Theft Auto IV will have the indelible impact on the gaming community that its predecessors had, but the answer certainly seems to be: yes. The game itself was a marvel, released simultaneously for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. In many places, it was sold out on pre-orders alone. The deluxe edition came packaged with a safety deposit box, duffel bag, Rockstar Games keychain, an art book and a compact disc of the music of GTA IV.

By: Lucinda Gunnin
Published: 05/01/08