Rating: - Unbiased review of GTA IV's single-player mode
I want to preface this review by saying that I've never played a GTA game until GTA IV. After hearing all the hype and hoopla about what a great game this is, I decided to see for myself. Does it deserve a 10 that all the game reviewers have been giving it? Certainly not. To me, a 10 means that game is flawless and a joy to play from start to finish. The last game that left me with that impression was Resident Evil 4. That isn't to say that GTA IV isn't a great game, but it has far too many annoying and frustrating moments to warrant a perfect score.

*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***

PROS

* The city itself is a stunning achievement--a living, breathing, interactive entity. And with real-time lighting and shadows, you feel the passage of time as it transforms from day into night. Each neighborhood has it's distinct flavor. If you go to a poor neighborhood, you'll find graffiti on the walls and thugs loitering on the street. If you go to a wealthy neighborhood, you'll find fashionable, young ladies yapping on their cel phones, and people driving expensive sports cars and SUVs.

* Great voice acting and an epic story.

* The cel phone is a very clever, non-obtrusive interface.

* Some spectacular shootouts, particularly the bank heist.

* If you get tired of driving (it does get tedious after a while), you can use a taxi or call your cousin for free car service. There's also a fully functioning subway system, but I hardly used this.

* The dating and mini-games are pretty fun, but bowling seems clumsy if you're used to using the Wiimote for Wii Bowling. (And speaking of dating, was anyone able to score with Kate McCreary?)

* A lot of the side missions, like Brucie's carjackings, are a lot more fun than some of the main missions.

CONS

* NO CHECKPOINTS - This is my single biggest complaint of the game. If you fail at any point in the mission, you have to start all over. This maybe fun the first few times, but it gets annoying very quickly and drags the pace of the game down, especially for the longer missions.

Almost all the missions are structured like this:
1. Go to a person to get a mission briefing.
2. Go to a location or chase an enemy down.
3. Eliminate your target(s).
4. Evacuate the area and ditch the cops.

Why not have a checkpoint after each portion of the mission? Maybe the programmers didn't have time to implement this, or the designers thought it would be "fun" dying and playing the same thing over and over again.

* THE CHASES - With the exception of "Not on the Subway," I disliked most of the chase missions. Why? Because if you lose your target, the mission ends abruptly, and you have to start all over again. I would have liked the chases more if they continued indefinitely. Or if you do lose your target, you should be able to steal a cop car, use the computer, and track them down again.

In some instances, I tried setting up blockades of stolen cars to slow down the enemy, but that didn't seem very effective. There were times when I completed the driving portion of the mission only to be killed during a shootout. In my next attempt, I would try taking a shortcut to the destination instead of weaving in and out of traffic, but in most cases, the mission would end because I was too far away.

For a game that claims to have an "open world," you still have to accomplish the missions in a very rigid and linear fashion. And there doesn't seem to be a way to end the chases prematurely.

* SHOOTING WHILE DRIVING IS CLUNKY - Although it sounds fun on paper, the controls for driving and shooting are a bit challenging. Use R2 to accelerate, L2 to break, the left analog to steer, the right analog to adjust the reticule, and L1 to shoot. Now try doing all that at 60 mph with multiple enemies, traffic, sharp turns, and the cops on your tail! Good luck!



FAVORITE SUPPORTING CHARACTER: Brucie. He's muscular, he's funny, and he rules. Stay alpha, bro! Honorable mention goes to the driver for Roman's car service, who constantly insults you for taking advantage of his free service.

LEAST FAVORITE SUPPORTING CHARACTER: Bernie or Carmen. They're both annoying, but they do have benefits. If you finish Bernie's missions, he gives you a sports car, which comes in handy for Brucie's races. If you get Carmen to like you enough, she'll give you a heath boost.

FAVORITE MISSION:
"Three Leaf Clover." By far, the bank heist is the best mission in the game. It's suspenseful, relentless, and action-packed. Unfortunately, it's in the middle of the game, and subsequent missions pale in comparison. I'm surprised the developers didn't save this one for the climax.

LEAST FAVORITE MISSION:
"Smackdown." I died quite a few times on this mission. Not only do you have to fight bad guys, but the cops are shooting your back.

MOST UNDERUSED GAME MECHANIC:
In the mission "Truck Hustle," I was able to grab onto the rear bumper of a moving van, climb on top, and then kick through the window on the passenger side. It felt like a moment from "Raiders of the Lost Ark." I was only able to do this once in the entire game, so I'm not sure if this was mission-specific or an ability you have throughout the game. It was certainly a lot of fun, and I wish there was more of this.

OVERALL SCORE: 8.5 out of 10 (9.0 if the game had checkpoints during a mission)