After much anticipation, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 4, 2008’s most anticipated game of the year has arrived on next-gen systems. Over S120 million has been reportedly spent on R&D and marketing for the blockbuster game. Previously, Sega Dreamcast’s Shenmue had been the most expensive game ever developed at US $70 million, making the game the Guinness World Record holder. Unofficially, GTA4 will undoubtedly dethrone Sega’s realistic action sim. This is where comparisons to Shenmue or any other game before GTA4 abruptly end. This game’s review on Highbrid is relevant to XBOX 360 unfortunately, however PS3 screenshots and reviews that I have read show that the 2 games are identical in quality. The PS3 version however is lagging in online multi-player due to Sony’s online crashing within the first week of release. Sony is losing the battle in online gaming to the robust XBOX LIVE platform.

First things first, the storyline of this installment of the GTA series is extremely superb. You begin as a European immigrant who come to America running from debt across the Atlantic. Your cousin lives here in Liberty City and you begin the game a low-end crime figure in a grimy city environment only to be sucked deep into a world of snitches that need rubbing out, dealers moving in on each others’ turf, woman who turn out to be not who they seem to be, and general gangster activity. You start a stick up kid and work yourself up the ladder but the wrong move will lead you to skid row if you don’t watch out. The game gives you different choices to make as well as rewards or penalizes you for the behavior.

Next is the polish. The amount of detail that goes into everyday activities within the game is astounding. For a $60 price tag this is one game that is definitely worth your hard earned bucks. From bowling, to darts, billiards, bar hopping, roller-coaster riding, to strip clubbing, and just watching TV. The television alone has hours and hours of non-redundant programming. I literally was washing the dishes in my real apartment and left GTA4 on with the TV playing and I could hear an Eddie Griffin comedy hour. It was actually a real stand up show on the television in a video game! How they crammed all this content on a non Blu-Ray DVD is beyond me. 360 does use Double Layer DVD so it’s got 8.5GB, not 4.7GB. Once you factor in radio, TV, and cut-scene dialogue that has to be well over 100 hours of sound. That’s over 4 days worth of audio. The car radio content. Tons of new joints as well as classic hip hop, r&b, and soul. Nas, Styles P, Papoose, Mista C, Green Lantern, MobbDeep, must I go on?! Some original cuts and some are old. All classics. Nas’s “War is Necessary” is a must hear. (hint, hint!)

Next is the cell phone. I single this element of GTA4 out due to how integral it is to the actual game-play. While I am playing single player mission, I can call contacts and actually setup more drug deals and car jacking work, or dates with potential girlfriends. It truly opens up freedom in a world which is fictitious but intends to feel real. You can receive texts, delete texts, and even go online within the game and download ring-tones, and wallpapers. If you don’t call girls back they get mad. This is the kicker…. when you call 911 the cops come to resolve disputes and keep the peace. But if you dial 911 in the projects they take FOREVER! Sadly accurate but true.

Graphically, the game is an almost exact recreation on NYC. The names of the boroughs and the land masses are altered but Dukes (Queens) and Broker (Brooklyn) are still on one island. To the north Bohan (Bronx) is a bit small with South Bohan being really rough with housing projects which is true to form. But Algonquin (Manhattan) is where the detail is very true to life. From the Empire State Building, to the South Street Seaport, it’s all there! Go to this URL for a true zoom-in view of how detailed they got with the world in relation to NYC: http://www.ps3chat.com/attachments/playstation-3-gaming/527d1206542814-grand-theft-auto-4-liberty-city-maps-more-2620652930061534096jnvxkd_fs.jpg

Here’s a view from a helicopter. That entire world is explorable! CLICK ON IT TO EXPAND and Check out the Citicorp building that stands in Long Island City, Queens. The tallest building in Queens. Same one!

Multi-player is another shining achievement for this project. Up to 16 players can interact online in a wide variety of game modes from Mafia Drug runs, to Cops and Robbers, to Turf Gang Wars, to even a simple street race. Or if action is what you like in your racing, use motorcycles with Uzis! And let not EVEN go into all the different rides in this game. TOO MANY TO COUNT! V12 benzos to 300C’s to highbrids! (note the spelling!). It entirely up to the player which modes and customizations to select. Now Uncle Megabeast has a treat for Highbrid readers! Here is a video of some excellent multi-player action with the that very same must hear song Nas’s “War is Necessary”! Enjoy!

All in all GTA4 gets a 9.8 out of 10from the Highbrid review crew. The small deductions are for what you ask? Well graphically there still are a few minor glitches that are worth noting. None will ever effect the joy of playing whatsoever. First is the frame-rate. It dips dramatically during a heavy car pileup. This is due to the tremendous amount of polygon damage that can be displayed on each individual car. The 360’s RAM at times cannot keep up with all the rendering at high speeds. Also there is a tremendous amount of draw distance pop-up. While airborne in the helicopter buildings in the distance magically pop-up as you near them, as well as tress in the distance while driving. Also worth noting some head shots don’t register in the heat of battle, but very rarely does this occur. The combat is top billing in this awesome classic all around bad-ass game. I recommend this game without hesitation. I will even go as far as saying it is worth a purchase of a next-gen system. It is the best in its series easily, and one of the video games of all time. NOW GO GET IT!!!