It's been a while since I posted anything on this blog, so here's an update of my latest reviews. Two of them, GTA IV and Tomb Raider Underworld are featured in the blog complete with screenshots and a video for GTA IV. About my GTA IV review, it's long... really long. By far the longest review I've ever written. So long I had to split it into two blog posts.

Here are links for both the regular reviews and blog reviews. As always, if you're gonna leave any feedback make it constructive based on how well written the reviews are, not on whether you disagree with a certain score or opinion.

(GTA IV Blog Review) (Underworld Blog Review down ahead)

Tomb Raider Underworld Review

A thrilling conclusion to the Legend trilogy.

When Crystal Dynamics took over the Tomb Raider series back in 2006 they pretty much threw the entire Tomb Raider canon out the window. Tomb Raider Legend started a new story arc that had little to do with the previous games. Actually the first game in the series wasn't ignored given how the events of Anniversary (a remake of the first game) are tied in to those of Legend, to help further develop the Lara Croft character as well as her relationships with some of the existing characters (Anniversary is essentially a prequel to Legend). So Underworld can be rightfully viewed as the third chapter in this saga and based on how the events unfold, the final chapter of this particular story arc. Aside from bringing closure to the trilogy, Underworld features more of the same exciting gameplay introduced since Legend only this time there's a much heavier emphasis on puzzle solving, reducing the combat to a minimum, as well as a few other subtle changes that help keep things fresh. Overall, Underworld is a must play for any Tomb Raider fan, both for its thrilling gameplay as well as the satisfying conclusion to the storyline.

This lady just can't keep herself out of trouble.

Underworld literally starts with a bang (I don't want to spoil anything so just be prepared for an "explosive" start), with a brief tutorial section that's actually part of a latter chapter. As the section ends a particularly intriguing encounter occurs, one that you'll have to wait until you reach the middle point of the game to fully understand. The story delves into Lara's unfinished quest to find out what happened to her mother which means she'll cross path with both of her main enemies from the past two games (Amanda and Natla), while doing some more globetrotting to find clues that will lead to her mother. Unfortunately for Lara, her journey won't be a smooth one and there will be quite a few shocking occurrences as the story unfolds (one in particular may cause a lot of grievance for long time fans of the series). Without spoiling anything I'll say that the conclusion of the story is not only satisfying but also a rather unexpected one, certainly not the merry-go-round conclusion of other games.

Tomb Raider meets CSI.

Tomb Raider Underworld plays very similar to the previous two games from Crystal Dynamics, but this time around the game is much more puzzle oriented and very light on combat. For instance, traditional boss fights are gone. You read that right, there are no boss fights at all in Underworld. This decision makes Underworld the fist Tomb Raider game without any boss fights. If I may be honest here, I really missed the boss fights quite a bit, especially considering how good and memorable they were in Legend and Anniversary.

To the game's credit though, there are plenty of climatic moments that come through puzzle solving and the ending in particular features a scenario that manages to end the game on a spectacular note despite the lack of a major battle (it's one of the most impressive sights presented in the entire series).

Boss fights may be a thing of the past but huge menacing creatures still show up in Underworld.

That's not to say you won't get a chance to make Lara whip out her pistols because scattered through the levels are quite a few enemies. These come in the form of wild animals, mercenaries sent out to kill Lara, or in the latter levels freakish monster type thingies. A typical arsenal of weapons is at your disposal (pistols, SMGs, Rifles), as well as a new tranquilizer gun that allows you to take a more humane path when dealing with wildlife. Towards the end of the game however, Lara will get her hands on a mythical weapon, one that's truly a "blast" to use. It's a pity there wasn't a proper boss fight to make good use of it.

During combat Lara can also make use of the "adrenaline shot" which is essentially a slow-mo ability just like bullet time. This feature can lead to some really cool animations as you try to time a headshot while in slow-mo to perform an instant kill. Lara has an energy bar that needs to be fully charged in order for her to be able to make use of the adrenaline shot.

The adrenaline shot is a joy to pull off.

Prior to the start of each level you have the option to select what gear you want to start with as well as the outfit you want Lara to wear. This doesn't mean you can't switch weapons mid level, all you need to do for that is pull the PDA and select the desired weapon. The PDA also offers some additional features like a sonar map which in theory should help you get acquainted with your surroundings, but I for one hardly ever felt the need to use it.

As with every single Tomb Raider game before, scattered through the levels are several secrets which in Underworld take the form of treasures and relics. Treasures are the most common, while there are only a few relics in each level. Finding these items unlocks bonus features such as concept art, while relics allow Lara's health bar to go up. Should you find all the relics in the game you'll effectively double Lara's health bar. This can essentially turn Lara into a menacing fighting machine for the foes she'll encounter.

Is that Lara's shadow?

The most challenging enemies in the game however, come in the form of some expertly designed puzzles that make the most of the surrounding environments. Solving most of these puzzles requires some careful examination of the surroundings as well as some clever thinking. In case a puzzle feels too hard or is hindering your process, the game provides some helpful hints through Lara's PDA. Some hints will point you in the right direction while others will flat out tell you what to do. It's a great feature that will save moments of frustration to certain people, but it's certainly much more rewarding to solve a puzzle on your own.

Underworld features some truly awe inspiring environments. There are several imposing structures that make Lara look like a mosquito. Standing at the top of some these structures could produce some vertigo (really), but it's a breathtaking experience. The statue of Shiva in Thailand is simply gorgeous and intimidating as well, and is a central part of a very clever puzzle.

The statue of Shiva is just one of the many imposing structures in Underworld.

The environments in Underworld are somewhat less dangerous than before (save for any enemies lurking around). There are practically no death traps to be found, which can save some frustrating sequences. Navigating through them can still be dangerous as climbing a ten story tall structure is no laughing matter, something that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to help Lara avoid a deadly fall. There are also several mechanisms that may not have been designed with the purpose of killing intruders, but can be just as deadly nonetheless.

Graphically, Underworld looks spectacular. The game runs on a new engine (though it still shares a similar look to Legend and Anniversary), which leads to much crispier textures and detailed environments. Lighting and shadow effects are done superbly, as well as underwater sections. Lara's model has never looked better and her animations are fluid and feel natural. The game doesn't require a monster rig to look at its best, but if you fall right at the minimum requirements you'll miss out on plenty of eye candy, something that can actually deter the experience since it could make it harder to spot certain elements within the gameworld.

She better hang on tight, unless she'd like to join that fellow on a stick.

Underworld features less musical themes than Legend, giving certain sections a bigger feel of isolation, but there's still plenty of great tunes that play during the game's most thrilling sequences. Most of the soundtrack consists of orchestral tunes that convey a pompous feel. The voice acting is really good too. Once again, Keeley Hawes lends her voice to give life to the Lara character and she's just as phenomenal as she was in the previous two games. All the other characters are properly voiced too, particularly the main antagonists Natla and Amanda.

Finally, a word of warning for potential players, there are quite a few bugs in Underworld. This is nothing new for the series actually as virtually every Tomb Raider game has been marred by a few bugs, something that can be attributed to the sheer nature of the game. However some of the bugs in Underworld are game breaking, so caution must be taken. Eidos already released a patch for the PC version which fixes most of the bugs, but at any rate it's recommended to read a walkthrough first to get an idea of what must be done to avoid potential bugs. For the record, certain website's such as this one, offer some spoiler free sections describing how to deal with such bugs.

You can be sure this ain't the last we've seen from Lara.

With Tomb Raider Underworld, Crystal Dynamics has brought closure to the Legend story arc and has also succeeded at delivering another memorable outing for the series. Their experiment in tweaking the Tomb Raider formula was a bold move, and though I wish they bring back the boss fights for the next installment, they proved that they are more than capable of shaking up the series. For Tomb Raider fans this is a must-play title, while action adventure fans will be rewarded with a thrilling experience.

(Disclaimer: This review is long... very long.)

An incredible story along with amazing characters make Grand Theft Auto IV an unforgettable experience.

The search for the American Dream.

What is the American Dream? For everyone intent on realizing it, it represents the maximum expression of freedom and living life to the fullest; it represents everything that their life hasn't been so far. For those who have achieved it though, the picture isn't quite as rosy. With a few exceptions, it usually represents a broken dream, a painful realization that there's no magic formula to achieve instant success in life. And for others the dream becomes a nightmare, pushing their lives into a downward spiral that ends up destroying them. That's the case for Niko Bellic, the main protagonist of Rockstar's magnum opus, Grand Theft Auto IV, for whom the American dream was supposed to bring closure and redemption to a life torn by war and betrayal, but instead brought even more conflict and personal struggle. In Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar has crafted an incredibly engrossing and memorable story along with a wonderful cast of characters that ensure this isn't just a "game", but an experience that redefines the frontiers gaming can reach.

The American dream lies ahead.

From the very beginning you will notice the different direction the series has taken regarding the story and its overall feel. A much darker and serious tone prevails as well as a greater emphasis on realism. The story begins with Niko Bellic, a former member of the soviet army who has been making a living via questionable methods, arriving on Liberty City (a caricature of modern New York) as an illegal immigrant, received by his overenthusiastic (and drunk) cousin, Roman Bellic. Niko is fairly excited about the new life that awaits him, one that Roman has portrayed in letters written to Niko as a life full of opportunities, money, mansions, fast cars, etc. The moment they set foot in Roman's apartment though, all those ideas fall apart as Niko discovers Roman not only lives in a crappy apartment but is submerged in debts as well as clashes with some of the local mobs. Roman tries to give the situation a positive spin by claiming that "things will get better eventually" but Niko ain't buying it. For Niko it becomes clear that things won't be different in the land of opportunity and that he will have to make up his own opportunities by any means possible.

However, a better life wasn't Niko's true motivation behind arriving on Liberty City. The search for two men, two old army buddies who fled out of the old country, is of greater importance to Niko. The reason? One of them betrayed Niko and his friends, setting them up for an ambush that cost the lives of virtually all of Niko's childhood friends. Niko was never the same since that day, losing pretty much any virtues he had, choosing instead to follow a life of crime working mostly as a gun for hire. Niko is hellbent on gaining revenge on whoever the traitor was, something that has become an obsession for him. However, despite revenge being his main motivation in life, Niko still shows hints of compassion and humanity, and hopes that gaining closure on the darkest chapter of his life will allow him to find himself as a person once again.

Hellfire rains from the sky in Liberty City.

From here on, revenge, greed, betrayal, and tragedy are the name of the game. There are twists and turns at every corner, some of them so shocking that I for one had to take a break from advancing in the story to soak it all in. I honestly felt Niko's emotions and related with him in ways I had rarely related to any game character in the past. Part of this has to do with the way the game allows you to influence the story directly. At several points in the game you will be presented with the choice of killing certain characters or letting them live, or in different cases, choose who to kill between two characters. While most of these choices don't alter the main picture in meaningful ways (aside from maybe some side missions appearing further in the game), they present a great way to immerse you deeper into the story. Towards the end however, one particular choice does have major significance, effectively deciding which of two endings you will get. It's a truly gut-wrenching moment that had my head spinning for quite some time thinking about the possible ramifications of my decision. It's just another example of how immersive the story is.

We're winners man, f'n winners!

As great as the story can be it'd be nothing if it wasn't supported by a strong cast of characters, and in Grand Theft Auto IV you'll meet the most humane and memorable characters presented in the series so far. Niko and Roman are polar opposites, one a fearless gunman, the other a coward pushover, yet they compliment each other perfectly. Brucie, a steroid junkie who's obsessed with his physique as well as being a "winner", brings plenty of humor to the fold. The McReary brothers are always seconds away from blowing each other to pieces, all while her innocent sister Kate (probably the only honest person in the game) stares in horror. Mob bosses like Ray Boccino and Phil Bell offer a glimpse of what paranoia and a thirst to climb the corporate crime ladder can do to a man. Every single character in the game is captivating in their own way, presenting a tainted life that remains compelling for different reasons.

Good times lie just around the corner.

Yet the biggest character is Liberty City itself. The city feels alive and is brimming with detail. Every borough tells a different story, be it stories of crime or rampant corruption. You can tell that this is a place that has been alive long before you arrived. Pedestrian behavior has never been done better. You will see people going on about their lives, taking a smoke outside while complaining about the laws that force them to do so, having conversations on their cell phones, buying from the different street vendors, visiting the local restaurants or entertainment venues, etc. At other times you will see random crime take place on the streets only for the cops to give chase to any misfits and call for a patrol car once they catch the criminal. Bumping into pedestrians will likely spark some crazy comments or maybe a more violent reaction. Even the weather changes will affect their behavior (a newspaper can be used as an improvised umbrella). And should anyone witness you commit a crime, there's always a chance they'll pull out their phones and call for the police. Plain and simple, Liberty City is the closest thing we've seen to a living breathing world.

It's all too real...

But what about the game itself? Well, just like the story it has taken a different direction from previous games. The gameplay is much more realistic this time around, with virtually every gameplay element somewhat tied to the story itself. What this means is that some of the more wacky stuff characteristic of the series so far has been either toned down or removed altogether. Side activities like the Vigilante missions are now accessed via a computer installed on police cars, where you can select from any recently reported crime or give chase to any of the criminals listed in the most wanted list. Taxi missions are available only through Roman's taxi company and you have to give him a call to set them up first. The ambulance and firetruck missions are a thing of the past. The same goes for the off-road vehicle missions or the flight and racing schools. Street races are still available, but they have to be set up by your buddy Brucie. The hidden packages have been revamped into a search for diseased pigeons, (something that I wasn't sold on first due to my love for animals, but eventually liked since it allowed me to explore places I'd never had visited otherwise). Basically, any element that couldn't be smoothly blended into the main story has been eliminated and those that remained find a logical explanation within the gameworld.

The new cover system is a very welcome addition.

There's still plenty to do in Liberty City. Aside from races and pigeon hunting, there are unique stunt jumps scattered through the city. Brucie, and later another contact named Stevie, will require that you collect several exotic cars for them. If you're bored you can always stop by your apartment and enjoy the TV shows or better yet, stop by a cybercafe and navigate the in-game Internet (two of the game's most unique and entertaining additions). The Internet will allow you to gain additional insight into Liberty City as well as provide you with hours of humor through random blogs or news sites that will constantly be updated as you advance through the story. There's also a dating website that allows you to hook up with some of the women of Liberty City.

Niko, it's your cousin!

Socializing is an optional but very fulfilling feature the game offers. Aside from the women you can meet online, some of the characters in the main story will become personal friends of Niko. There are plenty of activities you can do whether you're on a date with the girls or just hanging out with the boys. You can visit the bowling alley, play pool at the Jamaican bar, or play some darts at the Irish pub. There are two clubs dedicated to comedy/entertainment shows, one featuring real life comedians Kat Williams and Ricky Gervais, the other a Russian cabaret club that features magicians, singers, and jugglers. There's a wide selection of restaurants through the city but whether your date/friend enjoys it depends on their personality. And if none of that's up your alley you can just hit a bar and get drunk, something that sets up a funny drive back home.

While you're driving with your date/friend to the selected destination you'll get to experience several conversations that take place between Niko and whoever he's with. Here you will get even more insight into the life and tribulations of these characters. It's not uncommon for a tough guy like Packie to let go off his guard and reveal how he's not happy with life. Packie's sister Kate will tell you about how hard it has been to remain sane while living with a bunch of criminals. Niko and Roman's exchanges see them discuss their childhood or talk about how much they care for each other. Who'd ever thought a GTA game would have two guys talking openly about their feelings?

In situations like this, you'd wish parachutes were still available.

There's an added benefit to the socializing aspect. Once your friends like you enough (after a few successful dates), they will give you certain benefits that you can cash in on at any time. For example, Roman will offer a free taxi while Little Jacob (a Jamaican underground guns dealer who can't go two seconds without smoking some weed) will sell you weapons at a discount price through his mobile gun shop (aka, his crappy car). As for the benefits you get from your girlfriends, they can literally turn into lifesavers.

You'll stay in contact with your friends via your brand new cell phone. While Vice City and San Andreas had cell phones, they could only be used passively. In GTA IV the cell phone is a vital component, allowing you to call any character in your phone book at any given time as well as receive their calls or text messages (there are other uses for it that I will discuss later). A great deal of the story will advance through phone conversations and most of the missions will be either delivered through the phone or at least an initial meeting will be setup through a phone call.

The dirty work of a hitman

Speaking of the main story missions, they have been greatly affected by the emphasis on realism. Missions never reach the ridiculously crazy heights they did in San Andreas (like breaking into a military base to steal a Hydra or stealing a jet pack from an Area 51-esque secret base), instead focusing on the conventional jobs a hitman would be asked to perform. Save for a few exceptions, most missions involve ambushing someone and taking them out, or chasing them around the city to take them out. The game is smart though, slowly introducing new elements in each mission to always give them a different feel and keep them from getting stale. But what really makes every mission memorable is the fact that they are bookended by more interaction with the game's great characters, via excellent cutscenes or additional phone conversations.

Niko's gotta make a living somehow.

However, several missions do cross into epic territory. Most of them involve heavy shootouts against overwhelming opposition, such as one where you must rescue a kidnapped friend or an assault on a museum that's host to an illegal diamond exchange. One of the most memorable for me (particularly due to the setting) was an ambush on a 5 star hotel that started out sneaking in quietly only to finish guns a'blazing at the penthouse's rooftop. Towards the middle of the game, Niko will help the McReary brothers perform a bank heist and needless to say, a smooth quick exit from the crime scene isn't an option. What follows instead is a shootout of epic proportions that sees Niko and the McReary's fight dozens and dozens of cops across the streets of Liberty City, then through the subway, and finally try to lose the heat on your way home with the cops on your tail. The final two missions of the game are also full of memorable moments, though I'll spare you the details for those since that would give away too many spoilers.

It's the little things that count

As you go through the missions you'll start noticing several subtle changes to the gameplay mechanics. Car handling is much more realistic and it can be tricky to get accustomed to it at first (especially when driving station wagons), but once you get the hang of it, it's non-issue. From the moment you get on a vehicle you can tell how different it feels from others and how appropriate the handling feels. Exotic cars convey a great sense of speed (which makes them preferable for missions that involve too much chasing), while cheap sedans feel as such. Driving around the city in a garbage truck is an experience of its own, but you'd never want to try and outrun the cops in one (though that's quite an amusing sight). Bike handling is probably the hardest one to accustom not to mention that bikes are the most dangerous form of transportation in Liberty City since a big wipe out from your bike can hurt you severely (it might even kill you depending on how low on health you are).

A fancy hotel is a suitable location for bloodshed to take place.

Crashes and vehicle damage have also been enhanced. Cars no longer follow a generic damage path where they will explode after a certain amount of bumps. Each bump the car takes will damage it where it's supposed to (windshields will break during heavy crashes, bumpers will fall if they are badly beaten, headlights will stop working if you hit them too hard) and the car's performance will only be affected if vital parts such as the engine or tires are damaged. Also, cars will no longer explode if you simply flip them over; a car will only explode if it's subjected to heavy fire or it takes part in an extreme collision (provided the car was already damaged enough).

Armed combat has also been greatly improved. The available arsenal hasn't changed much from previous games. An array of pistols, SMGs, shotguns, rifles, explosives, and rocket launchers are available at the gun shops (though some weapons won't be for sale right from the start) or scattered in hidden places through the city. There are no useless weapons in the game (save for melee weapons maybe) and you'll find that every weapon can fit certain situations better than others. What radically changes the gunplay is the new cover system. Virtually every object in the city can be used for cover at the simple press of a button. Once in cover you can either fire blindly in full cover or carefully creep out a little to aim your shots. Taking proper cover is vital in some of the latter missions where you will face overwhelming opposition. It may be possible to go through the game without ever taking cover, but you'd be making things harder on yourself, not to mention missing out on a great new feature.

(Continued here)

A tale of two games...

Another great new feature is the online multiplayer. I'll confess something here, I was originally against the inclusion of a multiplayer component in GTA IV. This was partly due to my traditional aversion towards online games (I've only played about three or four games online and it has never been something I enjoyed in the long run), but I also felt that the series wasn't suitable for multiplayer not to mention that there was a sense of fear that the single player portion wouldn't be given proper polish if too much emphasis was placed on the multiplayer. I just didn't buy into breaking away from the story to play with random strangers. Alas, all it took was one deathmatch session for my opinion to drastically change.

In multiplayer you're free to customize your character any way you want.

Thanks to the living breathing world that Liberty City is, letting random people go crazy in it is a breathtaking experience. Watching the panic that ensues amongst the nearby pedestrians once the spraying of bullets begins is hilarious, but laugh for too long and one of those pedestrians may run you over with a car or worse, a rival player who jacked a car may be the one who runs you over. Or maybe you can do the car-jacking and try to run over your opponents (while shooting through the windows of course), only to become an easy target for a rocket launcher wielding maniac. Then again, even in death you can gain vengeance as your burnt vehicle might still run over that maniac who got you. Perhaps you want to let everyone else shoot at each other like fools while you sit comfortably in a nearby rooftop with your sniper rifle loaded, ready to take out anyone who stays still for too long, but a weaselly move like that can provoke someone to jack a military helicopter to force you out of cover with a string of hot lead. Poetry in motion takes place when you manage to snipe the pilot just before you die and the fallen chopper takes out everyone in the ground.

The crazy clown ridiculous action that takes place in the multiplayer portion in GTA IV works as a perfect compliment to the darker and more serious single player mode. There are plenty of modes to choose from. Deathmatch can be fittingly described by the paragraph above, while team deathmatch will see lunatics trying to work in tandem (if that's possible at all...). "Mafiya Work" requires that you complete mini-missions sent out by a crime boss, competing against other players to see who can get it done first. Races can also be played online and while they'll start out like in any other racing game, nothing prevents you from dropping grenades from your vehicle window so that the chasing pack has a harder time catching up to you. Then again, nothing stops the chasing pack from ditching their vehicles and simply wait for you at the finish line with their rocket launchers ready...

Online GTA is fast paced and full of crazy moments.

Other modes such as "Cops N' Crooks" or "Team Car Jack City" require more skillful teamwork and are just as crazy and enjoyable. Of particular mention are the four co-op modes. These are essentially missions similar to those found in the main campaign, but played out simultaneously with up to four other players. The missions themselves are very enjoyable and it's a nice change of pace to have other people to rely on should things get too tough for you. Granted, like with any other online game the only way you will enjoy these modes is if you are able to find people who are willing to play cooperatively (there will always be a fool or two who will spoil the fun for the rest).

Every multiplayer mode allows you to customize a wide variety of options, such as the area where the game will be played, which can be confined to a smaller part of the city (such as the airport or the prison) or the entirety of Liberty City. Spawn time and distance can also be customized, as well as the type of weapons that can be used. Setting a deathmatch were only rocket launchers are allowed is a recipe for delightful chaos. There are other customizable options which allow you to tailor the game just the way you want.

You'll wreak plenty of havoc in multiplayer.

One complaint that can be addressed towards the multiplayer is that because of the large number of modes as well as the fact that matches are divided into "ranked" and "player" variety (ranked matches affect the online rankings, while player matches are strictly for fun), sometimes the player base is spread out too thin. While it's not too hard to find matches, it can be very hard to fill them up past five or six players, let alone reach the maximum thirty two player limit of the PC version.

The multiplayer interface also could have been a bit improved. Getting online simply requires that you take out the cell phone while in single-player and select the multiplayer option. However each menu screen requires a loading process which can be very annoying when you sit through a loading screen to enter the browse function, find a match you want to join, and are then forced to wait through another loading screen just to enter the match lobby, by which then the other players may have already started the match.

Aside from those annoyances, the only other problems you may find online might be due to your connection. Lag isn't much of a factor, but if your NAT is too strict you may find yourself disconnected from matches constantly. The game will detect your NAT type and warn you if you may run into such problem (which unfortunately was the case for me).

Poetry (captured) in motion

Regardless of these small issues, the multiplayer is a blast to play. There are just so many opportunities for crazy moments that you're bound to come up with plenty of stories about your adventures in multiplayer land. And thanks to the integrated clip editor, you may be able to preserve those moments forever.

GTA IV music video created with the integrated clip capture function.

Exclusive to the PC version, the integrated clip editor is a superb addition that lets you capture the last minute or so of gameplay at the simple press of the F2 key (like the multiplayer, this feature is accessed by selecting it from the cell phone). You can then customize the clips in the editor adding special effects or music (the majority of the songs from the game's soundtrack are available for use) or join several clips to form a large video. The editor itself works out very similar to programs like Windows Movie Maker, but being able to capture video and edit it from within the game is a marvelous addition.

Bumps in the road

It's very important to make special note of the technical aspects of the PC version. This has proven to be a barrier of entry that many people haven't been able to get through. First off, the game has some rather steep minimum requirements, particularly when it comes to the CPU. While a fast dual core processor will provide a playable framerate, you won't acquire completely smooth performance unless you go quad core. Surprisingly the GPU requirements aren't that high (anything above an 8600GT will do), but the amount of video ram is very important, with 512 megabytes or more being desirable. Playing the game with only 256 megabytes of v-ram will force you to choose low textures (as well as lower the view distance) which don't look terrible, but give the game a very blurred look. As for the main system RAM two gigabytes or more will do the trick but if you're running Vista you may want to up that figure.

You won't enjoy chaos like this on a mediocre PC.

The game also requires that you install (as well as log onto) both the Games For Windows Live client and the Rockstar Social Club application. For me this wasn't much of an issue (neither application eats up too many resources) but some people find them to be a needless hassle. A positive aspect of the inclusion of GFWL is the ability to unlock all the achievements that were present in the Xbox 360 version of the game.

However, there are other issues that may or may not show up depending basically on how lucky you are and how fine tuned your PC is. Personally, aside from an initial error due to not having service pack 3 installed (a mandatory requirement if you're playing on XP) and some overheating issues that were entirely my PC's fault and not related to the game, I didn't have any problems running the game. However a quick visit to any forum dedicated to the PC version will show up topic after topic posted by people who have encountered numerous errors and random crashes. Since it was released, Rockstar has delivered three patches that have addressed many of these issues as well as included some additional options, but for some people the problems have persisted. Keeping your drivers up to date will help in eradicating this problems but at any rate the porting job of the PC version could've been gone better.

The sights and sounds of Liberty City

I didn't wanted to end the review on a negative note, so I saved the graphics and sound for last. Up until now the GTA series hasn't been recognized for sporting great graphics (at least from a technical point of view) but with GTA IV this issue has finally been addressed. The visuals in this game are truly fantastic. Detail abounds at every corner and while textures may not look cutting edge up close, every object in the gameworld looks terrific. Character models still sport a bit of a cartoony look (a subtle one that is), but they look and animate great. Their facial expressions never fail to convey the character's emotions. Vehicles and buildings however do look very realistic, as well as the amazing weather effects implemented. Considering the amount of detail in the city, it's amazing how far the view distance can go. There are many skyscrapers that allow you to bask in the entire glory of Liberty City, something that can become a pastime in and of itself. The game's art direction is terrific, with the gritty look applied to the city fitting perfectly with the story's theme.

Liberty City is a sight to behold.

And once again, the soundtrack is off the charts. The music is really all over the place this time. There are twenty radio stations, sixteen dedicated exclusively to music, three to talk shows, and one fully customizable radio for you to include your own music (this feature is only available on the PC version).

Every radio station somehow fits into the game, most of them usually dedicated to a specific sub-culture within the game. Vladivostok FM (one of my personal favorites) for instance is filled with eastern European music making it very fitting for the early portion of the game, while San Juan Sounds along with its Latin tunes is perfect for cruising through the Bohan borough. Others like Liberty Rock Radio and JNR (a jazz station!) are far more general, though the song selection usually goes along with a certain theme within the game. Rockstar has already proven itself masters at picking songs that compliment their games and GTA IV isn't the exception. Even songs that you may not particularly like will be enjoyable due to how well they go with the game. The same goes for the commentary offered by the wacky DJs in each radio (Lazlow never fails to entertain). An added bonus for those who enjoy the soundtrack, is the option to identify the song being played on the radio by calling a service through the cell phone.

Other aspects such as the sound effects are just as great. Be it gun sounds, explosions, pedestrian dialogue, weather effects, or the screeching of tires as you make a hard brake, every sound effect is top notch. The voice acting is also superb. Unlike previous games, there are no major actors lending their talents for the main characters here (aside from certain DJs and comedians), but the selected cast gave in a phenomenal performance. Every line is delivered with aplomb and the voice actors do a perfect job at conveying the emotions that their characters are going through. GTA IV's memorable story would have been nothing if it wasn't complimented by such amazing voice acting.

Niko Bellic, we salute you.

Long live the American dream...

Regardless of everything I've written here, Grand Theft Auto IV is an experience that words simply can't do justice to. Rockstar took quite a risk in taking the series in such a different direction and in my view they succeeded spectacularly. The plethora of gameplay enhancements and the addictive multiplayer are things that I won't soon forget, but it's the story and characters that have left the biggest impression me. Here's a toast to the American dream, to Niko Bellic and his friends, and to Rockstar for crafting an unforgettable experience that redefines the boundaries of gaming.