3.5/5 ★ – BluePlaysx's review of Grand Theft Auto IV.

GTA IV requires an immense amount of patience as you cycle through repetitive missions throughout the story. Do be careful though; if you randomly start missions from different people, you may get confused in terms of the story. You'll be feeling like the game is more like a chore rather than you having fun. It's a very long game or at least it feels like one. The game features also are lacking or are not fully optimized! Where are the fully functioning garages? I know that there is a parking lot outside the safehouses but I can't even save my car properly. I did it once but it disappeared after a few days - what a waste! The melee fight (punch/baseball bat) controls are quite trash although you won't have to use it most of the game. The driving is also annoying! Compared to the other 3D GTA games, IV might have the worst vehicle control. The email feature was good and often used in the beginning of the game but then after you progress, you might forget about it unless if you want to go on a date or buy cars or just have some internet fun. But do note that the computer shop designs have a pleasant atmosphere. After all of that was said, please be aware that the game also has good and convenient features not only bad ones. Examples are: Friend/Girlfriend Supports, Taxis, Comedy Shows (although I don't watch them often), Good Radio Stations and more! To the next problem! The game has bugs that didn't get fixed by the developers especially "Tap [space] repeatedly to climb up on chopper..." found at the last mission (Revenge route) and it's really really inconvenient. Bugs like this make the game more stressful and hindering! But I managed to pass through it with the help of guides given by fellow GTA IV players. I had to close all but one CPU processor in the affinity settings mid-jump just to continue the game. So what about the story? In my case, I enjoyed it as much as the next person. Niko's adventures progress dynamically (just like other GTA games). You get to meet a lot of interesting people from different factions and backgrounds as you go on the story, but you do have to forget them when you reach certain parts of the story because either they're dead or are not really giving you plot-related missions anymore. The pacing is slow compared to V but at least it can be enjoyable as long as you play at your own comfortable pace. But yeah, you do need to be careful in order to not stress your brain too much when going through the missions.