Grand Theft Auto IV

...if I could add only one thing to this otherwise outstanding, breakthough sequel, I'd want the zanier toys from San Andreas. Maybe Rockstar thinks the series has gotten too serious for base-jumping parachutists and autoboosting nitrous oxide. But who's to say what's serious in a game where you can pick up your date in a stolen helicopter and she doesn't bat an eye? Fortunately, Rockstar seems open to adding features beyond the promised online episodes (360 version only). Something tells me this version of Liberty City, as exciting and beautiful as it is, is still under construction.

"Niko comes to America at the behest of his cousin Roman, a charmer who tells Niko that he has made it big in the land of opportunity and now lives in a mansion, drives fast cars, and has so many women on his hands he never knows where he left his penis."

A superb single-player story mode and online support for up to 16 players make this the best Grand Theft Auto game yet.

"Brilliant and absolutely mind-blowing, Grand Theft Auto IV is not only the best game in the series but also a true achievement in game design. This is one of those games that lives up to its own hype in just about every way while giving gamers a genuinely amusing and fun game."

"The idea of a 'living, breathing city' has always been somewhat of a joke in gaming. Every city in the past has felt artificial in some way. But Liberty City feels like a real place."