Grand Theft Auto IV

"I don't think it's too much to say that this is the game that Rockstar Games will be remembered for years from now. It's a massive game full of great locations, a fantastic story, a ton of online modes and one of the greatest video game characters of all time."

...GTA IV is the 10/10 you were expecting. Almost everything you do in Liberty City would be good enough to drive its own game, and the best parts would be good enough to outrun the competition, but the reason it works so well is that Rockstar has made a game that requires no patience to play. This, as much as its usual coherency and the best script in the series, is what makes GTA IV the best openworld game yet, and why it will take something miraculous to rob it of game of the year status.

"Although we see some specific elements of previous versions disappear, Rockstar managed to bring a strong storyline, filled with a ton of humour and caricatures and a handful of new and improved possibilities that makes us even forget what we're missing. Bravo!"

"Grand Theft Auto IV is one title that won�t be forgotten in the next few years."

As far as the visuals go, it should go without saying that the game is looking pretty slick on the Xbox 360, with the environments continuing to gain a sexy layer of polish. It looks like the development team is delivering on its promise of a living city with a logical expansion of what we've seen in the previous games. The Xbox 360's processing power has afforded Rockstar North to layer in a hefty number of pedestrians and ambient detail such as street clutter and garbage. We also have to make a special call out to the game's stunning lighting, which, while still being polished up, is some of the most impressive we've seen. While lighting is, understandably, a somewhat played-out element in graphics this generation, GTAIV's is still noteworthy for its subtle shifts.