Grand Theft Auto IV

Also known as: GTA IV, GTA 4, Grand Theft Auto 4

Bigger, deeper and crazier than ever, the new Liberty City lives up to the hype

Cops 'n Crooks
This is probably the single best, most enjoyable match type right here. One team is the cops, while the other is the crooks. It's the cops' job to chase the crooks, and the crooks' job to race to a boat and escape. The cops know where the crooks are, but the crooks only know where the cops are if the cops are dumb enough to run their siren. It's lots of fun, it's absolutely insane and it's available in two flavors: one in which the crooks need to escort a VIP player to safety in order to win, and one in which the cops only win when they've killed every crook.

Deal Breaker
This is the first of the game's three co-op modes, which involve four players working together on a job for Mafiya boss Kenny Petrovic. In this one, a gang of bikers is conducting a deal down at a sprawling industrial complex; Petrovic wants you to drive out there, break up the deal, grab their stuff and kill every last one of them before regrouping at his place. It's fun, but not quite as crazy or replayable as some of the other modes.

Hangman's NOOSE
Another four-player Petrovic mission, this tasks you with meeting him at the airport - which just so happens to be overrun by NOOSE officers and cops. Your job is to take Petrovic to the safety of a baseball diamond several miles away, and choosing to ferry him in anything but an armored truck or attack chopper will practically guarantee a quick death. Fortunately, both of those things are within easy reach, provided you can cut down the NOOSE guys guarding them.

Bomb da Base II 
Petrovic's final mission is also the most elaborate; once again joining up with three teammates, you'll first need to track down an armored truck that's driving around the city, find a way to steal it and then drive it back to a rendezvous point. Then, equipped with explosives, you'll need to make your way out to the docks, board the Platypus - the giant cargo liner that Niko comes to Liberty City on - and fight your way through its many guards before planting bombs at two points on the ship. Then, all you need to do is escape before it all blows; we opted for a daring last-minute helicopter getaway as the final seconds ticked down.

Free Mode 
Sixteen players, no objectives and an entire city at their disposal. This one's a lot like Party Mode, actually, except that score is kept, variables (like cops) can be set and everyone's free to make their own fun. At best, that involves some fairly elaborate mayhem, as you'll see in the following video:

Apr 27, 2008

You'll love
  • Like having New York as your personal playground
  • Deeper and more immersive than ever
  • The aiming's finally been fixed! (Mostly)
You'll hate
  • No downloadable content for PS3? Lame
  • Repeating tough missions over and over gets old
  • Trying to understand Little Jacob without subtitles
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The Knowledge
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV

Genre: Action
Release date: Apr 29, 2008
Published by: Rockstar San Diego
Developed by: Rockstar
Franchise: Grand Theft Auto
Multiplayer Modes:
Online
16 player VS
4 player CO-OP
10 INCREDIBLE
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