What does the American dream mean today? For Niko Bellic fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape from his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and get dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't.
My second favorite GTA game has plenty of upsides. The graphics are well made and usually don't saturate the normal functioning of the game. Ambience is also a nice aspect, because both, background and characters, resemble the multiculturalism of New York. Gameplay, as every GTA game, is quite varied, although missions are the most fun in my opinion. The protagonist is not very customizable (as in GTA San Andreas, for example), but the amount and variety of clothes and accesories are adequate. The story is the aspect I most emphasize, because is very intriguing the most of the time, and has the particularity that changes depending of your choices. That is a good reminder that our actions have certain consequences, specially reaching the end of the game. At times can be slow, because some missions feel like filler. But usually reflect the tension between the wish of the american dream and the crime life that lead to more troubles than benefits.
Stand out also features like the cellphone, that registers all of your contacts known through the game, some of the secondary missions for earning extra money and the random characters dispersed all over the city who you can work for. I liked also the variety of cars, and although I have my favorites, all of them look nice (I think it's because of the graphics). Characters and their stories, as well as the connections between them, is one of the aspects I was most interested.
Overall, GTA IV is a decent game that's worth playing. The reasons why I give this an 8 instead of a 10 are rather personal, because I think is not as fun as previous games like GTA San Andreas.