Grand Theft Auto

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Intense Violence, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Partial Nudity, Strong Language

I haven't played Grand Theft Auto IV yet, and I probably won't play it for quite a while. But that doesn't mean it isn't exerting an influence on my life. Like many people, I've been keeping track of the game's astronomically high Metacritic ranking, and it's safe to say that I'm pretty damn stoked about the possibility of playing it. The problem is that I'm currently in the midst of a competing set of interests and commitments, which for sake of brevity I'll simply refer to as "life."

The words on everyone's mind today are Grand Theft Auto IV. This is a big game, quite likely destined to be one of the biggest in history thus far. I hardly think I need to explain why, but for anyone who needs proof, look no further than your nearest newspaper or television newscast.

In other news, Sony’s Scott Steinberg was recently quoted at GameDaily Biz as saying that the 360-exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV wasn’t going to be a big deal. My first inclination was to say that the man was smoking crack, but after further thought... I’m not too sure.

While Justin may be a new face here at GameCritics, after reading his review of Liberty City Stories I have a feeling that he's going to fit in just fine. Frankly speaking, I couldn't agree with him more.

The most common bit of praise that will probably be heaped on Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is how well it has made the jump to a portable system. Where it stumbles is that it has brought every one of the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series' faults along too, before adding a few new ones of its own—problems that are only magnified by the game's portability.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Language, Violence

Game Description: It's time to return to Liberty City, the town where all the rules were broken as Grand Theft Auto 3 revolutionized gaming and made the GTA series the biggest franchise on the planet. The PlayStation Portable edition is an all-new game set in the seedy, sprawling underworld of Liberty City.

After reading Scott's main review for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, I wondered what I could possibly add. Scott's writing is always a tough act to follow, and he covered it all— gameplay, story, sociological aspects, role-playing elements, and even the optional cornrows. I agreed with everything he touched on, so I sat down looking for words I could say that he didn't. It was tough, but eventually I did come up with something—"ten."

Game Description: Carl Johnson left the San Andreas neighborhood of Los Santos five years ago, when it was being ripped apart by drugs and gang violence. When he returns in the early 90s, his mother has been killed, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are criminals. When crooked cops frame him for murder, he decides to save himself and his family by taking over the streets. Side missions help develop skills that come into play later—from working out at the gym to gambling in a casino.