GTA IV Full Version PC Game

          Forget the tiresome arrogance of Tommy Vercetti and the faux-bling gangsterisms of CJ - Niko has a depth of character which is extraordinary in the mono-dimensional world of videogames. Fresh off the boat from Eastern Europe, he’s a man with a shadowy past: people trafficker and veteran soldier of the most recent Balkan war.

         Niko comes to Liberty City, city of opportunity, after receiving an email from his cousin Roman, who claims he is rich and living in a condo with girls with ‘big titties’. It only takes the first cinematic to show this has been one big lie; he actually runs a cab firm in fear of the Russian mob and lives in a cockroach infested hovel.

          As you unravel the plot it becomes clear that Niko is a good man who has seen some very bad things. Initially, on arrival in Liberty City, his motivation is to make money, but the story soon introduces a second, more pressing issue - a quest to find that ‘special someone’ alluded to in the trailers.

           He’s loyal to his family (ie. Roman and his girlfriend Mallorie) and while it’s down to the player to dictate some of his behaviour, he shows none of the traits of misogyny that other characters in the game drip with. A kind, innocent side to him is portrayed through his relationship with Michelle (the first girlfriend). Where does he take her on a first date? The fun fair. Put simply, he’s a stone-cold killer, but you’d be quite happy leaving him alone with your kid sister.

         It’s not just through his intriguing back story that Niko becomes a more human character than previous anti-heroes; it's also down to the way GTA IV introduces more naturalistic body animation. You can see this in the lope of his walk, the way his feet touch every step when he runs down stairs – even in the movement of individual fingers.

        As befits the title a large proportion of game time is spent negotiating the environs of Liberty City at breakneck speed in an admirable roster of vehicles. One of the single greatest inventions to assist you with this (in ground-based vehicles) is the new SatNav device.

      If you need to reach a remote location and can’t afford to get lost, just hit the map, set a marker point and the SatNav will work out the best route, indicated by an easy to follow coloured line. Without it, finding your way about would often be a nightmare given complexity of some of the freeway interchanges.

      The only area we could fault it (and in fairness it mimics a real-life GPS) is when you take an alternative route (say, to avoid the police in the heat of a chase) and it has to recalculate the route. The second or two delay it takes to do this is enough to send you off course - and in extreme cases fail a mission. At least it never crashes or claims it's lost satellite reception...

       If you can’t be bothered to drive Niko can flag down a taxi using the left bumper and then jump in by holding down Y (just be careful not to tap it or he’ll perform a carjack instead). Inside you have the option to travel to any location on the map including mission start points and markers via a scenic route or an instant skip (at an extra cost). Usefully, taxis can also be used during a mission.

       For the impatient gamer these are indispensable when the difficulty ramps up and you start failing missions. Even better, if you get cousin Roman in your good books by taking him out enough you’ll get the services of a private chauffeur who is only ever a phone call away.

System Requirements

Minimum:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz, AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHz

CPU Speed: 1.8 GHz

RAM: 1 GB for Windows XP / 1.5 GB for Windows Vista)

OS: Windows Vista - Service Pack 1 / XP - Service Pack 3 / Windows 7

Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA 7900+ / 256MB ATI X1900+

Sound Card: Yes

Free Disk Space: 16 GB 

Recommended:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4GHz, AMD Phenom X3 2.1GHz

CPU Speed: 2.4 GHz

RAM: 2 GB (Windows XP) 2.5 GB (Windows Vista)

OS: Windows Vista - Service Pack 1 / XP - Service Pack 3 / Windows 7

Video Card: 512MB NVIDIA 8600+ / 512MB ATI 3870+

Sound Card: Yes

Free Disk Space: 18 GB