Loathed and loved, 'GTA' breaks all the rules

April 29, 2008

The video game "Grand Theft Auto IV" arrives in stores Tuesday, and even if you don't care about games, pay attention to this one. Gamers who have played early versions say "GTA IV" could reach a new milestone in video gaming's ascent toward acceptance as interactive art.

Yeah, they say, it's that good.

Based on the number of preorders for the game, analysts predict the $60 title (there's also a $90 special edition) will surpass last fall's record $300 million opening-week haul for "Halo 3." That's lofty stuff for a game that inherits an array of controversies from older "GTA" installments.

Lawsuits, allegations of bigotry and a "playing-'GTA'-inspired-me-to-kill" defense made at a murder trial are part of the outcry over a game rated M (mature, for gamers 17 and older) for intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

So, "Grand Theft Auto IV" has a lot going against it and a lot going for it. Its creator, Rockstar Games, has a reputation for exhilarating, outside-the-box play, and gamers are licking their chops because this is the first "Grand Theft Auto" title made for the powerful Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game systems. That means the game's ultra-urban setting, Liberty City (home to the game's main character, Niko) will look more realistic. Tiny details such as street litter combine with large details such as car traffic that ebbs and flows with rush hour—all under a sky that changes as time passes—to create a living, breathing New York knockoff that once would have been impossible. Realistic and immersive, playing the game is like living in a gangster movie, gamers say.

Liberty City is the star, writes Rob Smith, editor of PlayStation: The Official Magazine, in his five-star review in the June issue. The brooding city, with its explorable nooks and crannies, "permeates so much of the overall experience that its impact simply has to be played to be fully appreciated."

A more genuine feel

Driving along streets, listening to the quirky in-game radio stations with offbeat deejays such as fashion tycoon Karl Lagerfeld—yes, that Karl Lagerfeld—and watching the sky turn from sunny to cloudy will all feel more genuine. Even more, this is the first "GTA" game that can be played by more than two people at once. Gamers can connect their PS3s and 360s to the Internet and team with or battle against up to 15 other gamers.

In a first, players can use the in-game phone to buy and download from Amazon MP3 tracks of songs they hear on the game's radio stations.

These technical achievements mesh with an engrossing story, according to people who have played the game.

"It's like playing an episode of 'The Sopranos'," says Crispin Boyer, senior executive editor of Electronic Gaming Monthly, who conquered the game in 36 hours.

The premise could come from a novel or a movie: An Eastern European immigrant named Niko comes to the big city lured by his cousin's tales of easy wealth. Niko quickly discovers the truth and is left to make his own way in America, doing whatever it takes.

Delivers on many levels

"When you play video games, you're usually the hero," says Jeremy Dunham, editorial manager for game review site IGN, "but this time you're the one doing the bad things. Rockstar presents it in a way that's compelling. You become interested in understanding the character and why he's doing the things he's doing—not justify them, but you understand. It's a good example of gameplay and storytelling coming together to make one good product."

Even the most jaded will be impressed, Boyer says, and he believes the living-in-a-movie effect of playing "GTA IV" will help video games win mainstream recognition for evolving into an interactive art form.

Ricardo Torres, editor in chief of the game review site Gamespot, agrees but says we're not there yet: "If you explained the experience of this game to some people, they might say, 'That sounds like a great movie,' but the minute you put 'video game' on it, their reaction is like, 'Oh, it's just a game.' "

egwinn@tribune.com