This article may contain spoilers
Grand Theft Auto has become a universal name in media. Rockstar Games has not only created one of the most successful gaming franchises, but also the most controversial. Starting out as a top-down open-world franchise, its popularity peaked with the release of Grand Theft Auto III. Moving away from the top-down perspective and into a third-person, open-world game, Grand Theft Auto III showed just how far video games have come and how Rockstar continues to push the limits of video games.
In 2008, Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto IV, taking place in a fictional Liberty City, and starring Niko Bellic, a war veteran from Eastern Europe, who arrives in Liberty City to find the man who betrayed his army unit. With Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar introduced a new shooting mechanic, which allows players to aim freely and use a new cover-based system, a first for the series. GTA IV also introduced online multiplayer for the first time to the franchise, allowing up to 16 players to explore Liberty City and compete in 15 different game modes. Rockstar Games allowed players to customize their game, affecting traffic and types of weapons a player can use. Rockstar Games later released two standalone expansions: The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
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One of the big talking points of Grand Theft Auto games are their licensed music and radio stations. Rockstar Games was able to acquire real-life talk show host Lazlow Jones along with Saturday Night Live actors Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis and radio hosts Opie & Anthony, among many others, to host the 19 different radio stations, providing music from various artists such as David Bowie, Kanye West, Elton John, ZZ Top, and Bob Marley.
Grand Theft Auto IV has an average Metacritic score of 98/100, making it the highest rated PS3 game. The game received seven nominations from BAFTA and three nominations from GDC and won several Game of the Year awards from gaming media outlets. PSU gave Grand Theft Auto IV a 9.5 with an average user rating of 8.8.
Praised by gamers and criticized by public media, Grand Theft Auto as a franchise is now a household name. With Grand Theft Auto V on the horizon, Rockstar Games continues to expand its massive worlds and push game consoles to their limit, creating a living, breathing world where players have the freedom to play the way the want and do what ever they want.
In an interview conducted in 2010 with BBC. GTA DJ Lazlow Jones, who also served as producer and writer for multiple GTA titles, stated “Our games are not designed for young people. If you’re a parent and buy one of our games for your child, you’re a terrible parent. We design games for adults because we’re adults.”
Grand Theft Auto IV is another "PS3 game of the generation." Stay tuned to PSU as we showcase more of what we consider the best on PS3. If you agree or disagree with Grand Theft Auto IV, let us know in the forums or comments below.