The marvel of Grand Theft Auto's open ended free roaming environment before any of the other games like it, made it the pioneer of the very genre of which dozens of other game titles have spawned from. Yet regardless of all those attempts by other companies to cash in on the experience, GTA has remained at the forefront of the very genre it introduced to the world.

Overall, the games series has invoked some of the most controversial gaming entertainment ever seen, and has sparked anger and fear in the hearts of parents and adults alike. Whether your personal experience related to the series was positive or negative, it's clear that out of all games in history, no one single title has left its mark on people like Grand Theft Auto.

GTA4 is the newest installment in the series which is only available on the next gen. Systems such as PS3 and X box 360. The basic plot is based around a Russian ex soldier named Niko who has arrived in America (land of opportunity) amongst the crowded streets of Manhattan, or as titled in the game “Liberty City”. Once the game itself begins, the world is yours. You are free to drive anywhere in the city (except for areas unlocked later on) and interact with the world as you see fit. The most incredible add on to the GTA world at your finger tips is the physics engine known as 'Euphoria' which allows unprecedented physics never before witnessed by mainstream gamers. The Euphoria Physics engine governs all characters in the games environment, and while getting into a fight, or running someone over seems reminiscent of previous GTA games, the physics themselves are quite different. Each character is given bone, and muscle structure, as well as a sense of collision detection and an artificial intelligence which endows each one with a sense of self preservation. None of the characters are programmed by pre-written animation. Meaning the possibilities for a unique gaming experience, as is the motto of Euphoria, has been expanded upon like never before.

The fighting system is more realistic. This makes for a more challenging hand to hand fight with anyone who is willing to fight you, resulting in a less god like sensation while playing the game as experienced in previous GTA games, where the cops would chase you and it was a thrill at first, but eventually you realize you can pretty much kill anyone if your quick enough with the targeting system. This is simply not the case in GTA4, opponents will think, and react in their own best interest leaving you almost at par with everyone else. The only advantage the player can hope for is that he or she will have a better gun where no one else does. A new addition to the games gunfighting experience is the ability to duck against pretty much any surface, similarly seen in Gears of War. However being an open ended environment, the amount of surfaces one can hide behind is not so obvious as that. You will have to use anything and everything to protect yourself and to not assume the enemy is only coming from one direction.

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