Alas, the revamped physics, lighting, weather, and bustling location comes at a price. The frame rate generally maxes out at just under 30fps, with the PS3 game running slightly worse than the 360 version. When little excitement is occurring on screen it’s not an issue, but when you’re driving very fast, explosions are going off, or you’re involved in a police chase through one of the more ambitious locations in the game (Star Junction, an impeccably detailed recreation of Times Square), there is noticeable slowdown. It’s not as choppy as San Andreas on the PS2, but this is still no excuse as a locked 30fps should be the bare minimum in this generation of gaming. Aside from this issue the game is an impressive technical feat, containing a seamless city (with no loads other than between mission cut-scenes), and little pop-up or tearing.

To Paddy’s amazement, Niko actually had managed to build a miniature brothel in the back of his car. At this point however, he still remained skeptical about how useful this would prove to be.

The recreational activities to engage in within the city limits are somewhat bland, and in addition the diverting R3 missions of San Andreas have either been removed or altered for the worse. The jetpack, katana, chainsaw, flame-thrower, gang wars, real estate sales, and so many of the other little toys and diversions of GTA: San Andreas have been eliminated in this instalment of the series, and the difference is palpable. Midway through the game Niko robs a bank and is rewarded with a lot of money, yet there’s nothing to spend it on (and oddly, Roman is still in trouble because he can’t pay debts). The emphasis on in-game passive entertainment (TV, internet, talk radio, and various clubs) over the joys of driving mini-games is a slight step in the wrong direction as it whilst it is diverting and helps enhance the culture of the city, it lacks any significant repeat value. Character customization is something of an embarrassment: most of the clothes on sale to Niko would not look out of place in Silvert’s Elderly Care Clothing. There is such a thing as being too realistic.

Despite its overzealous desire for realism, certain patches of landscape are often breathtakingly beautiful under specific weather conditions, a mirrored aspect  of reality that’s gladly welcome.

Ultimately, Grand Theft Auto IV is a disappointment. In its attempt to distance itself from its forebears, it nearly loses sight of what made the concept so fascinating in the first place. It’s by no means a bad game, as technically it’s very impressive and is produced with the sort of polish you would expect of the most expensive game in history, yet it feels like a step back due to the constraints imposed by a insisting on a believable experience. Daft oversights in the mission structure, such as the lack of mid-mission checkpoints or the excessively scripted gameplay, have become an unexpected source of frustration in the story mode. That said, the core gameplay remains just as fantastic as it has always been in the Grand Theft Auto games. There is a lot of playability value in its free roaming open world, and the extensive online modes allow for many more hours of urban mayhem. It’s unfortunate that the skewed ambition of the title only goes to curb the freedom that its sandbox universe could offer. We’re left with an experience which feels bound where it once felt limitless, a setting that feels confined where it once felt enormous, which places more value in creating plausible missions than memorable ones, and decides you would rather play a realistic game than a fun one.

8/10