A successful successor, but one misses a few things ..

As the successor to GTA III GTA IV is undoubtedly a worthy successor, who has, however, played GTA SA will miss many things which one can live.
In Games reviews I think it is wrong to go into too much story, or to evaluate it only for fun, as a matter of taste.

##### ##### Requirements

Typical for console conversions GTA IV is very CPU-heavy, from an AMD Phenom II X4 980 and Intel Core i5 760 but it should give no problems (even I use an AMD FX-6100). The novelty is that the game's graphics performance is measured primarily on the RAM of the graphics card, the owner of a graphics card with less than 1GB of RAM must with severe graphic expect (especially sight un detail), 2 GB RAM maximum details with Grafikmods no problem, an AMD HD 5850 or GeForce GTX 460 is sufficient in this case (in my case it is a HD 6950).

##### Graphics #####

Time has shown that the graphics are certainly not more, the engine supports, for example absolutely no anti-aliasing, ie also in the driver menu forced AA does not help. Owner one AMD graphics card, however, have the option "morphological filtering" to activate the driver menu, which has a clearly visible improvement of the graphics in the game result, since this is not a "real" AA, where the edges of polygons smoothed directly from the screen layout be, but only the final image is smoothed, which allows AA in games, whose engine does not support AA.

In addition, there are numerous Grafikmods for GTA IV, which (assuming a suitably powerful computer) to enable a truly remarkable and contemporary graphics.

In detail, particularly light and shadow effects are really successful implemented and give Liberty City a realistic atmosphere. Explosions, muzzle flashes, etc. are also very well done. The textures are in a reasonable even for 1080p resolution and only appear blurred on closer inspection.

##### Sound #####

Since I only have a stereo sound, I can take only limited according to the quality, the voice output is in any case clear and effects are powerful and convincing over. In any bugs I go later. The problem of GTA SA, that when it starts to rain, the sound no longer work properly, at least past.

##### ##### Bugs

It happens now and then that, on a single charge, the radio does not work anymore, and only noise is heard. The only solution is to exit from GTA IV and restarting.
Typical for console conversions sometimes have textures yet to be charged for a range (when you turn around quickly or with rapid scene changes), but this is very rare and not really disturbing.

##### ##### Story

The story is told GTA typically managed, and features many surprises and twists. One feels in the story missions as a whole in an interactive movie you pause at any time and Liberty City can explore on your own.

The speakers are the original speaker (ie English) and with subtitles, as one is used to, but you have to be really good in English in order not to stare all the time on the subtitles to understand the Rasta slang or other dialects directly to be able to focus on the successful facial expressions and gestures of the characters.

##### Changes Old / New #####

Compared to the predecessors you will "miss" the following:
-no more Skills for car, motorcycle etc
-no body workout more
-Very limited shopping for more clothes
-no free home buying options
-Food Is not mandatory (Nico Bellic hunger has apparently never ^^)
-Diving Is not possible
-no Aircrafts for yourself flying
-no fire, ambulance, Zugmissionen
Tuning of almost every vehicle
-cars No longer explode when fired on the fuel cap
-less weapon selection
-no bets with which one will get rich quick (it also does not need, because you can not buy houses anyway)
Weapons are taken only in cases of arrest

New, however, is:
-Internetcafés:
with -Online acquaintances that can be data
-extras Flair mobile
-Emails (Including spam)
-many satirical web sites (mostly in English)
-Friends With whom you go out (to drink: eat, show ..) can and usually each friend has one or two special activity, for example to equip a car with a bomb or take part in car racing through this friend
-Shows, And much more to get drunk.
-Polizeisystem (You have a specific radius escape to lose the wanted level)
-deutlich improved behavior of the NPCs, Zvilisten etc. (on the highway driving, for example no more until he crashes into you in, like in GTA SA)
--and much more

In addition, there are of course to rediscover many Easter Eggs-, Monstestunts, Collectibles (the city of pigeons free), parodies / critique on the life in the United States.

##### Conclusion #####

Who liked GTA 3, Vice City or San Andreas, is also in GTA IV have fun, for beginners in this blockbuster action game with RPG elements is to be noted that you have to adapt to violence, drugs, abuse, low English proficiency and black humor , So it is very beginner-friendly, especially in the computer (the mouse to aim is simply something other than a controller) and you can look forward to an eventful story. The add-ons I have not tested, but they are likely to be just as interesting in any case.

Strong buy recommendation.