Grand Theft Auto IV Hype Machine Shifts into Overdrive
On Tuesday the highly anticipated next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series hits stores for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 giving millions of eager GTA IV fans a first chance to go on a virtual crime spree with the game. Of course, that's assuming you aren't a pirate that downloaded the game illegally last week. As the release date nears hype swirls around the game.
GTA IV looks to continue the series long history of both critical acclaim, controversy, and over-hyping. It is a rare occurrence for any game to receive even one perfect score when being reviewed, but already the game has received a perfect score of 10 out of 10 from several gaming websites. Of the 12 reviews I've seen the game has received, 9 are perfect scores.
GTA IV hype doesn't stop there. The folks over at Guinness World Records folks are taking a keen eye to the games release. The chronicler of the odd, infamous, small, and large thinks GTA IV stands a good chance at breaking a few records when it comes to game releases.
Of course the GTA series is synonymous with controversy, most notably the uproar regarding the "Hot Coffee" mod from the last installment GTA: San Andreas, as well as all of the violence, prostitutes, and police chases the series is known for. When it comes to GTA IV the National Institute on Media and the Family has already released a statement in conjunction with the ESRB to remind parents to check the ratings of the games they buy for their children.
The media has even lined up a small army of crime experts that believe GTA IV will turn otherwise mild-mannered gamers into gang members.
Personally, I've never been much of a fan for the Grand Theft Auto games. It's always seemed like the series has taken a "jack of all trades, master of none" mentality in that it provides nearly limitless freedom, though at the cost of shoddy controls and an inconsistent frame rate. From what I've read of reviews however, GTA IV fixes most of those problems, and so my interest has been sparked.
IGN's review in which it claims the story is "Oscar worthy" doesn't hurt either.
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i wasn't going to buy it until later. but now you're making me want it the first day stores release it.