Grand Theft Auto IV is Great, But is it the Best Game in the Series?

A few weeks ago I bought GTA IV hoping for an amazing game, after reading all the reviews that gave it perfect scores. Well… I did get an amazing game! The problem is, I really don’t think that it is the most amazingnest (you heard me) game in the series. I really believe that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the best game in the GTA series.

Don’t get me wrong, GTA IV is a great game…

Obviously, GTA IV is a fantastic game. The game looks great, sounds great, and plays very smoothly. I don’t want to blab on about how good GTA IV is, you can read a review if you want that. I really want to explain why it’s not as good as San Andreas.

So here are 2 reasons why GTA IV is not as good as GTA San Andreas:

1. Scope:

GTA IV takes place in a city setting, smaller than the setting in San Andreas. However, its not the size of the map that makes me like San Andreas better, it’s the variety. In IV, you’ve got city, city, city… just city. In San Andreas, you’ve got city, desert, country, woods, mountain, secret-military-base, etc. You even have 3 very different feeling cities.

As you move along in San Andreas, it really feels like you are traveling across a state, visiting completely different landscapes and people. It really feels like you are progressing through life (as corny as that sounds). In GTA IV, it doesn’t feel the same. It’s more like you are just moving around a city, without much variety.

Carl Johnson could kick Nico Bellic’s ass! Well, at least his GAME could.

2. Story:

The story in GTA IV, while interesting, doesn’t match San Andreas’. I just think the characters are much more developed and interesting, and this drives the story to be more compelling. Samuel L Jackson is one of the voices in San Andreas, I mean, come on!

In San Andreas, the story is what drives the game. Gang wars and side stuff are fun, but what really makes you want to keep playing is the story. The fact that the story is constantly moving to different cities and landscapes makes it even more interesting. In GTA IV, the story is somewhat interesting, but I don’t think it drives the game as much as the extra stuff tries too.

So there you have it, Grand Theft Auto IV is a fantastic game, however its just not as good as Grand Theft Auto San Andreas because of the scope and story of the game, and because of one Samuel L Jackson.