Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV
This week’s edition of the regular Critical Reception column examines online reaction to Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV, which debuts this week to a Metacritic-averaged score of 99 out of 100.
Grand Theft Auto III was a landmark release for the series, its genre, and the PlayStation 2 console, earning widespread critical acclaim and a devoted following among gamers worldwide. Its follow-ups, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas, earned equal amounts of praise and retail success.
With expectations running high given the quality of its previous entries, many wondered if Grand Theft Auto could measure up to series standards in its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 debut. The end result appears to be a runaway hit with critics so far, earning a spate of perfect scores and a Metascore of 99 out of 100….more