'Grand Theft Auto' groundbreaking -- again

We're not sure when it happens, but somewhere between bricking store windows to bullying owners for protection payment, hijacking a news helicopter for an afternoon joyride, and clipping the curb of a strip club parking lot to sidestep the train of police on your tail, it sets in that your current relationship, coming weekends and consistent sleep schedule have been swapped for a life of virtual crime.

Gamers expect playful, time-killing chaos from the "Grand Theft Auto" series, and the game's fourth iteration delivers more than disposable destruction. It's a polished package that elevates the medium with detailed design and a modern, memorable urban tale. Taking inventory of the title's content would take awhile, but pedal-perfect driving, likable characters, scathing satire and plenty of double-crosses combine to create the most convincing living crime world on consoles. Liberty City is simply somewhere you want to be, and "IV" is an integrated, dense experience that overflows with things to do.

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Scour the city for convenient ramps to roll your car off, run missions for your friends, hassle hobos, get drunk, take your girlfriend out bowling, plow over pedestrians, play darts at an Irish pub, watch TV in your shorts, try e-dating on the fake Internet, hit up a comedy club, steal someone's boat. Dutifully following the story arc or wandering on a whim is encouraged equally, and the fun always feels at your fingertips because missions aren't shoehorned onto the player.

Speaking of story, "GTA IV" strays from stereotyped Italians or gritty gang life, opting for an original "coming to America" plot that's executed almost perfectly. Niko Bellic arrives stateside to aid his cousin Roman, a lady-loving oaf who made friends with the wrong loan sharks. From here, a cast of Russian mobsters, drug dealers, reggae-lovin' Rastafarians and crooked cops are introduced, each with their own perspectives on our land of opportunity. The American dream theme integrates well with Niko's war-torn past. More, the digital performers sell their roles with spot-on voice acting, motion-capture and facial modeling that brings palpable comedy and emotion to many scenes.

Warehouse raids, hitman hunts, item retrieval and car chases make up the bulk of your urban work, but a bevy of cutscenes contextualize missions, making them feel more than petty errands. And as you accrue business partners, a handy cell phone tracks your friends, jobs and appointments. The phone connects different areas of the gameplay and narrative organically -- friends will buzz you if they want to hang out or need a favor, and not needing to tick through a pause menu here goes a long way toward keeping you immersed.

Rendering your heists and hijinks is "GTA'"s flashy new engine. In a miles-wide world with working traffic lights, a day/night cycle and pedestrians aplenty, it's a wonder the game flows with so few loading screens. Ragdoll physics add natural movement to animations -- whether you're jogging up a stairway or pushing an unlucky citizen down one. Dynamic lighting brings energy and vibrance to daytime -- when an overhead subway car's shadow creeps over your hood, the subtle texture pop-in and frame rate dips are easily forgiven.

Did we mention multiplayer? It's good. Though online-only, the focus isn't as much on intense, competitive play as it is on playful, did-you-just-see-that mayhem. Fifteen modes deep for up to 16 players, the game types include racing (with or without weapons); a territory-based mode; "Car Jack City," where players ferry robbed rides to checkpoints; a free mode; and a pair of escort missions meant for cooperative play. Our favorite was "Cops 'n Crooks," a variant that finds two teams separated into fuzz and felons. The latter escorts a VIP to an escape point while the badge-bearers try to run them into the pavement. The only drawback to multiplayer is its tendency to lose focus if players decide to run amok over the cityscape instead of working together.

With the force of a semi cab plowing through a police roadblock, "Grand Theft Auto IV" re-embosses the franchise's status as a gaming heavyweight. "GTA IV" gives equally excellent scripted and spontaneous entertainment: Liberty City is a realistic playground that's ripe for the player's picking, elevated by the strong visual tech that Rockstar's developed. A landmark in gaming and infinitely replayable, "Grand Theft Auto IV"'s layers of polished content and detailed design gives the player the tools to extort, drive, steal and explore at their own pace.

"Grand Theft Auto IV"

Rating: 4 stars out of 4

Genre: Action/adventure

Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3

Fun: Groundbreaking fidelity across visuals and gameplay; integrated story with solid subplots; Liberty has more urban atmosphere than a real city; balance of quick errands and larger missions; strong tech brings nuance to visuals and audio; hilarious satire through TV ads, billboards and more; multiplayer modes are urban mayhem done right.

Unfun: Minor graphical pop-in as the game loads on-the-fly; some combat controls feel touchy; no split-screen modes; enough indoor environments, but there could be more.

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