First Grand Theft Auto IV review, perfect 10
It should come as no surprise that the very first review for Grand Theft Auto IV comes to us from a British magazine – the May issue of Official Xbox Magazine UK to be precise. Not only do magazines have a longer lead time but British ones are published in the future (well, five hours ahead of Joystiq Standard Time anyhow). While one review isn't nearly enough to go on, it's worth sharing that the mag's reviewer used every one of his digits to award the ambitious next-gen debut of GTA an impressive 10 out of 10, calling it "utterly stunning in every respect."
Of course, he doesn't really mean "every" respect, as there are a couple minor detractions including a temperamental cover system, an "over-enthusiastic" lock-on, and some immersion-killing pop-up, though he prefaces those quibbles by reminding us he was playing a not-quite-finished version. Either way, if the myriad previews haven't convinced you of this game's depth, news that the Xbox 360-exclusive DLC – scheduled to be released in August – will "be at least 10 hours long" should help give you some sense of perspective. Has the hype train reached your station yet?
