UK OXM gives GTAIV perfect score

by Richard Mitchell { Apr 14th 2008 at 4:45PM }

The UK Official Xbox Magazine has reviewed Grand Theft Auto IV, and the word is it's very, very good. Delivering a full ten pages in its review, OXM settles on the lofty score of 10 out of 10. This despite quibbles regarding the cover and lock-on systems having occasional issues as well as some graphical pop up. It should be noted that the magazine was reviewing an unfinished build of the game -- apparently Rockstar was still making "tweaks" at the time -- so it's at least possible that said problems could be ironed out in the retail version. Overall, the review effuses praise. Just how much, you ask? Try this on: "This game is finished to such an astonishing level of detail, so overflowing with people and events and experiences and stuff, that even if we dedicated this entire magazine to listing the amazing things that could happen in Liberty City we'd still barely scratch the surface." Alright, so it's good then?

Of note in the review is that the first episode of 360 exclusive downloadable content should arrive in August and will be "at least 10 hours long." Another interesting feature adding another layer to the open world is a virtual internet that Niko must access for certain missions. Players can also browse the internet to make new acquaintances via "personal ads" or read the latest news regarding their crimes. Niko also has email (complete with spam) that players can choose to respond to in a positive or negative way. So now we browse the internet to avoid responsibility inside a game. Wow, these things get more realistic all the time.

Scans of the review are quickly making the rounds on the internet. We won't link them here, but 360 fanboys are a resourceful people. We'll bet you can find them if you try hard enough. Should such nefarious deeds be too ... um ... nefarious for you, the review can be found in the May issue of the UK's OXM.

[Thanks PrivateBurke. Image via NeoGAF]

Tags: grand-theft-auto, grand-theft-auto-4, grant-theft-auto-iv, gta4, gtaiv, take-two

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

DiddlyKong @ Apr 14th 2008 4:49PM

First. Why so low?

Jeff Tronti @ Apr 14th 2008 4:55PM

Great! Like I needed to be any more anzious for this game.

chaddyb @ Apr 14th 2008 5:09PM

i am anZious for this game too. anybody have a link to the OXM story?

Jeff Tronti @ Apr 14th 2008 6:15PM

I will have to change my gamertag to Fatfingers Magee.

zourskittles @ Apr 14th 2008 6:10PM

no i dont have a link sorry, im just so anZious i cant even look

xenocidic @ Apr 14th 2008 4:57PM

GTA IV street date broken: view the unboxing~

http://xenocidic.com/2008/04/14/grand-theft-auto-iv-street-date-actually-broken-this-time.aspx

Chuckles @ Apr 14th 2008 5:07PM

Although I'm sure that the magazine has some marketing incentives for giving this game a perfect score I highly doubt that it will be over rated. I truly can't wait for this game and will be buying nothing else this year as far as I can see.

joey @ Apr 14th 2008 5:13PM

I also expect the official PlayStation Mag to give no less than a 10.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 14th 2008 5:21PM

Guys they gave 10 to Halo 2 and Bioshock.Not a very bright future for GTA4.

webster1990 @ Apr 14th 2008 5:23PM

both of those games were great also.
halo 2 - great multiplayer
bioshock - great single player
GTAIV - from what i have read, it has both. it deserves a 20/10 really, lol

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 14th 2008 5:29PM

"great"

Great-ish games get 8-9.9

10 should be reserved for something PERFECT and thus no game should ever get it.I hate when magazines overhype games.

PS:Except for Half-Life 2.That bastard once got 11/10.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 14th 2008 5:30PM

Nevermind just read Ste's comment.Still think it's a little overhyped.

Knight Marquise @ Apr 15th 2008 11:00AM

Jakubk666,

I also hate it when people don't think something is achievable, when, in fact, it is.

"10 should be reserved for something PERFECT and thus no game should ever get it."

My goodness, what a line of BS. Could you imagine if your parents felt the same way?

webster1990 @ Apr 14th 2008 5:21PM

the DLC will be 10h hours!
wow, i was expecting less than that. This explains why MS paid so much for it. I guess it will be at least 1200 mspoints for us though. Which is great for 10 hours when you think about it. Lots of games are only 8 hours and you have to pay full whack for those.

Ste @ Apr 14th 2008 5:28PM

It's not a perfect score. OXM do a score out of 11, and their score chart says "11 - Perfect." A 10 is "One of those rare and very best of games. Every Xbox gamer simply must buy it and play it, whether or not they’re a fan of the genre.".

So it isn't perfect, but it is bloody brilliant.

Richard Mitchell @ Apr 14th 2008 5:55PM

While they may list 11 on the review page, they review on a 1-10. There is no real criteria for an 11 score, and as far as I can see, it's there solely so the magazine can claim that no game is "perfect."

Ste @ Apr 14th 2008 6:16PM

They say no game will ever get an 11 as an 11 is perfect, it is (in their words) "The Unicorn". Regardless of its purpose, it still means that a score of 10 isn't perfect, just that the game is excellent, top quality material, a "must buy". In many respects people may see this as "perfect" still, since some people consider 10 as a close to perfect as you can possibly get in any other magazine (in the same way that the recurring decimal 0.999 is, in fact, equal to 1).

However, the criteria for an 11 is the same as what 10 would be, if 10 were the highest, so *officially* 10 isn't a perfect score in OXM.

L4MB @ Apr 14th 2008 10:56PM

"Why don't you just make the amp louder and have it go to ten?"

"--yes, but this one goes to eleven..."

ZEBRA NINER @ Apr 14th 2008 5:29PM

Yeah, so not surprised. Pretty typical, expect this to be the norm. Now, on the DLC... I heard that it will be going for around $30. Anyone got the details on that?

Jonman @ Apr 14th 2008 5:35PM

**OFFICIAL** Xbox Magazine.

As in, sponsored and/or sanctioned by Microsoft.

Not exactly a bastion of unbiased journalism, is it now? This review means nothing other than the people who sign their paychecks would like you to buy this game.

The entire magazine is nothing more than a glorified advert. I therefore await reviews from independant outlets.

TORO @ Apr 14th 2008 5:57PM

This is one game I don't need reviews to persuade me into buying.

But maybe other gamers do ;)

ZEBRA NINER @ Apr 14th 2008 5:58PM

Well, I've never seen the UK version, but it looks like it's published by Future(which is the same as the OXM version we have here).

For the most part the mag is on target. I've only seen one or two games that didn't get what they deserved. I wouldn't say the magazine is an advertisement... maybe in the UK.

Magic Whiskey @ Apr 14th 2008 5:48PM

So this confirms exactly what I've been saying (Richard as well) that it's been a super slow news months for gaming solely because of this monolithic title.

It's funny. If you REALLY put your finger on the pulse of the industry in terms of what promotional material (commercials, demos, site ads, store demos, advertisements, Gamerpics and Themes) you can actually hear what they're really saying about any given title.

April has been essentially a non-month for new gaming content in any form (except DLC) and I'm convinced that it's only because of GTA IV.

Take for what you will, but it could either be that
a) Developers, publishers cannot compete product-wise with GTA IV's stellar quality, OR..

b) Regardless of the quality of competitors in the market this month, GTA IV will trounce them anyway, and developers know it.

chaddyb @ Apr 14th 2008 5:58PM

does anybody know where to find that review online?

ryan @ Apr 14th 2008 6:09PM

google:

uk oxm gta IV review scans

Brento @ Apr 14th 2008 6:08PM

I'm only giving it a 5.6 rating. Far too substandard gameplay. No innovation whatsoever. A real retread considering what is already out there. I see nothing new in this. This thing just screams of mediocrity. I'm saving my money for Vampire Rain II.

Evil Aardvark @ Apr 15th 2008 12:27PM

Brilliant :c)

wickedpheonix @ Apr 14th 2008 6:09PM

"we're not going to link to scans here"

ROFL the links are already on the Joystiq network - there's a link midway through the first page of the comments of the Joystiq "which console for GTA4" thread.

Gunslinger @ Apr 14th 2008 10:06PM

Full review here....
http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-134565.aspx

Ninegauger @ Apr 14th 2008 7:18PM

That's nice but San Andreas got super high scores too and I never liked that one as much as Vice City so I think I'm going to wait for some more reviews... or a demo or something, I don't know.

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Jomolungma @ Apr 14th 2008 9:18PM

Folks - the game will be good. You will buy it. Most of you have probably pre-ordered it and some probably have the two days before and two weeks after its release planned out in detail so as to maximize your GTA IV experience. This would be the case if OXM UK gave the game a 1, a 5, or an 11. They say it's a 10. Past games that have received tens have ended up in the running for game of the year in several magazines, not just OXM. I trust that the reviewer felt it deserved a 10. But even if he's some shill for R* or MSFT, whoring himself and his credibility out like a Vice City hooker, I'd still buy the game - and so would you.