Grand Theft Auto IV Multiplayer review

Simply by offering a large open environment, with loads of vehicles and devastating weaponry, Deathmatch immediately scratches one of the vital multiplayer itches - the ability to come away from each game laughing about ludicrous deaths, outrageous flukes and oh my god did you see that it was awesome. Things are given a Rockstar edge thanks to the often hilarious status messages, which range from the fiendishly offensive to the fantastically blunt. It's much more fun to see that someone has been "3rd worlded" or plain old "f**ked up" rather than simply "killed" or "fragged".

Should you tire of such single-minded violence, there are modes such as Mafiya Work and Car Jack City. Both still allow you to slaughter the other players, but the addition of tasks and missions gives it a bit more structure. Car Jack City is pretty much what it sounds like - players race to find and deliver specific vehicles within a time limit. Mafiya Work is even better, since it keeps the variety flowing with a constant stream of missions to accomplish, ranging from pickup and deliveries to assassinations. Not knowing what you'll be asked to do next ensures that even the least confident player can get lucky, and having sixteen maniacs rampaging around the city trying to beat each other to the next payday (or just beat each other to death) hits just the right note of organised chaos. Deathmatch, Mafiya Work and Car Jack City can also be played as team games, which adds yet another layer of depth and enjoyment onto the experience. Once again, the vast territory to explore and the near infinite combination of routes, tactics, weapons and approaches means that you can play the same game all night and never have the same experience.

The race mode seems fairly redundant, however. Yes, there are cars in the game, so online racing seems logical but I don't really understand why anyone would want to load up Grand Theft Auto if they just want to do straight races around a city, especially when the GTA Race option offers much the same thing, but with the inclusion of excessive violence. The ability to take the lead by blowing out your opponent's tires shouldn't be underestimated. There are plenty of normal racing games out there, so I'll take the Dick Dastardly option instead, thanks. Both vehicle modes are obviously affected by the new vehicle handling of GTA IV, so I'd suggest holding back on these until you're confident in your ability to duck, weave and hurl your car around corners without sliding sideways into a lamppost.

I suspect that Rockstar could have left it there and most people would have what they wanted from online Grand Theft Auto. It's to their credit that they've come up with additional modes that expand or tweak the experience in amusing ways. That's why, down at the bottom of the selection menu, you'll find the games that I've found most rewarding.

Cops 'n Crooks is the one that caught a lot of attention when it was announced, and I've yet to play a game that wasn't laugh-out-loud hilarious. Playable in two variant forms, All For One selects one of the Crooks to be the boss and the others must keep them safe as you all race to safety. One For All simply requires the whole team of criminals to make a clean getaway. Those playing as the cops, meanwhile, have to take them down by any means necessary. Turf War, on the other hand, is a Capture The Base mode by any other name. While the concept may be as old as the hills, it's yet another mode rescued from predictability by GTA's over-the-top potential. Often epic in length, and getting progressively more fun the more players are involved, both Cops 'n Crooks and Turf War feel wonderfully like taking part in your own slapstick Hollywood action movie.