Games like “Grand Theft Auto IV” make game criticism difficult.

The first reason is its sheer size. There's simply so much to be experienced within the fictional environment of Liberty City, from its Web sites and TV channels to gentlemen's clubs and bowling alleys. To truly savor the game in all its glory - and then chronicle one's impressions of it - would suck away not hours, but days and probably weeks of play.

Then there's the quality of “Grand Theft Auto IV's” actual game play. There is only a game within layers of simulation, and the bulk of platitudes collected by the “Grand Theft Auto” series is largely due to its monumental achievements of scope. But I question how greatly those achievements factor into the merits of the game itself. On its own, the third-person shooter meets stunt racing game play is good, but nothing as revolutionary as the game's most rabid fans insist.

It is for these reasons that I all but skipped “San Andreas,” the third and largest last-generation installment of the series. “Grand Theft Auto 3” excitedly opened my eyes to the live simulation possibilities of the sandbox game and “Vice City's” inspired blend of that game play with the pastel-clad nostalgia of “Scarface” and “Miami Vice” seduced my gaming sensibilities. But by the time of “San Andreas,” I couldn't be bothered to pour another 50 hours into a bigger, Los Angeles-set revision of that same formula.

So when I started playing “Grand Theft Auto IV,” I was hoping to sense the same innovative spirit that first sparked my interest in the series. And within my first 10 hours of playing, I'm fairly certain I've found it - for better or worse.

The first major game play addition is the cover system, which allows players to shield themselves during shoot-outs and control their pace. Since “San Andreas,” games like “Gears of War” have popularized cover shooting play, and its influence is welcome in “Grand Theft Auto IV.” The execution is mostly successful, but slightly mired by a sticky auto-targeting system that requires a few gunfights' worth of mastery if one is to select desired targets with any speed. Players could turn that system off, but the sensitivity of protagonist Niko Bellic's health discourages the extra time spent adjusting one's aim while dodging bullets.

Niko's cell phone provides a simple framework for his social life; with it he can not only arrange the free-standing missions of “Grand Theft Autos” past, but even dates. The romance dimension expands Nico's narrative beyond the “get rich, get laid” blueprint to notoriety his predecessors traveled. And the wooing process is strangely absorbing. Even though the game gives you the option of skipping through your date's turns at bowling, I'm strangely compelled not to, and instead to savor the winsome subtleties of the moment.

Though this entirely optional element of the game enriches the overall simulation experience, the main story of “Grand Theft Auto IV” so far has failed to rise above a range of mob movie cliches. There's been the lecherous under-boss, the psychotic, drug-addicted mid-level boss and the indebted close relative who always drags you into trouble. As Niko's history unfurls, he appears more humane than his predecessors, but his kneejerk tendency toward mindless violence often erases any sympathy he earns.

There are many other upgrades to the series: GPS navigation, a police radius from which you must escape to lower your wanted level, more realistic driving physics, enjoyable darts, bowling and pool minigames, public transportation, live entertainment establishments and so on. The next-generation power of the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 also permits a world far deeper in detail than previous “Grand Theft Auto” games. Characters' facial animations look more realistic, the streets look dirtier and the views across Liberty City's “boroughs” are more awe-inspiring.

As I continue digging into the city, I expect I'll discover more minutiae to sustain my interest. At this point, I don't feel it's fair to give the game a rating for the reasons I've mentioned. But so far, so grand.

Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net