Okay so anyone who plays video games, or watches the news should know by now about the latest and (reportedly) greatest video game to be released this year. Thats right Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) blew onto shelves with the distinct bang pf weapon's fire. Many gaming professionals are touting the game as the top selling, and best game of the year (keep in mind they said this before the game's official release tuesday). The GTA series has been in news in the past mostly for its extreme violence especially since the game goes to great effort to mirror reality, and immerse gamers into an expansive and deep world. It has also been in the news for an obscene mini game that was hidden in GTA III the "Hot Coffee" game, as it was called lost the company a great deal of money when they had to pull it from the shelves of Gamestops and Bestbuys all accross the nation. So the question becomes is this game a good idea to buy? I can give you a short answer, but I'd rather explain a bit about the game first, for those who may still be unfamiliar with the series.
Grand Theft Auto games are hailed as "revolutionary" for immersing gamers in a close to real world. The game places the gamer in the shoes of a hardened criminal who is working for the mob. As the player walks around Liberty City he can follow missions, side missions, or just go around killing everything that moves. Players can solicit prostitution (in GTA IV prostitution has been made to be much more indepth then in the past games). They can rob people, steal cars, and kill Police Officers. This game encourages players that while they are in Liberty City to yosstheir morality out of the window of the car they just stole.
Now that you have an idea of what the game is about let me ask you something. Is this the kind of game that you would like to play? The only standard that this game has set for decency is..... Ummm oops their isn't a standard of decency. My apologies... The Entirity of the game is based on-- sex, murder, and thievery-- thats just the tip of the iceberg. The Bible tells us in Philipians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Nothing in any of the 5 GTA titles contain anything that is noble, right, lovely, or pure. I relize this game is major, but this is one that you can't afford to take part in. Jesus said in Matthew 5:21, "You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill. " If thinking you'd like to kill someone is as good as murder then, what may I ask is Grand Theft Auto? I can't say it any other way this game will interfere in your relationship with God. He cannot stand the sight of sin and this game helps people to do what is really in their heart.
Simply put Grand Theft Auto IV gets resounding thumbs down.
