Overall the game is solid. The characters and setting are what make the game feel memorable.

The story has a strong opening sequence and strong ending sequence but the middle portion of the game drags for a while to set up the main conflict that Niko will experience for the rest of the game

From a gameplay perspective it has some issues like the driving for example. The gun play isn't bad for the most part. My main issue is the fact that when you fail a mission there aren't checkpoints put in place so you are forced to start the mission from the very beginning.

Overall the game is a solid experience and definitely a better example of Rockstars storytelling told in a serious manner