GTA IV received several perfect scores when it was released, yet almost as soon as it did it received tons of negative feedback from the fan community.  However, I don't think any game has brought a city to life so well or had such a likeable protagonist in recent memory as did GTA IV.

     The one ingredient missing from previous GTA games was the graphics, and GTA IV remedied that too.

     However, I think I know why GTA IV became so hated.  PS3 fans didn't like it because it was on the 360.  360 fans didn't like it because many reviewers said its best version was the PS3 one, and Wii fans didn't like it because their console couldn't run it.

    GTA IV hated by more people than almost any other game, yet still just as good as originally reviewed.

Perhaps it was hated because it didn't live up to the hype?

i hated it, cause they promised so much on it and after they released it we got a GTA3 game with better graphics only with boring gameplay.

I hope you know that by your logic, no one liked Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter 4, Call of Duty 4, and many others.

GTA IV was a slightly-above-average game that received perfect scores due to hype and free swag sent to the reviewers.

If it was as good as reviewed as I said it was in my opening post and as all those review scores indicate it was, then it lived up to the hype.

#thekitchensink, I don't remember any of those other games (maybe RE5 would come closest) receiving anywhere near the negative statements as GTA IV did from folks on message boards. 

And, it is still one of the top two games released this gen with the other being mgs 4.

There's a difference between "hated" and "overhyped." By all means it was a great game, however the one thing that really made me turn it down were all the reviews, praising it as the most perfect game or the holy grail of gaming, which to me, it was no where near. However, that is not R*'s fault, and I think they did a great job with the game, and who knows: maybe one day I will actually buy it :).

Also, SMG received a lot of hate from PS3/360 owners ;).

PS. I noticed in your posts you're assuming your opinion is fact, which it isn't, and neither is mine or anyone else's (except maybe Chuck Norris;) ).

I find the driving can get annoying during high speed chases but I've never really hated this game I still put it on at nights mostly just to listen to those fantastic radio stations like WKTT

Anyway I'm still enjoying the game especially with Lost and the Damned

I think it was okay.. but it didnt have that fun element to it as the previous versions like Vice City and Liberty City. And there werent any amazing scenery in GTAIV, except for the downtown "N.Y" area during night with all the ads lighting up the city.

And graphical was a tad under par for its big release on the "next gen" consoles.

You've actually answered the question in the OP. It was 'hated' so much because of how hilarious the review scores were. If it had got a metacritic of around 92 or so, no-one would have cared. But when reviewers start claiming it to be so good, people take steps to correct them.

I think said people were validated when GTAIV for the PC received comments of 'exactly the same as the console versions' alongside scores of about 92