I would actually say that Call of Duty 4 beats it and this is why:
(ps3 version anyways)
1) Im an online gaming sort of guy, and i like my online content to be the best. Ever try getting on GTA's Online? 60-70% of the games you join all end with a "you have lost connection to one or more players, and will be taken back to singleplayer) This really annoys the hell out of me.
2) the new campaign for GTA, nothing spectacular, just like all the past ones. Not that COD has a great singleplayer, but it seems GTA isn't doing anything to keep the material fresh... its all the same, kill him, drive here, steal this, whatever.
3) i personally dislike the aiming in GTA4 and the Cover ability. It seems that everytime i use this Cover, someone shoots me from another direction, but since im in cover, i can't turn my body to shoot at them. also, the aim often doesn't cycle between enemies, or it continues to go back to dead ones. It doesn't help me to be shooting dead people in the middle of a gunfight. In COD, all aiming is simple, and you can turn around when you are behind cover.
I guess its not really COD, but any game. Im pretty
by the way... i just realize that my first post got cut off... i didn't mean to end that with "Im pretty" but i didnt notice until quite a while later, and i forgot where i was going with that other than i was disappointed with GTA and that its history is not a means for an instant over-rating
