Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV
GTA IV Boxart
GTA IV Boxart
DevelopersRockstar North
Rockstar Toronto (PC)
PublishersRockstar Games
Capcom (Japan)
Cyberfront (Japan PC)
PlatformPS3 Xbox 360 PC
Release datesPS3
United States Canada 29 April 2008
United Kingdom Europe 29 April 2008

Australia New Zealand 29 April 2008
Japan 30 October 2008


Xbox 360
United States Canada 29 April 2008
United Kingdom Europe 29 April 2008
Australia New Zealand 29 April 2008
Japan 30 October 2008


PC
United States Canada 2 December 2008
United Kingdom Europe 3 December 2008
Australia New Zealand 3 December 2008

Japan 20 March 2009
EngineRAGE
ProtagonistNiko Bellic
LocationLiberty City
Alderney State
Year2008

Grand Theft Auto IV (officially abbrevated as GTA IV) is the eleventh Grand Theft Auto game in the series, the first of the GTA IV Era.

The game was developed by Rockstar North and was published and released by Rockstar Games for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were been released worldwide to widespread hype on April 29, 2008. GTA IV was subsequently been awarded the Gaming World Record of the Most Successful Entertainment Launch of All Time, and has received numerous other awards and accolades, the original version made even more sucess than its expansions. The PC version was released on December 3, 2008.

Two Episodes of downloadable content have been for Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360 - The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. These have also been released together in the standalone Episodes from Liberty City pack. EFLC was released for the PC and PlayStation 3 on April 13th, 2010.

Story

"Life is complicated; I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different." -- Niko Bellic

The very first dialogue by Niko in the very first trailer for the game, this sets up the first notable protagonist to be from another country, Niko Bellic, to enter the United States and make more critical analysis of American culture than previous main characters have done. Grand Theft Auto IV's deeper meaning circulates around Niko's own philosophy, and his clear, blunt critiques of American culture and life in general make the deeper ideas much easier to see and understand. Niko is normally shown to be in the right, but is also proven to be overly cynical, leaving interperetation open to the viewer. The game and its very complex plot deals with several themes:


"The American Dream's a fairy tale. It was never meant to be taken literally." -- Bobby Jefferson

As read on the packaging of the game, Rockstar Games asks "what does the American dream mean today?" and describe Liberty City as "a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't". Niko believes that "capitalism is a dirty business" and only people born into wealth have any opportunity. Mikhail Faustin, for example, laments before he dies that "America made [[[Dimitri]]] greedy! ...This American greed takes everyone! It is like a disease!". Mikhail serves the literary purpose of being a disturbing caricature of Niko, possibly himself in twenty years (Niko says personally "I hope it don't get to me"), and warns him against being too cynical. Niko also comically mocks American stereotypes such as "strip malls and clinical obesity", as do the makers of the game by hilariously parodying concepts like


On the flipside Roman, as well as other characters (Brucie, Ivan and Hossan among others) are optimistic about America and life in general, tend to do very well for themselves financially, and try in vain to encourage Niko to be more optimistic.

Plot

Grand Theft Auto IV follows the story of Niko Bellic; Before the events of the game, he fought in the Bosnian War as a teenager, was betrayed by one of the members (which got most of the squad killed) and is now obsessed with getting revenge. After fighting in the war, bad circumstances led him to work for Ray Bulgarin in human trafficking, which ended with Niko being blamed for a sinking ship and leaving Europe to escape Bulgarin's wrath and power. While spending the next 7 months in the merchant navy he made the decision to move to Liberty City, where his cousin Roman Bellic claimed to be living a life of luxury (as well as to hunt down one of the two suspected traitors, Florian Cravic).

Broker-Dukes

The game begins with Niko getting off the tanker ship and meeting Roman. He quickly finds out that Roman completely bluffed about his lifestyle, both as a joke and to recruit help, as he is living the average life of a poor immigrant in Hove Beach. Niko spends the next few weeks working at Roman's cab depot (making friends like "Little" Jacob Hughes and Brucie Kibbutz in the process, as well as a girlfriend Michelle) and fighting off his loan sharks - this eventually leads to Niko killing Vlad Glebov, a Russian mobster and one of the sharks, for sleeping with Roman's girlfriend Mallorie Bardas. Immediately after, they are kidnapped by the Russian mob and before they are both nearly killed, Niko wins over the mob's leaders Mikhail Faustin and Dimitri Rascalov to work for them instead. Because Mikhail is a violent, irrational sociopath (even by organized crime standards), he has Niko kill the son of Kenny Petrovic, the most powerful Russian mobster in the United States. After a short while, Dimitri tells Niko that to survive Petrovic, he must kill Mikhail. They successfully kill him and appease Petrovic, but when Niko is to receive payment, Dimitri reveals that he is now partnered with Ray Bulgarin and tries to have him killed. Niko and Roman, who's apartment and cab depot were also burned to the ground by Dimitri, must leave Broker and hide with Mallorie's cousins, north of town in Bohan.

Bohan and early Algonquin

Mallorie introduces Niko to both Manny Ecsuela, a community organizer making a documentary about his good deeds, and Elizabeta Torres, an extremely influential drug supplier (who, in turn, introduces Niko to Playboy X and Packie McReary). Through Manny, Niko is blackmailed by police chief Francis McReary into silencing people for him, including famous lawyer Tom Goldberg. As the authorities close in on Elizabeta's drug ring, Niko's girlfriend Michelle reveals that she is an undercover agent and Niko will be forced to work for her boss. Elizabeta is arrested and sentenced to 300 years (but not before she kills Manny, for trying to citizen arrest her for publicity). Niko moves on to work for Playboy, who is embarrased to welcome back his old-fashioned mentor Dwayne Forge from prison. As their views conflict and their friendship deteriorates, Playboy and Dwayne each try to have Niko kill the other. Niko's decision of who to kill is one of seven pivotal choices in the game, left to the player. Niko is paid twenty-five grand to kill Dwayne, who could be framed as suicidal, delusional and ready to die. However, if he kills Playboy, who could be considered very greedy and disrespectful to his mentor, he is rewarded with his penthouse and car (worth much more). Niko also does very secretive work for U.L. Paper, the front company which Michelle's (real name Karen) superiors cover themselves with. Niko is ironically told to kill other criminals who immigrated from Eastern Eupope, for their ties to financing terrorist activity.

Late Algonquin and Alderney

Roman is kidnapped by Dimitri's Russian mob once again, after his gambling habit led him to "gambling in their private club!". After Niko rescues him, Roman finally becomes a millionaire and purchases a luxury condo for him and Niko. Soon after he is contacted again by Packie McReary, and begins working with his family and friends in the Irish mob (also finding out chief McReary is his brother). Niko becomes a family friend, eventually dating Packie's sister Kate McReary. Niko is introduced to Ray Boccino of the Pegorino Crime Family, who employ Packie's crew as extra muscle. Ray leads everyone involved in a messy, complex diamond deal that pits them against the Ancelottis, resulting in Niko and Packie kidnapping the don's daughter to demand back the diamonds that were stolen back from them. The diamonds are lost in garbage during a firefight between Niko/Packie and Ray Bulgarin again, who was the very first owner of the diamonds. Niko is later forced to make a choice of killing one of Packie's brothers, Francis or Derrick.

For his assistance, Niko demanded that Boccino lead him to Florian - he successfully tracks Florian down, who changed his name to Bernie Crane. Niko discovers that Florian/Bernie was innocent and a closeted homosexual (leaving Niko to hunt down the real traitor, Darko Brevic). Niko continues to help Bernie as a friend, helping to ward off blackmailers of his boyfriend, closeted politician Bryce Dawkins (the demands, control of construction unions, are from Dimitri and Bulgarin of all people). After his help they have a profound friendship, and Bernie rewards Niko with an Infernus supercar.

Niko works his way up in the Pegorinos, eventually meeting their boss Jimmy Pegorino and working directly for him (eventually, he is told to kill Ray Boccino). U.L. Paper contacts Niko again to work for Jon Gravelli, the head of the city's most powerful mafia family and now on his death bed. In exchange for his help, U.L. Paper kidnaps Darko (who lived in Bucharest, Romania) for Niko to confront personally. Darko admits to betraying the group to pay for his drug habit, and Niko must make the personal choice of either killing him or, as Roman encourages him, forgetting revenge and letting him suffer alive.

At the end of the game, Pegorino chooses to do a heroin deal with Dimitri Rascalov. Niko has the choice of whether to do as he is told, and be paid a very large sum of money, or take revenge on Dimitri. In both scenarios, Niko targets both Dimitri and Pegorino (whether or not Niko chooses the deal, in which Dimitri betrays him as expected). In between the incidents, Roman and Mallorie get married when someone is killed at their wedding - depending on which path is chosen, it is either Roman Bellic or Kate McReary. By the story's conclusion both Dimitri and Pegorino are dead, while Mallorie is pregnant with Roman's child.

Niko's choices

During the game, the player makes a total of seven choices, either a decision of killing one person for another, or whether to kill a single person. The choices are, in order:

The first three, if spared, all become Random Characters. The next two, if Playboy or Derrick are killed, offer unique rewards. The choice of Darko has little to no implication, while the final choice is the biggest of all - it triggers different missions and kills one of Niko's friends (Roman or Kate).

Episodes

Two episodes have been released for Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360, and then released for Playstation 3 and PC in April 2010. The Lost and Damned was released on February 17, 2009, and features biker Johnny Klebitz as the player character. The Ballad of Gay Tony was been released on October 29, 2009, with Luis Fernando Lopez as the protagonist. It was simultaneously released with the disc version Episodes from Liberty City, which features both games. These episodes are set in the same city and time as GTA IV, and have many overlapping storylines, characters, and missions. They add new missions, characters, vehicles, weapons, and other gameplay features.

Game Information




Grand Theft Auto series
chronology of events

2D Universe
GTA 1 Era

1961London 1961
1969London 1969


3D Universe
GTA III Era

1984GTA Vice City Stories
1986GTA Vice City
1992GTA San Andreas


2D Universe
GTA 1 Era

1997Grand Theft Auto 1


3D Universe
GTA III Era

1998GTA Liberty City Stories


2D Universe
GTA 2 Era

1999GTA 2


3D Universe
GTA III Era

2000GTA Advance
2001GTA III

HD Universe
GTA IV Era

2008GTA IV

The Lost and Damned
The Ballad of Gay Tony

2009GTA Chinatown Wars


GTA V Era

2013GTA Online
2013GTA V

External links