Grand Theft Auto 4

Grand Theft Auto 4 - Welcome to Liberty City.

GTA IV: What does the American Dream mean today? For Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity.

As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't.

The game is set in a redesigned rendition of Liberty City, a fictional city based heavily on modern day New York City. It follows Niko Bellic, a war veteran from Eastern Europe, who comes to the United States in search of the American Dream, only to find his cousin has lied about the wealth that was promised to be awaiting him. Like other games in the series, GTA IV features "open-world" gameplay that gives the player more control over their playing experience. GTA IV is the first console game in the series to feature an online multiplayer mode, which contains fifteen different game types.

After his arrival, Niko quickly learns that Roman's tales of riches and luxury were lies, concealing Roman's struggles with debt and gangsters. Niko aids Roman in his troubles while hoping to carve out a new life for himself in the city.

It is later revealed that Niko came to Liberty City primarily to search for the person he blames for the betrayal of his old army unit: Florian Cravic. Niko soon creates ties with the Liberty City Bratva through Vladimir Glebov and later makes acquaintance with a major figure of the Bratva, Mikhail Faustin and his associate, Dimitri Rascalov. Niko completes jobs for Faustin before joining Dimitri's plot to betray Faustin and take over the organization. Niko assassinates Faustin on Dimitri's orders and later meets with him to collect his reward for the killing. Dimitri, however, betrays Niko and reveals that he is in collusion with Rodislav Bulgarin, a former employer of Niko who orders his men to kill him. Little Jacob arrives on the scene and rescues Niko, however Dimitri escapes and Jacob suggests dealing with him later.

Niko receives a phone call from Roman, who is hiding in a remote location after having received several silent calls. The two meet up and they drive back to find both Roman's apartment and taxi depot in flames. The two escape to Bohan, after receiving death threats from Dimitri, and Roman reveals his plans to propose to his girlfriend Mallorie. Niko progressively obtains new allies in the city, gaining the money to provide for his and Roman's life while furthering his connections towards locating the person he is searching for. Niko discovers that Florian has changed his name to Bernie Crane and ultimately, Niko determines that Bernie is not the person responsible for his unit's betrayal leading Niko towards the only remaining suspect, Darko Brevic.

Towards the conclusion of the storyline, a shadowy government agency (under the name of "U.L. Paper") that had forced Niko to help them in collusion with an aging mobster, Jon Gravelli, locates Darko in Bucharest and arrange to have him brought to Liberty City as a final reward. Niko confronts Darko, who has become a drug-addicted, guilt-ridden wreck. The player is then left with the option of either executing Darko or sparing his life. Afterwards, having dealt with his past, Niko relaxes at a bar when Jimmy Pegorino shows up and asks him one final favour; to obtain a shipment of heroin for him that he can sell to a buyer: Dimitri Rascalov.

The story features two possible endings depending on the choice made by the player at this point in the game. The player can choose to have Niko exact revenge on Dimitri or make a deal with him.

If the player chooses to exact revenge, Niko ambushes Dimitri on his tanker while he is supervising a shipment. A gunfight ensues within the hull of the tanker and Niko kills Dimitri in cold blood. In the aftermath, Roman and Mallorie's wedding takes place and Jimmy Pegorino, furious after the betrayal, commits a drive-by outside the church killing Niko's love interest, Kate McReary. Niko, Roman and Little Jacob follow some of Pegorino's men, who lead them to an abandoned casino in Alderney. Niko attempts to kill Pegorino, but he escapes to Happiness Island via boat while Niko pursues him with a helicopter. Niko kills Pegorino, before lamenting on the supposed "American Dream" to Roman and Jacob.

If the player chooses to strike a deal, Niko meets Phil Bell at the docks to make the exchange. Dimitri sabotages his side of the deal but Niko and Phil eventually retrieve the drug money regardless. Kate, who was against making the deal, is furious with Niko and refuses to attend Roman and Mallorie's wedding. The wedding takes place and an assassin sent by Dimitri to kill Niko inadvertently shoots Roman during a struggle. A devastated and vengeful Niko teams up with Little Jacob and they go to an abandoned casino in Alderney to kill Dimitri, who is now in partnership with Pegorino. Jacob then leaves to formulate an escape plan for Niko after he kills Dimitri. In the casino, Dimitri executes Pegorino and attempts to escape. Niko and Little Jacob follow him to Happiness Island, where Niko kills Dimitri. The story ends with a parting shot of the Statue of Happiness, with Niko concerned for the well-being of his soul.

About Characters

The characters that appear in Grand Theft Auto IV are diverse and relative to the respective boroughs of Liberty City they are based in, belonging to various gangs and ethnic groups. The player controls Niko Bellic, a veteran of the Bosnian War from Eastern Europe. According to Dan Houser, virtually none of the characters from the previous games are returning, as "most of the characters we liked were dead," further evidenced by in-game graffiti bidding farewell to these characters.

Unlike previous games in the series, the voice actors of Grand Theft Auto IV do not include notable and high-profile celebrities, instead opting for lesser known actors such as Michael Hollick, Jason Zumwalt, Moti Margolin, Thomas Lyons, Timothy Adams and Coolie Ranx. However, several high-profile DJs host the various radio stations within the game such as Karl Lagerfeld, Iggy Pop, Luther Campbell, Daddy Yankee, and Lazlow Jones. Katt Williams and Ricky Gervais also have their likenesses and comedy depicted in an in-game comedy club.

Grand Theft Auto IV is structured similarly to previous games in the series. The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, affording the player a large, open environment in which to move around. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming, climbing and jumping, as well as utilising weapons and basic hand-to-hand combat. Players can steal and drive a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, helicopters, and motorcycles.

The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain parts of the map and content, they are not required, as players can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam. However, creating havoc can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities.

It is possible to have multiple active missions, due to the fact that some missions will run over the course of several days and will require the player to wait for further instructions, etc.The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions. For the first time in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV features "morality choices" at several points throughout the game, in which the player is forced to choose between killing a character or sparing their life or killing one of two characters. The game has two different endings, which are determined by decisions made by the player throughout and at the end of the game. Each choice affects the final missions the player can partake, and the fate of some characters.

Combat and police response

The gunfight system has been reworked to a better third-person scheme. The player can slide to cover, blindfire, and free aim. When locked on, the target's health is indicated by eight green segments inside the target circle. As the opponent's health decreases, the number of segments drop and turn red. Players can now target individual body parts using a revamped targeting system. Niko's health is represented by a green semi-circle on the left side of the minimap, and a blue semi-circle on the right represents armour. If Niko gets injured, he can recover health by using an escort service, eating, drinking soda, sleeping, using medical kits, or by calling for paramedics using his phone. Health is generally reduced by physical injuries such as falling from heights and going through the windscreen of a vehicle when crashing. Body armour is gradually damaged by gunshots and stab wounds. When Niko's health level reaches zero, he respawns at the nearest hospital, but loses 10% of his total wealth (up to a maximum of $10,000). Niko is able to retain his weapons after re-spawning at a hospital, unlike previous GTA games, where this ability had to be unlocked. However, weapons are still confiscated if he is arrested and taken to a police station.

Wanted levels operate differently from previous GTA games. When the police are in search of Niko, a search radius appears on the map in which the police will be looking for him. The size of this radius increases with the player's wanted level and re-centres itself on Niko's location if he is spotted by the police. The player can evade the police by escaping the search radius and temporarily keeping a low profile by not committing further offences. The wanted levels can be lost by either driving into a "Pay 'N' Spray" as in previous games or by disguising himself by clandestinely changing vehicles in empty areas such as parking garages. However, entering a "Pay 'N' Spray" will no longer remove the wanted levels if the police notice Niko entering the garage. The player has the option to attempt escaping arrest before he is handcuffed, at the cost of increasing his wanted level by one star. Additionally, pedestrians with cellphones can report crimes they witness in the surrounding environment.

The type of police response also differs slightly from previous GTA games; however, creating more chaos still leads to a stronger response. "Minor" crimes, such as assault, public discharge of a firearm, grand theft auto, and homicide, continue to be handled by police patrols. Higher wanted levels still activate police helicopter and water craft support teams and FBI-like agents, known as FIB (Federal Investigation Bureau) in GTA: IV. However, police SWAT and the military no longer appear at a higher wanted levels, as seen in previous renditions of the series. Instead, they have been replaced with an elite counter-terrorism team known as N.O.O.S.E. (National Office Of Security Enforcement), an amalgamation of SWAT and the Department of Homeland Security.

Vehicles

Stealing a parked car will now show Niko breaking the glass (if it is locked) by either kicking out the window or smashing it with his elbow and then hotwiring it, as opposed to previous games where the player simply entered the driver's seat. A new feature in GTA: IV allows the player to focus the camera on the target during chases, enabled by holding the cinematic camera button. Every vehicle in the game utilizes the in-game minimap as a GPS device. Another new feature includes voice directions when a destination is selected on the map; although this feature is only available in the expensive cars (but can be turned on for all cars in the options menu). "Waypoints" can be placed on destinations on the map, leaving a green trail on the map between Niko and the destination. However, the biggest addition of the GTA series is the new ability to hail a taxi cab, which allows the player to travel to destinations without having to manually drive. Travel in a taxi cab also allows Niko to instantly reach a destination, if the player chooses to skip the actual journey. The player is no longer able to pilot Fixed-wing aircraft, as was possible in previous GTA games, but can still pilot helicopters, including the police "Annihilator", which has mounted machine guns.

Car damage physics are more detailed in GTA: IV than in its predecessors. When major collisions on motorbikes occur, the player's helmet will most likely fall off. The physics engine will turn the player into a rag doll after a crash, instead of using a predefined animation, resulting in more realistic collisions. Niko can lose health (or die) if he crashes or smashes through the windscreen of cars when colliding with objects at high speed. Vehicles will not explode if they are flipped over, or shot in any place other than the engine block or fuel tank, however they may catch fire and eventually explode if they are repeatedly damaged via collisions. Explosions can sometimes render nearby vehicles unusable, or cause them to catch fire. Car engines can also die, rendering them unable to start.

When driving or riding in a car, the player is able to smash the window, free-aim, and fire out of the vehicle with several different one-handed weapons as well dropping grenades or molotov cocktails. In certain areas of Liberty City, Niko can stop along side a prostitute, honk his car horn and let her in. This then enables him to engage in 3 different sexual activities with the prostitute at different costs.

Communication

The use of the mobile phone has been expanded to perform multiple actions. When selecting the mobile phone, a zoomed-in version of the phone pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. The phone allows the player to view text messages and appointments, as well as arrange to meet friends for a variety of activities. Retrying a failed mission can be performed by accessing the menu. The player can take photos with the mobile phone and upload them to the police computer during certain missions. Niko can dial 911 to call the police for them to arrest an attacker, or just to waste their time on a false alarm. He can also contact the paramedics and the fire station. Paramedics, upon arrival, can heal Niko to full health if he so chooses. The cost is the same as if he were to lose all health and be healed at a hospital.

The game also features several different in-game databases that Niko can make use of. An in-game version of the Internet can be used by accessing the Internet cafe chain, "TW@", located throughout the city. There are over 100 accessible fictitious websites within the game, and Niko can also send and receive email (complete with random spam mail) and set up prospective dates. Although the Internet cafe was seen in Grand Theft Auto III, it did not give the player the option to browse the internet. In a police vehicle, Niko can use an in-car computer to access Liberty City's criminal database, discover information about various criminals in Liberty City and even track them down for a reward. The game also features in-game television programming, with several viewable channels featuring programs and advertisements. The television shows cover a wide variety of genres, including news, comedy, talk shows, and sports. There is also a parody of Ric Burns' New York: A Documentary Film running continuously on one of the game's television stations, detailing the history of Liberty City in the same grandiose style as Burns' eight-part documentary.

Multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto IV is the first console game in the series to include online multiplayer, with 15 modes of play available. The multiplayer supports up to 16 players and allows players to explore the entire city. Players use a customisable character in a majority of the modes, and cash earned during play translates to a level at which more clothing is available for their character, depending on the level. Hosts of the games can control many variables, such as time of day, police presence, pedestrian presence, traffic, location of game, and weapons. The online games are split into ranked and unranked matches. The reward for the ranked gameplay is cash, which determines players' ranks. The game does not feature any split screen or LAN multiplayer modes.

There are several different game modes available. Team based gameplay modes include Team Deathmatch, where 2-8 teams compete to accumulate the most kills in a traditional deathmatch; Team Mafiya Work, in which 2-8 teams compete to complete contract work for the "mafiya", such as escorting/killing targets or stealing cars; Team Car Jack City where 2-8 teams compete to steal cars and earn money for keeping them undamaged; Cops n' Crooks, featuring a team of cops who must compete against a team of crooks (which features the "All for One" variation - requiring the cops to kill the crooks' "Boss" before he is escorted to the extraction point - and the "One for All" variation - requiring the cops to kill all of the crooks before they reach the extraction point); and Turf War, involving two teams who compete to take control of designated areas of the map and control them for as long as possible.

The game also includes a variety of racing and cooperative modes, which include Race, in which players race through checkpoints in a traditional automobile race; a GTA Race variation, where players race through checkpoints in an automobile race, with the ability to combat their opponents; Hangman's N.O.O.S.E., a co-op mode that requires players to collect a person from the airport and safely escort him to the extraction point before the cops kill him; Deal Breaker, a co-op mission that requires players to assault a construction site captured by enemies, then chase a group of enemies before they escape; and Bomb da Base II, a co-op mission that requires players to clear out a ship, then destroy it with explosives. The game also features a Free Mode, in which players have the entire map open to explore, with no end goal or mission to complete.

Community features

The Rockstar Games Social Club is a web site that displays the gameplay statistics of registered users and feature competitions and awards based on player activity within the game. The Social Club web site was announced on 27 March 2008 and launched on 17 April 2008. The main features of Social Club launched on the same date of the game itself 29 April 2008. Social Club will also provide online features for Rockstar's latest Midnight Club game, Midnight Club: Los Angeles. Social Club consists of multiple parts. It initially included the LCPD Police Blotter, The Story Gang, The 100% Club, The Hall Of Fame, The Liberty City Marathon and The Zit.

In an interview with Playstation World Magazine, Rockstar mentioned that they will "heavily support" Sony's PlayStation Home, a community-based service for the PlayStation Network. Rockstar also mentioned that visitors to their PlayStation Home apartment would receive 'goodies' such as clothing for their avatar and items and decorations for their own PlayStation Home apartment. In addition to this, users can earn PlayStation Home trophies for their home space (Similar to the achievements for the Xbox 360 version).

• Grand Theft Auto IV Official Website.
• Grand Theft Auto IV Guide