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Spoiler Warning: Plot details, ending details, or both are in the text which follows.
Spoiler Warning: Plot details, ending details, or both are in the text which follows.
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Quotation Grand Theft Auto IV Michael Hunter - Soviet Connection Main Theme QuotationReverse
As a game, it is flawed in many aspects, but as an immersing experience, GTA IV is simply unparalleled. Its problems cannot and should not be overlooked, but none of them break the game, and there is just so much charm packed into the thing that you can't stay mad for long.
— Destructoid.com[1]

Grand Theft Auto IV (also known as GTA IV or GTA 4) is the eleventh title in the Grand Theft Auto series. 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 released worldwide to widespread hype on April 29, 2008. GTA IV has 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 PC version was released on December 3, 2008. GTA IV and Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City were released for Xbox One via backwards compatibility on February 9, 2017.

Theme

Main article: Plot in GTA IV

The very first dialogue by Niko in the very first trailer for the game sets up the first notable protagonist to be from another country, Niko Bellic, to enter the United States of America 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 interpretation open to the viewer. The game and its very complex plot deals with several themes:

As read on the packaging of the game, Rockstar Games asks "what does the American dream mean today?". Niko is cynical about America, saying "capitalism is a dirty business" and only people who are extremely greedy and/or born into wealth have any opportunity. Mikhail Faustin also laments before he dies that "America made him (Dimitri Rascalov) greedy! ...This American greed takes everyone! It is like a disease!". Niko mocks American stereotypes like "strip malls and clinical obesity" (as do the makers of the game by hilariously parodying concepts like post-9/11 hysteria and celebrity obsession). On the flip-side Roman Bellic, as well as other characters (Brucie Kibbutz, Bernie Crane, Ivan Bytchkov and Hossan Ramzy 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.

Grand Theft Auto series chronology of events
1961London 1961
1969London 1969
1986Vice City
1992San Andreas
1999Grand Theft Auto 2 (possibly)
2008Grand Theft Auto IV
2013Grand Theft Auto 2 (possibly)

The American dream is also shown not to be promised to anyone, not even when they already live in America. Social circles all the way from Playboy X and Elizabeta Torres to Patrick McReary all have trouble making and responsibly saving money, not restricting it to any one nationality. Early on, The Beat 102.7 explains that their listeners "don't know how to manage their money yet!". Gerry describes his family's spending habits as "Never any fucking focus! Never! ...Oh yeah, wine and women as quick as possible, and remain a slave forever". Packie eventually says after a mission "Well, Niko, that was a whole lot of effort for no fucking reward. Story of my life." to which Niko replies "It is the story of a lot of lives, Packie. I'm getting used to hearing it". A very interesting part of the in-game media is a show called I'm Rich, which documents the most outrageous displays of gluttony by the world's wealthiest people, enough to make anyone feel inadequate.

Grand Theft Auto IV has an extremely complex plot with a very long list of characters. It is also the first game that allows the player to change the plot by making choices, which all have consequences. This creates an atmosphere where Niko is haunted and shadowed by his past actions wherever he goes. He tells Roman "There is no such thing as a new beginning, Roman. With every day we live, we pick up new baggage, baggage we must carry with us for the rest of our lives. There's no dropping it and pretending we are fresh and clean, just because we get off a boat in a new place." Prime examples include his numerous run-ins with Ray Bulgarin, most of the random characters, and working alongside Johnny Klebitz or Patrick McReary while he had, either by not having met them yet or circumstances beyond his control, killed someone close to them. In the finale, Niko feels the coffin of Kate or Roman, depending on the player's choice, on his conscience because of his criminal lifestyle, saying they "never should have gotten close to me". He is deeply depressed about being trapped in the criminal lifestyle (by a need of income), telling Kate McReary and others that he wishes he could leave it behind, but often adds that he knows he can't.

Main Characters:

  • Niko Bellic: The playable protagonist, through whose eyes the player sees the world of the game. He is morally upstanding and logical despite his criminal life, but is often shown to have authority issues. He is also more cynical and pessimistic than is good for him. He seems to sort people into three categories:
  • Roman, Little Jacob, Brucie Kibbutz, Kate McReary and Bernie Crane: The optimists, people Niko likes because of their positivity, and they all try in vain to encourage Niko to be more optimistic. Many are foolish and could be mistaken for comic relief, but they do offer pearls of wisdom about life and success, a realization that Niko must make at the same time. Other interesting cases are Ivan Bytchkov, and Hossan, both immigrants like Niko but with much more confidence in the American way of life.
  • Patrick McReary, Gerald McReary, Derrick McReary, Dwayne Forge and Phil Bell: The pessimists, people Niko likes because they have angst that he instinctively responds to. Packie and Dwayne especially become friends of Niko because of their shared struggle; Niko confides in Dwayne remarkably early in their relationship and tells him "you remind me of me". It's also notable that he relates well to Jon Gravelli and his bleak sense of humor, despite an enormous age gap, other lifestyle differences and Niko's traditional dislike of his bosses.
  • Michelle, Kate McReary, Carmen Ortiz, Kiki Jenkins and Alex Chilton; girlfriends Niko can date. Michelle and Kate are unlocked in the story mode; the other 3 must be met by the internet. Each girlfriend has their own opinions on what they would like Niko to drive in, wear and go to. The 3 online girlfriends can give Niko a special ability once he pleases them enough in quality and quantity of date.

Voice Cast

Template:GrandTheftAutoIVCharacterList

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 of 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.

Timeframe

Although nothing in the game specifically reveals the exact month the events of the game take place, most evidence suggests that it may take place between April and September.

  • A number of trees have yellow-brown leaves (though some retain their green colour), hinting at the beginning of the autumn season (September in the Northern Hemisphere).
  • Two calendars in Jimmy Pegorino's house and Luis Lopez's apartment are open on the month of April.

Accolades

Date Award Category Recipient(s) and Nominee(s) Result
25 July 2008 IGN's Best of 2008 Best Action Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
25 July 2008 IGN's Best of 2008 Best Graphics Technology Grand Theft Auto IV Won
25 July 2008 IGN's Best of 2008 Best Use of Sound Grand Theft Auto IV Won
25 July 2008 IGN's Best of 2008 Best Voice Acting Grand Theft Auto IV Won
25 July 2008 IGN's Best of 2008 Best Story Grand Theft Auto IV Won
7 August 2008 G4 G-Phoria 2008 Best New Character Niko Bellic Won
7 August 2008 G4 G-Phoria 2008 Best Action Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
7 August 2008 G4 G-Phoria 2008 Longest Lasting Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
31 October 2008 26th Annual Golden Joystick Awards BBC Radio 1Xtra Soundtrack of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
31 October 2008 26th Annual Golden Joystick Awards ARVATO Xbox Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
3 November 2008 Time The Top 10 Everything of 2008: Top 10 Video Games Number 1 Video Game of 2008 Grand Theft Auto V Won
2 December 2008 The New York Times Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
7 December 2008 IGN AU's 10 Best Games of 2008 Best Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
16 December 2008 Spike TV Video Game Awards 2008 Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
16 December 2008 Spike TV Video Game Awards 2008 Best Action Adventure Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
16 December 2008 Spike TV Video Game Awards 2008 Best Performance by a Human Male Michael Hollick as Niko Bellic Won
17 December 2008 GameSpy Game of the Year 2008 Best Story Grand Theft Auto IV Won
17 December 2008 GameSpy Game of the Year 2008 Character of the Year Brucie Kibbutz Won
24 December 2008 TeamXbox Game of the Year Awards 2008 Best Action/Adventure Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
24 December 2008 TeamXbox Game of the Year Awards 2008 Best Story Grand Theft Auto IV Won
24 December 2008 TeamXbox Game of the Year Awards 2008 Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
25 December 2008 Giant Bomb Golden Anniversary Year-End Awards Extravaganza Spectacular 2008 Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
25 December 2008 Giant Bomb Golden Anniversary Year-End Awards Extravaganza Spectacular 2008 Best Multiplatform Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
26 December 2008 GameSpot Best of 2008 Best UK-Developed Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
26 December 2008 GameSpot Best of 2008 Best New Character Brucie Kibbutz Won
26 December 2008 GameSpot Best of 2008 Best Xbox 360 Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
31 December 2008 GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008 Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
31 December 2008 GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008 Best PlayStation 3 Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
31 December 2008 GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008 Best Xbox 360 Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
31 December 2008 GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008 Best Action Adventure Game Grand Theft Auto IV Won
31 December 2008 GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008 Best Story Grand Theft Auto IV Won
5 January 2009 Kotaku's 2008 Games of the Year Awards Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
5 January 2009 Kotaku's 2008 Games of the Year Awards Best Writing Grand Theft Auto IV Won
July 2009 Entertainment Merchants Association Home Entertainment Awards – Video Games Action/Adventure Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won
July 2009 Entertainment Merchants Association Home Entertainment Awards – Video Games Video Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto IV Won

Controversy

There was much controversy over Grand Theft Auto IV, however, the series has experienced trouble throughout its whole time on the shelves. Before it was released, it was almost banned. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) noted the drink driving feature and requested it either not be released or rated Adults Only. Because of this, Niko often says "I shouldn't really be doing this" whenever the player attempts to drink-drive.

There was also controversy for the PC version with the game still supporting the defunct Games for Windows Live. Despite the recent update by Rockstar Games for proper optimization, Games for Windows Live has yetTemplate:When to be omitted.

Game Information

Template:GrandTheftAutoIVGameContent

Trivia

  • Grand Theft Auto IV is the first game in the GTA series to feature ragdoll physics.
  • The PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV has a glitch that doesn't allow the game to recognize video cards of 2GB or more, simply restricting the amount of video card memory usage to just under 1GB.

Further Reading

Videos

See more videos

External links


References

[ ve ]Grand Theft Auto IV
LocationsLiberty City (Algonquin | Bohan | Broker | Dukes) | Alderney
CharactersCharacters | Niko Bellic | Roman Bellic | Vlad Glebov | Mikhail Faustin | Dimitri Rascalov | Brucie Kibbutz | Elizabeta Torres | Patrick McReary | Playboy X | Dwayne Forge | United Liberty Paper contact | Ray Boccino | Jimmy Pegorino
ContentMissions | Random characters | Friends | Girlfriends | Vehicles | Weapons | Clothing | Internet | Radio Stations | Safehouses | TV Shows
Information100% Completion | Achievements and Trophies | Cheats | Features | Trailers | Multiplayer
Episodes from Liberty CityThe Lost and Damned | The Ballad of Gay Tony
CrossoversDiamonds | Heroin | Impossible Trinity (Museum Piece, Collector's Item, and Not So Fast)
[ ve ]Grand Theft Auto series
Grand Theft AutoProtagonists | Liberty City (and New Guernsey) | San Andreas | Vice City | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: London
London 1969Protagonists | London | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
London 1961Protagonists | London | Manchester | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto 2Claude Speed/GBC Protagonists | Anywhere City (Downtown | Residential | Industrial) | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto IIIClaude | Liberty City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityTommy Vercetti | Vice City | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasCarl Johnson | State of San Andreas (Los SantosSan FierroLas VenturasRed CountyFlint CountyWhetstoneBone CountyTierra Robada) | Characters | Missions | Gangs | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto AdvanceMike | Liberty City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Soundtrack | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City StoriesToni Cipriani | Liberty City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesVictor Vance | Vice City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto IVNiko Bellic | Liberty City | Alderney | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Episodes from Liberty City
The Lost and DamnedJohnny Klebitz | Liberty City | Alderney | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
The Ballad of Gay TonyLuis Fernando Lopez | Liberty City | Alderney | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsHuang Lee | Liberty City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto VMichael De Santa | Trevor Philips | Franklin Clinton | Southern San Andreas (Los Santos (County) | Blaine County) | State of North Yankton (Ludendorff) | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Weapons | Vehicles | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto OnlineGTA Online Protagonist (Crews | Organizations | Motorcycle Clubs) | Southern San Andreas (Los Santos (County) | Blaine County) | The Caribbean (Cayo Perico) | Missions | Jobs | Gangs | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Reputation (Arena Points | LS Car Meet) | Content Updates | Events | Achievements/Trophies | Awards
Grand Theft Auto VILucia | Unnamed male accomplice | State of Leonida (Vice-Dale County | Kelly County | Leonard County) | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Collectibles | Multiplayer | Modifications | Controversy
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