Game: Grand Theft Auto IV 

Condition: Pre-Owned 

Included: 2 Game Discs, Survival Guide, On Liberty City Guide & Case 

License: Product License Key Included 

Year: 2008 

Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the eleventh title in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the first main entry since 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Set within the fictional Liberty City (based on New York City), the single-player story follows a war veteran, Niko Bellic, and his attempts to escape his past while under pressure from loan sharks and mob bosses. The open world design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main islands.

The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on-foot or by vehicle. Throughout the single-player mode, players play as Niko Bellic. An online multiplayer mode is included with the game, allowing up to 32 players to engage in both co-operative and competitive gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting. Two expansion packs were later released for the game, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, which both feature new plots that are interconnected with the main Grand Theft Auto IV storyline, and follow new protagonists.

Development began soon after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and was shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide. The game introduced a shift to a more realistic and detailed style and tone for the series. Unlike previous entries, Grand Theft Auto IV lacked a strong cinematic influence, as the team attempted an original approach to the story. As part of their research for the open world, the developers conducted field research around New York throughout development and captured footage for the design team.

Following its announcement in May 2006, Grand Theft Auto IV was widely anticipated. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in April 2008, and for Microsoft Windows in December 2008. Upon release, the game received universal critical acclaim, with praise particularly directed at the narrative and open world design. Grand Theft Auto IV broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history at the time, earning US$310 million in its first day and $500 million in its first week. Considered one of the most significant titles of the seventh generation of video games, and by many critics as one of the greatest video games of all time, it won year-end accolades, including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications. The game had sold over 25 million copies by 2013, and is one of the best-selling PlayStation 3 games. The game also generated controversy, with criticism directed at the game's depiction of violence and players' ability to drive under the influence of alcohol. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto V, was released in September 2013.

Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto IV is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. Players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. It is possible to have several active missions running at one time, as some missions require players to wait for further instructions or events. Outside of missions, players can freely roam the game's open world, and have the ability to complete optional side missions. Composed of the fictional city of Liberty City, the world of Grand Theft Auto IV is larger in area than most earlier entries in the series. At the beginning of the game, players can only explore the first island–composed of Dukes and Broker–with all other islands unlocking as the story progresses.

Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the game's world. There is a first-person perspective option when using vehicles. In combat, auto-aim and a cover system can be used as assistance against enemies. Should players take damage, their health meter can be fully regenerated using multiple techniques, such as eating, using medical kits, or calling for paramedics. If players commit crimes while playing, the game's law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display (HUD). On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level (for example, at the maximum six-star level, efforts by law enforcement to incapacitate players become very aggressive). Law enforcement officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. The wanted meter enters a cool-down mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight.

The game's cover system allows players to move between cover, to fire blindly, aim freely, and target a specific enemy. Individual body parts can also be targeted. Melee attacks include additional moves, such as dodging, blocking, disarming an opponent and counter-attacking. Body armour can be used to absorb gunshots and explosive damage, but is used up in the process. When health is entirely depleted, gameplay stops, and players respawn at the nearest hospital.

The game's single-player mode lets players control an Eastern European war veteran, Niko Bellic. During the story, Niko meets various new characters, many of whom he befriends. These characters can then perform favours for Niko whenever he asks; for example, his cousin Roman, who owns a taxi service, can send one of his cabs to Niko and take him to any destination around the city. Cabs are always available during gameplay, allowing players to quickly travel to a destination. Throughout the course of the game, players are also faced with morality choices, which alter the storyline appropriately depending on the player's choice. While free roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as bowling or darts. Other available activities include a vigilante mini-game, and in-game television programming. Niko has a smartphone for contacting friends and starting activities. The smartphone is also used to access the game's online multiplayer mode, and to enter cheat codes. To access the in-game Internet, which allows Niko to send and receive emails and set up prospective dates with potential girlfriends, Niko can use Internet cafés located around the city. The game also features a subway system, allowing players to quickly traverse through the game's world.

The online multiplayer mode for Grand Theft Auto IV allows up to 32 players to freely roam across a recreation of the single-player world. Players decide which game mode that they wish to play, including deathmatches and street races. Both cooperative and competitive game modes are available. These game modes are split into ranked and unranked matches. For players to level up through ranks, in-game money must be earned. 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. Hosts of the game can control many variables, such as police presence, traffic, and weapons. LAN support is available in the Windows version of the game.

Synopsis

Setting

Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in 2008, within a redesigned version of Liberty City. The design of the setting focuses on a recreation of four of the boroughs of New York City – Broker (based on Brooklyn), Dukes (Queens), Bohan (The Bronx), and Algonquin (Manhattan). The setting also includes the independent state of Alderney, based on Northern New Jersey, and three minor islands based on those around New York City: Charge Island (Randall's Island), Colony Island (Roosevelt Island), and Happiness Island (Liberty Island). Initially, bridges are locked down due to a terrorist threat, and players are constantly pursued by police if the bridges are crossed, but the blockades are lifted as the story progresses, allowing the player to traverse between islands. Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in a different storyline and timeline from the previous games in the series. However, the game takes place in the same canon as its expansion packs, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, and its successor, Grand Theft Auto V. Most of the setting would be later used for the handheld game Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, with the exception of Alderney.

Plot

Niko Bellic, an Eastern European, arrives in Liberty City aboard a cargo ship, the Platypus, to reunite with his cousin Roman, pursue the American Dream, and search for the man who betrayed his unit in a war fifteen years prior. Upon arrival, however, Niko discovers that Roman's tales of riches and luxury were lies concealing struggles with gambling debts and loan sharks, and that Roman lives in a dirty apartment in Broker rather than a mansion. While carrying out some jobs for Roman's taxi company, Niko meets and befriends several residents in Broker, including Little Jacob, an underboss of the Yardies, and Michelle, whom Niko quickly begins to date.

Niko is forced to work for Vlad Glebov, Roman's Russian loan shark, but eventually kills him after learning he slept with Roman's girlfriend, Mallorie. In retaliation, Niko and Roman are kidnapped by Liberty City Bratva members on orders of Mikhail Faustin and his deputy Dimitri Rascalov. Not bothered by Vlad's murder, Faustin hires Niko, who quickly discovers Faustin's true nature after being ordered to kill the son of Kenny Petrović, the most powerful man in the Bratva. When Petrović threatens retaliation, Dimitri convinces Niko to assassinate Faustin in order to prevent a gang war. When Niko meets with Dimitri to collect on the hit, Dimitri brings his former employer Ray Bulgarin instead, who accuses Niko of stealing from him a few years earlier. After Niko denies the allegation, a firefight ensues, allowing Dimitri and Bulgarin to escape.

Niko and Roman are immediately forced to flee to Bohan after their apartment and taxi company are burned down by Dimitri's men. However, things go poorly as well in Bohan: Dimitri's men kidnap Roman in an attempt to lure out Niko, who rescues Roman. Furthermore, Michelle reveals herself as a government agent actually named Karen, and entraps Niko into working for her company, known only by its cover: United Liberty Paper. Niko assassinates several known or suspected terrorists for the agency in exchange for clearing his criminal record and assistance in finding the traitor of his unit. Niko and Roman's fortunes suddenly improve when the latter receives a large amount of money from an insurance claim he made on his destroyed business. Using the money, Roman buys an apartment in Algonquin, then restarts his taxi company. He also proposes to Mallorie, who accepts.

Looking to secure a better lifestyle for himself and Roman, Niko works for various individuals in Liberty City's underworld, including drug dealers, the Irish Mob, and several Mafia families. He becomes acquainted with Irish mob underboss Patrick McReary, whom he befriends and helps with a bank robbery, as well as Pegorino Family caporegime Ray Boccino, whom he assists with a major diamond deal that goes awry. Boccino later introduces Niko to Don Jimmy Pegorino, who assigns him work. After suspecting Ray of being an informant, Pegorino orders Niko to kill him.

Eventually, the Paper tracks down the man responsible for Niko's unit's betrayal, Darko Brevic, and brings him into Liberty City for Niko to decide his fate. Having achieved closure on his past, Niko is summoned by Pegorino, who demands one final favour: to help with an extremely lucrative deal on heroin in collusion with Dimitri. Niko must either strike a deal with Dimitri, or exact revenge on him.

Should Niko go through with the deal, Dimitri again betrays him and takes the heroin for himself. At Roman's wedding, an assassin sent by Dimitri unintentionally kills Roman with a stray bullet. Aided by Little Jacob, a devastated and vengeful Niko kills Dimitri, who in turn killed Pegorino. Later, Niko is informed by Mallorie that she is pregnant with Roman's child, whom he vows to protect. Should Niko choose to exact revenge, he storms the Platypus and fights his way through Dimitri's men, ultimately killing him. At Roman's wedding, Pegorino, furious after Niko's betrayal, targets him in a drive-by shooting, but ends up accidentally killing Niko's new girlfriend, Patrick's sister Kate. Aided by Little Jacob and Roman, Niko kills Pegorino, who had been targeted by the Liberty City underworld. Later, Roman informs Niko that Mallorie is pregnant, and that if the baby is a girl, they will name her in Kate's memory.