Grand Theft Auto IV
About the Game
The Serbian ex-soldier Niko Bellic had witnessed the horrors of war, which turned him bitter and cynical. Disappointed by life, he immigrates to the United States, which his cousin Roman enthusiastically describes as a country of wealth and pleasure. However, the reality is quite different: Roman is poor, has no stable job, and owes money to some dubious individuals. As Niko attempts to help his hapless cousin and pave a more secure future for both of them, he becomes more and more involved in the life of crime.
Story & Setting
Liberty City is heavily based on New York, where the protagonist has to gain respect, welfare, and power throughout the game.
Gameplay & Core Systems
Like in most GTA games, the city map is gradually uncovered during the course of the game. players starts in Broker (based on Brooklyn), and, in order to access the other three districts of the city (based on the other major boroughs of New York City), has to make progress in the storyline. players can sometimes engage in various missions at the same time and has free access to the non-mission features of the game while being on one. Most of the usual elements of exploration and interaction with the city are included in GTA IV . Niko can cause mayhem in the city, hijack cars, listen to radio stations, observe the behavior of the citizens, enter thematic buildings, work as a vigilante, taxi driver, or ambulance driver, hire a prostitute, go to a strip club, and so on.
Standout Features
- Among the new features is the possibility to watch television (with several channels broadcasting various fictional programs) and connect to a fictional Internet, with functional websites (mostly of a humorous nature) created specifically for the game, and an e-mail program.
- Some features from the previous games are missing, such as drivable airplanes and a few other vehicle types.
- Niko retains the ability to swim and engage in romantic relationships with female characters, features first introduced in San Andreas .
- The game uses the euphoria motion engine, an alternate middleware solution much like ragdoll physics, which makes all people in the game world move realistically depending on the situation around them.
- Niko: For example, every time Niko enters a car, a different animation will be generated depending on his position relative to the car.
- A new feature compared to its predecessors is multiplayer.
- Compared to the console releases, the Windows release features high-resolution graphics, a video editor to capture and edit in-game footage, and the possibility to customize the radio station Independence FM with its own songs.
- However, the light role-playing elements (training to increase stamina, eating, etc.) from the previous entry have been removed.
Modes & Ways to Play
The same free-roaming environment is offered for up to 16 players (32 in the Windows version) in 15 modes. Certain modes narrow down the environment to make sure players remain somewhat in each other's vicinity.
Player support includes Co-Op, Free-for-all / One-on-one (VS), Team, and 2-4 Players.
Presentation & Atmosphere
Following the tradition of the 3D installments of the series, the game is entirely located in one of the three cities of the original GTA , Liberty City, but now in present time, and with an environment reminiscent of GTA III , though bigger and more detailed.
Display support includes Progressive Scan (480p), HDTV 720p, HDTV 1080i, HDTV 1080p, and Widescreen (16 x 9). Audio support includes Dolby Digital.
