Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV

GTA 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 utilizing 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. The more chaos caused, the stronger the response: police will handle "minor" infractions (attacking people, pointing guns at people, stealing cars, killing a few people, etc.), whereas SWAT teams, the FBI, and the military respond to higher wanted levels.

The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions.

Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in a redesigned Liberty City consisting of five boroughs, based on four of the boroughs of New York City and New Jersey. Broker is the equivalent of Brooklyn, Queens is Dukes, the Bronx is Bohan and Manhattan is Algonquin, and New Jersey is Alderney (after the Channel Island of the same name). A Staten Island-esque area will not be featured in the game for the reason that Rockstar Games believes it would not be fun to play there. Dan Houser states that there would not be any "dead spots" or "irrelevant space" within Liberty City, such as the wide open deserts in San Andreas.

The total area of the map is smaller than San Andreas, but the new rendition of Liberty City will be far more detailed and is the largest individual city in the Grand Theft Auto series.[24] According to the Official PlayStation 2 Magazine (UK edition), "to get from one side of the new and improved Liberty City to the other will take you at least an hour." Rockstar Games has stated that it is the biggest single city in a Grand Theft Auto game yet, and although smaller than "San Andreas", it is comparable to it in terms of scope when "the level of verticality of the city, the number of buildings you can go into, and the level of detail in those buildings" are taken into account.[25] Eventually, the player will be able to lead Niko to cross the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges and explore.

Screenshots reveal that the Brighton Beach area is renamed as "Hove Beach" from Brighton and Hove, the English city from which the area gets its name; Coney Island is renamed as "Firefly Island"; Central Park is renamed "Middle Park". The "Statue of Happiness" is the game's equivalent of the Statue of Liberty; "Star Junction" is Times Square; "BOABO" (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass) is DUMBO; the "Thornton Building" is the Flatiron Building; and "Twitchins" is Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Factory; the "GetaLife" building is the MetLife Building; the "Booth Tunnel" is the Lincoln Tunnel (named after Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth). Other structures include the Coney Island Cyclone, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building.



Major characters

Niko Bellic is a fictional character in the Grand Theft Auto video game series. He is the main protagonist and playable character of Grand Theft Auto IV. Niko is revealed to be guilty of previous criminal acts in his life, such as murder and human trafficking. He wishes to begin a new life in Liberty City after being persuaded by his cousin Roman, who claims in his e-mails to Niko to be living the "American Dream." It is later revealed that these are lies to hide Roman's own failures. During the course of the story, Niko is looking for someone who betrayed his old army unit and will stop at nothing to find him, enlisting help from wherever he can. Niko is said to be between 5’11” and 6’2”, is between 28 and 32 years of age, 190-200 lbs and is Eastern European. He has served in the Balkan Peace Keeping Force, and has been imprisoned in a third-world prison, for reasons unknown, at this time.

Roman Bellic is Niko's cousin who has lived in Liberty City for 15 years. Roman claims to be living the "American Dream" and that he has two women, four hot tubs and fifteen sports cars but in reality owns a gritty taxi firm in Broker, Liberty City's version of Brooklyn. He successfully manages to persuade his cousin Niko to move to the city using this deception. Roman is also heavily in debt with various figures around the city, like the Russian mafia in Liberty City. In one of the trailers he seems to be hiding in a garbage can, where Niko comes to meet him.


Elizabeta Torres is a successful small-time drug dealer in Bohan. However, she knows an upcoming drug crackdown is going to make her life very difficult and with her own narcotic use spiraling out of control she’s becoming increasingly paranoid and delusional. She appears in the third trailer and in the promotional artwork for the game. Although earlier renditions of the artwork depict her as much thinner than her final appearance it is shown on advertisment posters made by rockstargames that she is between 5'11-6'2" tall and may weigh between 200-225 pounds. The posters also tells that her age is between 28-32.


Playboy X was introduced to Niko by Elizabeta. He is an African-American gangster, and owns a mansion in the North Algonquin area. He used to do business with a pal called Dwayne Forge, a drug baron and gang leader who was recently released from prison, but Playboy has since moved on without him. He wears a multi-colored hoodie.


"Little" Jacob is a Caribbean arms dealer who lives in Dukes and sells Niko weapons out of the trunk of his car. He and Roman are good friends and he appears on cover-art for the game. It is said that he is Jamaican, may be 5'8"-5'10" of height, and also may weigh between 175 to 185 pounds. It is also said that he may be between age 28 to 32.


"Vlad" Glebov is a Russian loan-shark of the Hove Beach area in Broker. He owns a Bar, called "Comrade's" in his neighbourhood. Vlad tries also to gain respect from more influential gangsters and is sometimes hypocritical about the citizens of Liberty.

Manny Escuela is a Puerto Rican former hoodlum who has apparently changed his ways, and now wants to clean up the streets.In a game trailer it has also hinted that he may be operating from a recreational center in Bohan.He is currently recording a documentary explaining his struggles and problems. His current occupation is a dance instructor.


Brucie is a fitness enthusiast and a loud mouth, who enjoys fine women and cars. He enjoys the attention he gets from being rich. He sports a tattoo of a Chinese character meaning "Me" or "I". Brucie also owns a garage by Roman's Taxi Depot.Once Niko's relationship with him is high enough, he will provide free helicopter rides for him. In one of the missions, he instructs Niko to steal a police car and type an informants name into the car's computer so he can find and assassinate him.


Phil Bell is an half-Irish half-Italian front operator for one of the five Cosa Nostra families in Liberty City. The character bears a resemblance to Tony Soprano.


Patrick McReary is an Irish thug who is also the heir to Liberty City's declining Irish Mob. Youngest of the McReary family, he is related to corrupt police detective Francis McReary, Derrick McReary, Kate McReary and incarcerated ex-IRA member Gerry McReary. He lives with his mother and sister, although he doesn't seem to like them much. Katie McReary, his sister, shows an "interest" in Niko, but he warns him away from her. Those who know him refer to him as "Packie." He is also a close friend of Elizabeta. He is seen at the end of the third trailer with two other unknown Irish-looking gangsters who force Niko to join their gang.


Francis McReary is a corrupt police detective who has "dirt on Niko's past." He threatens to reveal this information unless Niko helps him by obtaining various memory sticks with information about his own corruptions from lawyers and blackmailers alike. In one mission, he meets up with Niko in an area called Castle Gardens which is a coast-side hangout analogous to Battery Park overlooking the Statue of Happiness.[10] He wears a black suit and tie, has a short moustache, and has slicked blonde hair with a strong side parting.


Kate McReary is Packie McReary's sister. She shows a great deal of romantic interest in Niko.

Gerry McReary is an Ex-IRA member who is now incarcerated. He is the brother of Packie and Kate McReary and is known to give orders to the Liberty City Irish Mob from prison through his brother Packie.

Derrick McReary is yet another member of McReary family. He is rumored to have a heroin problem.


Mikhail Faustin is a major figure in Liberty City's Bratva. He is violent, drunk and prone to mood swings.


Dwayne Forge is an associate of Playboy X. He is an old school African-American gangster who was locked up on crack distribution charges in the early 1990s. He was recently released from prison, but is disturbed by the world of bling and excess he's found in an underworld that was all about straight business when he left it over a decade ago.


Gameplay

* After the initial load sequence, there are no loading sequences during gameplay. A Rockstar spokesperson claimed, "you can basically play the game from beginning to end without a single load screen.

* Titles in the GTA series have traditionally been heavily mission based (fixed missions must be completed to progress through each game), but the freedom to explore and play outside of the set missions in GTA IV will now be more relevant to progress through the game, according to comments by a Rockstar spokesperson: "We're really trying to blur the line between on-[mission] and off-mission. So storyline, and what you do outside, and how those two things influence each other.

* Niko will be able to perform a variety of new actions such as climbing telephone poles and fire escapes, pushing people who bump into him, calling women for dates, playing darts and bowling. Niko may become intoxicated, causing him to stumble and the camera to blur and bounce about.

* The player will not be able to fly any fixed-wing aircraft. However, helicopters will be flyable. Francis International Airport (from Grand Theft Auto III) is confirmed to be in the game.
* 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 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 and a list of several commands are made available to the player, such as "meet me here," etc. Retrying a failed mission can be performed by accessing the menu. The phone can be used outside of vehicles to listen to one of the 18 radio stations. The player can take photos with the mobile phone and upload them to the police computer. Niko can dial 911 to call the police for them to arrest an enemy/pedestrian that is fighting/shooting at him, or just to trick them into wasting resources on a false alarm. He can also contact the paramedics and the fire station.

* Stealing a parked car can no longer be done simply by opening the door and driving off. Now, it involves Niko approaching the car, breaking the glass, and hotwiring it; only then can he use it. The way Niko enters the car would look different each time depending on where and how he is in relation to the car. There will be several animation variations to sneaking up to a car and breaking its window. Because of the Euphoria engine, the way the character will approach the car will be completely random.

* Players will be able to choose from five different camera views while in a car, including a dashboard view, two outside views near and far from the car, a road view, and a cinematic view.[citation needed] The new chase cam will follow the player but focus the camera direction on a target vehicle.

* All cars feature a standard GPS device while more expensive vehicles have voice-navigation GPS. Car damage physics have been greatly improved.[citation needed] When major collisions on motorbikes occur, the player's helmet is likely to fall off. Niko can lose health if he crashes. Vehicles will not explode if they are flipped over.

* When driving in a car the player will be able to smash the window with his elbow, free-aim, and fire out of the broken window with any weapon in Niko's arsenal.

* The gunfight system has been reworked to feel natural by using a cover system similar to that of Gears of War and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, as the combat system in previous games was awkward and cumbersome. The player can slide to cover, blindfire, and free aim. When locked on, the target's health is indicated by eight purple segments on the target circle. 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 radar, and a right semi-circle represents armour. If Niko gets injured, he can recover health by eating, sleeping or using medical kits. Body armour and actual health will play different roles. Health is more likely to be reduced by falls and going through the windscreen of a car when crashing, Body armour will be damaged more by gunshots and stab wounds.

* Notable weapons in this game other than melee fighting with fists and knives include pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and molotov cocktails.

* Niko will be able to visit comedy clubs and cabarets in the game.

* There will be no jet-packs, bicycles, parachutes or tanks

* There is now an autosave that activates after completing a mission.

* Every street in Liberty City contains a physical sign with a name on it.

* The vehicle GPS systems in Grand Theft Auto IV can be used to display the best route to take on a mission which requires you to travel to a different place. This route is marked on the map.
NPC behaviour

* According to Dan Houser, "virtually none of the characters from the previous games are returning, as a lot of them are dead anyway."

* Police and wanted levels will now operate differently. When the police are in search of Niko, the player will now have to avoid a certain radius marked on the map in which the police will be looking for him. The size of this radius will increase with the player's wanted level (the more stars, the bigger the radius) and re-centres itself on Niko's location if he is spotted by the police. Instead of utilizing the "Pay 'N' Spray" as in previous games, Niko has to realistically disguise himself by clandestinely changing vehicles in empty areas such as parking garages, a feature seen in the video game Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. When on foot, police will not shoot at Niko unless he has committed a serious offence. If they catch up to Niko, he will put his hands up and the player will have the option to attempt to escape before the handcuffs are slapped on.Additionally, pedestrians with cellphones can now report crimes.

* Interpersonal relationships are now dynamic; ignoring cell phone calls or refusing help will change the attitude of specific characters towards Niko.

* Pedestrians are much more intelligent, realistic, and diverse, using mobile phones, cash machines, eating snacks, drinking soda, reading newspapers, scratching their noses, coughing, smoking, and interacting with each other through laughter and remarks. Homeless people will be seen in alleys rubbing their hands over a flaming barrel, sitting against walls, asking for spare change, and other expected actions. The flow of pedestrians and traffic will be different depending on the time of day. Pedestrians and motorists will often act as good Samaritans and aid characters that Niko is attacking or carjacking.



Environment

* Niko's outfit can be changed throughout the game. However, it will not be possible to customise his physique or hairstyle as in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as Dan Houser explained: "We want this installment to focus more on interacting with other in-game people other than yourself."

* When Niko goes to the hospital, he has to pay $100 and he will keep his weapons. When Niko gets arrested, he has to pay more than $100 and he will lose his weapons.

* In a police vehicle, Niko can use an in-car computer to access the criminal database and discover information about various criminals in Liberty City, possibly including himself.

* The player can hail a cab in order to travel to any address in the city. When riding, the player has the option of viewing the journey from the inside, or skipping it to arrive at the destination immediately.[citation needed] The player will be able to ask the driver to change the radio station by pressing D-pad left or right.

* Niko will make use of the Internet as a means of communication. Although the exact details of the role of the Internet in the game are being kept secret, it has been revealed that Niko can access the internet from various cyber cafés, one of which is called "TW@" (twat) in order to upload a resume for prospective employers. There are over 100 accessible, fictitious websites within the game. Although TW@ was seen early in Grand Theft Auto III, it did not give the player the option to "surf the internet".

* Every street in the game will have a name; some missions will require the player to go to a specific address.

* A day in Liberty City is forty-eight minutes long (one game hour lasts two minutes in real time), instead of twenty-four minutes as in previous Grand Theft Auto titles.

* Some meetings in the game will take place high in the buildings of skyscrapers, which will subsequently allow Niko to throw people off the buildings. However, Niko will not be able to access all the buildings in the game.