Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV (officially abbrevated as GTA IV) is the eleventh Grand Theft Auto game in the series, the first of the GTA IV Era.

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 been released worldwide to widespread hype on April 29, 2008. GTA IV was 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 original version made even more sucess than its expansions. The PC version was released on December 3, 2008.

Two Episodes of downloadable content have been for Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360 - The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. These have also been released together in the standalone Episodes from Liberty City pack. EFLC was released for the PC and PlayStation 3 on April 13th, 2010.

Story

 * "Life is complicated; I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different." -- Niko Bellic

Grand Theft Auto IV is set in 2008 in a redesigned Liberty City, a stylized recreation of New York City. Niko Bellic is an Eastern European (Serbian) that has come to America to find a better life and to look for that "special someone," following the advice of his cousin Roman. When he arrives, he finds that Roman has been lying - he isn't rich, he isn't popular, and he's actually heavily in debt from loan sharks. Niko has been duped into solving Roman's problems, and soon ends up in trouble himself. The story later reveals that Niko isn't just in Liberty City for the women and the luxury condos. His plans to live a better life change drastically when he is been forced to kill Mikhail Faustin. Faustin's second in command, Dimitri Rascalov, ends up turning on Niko, Dimitri finds that Ray Bulgarin lives in Liberty City, which makes it even harder for him to get started with his new life.

Plot
Grand Theft Auto IV follows the story of Niko Bellic, a human trafficker, smuggler, and veteran of the Bosnian War, who is haunted by the betrayal of his army unit by one of its own during the war. After a smuggling run he is running goes bad Niko leaves Eastern Europe[22] to escape the anger of his employer, Ray Bulgarin. Eventually, under persuasion from his cousin Roman, Niko comes to Liberty City, where he hopes to pursue the American Dream as well as find the man he blames for betraying his old army unit: Florian Cravic, whom he has learned lives in the city. After his arrival, however, Niko quickly learns that Roman's tales of riches and luxury were lies concealing Roman's struggles with gambling debts and loansharks.

Niko's first conflict is with Roman's Albanian loan sharks Dardan and Bledar, whom Niko kills to protect Roman. Niko also meets Roman's Russian loanshark Vladimir Glebov, whom he spends some time working for to help pay Roman's debts and later kills because Vlad had an affair with Roman's girlfriend, Mallorie Bardas. Niko also befriends Jamaican drug and arms dealer "Little" Jacob Hughes and steroid junkie chop shop owner Bruce "Brucie" Kibbutz. After killing Vlad, Niko and Roman are kidnapped by members of the Liberty City Bratva, on order of Mikhail Faustin and his associate, Dimitri Rascalov. However Faustin is not angry with Niko for killing Vlad, and instead hires him. Niko completes several jobs for Faustin, quickly learning that Faustin is a sociopath with little concern for consequences. Soon Faustin orders Niko to kill the son of Kenny Petrović, the most powerful man in the Liberty City Bratva. Dimitri tries to negotiate an agreement, but Petrović demands revenge and Dimitri is forced to have Niko assassinate Faustin at his club, the Perestroika. However, when Niko meets with Dimitri to collect on the assassination, Dimitri sells Niko out to his angry former employer Ray Bulgarin. Niko fights his way through the ambush with the help of Little Jacob but Dimitri and Bulgarin escape and Jacob suggests dealing with them later.

Immediately afterwards Niko and Roman are forced to escape to Bohan when their Hove Beach apartment and taxi company are destroyed in arson attacks. At this time Roman reveals his plans to propose to his Mallorie. While in Bohan Niko takes jobs for former gangbanger Manny Escuela who wants to become famous by cleaning up the streets of Bohan; drug dealer Elizabeta Torres; Irish mobster Patrick "Packie" McReary; and Trey "Playboy X" Stewart, a successful drug dealer from Algonquin. Niko also becomes an errand boy for both Mafia Capo Ray Boccino and crooked Deputy Police Commissioner Francis McReary, who turns out to be Packie McReary's brother.

However, things go poorly in Bohan as well when one of Elizabeta's drug deals that Niko is working turns out to be a sting, and the LCPD begin to close in on Elizabeta. Elizabeta becomes paranoid and begins to take large amounts of cocaine. Then Elizabeta kills Manny Escuela and his camera-man, Jay Hamilton, when they confront her about being a drug dealer and has Niko sell the bodies to a doctor who steals their organs. Soon afterwards Elizabeta is arrested and later sentenced to 300 years. Then Roman is kidnapped by Dimitri Rascalov's men because he owes them money. Niko arrives at the warehouse where Roman is being kept and, in a rage, kills all the kidnappers. Roman decides Bohan is no longer safe, and decides to move to Algonquin.

Soon after, Roman buys a penthouse in Algonquin with money he has won gambling. Meanwhile Niko assists Ray Boccino in a conflict diamond deal with Johnny Klebitz and diamond dealer Isaac Roth, which goes badly and leads to the diamonds being stolen by Luis Lopez and the money being stolen by Johnny Klebitz. Boccino receives a death threat from Roth, and orders Niko to execute Roth. After killing Roth, Niko becomes angered with Boccino and refuses to work for him anymore. In exchange for Niko's help, Boccino locates Florian Cravic. But when Niko confronts Cravic he discovers that Florian has changed his name to Bernie Crane and become an effeminate homosexual. Niko soon determines that Bernie is not the person responsible for his unit's betrayal, leaving him one remaining suspect: Darko Brevic.

Niko also works for both Playboy X and Playboy's old mentor Dwayne Forge, who have different ideas about how things should be. Niko becomes friends with Forge, saying that he sees some of himself in Forge. After Niko kills the owners of the Triangle Club, whom Playboy does business with, the relationship between Playboy and Forge becomes so poisonous that each asks Niko to kill the other, leaving Niko a choice between the two. If Niko kills Playboy he does not get paid but does receive Playboy's loft and believes he made the right choice in sticking by his friend. If Niko kills Forge he is paid, but Playboy despises him as a cold-blooded hired gun and breaks off the contact with Niko.

While in Algonquin Niko also develops a strong connection with the McReary family, including Packie's older brothers Gerald, Derrick, and their sister Kate, whom he begins dating. Together Niko, Packie, and Derrick, along with "Saint" Michael Keane, rob the Bank of Liberty. After the robbery Derrick spends most of his share on drugs and alcohol, and sends Niko on several jobs to eliminate former partners he believes are informing on him. Soon Francis McReary becomes concerned that his brothers drug habits and behaviour could stand in his road to becoming commissioner, and tells Niko to kill Derrick. Soon after Derrick calls Niko, paranoid of his brother, asking Niko to kill Francis. This gives Niko a choice between the two.

Niko also works with Gerry McReary to destroy the relationship between the Ancelotti Crime Family and their Albanian muscle-men and later kidnapping Grace, the daughter of the Don of the Ancelloti Family, in exchange for a ransom of the conflict diamonds stolen by Luis Lopez during Ray Boccino's deal with the Jewish Mafia.

Niko also does work for the Pegorinno family in Alderney, mainly with Capo Phil Bell and later for Don Jimmy Pegorino who is trying to gain a seat on the Commission by weakening the other families. This leads to a war between the Pegorinno, Pavano, and Ancellotti Crime Families. Eventually, after working for Pegorino several times, Niko is sent to kill Ray Boccino because Pegorinno is convinced Boccino is an informant.

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 the dying mobster Jon Gravelli, locates Darko Brevic in Bucharest and arranges to have him brought to Liberty City as a final reward. Niko confronts Darko, who has become a drug-addicted wreck, and learns that Darko betrayed the group for $1,000 dollars to supply his drug habits. The player is then left with the option of either executing Darko or sparing his life. Having dealt with his past, Niko is left feeling lost and goes to the Honkers Strip Club in Alderney for a drink. But he is interrupted by Pegorino, who demands of him one final favour; to help with an extremely lucrative heroin deal in collusion with Dimitri Rascalov.[45]

End
The story features two possible endings depending on the choice made by the player at this point in the game. In both endings Niko sees Pegorino as an enemy for allying so closely with Dimitri, and both antagonists die in nearly identical battles. The major difference in each ending is that either Roman Bellic or Kate McReary dies (they each advise Niko towards a different decision, and ironically, the one Niko takes advice from is the one to die).

If the player chooses to exact Revenge, Niko ambushes Dimitri on the ship Platypus while he is supervising the shipment of heroin. Niko begins an assault on the ship, climaxing in a gunfight within the cargo hold of the ship during which Niko kills Dimitri. In the aftermath, Roman and Mallorie's wedding takes place and Jimmy Pegorino, who is furious after the betrayal, commits a drive-by outside the church killing Niko's love interest, Kate McReary. However, now that Pegorino has angered both Niko and the Five Mafia families, the entire underground of Liberty City wants him dead and he goes into hiding. Niko, Roman and Little Jacob track down and follow some of Pegorino's men, who lead them to an abandoned casino in Alderney. Niko attempts to kill Pegorino, but he escapes via boat to Happiness Island. Niko, Roman, and Jacob pursue in a helicopter, until both the helicopter and the boat crash on Happiness Island. Niko chases and kills Pegorino at the foot of the Statue of Happiness before lamenting on the supposed "American Dream" to Roman and Jacob. After the end credits, Roman reveals to Niko in a phone call that he and Mallorie are expecting a child and if it is a girl, will name it Kate.

If the player chooses to strike a Deal, Niko meets Phil Bell at the docks to take the money from the buyers once Dimitri delivers the heroin to another location. However Dimitri does not deliver the heroin and Niko and Phil are forced to fight to escape, but retrieve the drug money regardless. Niko then receives a congratulatory call from Pegorino who has now allied himself with Dimitri. Kate McReary, however, who was against making the deal, is disappointed with Niko and refuses to attend Roman and Mallorie's wedding. The wedding takes place where an assassin is sent by Dimitri to kill Niko, but kills Roman with a stray bullet as Niko disarms him. Niko then savagely murders the assassin. A devastated and vengeful Niko teams up with Little Jacob and together they follow some of Pegorino's men to an abandoned casino in Alderney where Dimitri and Pegorino are hiding. Inside the casino, Dimitri betrays and kills Pegorino before escaping to Happiness Island via helicopter. Niko and Little Jacob pursue, and Niko kills Dimitri in the shadow of the Statue of Happiness. The story ends with a parting shot of the Statue of Happiness, with Niko concerned for the well-being of his soul. After the end credits, Mallorie reveals to Niko in a phone call that she is pregnant with Roman's child, who Niko promises "will never have to worry about anything".

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 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.

Game Information
Game Content
 * Liberty City in GTA IV
 * Vehicles
 * Missions
 * Weapons
 * Characters
 * Gangs
 * TV Shows
 * Radio Stations

Game Features
 * Features
 * Secrets and Easter Eggs
 * Cheats
 * Multiplayer
 * Multiplayer Clothing
 * Internet
 * Wanted Level
 * Friendships
 * Girlfriends
 * Safehouses
 * Unique Vehicles

Meta Articles
 * Pre-release Information
 * Critical Reception and Sales
 * 100% Completion
 * Achievements & Trophies
 * Trailers
 * Gripes
 * GTA IV Timeline
 * Tips