Ah the wonder and beauty of Liberty City. Long after Rockstar had headed to The Old West or the west coast state of San Andreas, they decided to go to the first city they created. The story of Niko Bellic and his pursuit of the American Dream would become one of the best games ever created. Grand Theft Auto IV was a pivot back to a more gritty and visceral tone for the series.
Niko was told a lot of things when he came to America. Almost all of them turn out to be lies by his lowlife cousin. Niko must do whatever he can in order to keep both of them alive. In what little time he has after this, he is looking for someone who betrayed his military unit many years back. Niko will go all around Liberty City, making friends and enemies as he goes.
Niko is different from most GTA protagonists. Most are after some sort of power, their position in the underworld rising as they go trough the game. Niko wants none of this. He came to America for a specific purpose. He is not some aspiring crime lord, but rather a man who gets things done. His motivation is not money, but just to keep breathing long enough to find a man and get revenge. Niko might be one of the most relatable characters in the entire game.
Liberty City was always a stand in for New York City. In GTA IV, this gets taken to it’s most realistic conclusion. You are in New York City, even if some buildings are not where they should be. This attention to detail was a bit of foreshadowing on the part of Rockstar. This was not simply a game, but rather an interactive experience. GTA games have always been targeted for being too violent. The truth is more complex. GTA IV is a real look at a city, the good and the bad. There are good and law abiding people in Liberty City, but Nico would not be in their social circle. Much like the buildings that seems to come out of a travel log, the people that Nico meets are real. They just don’t happen to be very nice.
Grand Theft Auto IV still holds high scores from both critics and gamers alike. It’s sequel would launch the company into orbit, but it was this game that showed that crime may not be pretty, but a game about it could be. The dirt and grime are somewhat beautiful. A realistic look at why some people do what they do, this game has a high place in a list of the greatest games ever created.
