About Grand Theft Auto IV
What is Grand Theft Auto IV? - Everything You Need to Know
Well, are you interested in Grand Theft Auto IV, the next in the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series? Don’t know much about Grand Theft Auto, or GTA games?
This article, heralding information from all angles possible, is simplified and informative enough for anybody to easily pick up with the pace of information for Grand Theft Auto IV. Basically, it contains everything you need to know about Grand Theft Auto IV is right here! Now, let’s roll…
Grand Theft Auto IV - The Best Video Game since Grand Theft Auto III
What is Grand Theft Auto IV? Grand Theft Auto IV, often abbreviated to GTA IV, GTA 4, or even IV, has been announced by Take Two Interactive on the 9th of May, 2006. The game was to be released on the 16th of October 2007 initially, but was later pushed back to the 29th of April, 2008.
Grand Theft Auto product sypnosis: What does the American Dream mean today?
For Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape his past.
For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity.
As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don’t.
Grand Theft Auto IV will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 at the same time. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game will be generally similar, but extra downloadable episodic content has been announced for the Xbox 360 version only. The first downloadable episode, titled “Grand Theft Auto IV: Episode One”, will be available in August 2008.
Special Editions of Grand Theft Auto IV for both consoles are also available. It includes a collection which will be packed in a metal safe deposit box and contain the game, an artwork book, a music CD, a key chain and a duffel bag. The Soundtrack CD includes 16 tracks, all of which can be seen below.
Grand Theft Auto IV Soundtrack CD - Track Listing:
- Soviet Connection (Theme from GTA IV) by Michael Hunter
- Dirty New Yorker by Mobb Deep (feat. Havoc & Prodigy)
- No Sex for Ben by The Rapture
- No Fraid A by Munga
- Where’s My Money by Busta Rhymes
- I Want You by C.J.
- Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh
- Stand Up Jamrock by Bob Marley & The Wailers and Damian Marley
- Liberty City: The Invasion by Seryoga
- Vagabond by Greenskeepers
- On a Journey by Electrik Funk
- Nickname by Qadir
- Holy Thursday by David Axelrod
- War is Necessary by Nas
- Zombie by Fela Kuti
- 5:23 (Maiden Voyage) by Global Communication
In the Special Edition of Grand Theft Auto IV, the game case, soundtrack CD, art book, keyring and duffel bag will all be stuffed very tightly inside the lock box, which itself will then be inside an outer cardboard box which features a different artwork, which can be seen here. Photos of the packaging can also be viewed here.
Grand Theft Auto IV will be the first game in the “IV” series of games, and will use RAGE (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine), the engine which was also used for Rockstar Presents: Table Tennis. Grand Theft Auo IV is also powered by the NaturalMotion Euphoria physics engine.
It’s amazing, but Grand Theft Auto IV isn’t at all a perfect game — nothing is. But it can be said to be the most entertaining, detailed and artistic video game ever. I mean, what beats grinding the road with a burnt-out tire grooving to Smash Pumpkins while watching pedestrains cleaning windows, sipping coffee and just going about thier lives realistically?
In fact, whatever much of a Guitar Hero, Devil May Cry, Burnout, Warcraft, Halo, or Call of Duty game isn’t going to replicate, imitate or even come close to the entertainment experience that Grand Theft Auto IV provides. It clearly lives up to the pre-release hype, as clearly stated by many game reviewers who have played it.
Grand Theft Auto IV has been rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB, “18+” by PEGI, “18″ by the BBFC, “MA15+” by the OFLC and “M18″ in Singapore. This time, it’s Partial Nudity, Strip Clubs and Moderate Violence making appearances. Not for the faint-hearted. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
The Man of Liberty
No more mute or stiff protagonists. After more than half a decade since Grand Theft Auto III, it’s time for a new generation. Having a much more more fleshed-out protagonist than Carl “C.J.” Johnson in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV is the first in the series to feature a clearly defined character alongside a modern-day setting.
Niko Bellic, an Eastern European man, has arrived in Liberty City, the video games’ evil twin of New York City, hoping that “things will be different” from his old, crime-ridden life in Eastern Europe.
Niko can be said to be the most complex, intriguing Grand Theft Auto protagonist yet. He has also a subtle charm belying his stony visage. He spends time and runs missions with his cousin Roman, who enticed him to Liberty City in the first place. He also does jobs for several people such as the Rastafarian “Little” Jacob, and an extended cast of misanthropes and Russian Mafia runabouts (eg, Vlad Glebov and Manny Escuela).
The Firearms of Liberty
The gun-based combat might be one step behind the solid controls and a far throw from dedicated third-person shooters, but Grand Theft Auto IV truly represents a dramatic step forward in the Grand Theft Auto series. Its gunplay allows you to take cover, navigate environment options, and lock-on by flicking between targets with the right analog stick or manually aim at targets with a full or half-press of the left controller trigger/shoulder button. Grand Theft Auto IV also has a total of 16 weapons, and stuff o the floor like bricks can be picked up and used as weapons.
The melee combat is now far more improved than any Grand Theft Auto-like game out there, with more offensive and defensive maneuvers. It is now more dynamic and interesting than ever, and the controls are a vast improvement.
As for the weapons themselves, there are Uzis and the like can now be aimed independently while driving vehicles. On foot, the new, jaw-dropping Rocket Launcher skims the ground, leaving smoky trails and screen-rattling explosions in its wake. You can also toss grenades out of car windows, making for some maniacally hilarious images in your rear-view mirror.
The Autos of Liberty
Well, what is Grand Theft Auto without the Autos? It might take a few minutes for some to readjust to Grand Theft Auto IV’s intentionally (and reaslistic) slippery vehicle handling after a few years of street racers and Burnouts, but the driving in Grand Theft Auto IV is nonetheless rewarding.
Don’t forget, you’ll have to elbow through a window of parked/locked cars to get their doors open, and then you’ll watch Niko hot-wire them before getting behind the wheel (a process you can speed up with some rapid button presses). Just like how you’ll hijack a vehicle in reality.
Also, a new “Drunk Driving mode” catches up with you when you drink a couple at the bar in the game and try to drive. A minigame will see you commandeering a vehicle with awful handling and shaky camera. Superb.
Is your car’s hood filled with thick, black smoke? Sorry, it’s wrecked, you can’t drive it. One of the new features in Grand Theft Auto IV is that cars don’t always explode so quickly. Cars can also be unoperatable when they are wrecked too severely. The cars also take longer to explode, and the explosions are wicked this time round!
All of these are made possible, thanks to a brand-new Euphoria physics engine. You’ll now see Niko fly through a few windshields when driving way too fast and coming to an abrupt stop. And thanks to similar physics that dictate every physical action and reaction in the game, shooting another driver won’t necessary slow down their car.
The City of Liberty
Unlike Grand Theft Auto III’s Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto IV’s Liberty City — based mostly on New York City — is startlingly, convincingly, and entirely real. Pedestrians drop what they’re holding if you startle them, and they’ll run to help others in need, and engage you violently if you caused it. A living, breathing world.
Definitely, the architecture and artistry behind every dingy worn corner of the city has to be seen to be appreciated. With pitch-perfect lighting design and a real-time, dynamically cyclical weather system to drive it, every moment spent in Liberty City will feel unique.
All of the social parody you’re expecting is in place, from the smarmy billboards adorning the walls of Star Junction (Liberty City’s Times Square) to the typically sarcastic radio DJs. And while the city lacks the scattered weapons and Rampage missions, its side missions and sheer size and aesthetic variety will keep you exploring for months. Experiencing the highs and lows of everything Liberty City has to offer couldn’t be more tantalizing.
Also, almost every song seems to have one reference or another to Liberty City, including that clasic sog you just heard on the radio. It’s as if Liberty City has a history. It’s truly a “living, breathing world”. Step onto someone’s backyard and they’ll not be to happy. Step into a comedy club without load times at all. It’s all there, just like the real world.
The People of Liberty
Every play has its actors. Every story has its characters. Grand Theft Auto IV is no different. Watch the short videos on Grand Theft Auto IV’s gritty characters here! Generally, besides Niko Bellic — the main man — we have in Grand Theft Auto IV several other interesting people, such as:
- ROMAN BELLIC - Niko Bellic’s cousin who enticed him to step onto American soil.
- LITTLE JACOB - a Jamaican arms dealer, one of Niko’s associates.
- FRANCIS MCREARY - a corrupt police officer who has dirt on Niko’s past.
- PATRICK MCREARY - an Irish hoodlum, a good friend of Elizabeta.
- VLADIMIR GLEBOV - Russian-born money lender who runs the Hove Beach neighbourhood of Broker.
- ELIZABETA TORRES - asuccessful drug dealer in Bohan for more than ten years.
- MANNY ESCUELA - an ex-gangster from South Bohan.
- BRUCIE KIBBUTZ - fitness enthusiast and car nut, thinks very highly of himself.
- PLAYBOY X - a hustler, who owns a big mansion in Algonquin.
- DWAYNE FORGE - an old friend of Playboy X who recently got released from prison.
- BLEDAR MORINA - an Albanian money lender operating in Broker.
- MIKHAIL FAUSTIN - another hardcore Eastern European gangster.
- PHIL BELL - an Alderney businessman and mafia goon.
- DIMITRI RASCALOV - appeared in trailers and screenshots, identity unknown.
- BRYCE DAWKINS - ultra-conservative Deputy Mayor of Liberty City.
- KAREN - the receptionist at Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster law firm.
- MICHELLE/KAREN - Niko Bellic’s first girlfriend, which betrays him and is later revealed to be a government agent.
- UL PAPER
- LOLA DEL RIO - Mikhail Faustin’s hooker.
- MALLORIE - currently dating Roman Bellic, and later marries Roman later in the game.
- RAY BOCCINO - an Italian mobster, the mafia are trying to help Niko look for someone.
- TOM GOLDBERG - a shady lawyer from the law firm Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster.
- JEREMY ST. IVES - Liberty City’s top celeberity.
- YUSUF - a wealthy Arab whom Playboy X is aiming to impress.
- A government agent whom Michelle/Karen works for.
In Grand Theft Auto IV, inter-people relationship is a key factor. Maintaining good relationships with certain figures will earn you some benefits, also allowing you to progress further into the game’s storyline. Or, gain a bad reputation, and you might have to pay for the consequences later.
The Sound of Liberty
There are a total of 18 radio stations, and the radio stations that are currently announced include: IF99, K109 THE STUDIO, VLADIVOSTOK FM, WKTT RADIO, BEAT 102.7 and THE VIBE. Here are the details based on the Radio Stations revealed in the OXM and OPM reviews:
ELECTROCHOC | Hosted by Francois K | Contemporary Dance/Electro
Padded Cell - “Signal Failure”
Black Devil - “The Devil in Us (Dub)”
One + One - “No Pressure (Deadmau5 Remix)”
Alex Gopher - “Brain Leech (Bugged Mind Remix)”
Simian Mobile Disco - “Tits & Acid”
Nitzer Ebb - “Let Your Body Learn”
Kavinsky - “Testarossa Autodrive (Sebastian Remix)”
Chris Lake vs. Deadmau5 - “I Thought Inside Out (Original Mix)”
Boys Noize - “& Down”
Justice - “Waters of Nazareth”
Killing Joke - “Turn to Red”
Playgroup - “Make It Happen”
Liquid Liquid - “Optimo”
IF99 | Hosted by Femi Kuti | International Funk
Lonnie Liston Smith - “A Chance for Peace”
War - “Galaxy”
The O’Jays - “Give the People What They Want”
Gil Scott-Heron - “Home Is Where the Hatred Is”
The Meters - “Just Kissed My Baby”
Mandrill - “Livin’ It Up”
Manu Dibango - “New Bell”
Fela Kuti - “Sorrow, Tears & Blood”
Femi Kuti - “Truth Don Die”
Creative Source - “Who Is He and What Is He to You”
Hummingbird - “You Can’t Hide Love”
Fela Kuti - “Zombie”
K109 THE STUDIO | Hosted by DJ Karl (Karl Lagerfeld) | Disco
Peter Brown - “Burning Love Breakdown”
Tamiko Jones - “Can’t Live Without Your Love”
Gino Soccio - “Dancer”
Suzy Q - “Get On Up and Do It Again”
Elektrik Funk - “On a Journey”
Don Ray - “Standing in the Rain”
Cerrone - “Supernature”
Rainbow Brown - “Till You Surrender”
Harry Thumann - “Underwater”
Skatt Bros. - “Walk the Night”
LIBERTY CITY HARDCORE | Hosted by Jimmy Gestapo | Hardcore Rock
Murphy’s Law - “A Day in the Life”
Maximum Penalty - “All Your Boyz”
Underdog - “Back to Back”
Leeway - “Enforcer
Sick of It All - “Injustice System”
Cro-Mags - “It’s the Limit”
Sheer Terror - “Just Can’t Hate Enough”
Bad Brains - “Right Brigade”
Killing Time - “Tell Tale”
Agnostic Front - “Victim in Pain”
VLADIVOSTOK FM | Hosted by Ruslana | Eastern European
Kino - “Gruppa Krovi”
Marakesh - “Zhdat”
Zvery - “Kvartira”
Seryoga - “King Ring”
Seryoga - “Liberty City: The Invasion”
Splean - “Liniya Zhizni”
Basta - “Mama”
Leningrad - “Nikogo Ne Zhalko”
Ranetki Girls - “O Tebe”
Dolphin - “RAP”
Glukoza - “Schweine”
Ruslana - “Wild Dances (Ukranian FM Version)”
Oleg Kvasha - “Zelenoglazoe Taksi (Club Mix)”
THE VIBE 98.8 | Hosted by Vaughn Harper | Soul/R’n'B
Ne-Yo - “Because of You”
R. Kelly - “Bump n’ Grind”
Mtume - “C.O.D. (I’ll Deliver)”
Alexander O’Neal - “Criticize”
RAMP - “Daylight”
The Isley Brothers - “Footsteps in the Dark”
Jodeci - “Freek’n You”
Lloyd - “Get It Shawty”
Jill Scott - “Golden”
Loose Ends - “Hangin’ on a String (Contemplating)”
Freddie Jackson - “Have You Ever Loved Somebody”
Dru Hill - “In My Bed (So So Def Remix)”
Marvin Gaye - “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”
Minnie Riperton - “Inside My Love”
Barry White - “It’s Only Love Doing It’s Thing”
C.J. - “I Want You”
The SOS Band - “Just Be Good to Me”
Ginuwine - “Pony”
Raheem DeVaughn - “You”
THE BEAT 102.7 | Hosted by Mr Cee & DJ Green Lantern | Contemporary Hip-Hop/Rap
Styles P - “What’s the Problem”
Uncle Murda - “Anybody Can Get It”
Qadir - “Nickname”
Busta Rhymes - “Where’s My Money”
Maino - “Getaway Driver”
Red Cafe - “Stick’m”
Tru-Life - “Wet ‘em Up”
Johnny Polygon - “Price On Your Head”
Swizz Beatz - “Top Down”
Nas - “War Is Necessary”
Kanye West featuring Dwele - “Flashing Lights”
Joell Ortiz featuring Jadakiss & Saigon - “Hip Hop (Remix)”
Fat Joe featuring Lil Wayne - “Crackhouse”
Mobb Deep - “Dirty New Yorker”
Ghostface Killah featuring Kid Capri - “We Celebrate”
Styles P featuring Sheek Louch & Jadakiss - “Blow Your Mind (Remix)”
Papoose - “Stylin’”
CLASSICS 104.1 | Hosted by DJ Premier | Old-Skool Hip-Hop
Group Home - “Supa Star”
Brand Nubian - “All for One”
Special Ed - “I Got It Made”
Jeru the Damaja - “D. Original”
Marley Marl featuring Craig G - “Droppin’ Science”
MC Lyte - “Cha Cha Cha”
Audio Two - “Top Billin’”
Boogie Down Productions - “I’m Still #1″
Stetsasonic - “Go Stetsa I”
T La Rock & Jazzy Jay - “It’s Yours”
Gang Starr - “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?”
Main Source featuring Nas, Fatal & Akinyele - “Live at the Barbeque”
SAN JUAN SOUNDS | Hosted by Daddy Yankee | Latin/Reggaeton
Calle 13 - “Atrévete-te-te”
Daddy Yankee - “Impacto”
Hector El Father - “Maldades”
Voltio featuring Jowell y Randy - “Pónmela”
Don Omar - “Salio El Sol”
Wisin & Yandel - “Sexy Movimiento”
Tito El Bambino - “Siente El Boom (Remix)”
Angel y Khriz - “Ven Baílalo”
LIBERTY ROCK RADIO 97.8 | Hosted by Iggy Pop | Classic Rock
The Smashing Pumpkins - “1979″
Steve Marriott - “Cocaine”
Godley & Creme - “Cry”
The Sisters of Mercy - “Dominion/Mother Russia”
Stevie Nicks - “Edge of Seventeen”
Electric Light Orchestra - “Evil Woman”
David Bowie - “Fascination”
Q Lazzarus - “Goodbye Horses”
Black Sabbath - “Heaven and Hell”
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - “Her Strut”
The Stooges - “I Wanna Be Your Dog”
Thin Lizzy - “Jailbreak”
Genesis - “Mama”
Hello - “New York Groove”
Queen - “One Vision”
The Black Crowes - “Remedy”
Joe Walsh - “Rocky Mountain Way”
The Who - “The Seeker”
Elton John - “Street Kids”
Heart - “Straight On”
ZZ Top - “Thug”
R.E.M. - “Turn You Inside Out”
JAZZ NATION RADIO 108.5 | Hosted by Roy Haynes | Jazz
Count Basie - “April in Paris”
John Coltrane - “Giant Steps”
Chet Baker - “Let’s Get Lost”
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers - “Moanin’”
Miles Davis - “Move”
Charlie Parker - “Night and Day”
Roy Haynes - “Snap Crackle”
Sonny Rollins - “St. Thomas”
Duke Ellington - “Take the “A” Train”
Dizzy Gillespie - “Whisper Not (Big Band)”
RADIO BROKER | Hosted by Juliette Lewis | Indie Alternative Rock
The Boggs - “Arm in Arm (Shy Child Mix)”
Cheeseburger - “Cocaine”
Get Shakes - “Disneyland, Pt. 1″
LCD Soundsystem - “Get Innocuous!”
The Prairie Cartel - “Homicyde”
Juliette and the Licks - “Inside the Cage (David Gilmour Girls Remix)”
Unkle featuring The Duke Spirit - “Mayday”
The Rapture - “No Sex for Ben”
Tom Vek - “One Horse Race”
Teenager - “Pony”
Les Savy Fav - “Rage in the Plague Age”
White Light Parade - “Riot in the City”
Deluka - “Sleep Is Impossible”
The Black Keys - “Strange Times”
The Pistolas - “Take It With a Kiss”
Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band - “The Teacher”
The Greenskeepers - “Vagabond”
Whitey - “Wrap It Up”
!!! - “Yadnus (Still Going to the Roadhouse Mix)”
TUFF GONG RADIO | Hosted by Carl Bradshaw | Reggae/Dub
Stephen Marley - “Chase Dem”
Bob Marley & The Wailers - “Concrete Jungle (The Unreleased Original Jamaican Version)”
Bob Marley & The Wailers - “Pimper’s Paradise”
Bob Marley & The Wailers - “Rat Race”
Bob Marley & The Wailers - “Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock)”
Bob Marley & The Wailers - “Satisfy My Soul”
Bob Marley & The Wailers - “So Much Trouble in the World”
Bob Marley & The Wailers - “Stand Up Jamrock”
Bob Marley & The Wailers - “Wake Up and Live”
MASSIVE B SOUNDSYSTEM 96.9 | Hosted by Bobby Konders | Dance Hall
Burro Banton - “Badder Den Dem”
Choppa Chop - “Set It Off”
Mavado - “Real McKoy featuring Busy Signal”
Jabba - “Raise It Up”
Bunji Garlin - “Brrrt”
Richie Spice - “Youth Dem Cold”
Chuck Fenda - “All About Da Weed”
Chezidek - “Call Pon Dem”
Mavado - “Last Night”
Spragga Benz - “Da Order”
Bounty Killer - “Bullet Proof Skin”
Shaggy - “Church Heathen”
Munga - “No Fraid A”
Buju Banton - “Driver A”
FUSION FM | Hostd by Roy Ayers | Disco
David McCallum - “The Edge”
Roy Ayers - “Funk in the Hole”
Gong - “Heavy Tune”
David Axelrod - “Holy Thursday”
Grover Washington, Jr. - “Knucklehead”
Aleksander Maliszewski - “Pokusa”
Ryo Kawasaki - “Raisins”
Marc Moulin - “Stomp”
Billy Cobham - “Stratus”
Tom Scott & The L.A. Express - “Sneakin’ in the Back”
THE JOURNEY | Hosted by A Computer | Ambient/Chillout
Global Communication - “8:07″
Terry Riley - “A Rainbow in Curved Air”
Steve Roach - “Arrival”
Michael Shrieve - “Communiqué ‘Approach Spiral’”
Jean Michel Jarre - “Oxygene (Part IV)”
Philip Glass - “Pruitt-Igoe”
Tangerine Dream - “Remote Viewing”
Aphex Twin - “Z Twig”
Ray Lynch - “The Oh of Pleasure”
PUBLIC LIBERTY RADIO | Hosted by Lazlow | Call-in Talk Radio Station
WKTT RADIO | Hosted by Various DJs | Right-Winged Political Talk Radio
Some songs will also be played in mission cutscenes and inside building interiors, which were not listed in the list of songs that plays on the radio stations of Liberty City. The exact songs are not yet known. However, the theme song of Grand Theft Auto IV is also titled “Soviet Connection” by Michael Hunter.
The Players of Liberty
Well, maybe an all-single player game was alright back in 2001, but now, the Next-Geneation consoles deliver truly more than enough to support Multiplayer gameplay. Since the release of Grand Theft Auto III, it was many fans’ wishes for the comeback of the Multiplayer Grand Theft Auto, but in 3D.
San Andreas for the PlayStation 2 offered a co-operational mode, while Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories for the PSP offered an AdHoc Multiplayer mode, but both came nowhere close to a full Multiplyer mode present in games like Call of Duty 4 or Halo 3.
What gamers really needed is really just a fun and easy-to-pick up multiplayer Grand Theft Auto with multiple game modes, clan support and achievements. Grand Theft Auto IV has it all! It comes with a total of 15 game modes, where the maximum number of players is 16.
Configuration of each multiplayer game can also be adjusted by the host. Several settings such as vehicle types, volume of traffic, number of pedestrians, police, weapons and weather can all be toggled. Characters are also completely customisable.
- Deathmatch + Team Deathmatch: 16 players
- GTA Race: 16 players
- Mafiya Work: 8 players
- Team Mafiya Work: 16 players (in up to 8 separate teams of 2 players)
- Cops n’ Crooks: 16 players (in two teams of up to 8 players each)
- Hangman’s Noose: 4 players
- Free roam: 16 players
Plus, the Rockstar Games Social Club to track your statistics and climb up the virtual criminal ladder! Gain points, do crazy stunts, and complete Niko’s story arc in record time to impress your Female counterparts!
More?
Do you crave for more Grand Theft Auto? You’ve come to the right place! Besides this page, we’ve got lots of Grand Theft Auto IV related news and media all around our site. Do take a look around! Lastly, don’t forget to pre-order a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV!
