Grand Theft Auto IV - Gen. Discussion & Info (PS3) OUT NOW PS3 review score = 99.6%

In Grand Theft Auto 4 you take on the role of Niko Bellic, an immigrant from Eastern Europe with an ominous past. Persuaded by his cousin's promises of a fresh start and a better life, Niko relocates to Liberty City, USA -- the worst place in America. After making the move to Liberty, however, Niko quickly realizes that his hopes of "living the American Dream" may never come to pass... and that things here may not be so different after all.

Although Liberty City may not differ greatly from Niko's homeland, being different and standing out is definitely a major theme with Grand Theft Auto IV. While GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas were considered to be part of the GTA III trilogy (same graphics engine, similar characters, similar mission style, etc.), Grand Theft Auto IV is considered a fresh start for the GTA series, focusing more heavily on realism and storytelling than in previous titles. This is why it's been dubbed GTA4 and not GTA6 (as many had originally anticipated), even though it's the sixth major title in the series.

GTA IV follows the release of the hugely successful GTA: San Andreas (which was released for PlayStation 2 in 2004, and then later for PC and Xbox during 2005) and also marks the 10th anniversary of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. With Grand Theft Auto 4 being the milestone that it is, Rockstar Games has been working overtime on perfecting the game. According to Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey -- a financial consultant for Take2 Interactive -- approximately 150 developers are currently working on GTA 4.

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NIKO BELLIC

"Life is complicated. I killed people. Smuggled people. Sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different."
​

Grand Theft Auto IV's protagonist, Niko Bellic, is an Eastern European immigrant with a dark and shady past. Niko is in his mid-thirties, and moved to Liberty City to escape his past and pursue the "American Dream". The move was persuaded by his cousin, Roman, who claimed to be living there with two women, four hot tubs and fifteen sport cars - a lifestyle which very much appealed to Niko. Believing these claims, Niko got on a boat and headed for America in the hope of a better life. It soon became apparent, however, that Roman had lied in order to cover up his own failures. The truth is he operates a failing taxi business, has mounting debts, and various criminals from Liberty City's underworld have put a price tag on his head.
ROMAN BELLIC
Roman is Niko's cousin, and has lived in Liberty City for fifteen years. He is an optimist, a fantasist, and a liar, and he lured Niko to Liberty City with false promises. At the beginning of the game, Roman serves as your only friend and as your only connection in the story. He runs a failing taxi business in a converted industrial garage in Broker, and dates a girl called Mallorie. Once your relationship with Roman advances to a certain stage, he provides a free taxi service to Niko.
LITTLE JACOB
Jacob (nicknamed "Little Jacob") is a Jamaican arms dealer from Dukes, and one of Niko's many associates. He talks with a thick heavy Jamaican accent, and supplies you with any firepower you need, which he keeps stored in the trunk of his car. He is a good friend of Roman Bellic, Niko's cousin. Once Niko's relationship with Jacob reaches a certain level, he will come and bring you guns anywhere in town whenever you need them.
FRANCIS MCREARY
Francis McReary is a corrupt police officer (what would a GTA game be without one?) who has dirt on Niko's past. He knows about a felony Niko committed, and threatens to expose it unless Niko runs some errands for him. In the mission "Call and Collect," McReary asks Niko to retrieve a memory stick with sensitive data which was stolen from him. McReary comes from a tough neighbourhood.
PATRICK MCREARY
Patrick is an Irish hoodlum who is related to bent cop Francis McReary (see above). Those who know him refer to him as "Packie" for short. Patrick is a good friend of Elizabeta who lives with his mother and sister, though he doesn't particularly enjoy it. His sister, Kate, is in love with Niko (she is seen kissing him in the third GTA IV trailer) but Patrick warns him away from her.
VLADIMIR GLEBOV
Russian-born money lender, bully, top international businessman, and patron of the bar Comrades. Vlad sees himself as a powerful and intimidating character with a lot of influence, who runs the Hove Beach neighbourhood of Broker with an iron fist. The reality is, however, that he is a low level Russian criminal trying to win respect amongst the bigger boys in town. Most of his criminal activities are minor.
ELIZABETA
Elizabeta has been a successful drug dealer in Bohan for more than ten years. Her success is due mainly to the fact that she tends to keep her business low-key, while paying off or ordering the killings of the right people. A crackdown on drug dealing has increased the level of pressure on Elizabeta, as police begin to focus more on her activities. She has recently developed a drug addiction, which is making her dangerously paranoid and delusional.
MANNY ESCUELA
Manny Escuela is an ex-gangster from South Bohan, who managed to transform his life and put his troubled past behind him. Now he is trying to help others do the same, and is determined to clean up the neighbourhood, the kids, and the streets of Liberty City, by leading the "St. Mary's Community Project." He is currently having a documentary made about himself, to record his struggle in the community.
BRUCIE
Fitness enthusiast, car nut, and self appointed VIP. Brucie thinks very highly of himself. He is a man brimming with confidence, who isn't afraid to make himself heard. He lives a lavish lifestyle, with nothing but the finest women, cars and lifestyle accessories. He was introduced to Niko by Roman, and operates a garage in Broker, just around the corner from the taxi depot. Once Niko's relationship with Brucie advances to a certain stage, Brucie provides a free helictoper service to Niko.
PLAYBOY X
Playboy X is a hustler, who was introduced to Niko by Elizabeta. He owns a big mansion in Algonquin, where much of his business is conducted from. He requires Niko to do several jobs for him. Playboy used to do business with a friend called Dwayne Forge, who was recently released from prison, but Playboy has since moved on without him.
DWAYNE FORGE
Dwayne Forge is an old friend of Playboy X who recently got released from prison. He fears that Playboy has moved on in the world and left him - and the street life - behind. He is a confident character.
BLEDAR MORINA
Bledar Morina is an Albanian money lender operating in Broker, who you encounter early on in the game. He is a blackmailer, a thug, and a fitness enthusiast. He is seen terrorising Roman Bellic in the third GTA IV trailer at 00:58.
MIKHAIL FAUSTIN
One of the game's many hardcore Eastern Europeans who you meet early on in the game. Niko goes on to develop a working relationship with Faustin as the story unfolds. You can see an official artwork illustration of Faustin here.
PHIL BELL
Phil Bell is an Alderney businessman and mafia goon. He agrees to help Niko look for someone, but in return Niko must run some errands for the mafia. Phil works with another mafioso individual known as Ray.
DIMITRI
Dimitri's role in the game is currently unknown.

Additional Characters
BRYCE DAWKINS - Ultra-conservative Deputy Mayor of Liberty City, who will ram family values down your throat.
​

KAREN - The receptionist at Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster, an Algonquin law firm.
MALLORIE - She is currently dating Roman Bellic, Niko's cousin.
RAY - 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. McReary wants him dead.
YUSUF - A wealthy Arab whom Playboy X is aiming to impress.

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2-8 Teams
Players work as a team to rub out other teams for money - and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins. Take the other crew down. Remember to loot the cash dropped by deceased players. That's the way to get ahead.

2-8 Teams
You're a member of a crew doing contract work for the mafiya - including such plum gigs as escorting wanted men, picking up MacGuffins and stealing cars. Work as a team to complete contracts before the time period ends and get the rewards. You'll probably want to do your best to scupper the other crew's work as well. Each contract you complete gives your team cash, and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

2-8 Teams
Cars spawn parked around the map and the teams must steal them and take them to a drop off point. The cash teams get for dropping off stolen vehicles depends on their condition - teams get less cash the more damaged they are. The exception to this are special bonus cars, stuffed with drugs, which give a set amount of cash on delivery no matter how damaged they are. Your crew has to get hold of whatever vehicles the boss wants. Whichever crew makes the most money wins. Simple.

2 teams only

A team-based mode in which the Crooks must get their Boss to safety, while the Cops have to take him down. The Boss is marked with a cross hair. This mode has two sub-modes: All for One and One for All.

1. In All for One, one team is made up of Crooks and a Boss, and the other team is made up of Cops. The Cops are trying to hunt down and kill the Boss while the Crooks are trying to protect him. The Cops win by killing the Boss and the Crooks win by getting the Boss safely to the getaway vehicle and escaping.
2. One for All is similar but there is no Boss. Here, the Cops win by killing all of the Crooks and the Crooks win by filling up a getaway vehicle with members of their team. Only 4 people can escape in the getaway vehicle. Players cannot respawn in this mode.

2 teams only
A timed capture-the-base mode. There are a number of bases around the map that you have to take by standing on them for a short period of time. The more players that are on a base, the faster it can be captured. The more bases that your team owns, the faster your team's cash score increases. If the rival gang is on or near a base, you won't be able to take control of it - so do what you can to try and ... displace them. The team with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

2-4 Players
Single player mission that features co-op play. Mafiya boss Petrovic has illegally flown into Francis International Airport, and someone has tipped off the cops. The objective? Escort Petrovic to safety while being pursued by the Liberty City Police Department's NOOSE (SWAT) division.

2-16 Players
It's a complete free for all! Anything goes, and you can use any tactics you like to kill off the competition. Confined to specific areas of Liberty City in order to keep the action intense.

2-8 Players
Working under the direction of Kenny Petrovic via. your cellphone, you will compete against other players in a series of mini-missions. You might have to pick up recruits for the firm or take out a target, or even find and then dispose of a dozen severed heads.

1-16 Players
Like single-player, except playing with your friends. Complete free for all. No rules, no objectives, no score. You're free to do whatever you wish.

1-16 Players
Race to the finish through each checkpoint in order: If you take a wrong turn or mess up in some way, you can respawn your vehicle on the last checkpoint you passed. There is a large selection of races for cars, boats, and helicopters - you can choose laps and vehicle class/type. This mode has two sub-modes: Free Race and Cannonball Run.

1. Free Race are point-to-point races. First one to reach the end point wins.
2. Cannonball Run are races where you have to traverse several checkpoints any way you can.

1-16 Players
Similar to the orthodox Race, but with the added element of combat. Race and fight your way through the checkpoints in order and then hit the finish, but this time you can also pick up the weapons spawned en route to help take out your opponents. You can also exit the vehicle during the road races.

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Since the Grand Theft Auto series went to 3D back in 2001, it's been known for a compelling and lengthy single-player mode. While GTA IV looks to continue that tradition, Rockstar has also added a robust multiplayer featuring plenty of competitive, cooperative and team modes. We've previously offered an in-depth look at Hangman's NOOSE, Cops 'n' Crooks, Team Deathmatch and GTA Race. Get ready to learn about some of the other modes which you will almost certainly be playing online next week.

GTA IV doesn't have a traditional menu. When you pop the disc into your console, you are launched into your most recent single-player campaign save. To get to multiplayer, just whip out Niko's phone and select it from the list of available applications. Once you've chosen a ranked or unranked match, you're off to the lovely land to murder, death, kill online.

Party systems have become popular in online games. Invite some friends to your party and you'll be able to teleport around to various game modes, sticking together between each session. But you won't be sitting around long staring at boring screens. That's because Party Mode drops you into a secluded part of Liberty City with a host of guns and vehicles available to smack your buddies around. This is your lobby and it can become a pleasant distraction while the host tries to get his act together and launch you into one of the many multiplayer modes available.

Though you do spawn a bit out of the public eye, you can still hop in a car or helicopter and take off from more populated areas. As with all of GTA's multiplayer modes, Liberty City is wide open to you. If you want, you can abandon your friends and go exploring. While this may sound enticing, there is a mode designated for causing mayhem in the streets. Party Mode is a distraction while the host sets up the real fun -- Free Mode.

Defend your turf.

Free Mode
As much as we've loved Cops 'n' Crooks, Free Mode is going to be the bread and butter of GTA IV multiplayer. Here's the deal: Up to 16 players can run around Liberty City doing whatever they want. Create your own game modes, hunt for Easter eggs, work together to survive a six-star wanted level -- if you can dream it, there's probably a way to do it. And this mode begins in the most unusual, jarring way.

You begin in a standoff with the other players. Everyone spawns in a circle and there is, at least the first time you play Free Mode, a brief moment of surprise when no one does a damn thing. This lasts a few seconds before someone takes out a gun and shoots their neighbor in the face. But this standoff isn't just to start the killing (and jump people around the city with their first respawn); it also allows players to talk about what they want to do in Free Mode. This way you don't have to hunt for anyone in order to discuss plans to take a bus caravan down to Star Junction or to agree that there will be a knife fight atop the Algonquin Bridge. Or you can just blow each other up. It's Free Mode -- do whatever the hell you want.

As with the other MP modes, the host has plenty of options to customize the experience, from setting the level of traffic, to turning cops on or off, to the time of day, to weapons available and so much more. This also includes setting a time limit if you don't want Free Mode to last forever.

Free Mode taps into the very essence of the GTA series. As much as we may love the single-player narrative, the core game is still the open city ready to be explored. Part of enjoying a GTA game is spending dozens of hours racing around the city, causing trouble and hunting for Easter eggs. Now you can do it with 15 of your closest friends. No longer do you need to nudge your buddy and say, "You looked up the Statue of Happiness' skirt yet?" Now you can pick him up in a chopper and show him what you're going on about.

At first, people will be content to run around the city destroying one another. But over time, games will emerge from these online jam sessions. Take a few people to the top of Playboy X's pad and try to defend it from the rest of the group; play a game of "Quell the Riot" where one person hops into a fire truck and uses the fire hose to keep back a crowd armed only with baseball bats; or make your own version of "America's Most Wanted," which has everyone acquire a six-star wanted level and see who can make it to the other end of Liberty City without dying.

There are many possibilities for Free Mode. It's wide open. You decide how to approach it.

Weather and time of day are customizable in multiplayer.

Team Mafiya Work
Your cell phone plays a major role in the single-player campaign, but is a fairly minor thing in multiplayer. That is, until you play Team Mafiya Work. Throughout the match, you and the competing teams receive text messages assigning you missions from the mafiya. This might mean jacking a specific car, assassinating an informant, or any number of other errands. The team that completes the objective first scores the cash. Just don't get cocky. As soon as one errand is completed, another one pops up on your phone.

While most team-based games play best with just two groups, Mafiya Work is better with more teams. The errands given are usually fairly easy to pull off and something that a small group of three or four people can handle. You get greater chaos and a more competitive match with more teams vying for the same objective.

Do as much damage as possible before a car is delivered.

Mafiya Work is a fairly unique objective-based multiplayer. We didn't play a lot, but we never had a duplicate mission. As great as Cops 'n' Crooks or Team Deathmatch may be, they have the same objective every single time. Mafiya Work mixes things up and will keep you on your toes because you can never anticipate what the next errand might require. And it can lead to some chicanery.

In multiplayer, you can use your phone to dial and have private conversations with members of your own team or of the opposing team. So give a call to an enemy -- one who's not too bright -- and act like you are on his team. Who knows, he may just be dumb enough to follow your instructions. And if nothing else, at least you can mock him until he hangs up his phone.

Team Car Jack City
Taking the name Grand Theft Auto to heart, Car Jack City has teams stealing selected cars from around Liberty City. The marked cars show up on your radar as do dropoff points. Of course, you're in competition with the other teams, which makes things interesting. Unless the car is secretly stuffed full of drugs, it loses value as it takes damage. So when you get in a car, the other teams will target you -- either to jack the car from you or destroy it outright.

One strategy is to have people waiting near the dropoff points. Armed with a rocket launcher, they can turn a jacked car into a smoldering mess moments before the other team scores.

Team Car Jack City is a test of both your driving and navigation skills. Crashing into cars and lampposts may be fun, but it also devalues your ride and costs you valuable dollars. But at the same time, if you don't know shortcuts and can't figure out the quickest way to intercept somebody, then you're going to have a tough time stopping the other teams from winning.

Like Team Mafiya Work, Car Jack City is best played with several teams when possible. The smaller groups make things far more frantic as there are only a handful of marked cars at any given time. What's more fun than having two people shoot it out over stealing a high-powered Infernus? Having three people shoot it out, of course.

Ride or die.

Turf War
Turf War is your classic capture-the-point mode. There are three points on the map (though there may be options to add more) and just two teams to try and hold them. To snag a point, you need to stand in the circle at the center of the base. The more people who stand in the circle, the quicker the base is captured. Don't worry, the points are in the same neighborhood -- you won't have to run around all of Liberty City. You could wander off it you wanted to, but that's not really the point of Turf War.

Capturing a base is pretty easy. Holding onto the base is a lot more difficult. In our numerous sessions with Turf War, it became a challenge to get all three points at the same time. Leaving enough people to defend two bases and then reclaim another is not easy. But there are some tricks we learned. Setting up road blocks is a wise strategy. Pile cars on the street to block off access. You can also shoot up the lead car and get it smoking and close to total destruction. This way, if the other team tries to smash through the barrier, they should do enough damage to the smoking car to set it on fire -- and have it explode. And you pop one car and the other 15 are sure to follow. Done properly, you can create a fireworks display heretofore unseen in a block party.

You don't have to capture all points to win the match. You just need to score the most points before time runs out. Points, obviously, are given for controlling bases. So the more you control and the longer you control them, the better your chance of winning.

Turf War is a fun and frenetic mode. It's the mode most likely to inspire a drive-by. And, like most of the other modes in GTA IV multiplayer, is puts a premium on teamwork. Eight individuals doing their own thing leads to failure. Success comes to those who communicate and work together. You know, the stuff gamers do so well.

Since the Grand Theft Auto series went to 3D back in 2001, it's been known for a compelling and lengthy single-player mode. While GTA IV looks to continue that tradition, Rockstar has also added a robust multiplayer featuring plenty of competitive, cooperative and team modes. We've previously offered an in-depth look at Hangman's NOOSE, Cops 'n' Crooks, Team Deathmatch and GTA Race. Get ready to learn about some of the other modes which you will almost certainly be playing online next week.

GTA IV doesn't have a traditional menu. When you pop the disc into your console, you are launched into your most recent single-player campaign save. To get to multiplayer, just whip out Niko's phone and select it from the list of available applications. Once you've chosen a ranked or unranked match, you're off to the lovely land to murder, death, kill online.

Party systems have become popular in online games. Invite some friends to your party and you'll be able to teleport around to various game modes, sticking together between each session. But you won't be sitting around long staring at boring screens. That's because Party Mode drops you into a secluded part of Liberty City with a host of guns and vehicles available to smack your buddies around. This is your lobby and it can become a pleasant distraction while the host tries to get his act together and launch you into one of the many multiplayer modes available.

Though you do spawn a bit out of the public eye, you can still hop in a car or helicopter and take off from more populated areas. As with all of GTA's multiplayer modes, Liberty City is wide open to you. If you want, you can abandon your friends and go exploring. While this may sound enticing, there is a mode designated for causing mayhem in the streets. Party Mode is a distraction while the host sets up the real fun -- Free Mode.

Defend your turf.

Free Mode
As much as we've loved Cops 'n' Crooks, Free Mode is going to be the bread and butter of GTA IV multiplayer. Here's the deal: Up to 16 players can run around Liberty City doing whatever they want. Create your own game modes, hunt for Easter eggs, work together to survive a six-star wanted level -- if you can dream it, there's probably a way to do it. And this mode begins in the most unusual, jarring way.

You begin in a standoff with the other players. Everyone spawns in a circle and there is, at least the first time you play Free Mode, a brief moment of surprise when no one does a damn thing. This lasts a few seconds before someone takes out a gun and shoots their neighbor in the face. But this standoff isn't just to start the killing (and jump people around the city with their first respawn); it also allows players to talk about what they want to do in Free Mode. This way you don't have to hunt for anyone in order to discuss plans to take a bus caravan down to Star Junction or to agree that there will be a knife fight atop the Algonquin Bridge. Or you can just blow each other up. It's Free Mode -- do whatever the hell you want.

As with the other MP modes, the host has plenty of options to customize the experience, from setting the level of traffic, to turning cops on or off, to the time of day, to weapons available and so much more. This also includes setting a time limit if you don't want Free Mode to last forever.

Free Mode taps into the very essence of the GTA series. As much as we may love the single-player narrative, the core game is still the open city ready to be explored. Part of enjoying a GTA game is spending dozens of hours racing around the city, causing trouble and hunting for Easter eggs. Now you can do it with 15 of your closest friends. No longer do you need to nudge your buddy and say, "You looked up the Statue of Happiness' skirt yet?" Now you can pick him up in a chopper and show him what you're going on about.

At first, people will be content to run around the city destroying one another. But over time, games will emerge from these online jam sessions. Take a few people to the top of Playboy X's pad and try to defend it from the rest of the group; play a game of "Quell the Riot" where one person hops into a fire truck and uses the fire hose to keep back a crowd armed only with baseball bats; or make your own version of "America's Most Wanted," which has everyone acquire a six-star wanted level and see who can make it to the other end of Liberty City without dying.

There are many possibilities for Free Mode. It's wide open. You decide how to approach it.

Weather and time of day are customizable in multiplayer.

Team Mafiya Work
Your cell phone plays a major role in the single-player campaign, but is a fairly minor thing in multiplayer. That is, until you play Team Mafiya Work. Throughout the match, you and the competing teams receive text messages assigning you missions from the mafiya. This might mean jacking a specific car, assassinating an informant, or any number of other errands. The team that completes the objective first scores the cash. Just don't get cocky. As soon as one errand is completed, another one pops up on your phone.

While most team-based games play best with just two groups, Mafiya Work is better with more teams. The errands given are usually fairly easy to pull off and something that a small group of three or four people can handle. You get greater chaos and a more competitive match with more teams vying for the same objective.

Do as much damage as possible before a car is delivered.

Mafiya Work is a fairly unique objective-based multiplayer. We didn't play a lot, but we never had a duplicate mission. As great as Cops 'n' Crooks or Team Deathmatch may be, they have the same objective every single time. Mafiya Work mixes things up and will keep you on your toes because you can never anticipate what the next errand might require. And it can lead to some chicanery.

In multiplayer, you can use your phone to dial and have private conversations with members of your own team or of the opposing team. So give a call to an enemy -- one who's not too bright -- and act like you are on his team. Who knows, he may just be dumb enough to follow your instructions. And if nothing else, at least you can mock him until he hangs up his phone.

Team Car Jack City
Taking the name Grand Theft Auto to heart, Car Jack City has teams stealing selected cars from around Liberty City. The marked cars show up on your radar as do dropoff points. Of course, you're in competition with the other teams, which makes things interesting. Unless the car is secretly stuffed full of drugs, it loses value as it takes damage. So when you get in a car, the other teams will target you -- either to jack the car from you or destroy it outright.

One strategy is to have people waiting near the dropoff points. Armed with a rocket launcher, they can turn a jacked car into a smoldering mess moments before the other team scores.

Team Car Jack City is a test of both your driving and navigation skills. Crashing into cars and lampposts may be fun, but it also devalues your ride and costs you valuable dollars. But at the same time, if you don't know shortcuts and can't figure out the quickest way to intercept somebody, then you're going to have a tough time stopping the other teams from winning.

Like Team Mafiya Work, Car Jack City is best played with several teams when possible. The smaller groups make things far more frantic as there are only a handful of marked cars at any given time. What's more fun than having two people shoot it out over stealing a high-powered Infernus? Having three people shoot it out, of course.

Ride or die.

Turf War
Turf War is your classic capture-the-point mode. There are three points on the map (though there may be options to add more) and just two teams to try and hold them. To snag a point, you need to stand in the circle at the center of the base. The more people who stand in the circle, the quicker the base is captured. Don't worry, the points are in the same neighborhood -- you won't have to run around all of Liberty City. You could wander off it you wanted to, but that's not really the point of Turf War.

Capturing a base is pretty easy. Holding onto the base is a lot more difficult. In our numerous sessions with Turf War, it became a challenge to get all three points at the same time. Leaving enough people to defend two bases and then reclaim another is not easy. But there are some tricks we learned. Setting up road blocks is a wise strategy. Pile cars on the street to block off access. You can also shoot up the lead car and get it smoking and close to total destruction. This way, if the other team tries to smash through the barrier, they should do enough damage to the smoking car to set it on fire -- and have it explode. And you pop one car and the other 15 are sure to follow. Done properly, you can create a fireworks display heretofore unseen in a block party.

You don't have to capture all points to win the match. You just need to score the most points before time runs out. Points, obviously, are given for controlling bases. So the more you control and the longer you control them, the better your chance of winning.

Turf War is a fun and frenetic mode. It's the mode most likely to inspire a drive-by. And, like most of the other modes in GTA IV multiplayer, is puts a premium on teamwork. Eight individuals doing their own thing leads to failure. Success comes to those who communicate and work together. You know, the stuff gamers do so well.