Life in Liberty City
Everyone has long been used to the fact that when "Rockstar" releases a new "GTA", it's not just another game release — it's a real event, a revolutionary step for the entire industry. In 2008, "GTA IV" set a new standard for the genre. This time, we were sent to Liberty City — a living, detailed metropolis where NPCs truly lead their own lives, and the story is filled with its own particular charm.
The plot is a search for the American dream. The main character, Niko Bellic, arrives in the US from Eastern Europe, hoping to start a new life. His cousin Roman promised him a luxurious lifestyle full of money, cars, and women. However, it turned out that Roman was, to put it mildly, exaggerating his opportunities. In the end, Niko finds himself in Liberty City's criminal underworld, where he has to deal with gangsters, a corrupt city, and try to find his place in this new world.
The story turned out to be serious, dark, and mature — it grew up along with those who had started playing the series as kids a decade earlier. The characters are excellently written — each has their own personality, motivation, and memorable, rich dialogue. You can feel the life experience behind every character. You’re not just completing missions — you’re witnessing Niko’s personal story as he tries to figure out what to do in this new world, while also watching how he interacts with others.
"Grand Theft Auto" has always been known for its interesting worlds, but "GTA IV" took it to a whole new level. The city here truly lives its own life — people walk the streets, talk, interact with the environment — basically, they act like real people in a real world. And the way they react to the protagonist’s actions feels quite realistic. You can simply stop and watch all of this, and it won’t feel boring at all.
What’s also cool is that the clear line between the “living” world and “background scenery” disappeared. Visually, the game became seamless — as if the boundaries between the playable parts of the city and the static ones from previous games had been erased. The game world feels much more alive, filled with details, and much more vibrant and engaging. Liberty City feels like a real city, where you can do a lot more than just drive a tank down the streets.
Visually, the game was impressive at launch, and even today it still looks cool. Cars are no longer cardboard boxes on wheels — the driving physics became much more realistic, and vehicles take natural damage in collisions: scratches, dents, shattered windows, crumpled hoods. The environment design is also top-notch: destructible objects, bullet holes, weather effects — all of this makes the world of "GTA IV" feel more alive and believable.
Compared to "San Andreas", here you don’t need to change hairstyles, gain weight, or level up your physical stats. Personally, I don’t see that as a downside — on the contrary, now you don’t have to get distracted by gyms and can focus more on the story and exploring the world.
The missions still follow the familiar formula of “go there, shoot that guy” — but that’s a classic of the series. The important thing is that the plot ties them together, and the directing and dialogues keep you engaged.
"GTA IV" became a truly new chapter for the series. It has a strong story, a living world, realistic graphics and physics, and Liberty City feels like a real metropolis you want to explore. The game makes another powerful step for the genre, offering players tons of content, interesting mechanics, and an incredible atmosphere.
8 out of 10
