

Unlike previous entries, Grand Theft Auto IV lacked a strong cinematic influence, as the team attempted an original approach to the story. The game introduced a shift to a more realistic and detailed style and tone for the series. Two expansion packs were later released for the game, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, which both feature new plots that are interconnected with the main Grand Theft Auto IV storyline, and follow new protagonists.ĭevelopment began soon after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and was shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide. An online multiplayer mode is included with the game, allowing up to 32 players to engage in both co-operative and competitive gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting. Throughout the single-player mode, players play as Niko Bellic. The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on-foot or by vehicle. The open world design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main islands. Set within the fictional Liberty City (based on New York City), the single-player story follows a war veteran, Niko Bellic, and his attempts to escape his past while under pressure from loan sharks and mob bosses. It is the eleventh title in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the first main entry since 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games.
