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.

Game Information

Developer: Rockstar North

Publisher: Rockstar Games (Parent Company: Take2 Interactive)

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Multiplayer: Up to 16 players on X360 and PS3; 32 players on PC (15 game modes in total)

Website: www.rockstargames.com/IV

Release Date: April 29, 2008 (Worldwide) on X360, and PS3

Rating: MA 17+ (ESRB); 18 (BBFC)

About Grand Theft Auto IV...

Player of Grand Theft Auto IV

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 10^th 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 worked on GTA 4.

PC Version

Grand Theft Auto IV was announced for the PC during August 2008, with the release date set for late November. This was soon delayed however (hey- it wouldn't be Grand Theft Auto if it wasn't delayed!) until early December. The game was eventually released on December 2nd and December 3rd, in North America and Europe respectively.

In terms of content, the PC version contains some exclusive material which the console versions don't have. Firstly, it contains a customisable MP3 radio station known as Independence FM, allowing you to listen to your favourite tracks in-game; secondly, the multiplayer (which features a maximum of 32 players as opposed to 16 on the console versions) includes a new Custom Match feature which enables you to search for online sessions which fulfill specific criteria (such as number of players, game mode, location etc.); and thirdly, a selection of new clothing items are available in multiplayer.

Also exclusive to the PC version is the Video Editor feature, which enables you to record short replays and then combine them later into a video, with the option to add filters, transitions, custom camera angles, music and text overlays. The footage can then be exported to your hard drive or shared with the Rockstar Social Club community via Social Club TV, which is basically Rockstar's version of the popular video site YouTube.

Of course in addition to all of this, the PC version provides stunningly detailed, high resolution graphics (with multiple options to customise your experience) and also the potential for modding. The GTA modding community has grown considerably since the release of Grand Theft Auto III on the PC in 2002, as players look to prolong their interest in the game by adding new weapons, missions, vehicles, skins and maps.