Grand Theft Auto IV

A. Introduction

In Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV), you play the role of an Eastern European immigrant who has come to Liberty City to visit his self-proclaimed ‘successful’ cousin, Roman. After making the journey, Niko finds that his cousin is actually stuck in a cycle of debt and struggle and has been lying about his large mansion and beautiful women. After spending some time with Roman, Niko finds that his cousin is being harassed by local loan sharks. Niko must commit illegal activities for the loan sharks in order to eradicate Roman’s debt. As a result, he must enter the underground world of drugs and violence. Soon after, Roman discovers that his girlfriend is cheating on him with Niko’s boss, Vlad, and is heartbroken. When Niko confronts Vlad, he shows no remorse and Niko decides to take revenge on behalf of his cousin. Niko ends up killing Vlad which leads to both Niko and Roman being kidnapped and forced to work for Vlad’s boss. After this episode, Niko reveals to Roman that he did not actually come to Liberty City to visit his cousin; he came to seek vengeance against an army companion who betrayed Niko and left him for dead along with the rest of his company.

The majority of the game takes the player through Niko’s troubles as he searches for a place in Liberty City while trying to achieve the American dream. Along the way, Niko finds employment working for government agencies, mob bosses, and political candidates. Through his connections Niko finds Darko Brevic, the man who betrayed him, and has him handcuffed in a secluded location. After interrogating Darko, Niko learns that Darko sold his entire company for a measly $1000. Niko is infuriated and Roman tries to calm him down. At this point, the player can either deci...

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...bout the price immigrants must pay to become American. GTA IV expresses the American dream from the perspective of an immigrant who started from the bottom of society to make a name for himself. It captures the gritty reality of the underworld and the struggles which some have to make in order to fulfill their dreams. All in all GTA IV brilliantly captured the idea of revenge. Although it did not have a happy ending, one can learn many lessons from the missions within the game. GTA IV teaches us that revenge isn’t the only choice. Even if the person who wronged us was very close to us, it doesn’t make it right to commit violence against them, especially if it means committing murder. We always have the choice to let it go, and usually letting it go will make us happier.

Bibliography

Grand Theft Auto IV. PlayStation 3. RockStar Entertainment. 2011. Video Game