Animation Blog

Breaking gaming industry records during the first day of release, Grand Theft Auto IV, or fondly called GTA4 by a loyal global fan base, is the sixth game to come from the controversial Grand Theft Auto franchise through the work of the 3D animation studio game developer, Rockstar Games.

Set in the fictional milieu of Liberty City which closely remembers the hard-edged lifestyle of New York, the video game Grand Theft Auto 4 has been earning the positive reviews of gaming critics left and right because of its distinct game play. It is basically a sandbox type of game rooted in the action and adventure genres. It also incorporates elements of car driving racing games and third person shooter games – so it is safe to say it has a little bit of everything for all hard core gamers. It even has its share of hot women in its narrative.

Grand Theft Auto 4 was released for the video game platforms of the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, premiering in North America, Europe and Oceania on April 29, 2008. Its Japan release was in October 30, 2008 while a PC version was rolled out in December 2008.

The game centers on the life of Niko Bellic, a war veteran from an unspecified country in Eastern Europe, who comes to the United States in search of the American Dream, but quickly becomes entangled in a seedy underworld of gangs, crime, and corruption. In essence, it has the makings of a hard core, film noir Hollywood movie – thus making it a hit for video games especially the testosterone-powered male demographic.

Grand Theft Auto 4 was also the first game in the storied Grand Theft Auto franchise to fully recognize the potential and presence of the World Wide Web-savvy gamers. Because the PS3 and the Xbox 360 already have Internet access capability, this dynamic shift of the video game was made easier. GTA 4 became the first console game to feature an online multiplayer mode, which contains fifteen games. In fact, two episodic packs are being developed for the Microsoft Xbox 360, entitled The Lost and Damned (released February 17, 2009).

What makes Grand Theft Auto 4 extremely popular? It takes a lot of things but any discussion should lead to the plot of the entire narrative. Centering on Niko Bellic, an illegal immigrant from the Bosnian War, the game takes us to the inner workings of the gangster circuit in Liberty City. At first Bellic aims to reform his criminal past but he got involved in the problems of his friend Roman with debts with gangsters. Thus, starts the game’s timeline.

After a while, it is then revealed that Bellic’s motives for coming to the US were to locate for the person who betrayed his old army unit, Florian Cavic. This sets off a complicated web of involvement between the various characters of the game.

Even before Grand Theft Auto 4 was released into the public, hype for its arrival was phenomenal. This was a testament to the success of the previous games of Grand Theft Auto. But more than that, this was the desire of gamers to experience the intricacies of cel-shaded 3D animation in next-generation console gaming.

When Grand Theft Auto 4 broke the gaming industry records for premiere sales, it was no joke. For the first day alone, the game tallied around 3.6 million units of the game, amounting to a ridiculous first week revenue of $500 million. As of 2009, it has been reported to have sold 13 million copies worldwide.

The good thing about it is that the manufacturers and designers of Grand Theft Auto are not committing theft for these absurd sales. With its positive reception and high quality standard, GTA 4 is truly worth every penny spent on it.

Here is the cinematic trailer of Grand Theft Auto 4 a year ago to remind us of the virtuosity of the game: