TOL Blogs

Grand Theft Auto IV

May 12th, 2008 by kristy

It’s a little known fact within the TOL universe that I love video games - so much so that I own my own XBOX, which is currently collecting dust in my parents’ basement while I am in Prague and which I occasionally feel sharp pangs of homesickness for.

So when I heard that the newest edition of Grand Theft Auto had a distinct Eastern European flavor, I had to be the first to bring it to your attention in our (admittedly neglected as of late) blog.

Paraphrased from Wikipedia (WARNING - spoilers!):

The game is set in a re-imagined Liberty City, a fictional city based heavily on modern day New York City. It follows Niko Bellic, a Serbian veteran of the Bosnian War who comes to the United States in search of the American Dream, only to find his cousin has lied about the wealth that was promised to be awaiting him.

After his arrival, Niko quickly learns that Roman’s tales of riches and luxury were lies, concealing Roman’s struggles with debt and gangsters. Niko aids Roman in his troubles while hoping to carve out a new life for himself in the city.

During the course of the game, it is revealed that Niko came to Liberty City primarily to search for the person he blames for the betrayal of his old army unit. In the course of his quest for this person, Niko makes new acquaintances and becomes embroiled with many underworld figures.

After being tasked with executing Mikhail Faustin, Niko is betrayed by Dmitri Rascalov who is in collusion with Rodislav Bulgarin, a former employer of Niko. After escaping the trap, Roman’s Taxi company and apartment are fire-bombed. In danger of further reprisal from Dmitri and Bulgarin, Niko and Roman flee to Bohan to attempt to start over.

Niko progressively obtains new allies in the city, gaining the money to provide for his and Roman’s life while furthering his connections towards locating the person he is searching for. Ultimately, the person he finds is not the one responsible for his unit’s betrayal leading Niko towards the only remaining suspect, Darko Brevic. As Niko completes missions for his employers, Darko is eventually found and brought into Liberty City for Niko to confront. Darko is revealed as a drug-ravaged, guilt-ridden wreck who readily admits his betrayal. At this point, the player is given the option of executing or sparing Darko. Having dealt with his past, Niko is asked to perform one last task for Jimmy Pegorino; selling a shipment of heroin to Dmitri Rascalov.

One of the radio stations that Niko can listen to while driving around mowing down pedestrians is called Vladivostok FM, featuring Eastern European music, including tunes from the Ukrainian pop princess Ruslana.

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