The Suffolk Voice

Issue date: 6/5/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Niko Bellic is the protagonist in the latest installment of Rockstar Game's epic Grand Theft Auto series

The first game in Rockstar Games' controversial series to be debuted on the next generation systems, "Grand Theft Auto 4," also referred to as "GTA 4," does not disappoint gamers. "GTA 4" is truly a great gaming experience, as it gives its players a multitude of different things to do. Whether it is the excellent single player story that takes over 20 hours to complete, or the new and impressive multiplayer features, "GTA 4" was definitely worth the wait and looks to be one of the best games ever made for console systems.

The single player in the game features main character Niko Bellic. Bellic is an immigrant from Eastern Europe who has come to America to start over. He has been in the Bosnian War, and he has too many bad memories in his homeland to remain there. Niko hears about the greatness of Liberty City (modeled after New York City) from his cousin Roman, who lives there. Roman boasts of living the good life, being rich, and doing well in Liberty City. Once Niko arrives, he sees that his cousin has lied, as Roman lives in a dirty apartment, runs a taxicab company, and is in debt with many gangsters. Niko ends up helping out his cousin and tries his best to make a living in the new city.

However, the real reason Niko has come to Liberty City is to track down Florian Cravic, the person he blames for betraying his old army unit. In order to get to this person, Niko must work for all different types of shady characters, be they corrupt police officers, gangsters, or even mysterious people who may know more about his past than Niko would like.

This story is one of the strengths of "GTA 4." The writers have been able to make Niko the most sympathetic main character ever in a "GTA" game. All he wants to do is make a new life in Liberty City, but the problem is that in order to do so, he has to take advantage of his talents, which include his military training. In other words, Niko is good at killing people, and this talent is something many powerful people notice on both sides of the law in Liberty City. Niko's ability makes him very valuable to potential employers. It comes to the point where his only way to make money comes from doing dangerous jobs for employers. All Niko really wants is to turn a new page in his life, but it turns out that the American land of opportunity he has heard about is not the America that he is experiencing.

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