After hearing the bombcast where Jeff and the others talk about GTA IV, they keep mentioning the characters and the story, and I just gotta say really? Are they really deep characters and is it a good story? I never really thought of that playing the game, in fact I found this to be the most GTA game lacking story wise. I played ALL of the missions, even the assassin ones, and I didn't rush it at all, however I felt somehow that it did not provide a really good story, I felt more connected and cared more about the characters in Vice City and San Andreas. Although the characters in this game were far more realistic (than say The Truth in San Andreas), I found them to be far less memorable and likable. Little Jacob was about the only guy I cared about, but when I think of all the story moments that got to me or were cool in the other GTAs, this one just comes short. There are a couple of good things (like when Roman gets shot in the "bad" ending and you later find out Mallorie was pregnant)

But I was never tortured on the supposed "heavy choices" in gameplay Playboy VS. Dwayne, and the Mcreary Brothers. The first one seemed pretty clear cut to be for Dwayne, playboy was in no way likable, and there's no lack of money in GTA IV. The Mcreary brothers were a stupid choice, because I did not care for either of them. But ultimately no time did the game get to me and I felt like it was a step back. Perhaps I'm wrong or something so could people just mention their favorite moments or try to convince me why this GTA had the best story/characters ever (or even in this year)? I am willing to grant that Brucie was pretty kickass and I loved that character but only because I know a guy who is exactly like him in real life, so he cracked me up without even trying.

Well not every character is that deep, (since there are so many of them.) and yes I did find that the overall story was a tad long.

But the main cast of Niko and his dream as well as Roman is very deep. Dimitri and Jacob can seem one dimensional, but when you listen to the dialogue carefully, it does get deep.


But to me, the entire Italian's story (like all the characters in that story arc) was just boring; maybe it was because both of those characters had treated me like crap so I didn't care which one I had to kill, nor did I care when they showed their human side.

PLayboy versus Dwayne only hits me harder only because I have had friends like that before; its more real than you think.

To me the overal core of the game should have been shorter actually (like take out some story arcs or make it so that I could choose to kill them sooner (but have an achievement for those that does all the missions so there is still some incentive to see everything.)

Like you said, you liked Brucie so much only because you know somebody in real life like him; and the characters I love, I love/find interesting for the same reason; it relates to our own life in some way.

This GTA story was deep because they are more real. Of course that doesn't mean they are more memorable or likable since people in real life may not be memorable or likable. If you'ved lived a bit (say at the age of Jeff and Ryan's age and travel a bunch like they do), you would see how all these characters are deep because they are not just one dimentional (compared to past GTA games) and are all 'human'.

Take out the entire segment with the Italians and the game would have been a lot better. I felt like the game really lost focus when I started working for them, as I had no idea why I was there.

I didn't like the story at all... I thought Final Fantasy 10 had a much better story. Even Fallout 1,2 had better stories.

I am afraid you are the first person saying that . the story in GTA IV was considered a deep one becasue of the level of realism in the game's world . of course you should not expect Rockstar to create a GTA game with twisted story since this game is meant to be a game easy to play , easy to understand and easy to influence .  looking at the big apple from eyes of an immigrant with a terrible past , the daily struggle of a wager fraud , life of a homosexual man whom people treat like he is not a human ,  lack of father and its impact on the family  ,  negative impact of  drug abuse  (yeah  GTAIV  disapprove drug abuse ) ,  corruption in the police department ,and so many other things .......................
and Rock star managed to narrate this story while providing an extremely realistic world and satisfying gameplay . of course there are some spice here and there but over all the story was extremely deep and mature  while easy to understand for everyone

I liked the story but did not care for the mission structure at all. Every mission was exactly the same. Drive somewhere. Kill somebody and/or deliver package.

But the story and cut scenes I greatly relished.

I for one did not understand why Niko was so hell-bent in earning money, even after you deal with 'that special someone' the game surmises the reward of 'the deal' would be a significant enticement in keeping with his earlier attachment to 'getting paid'. Moreover, although the choices are present, the game sort of steers you to realize which choice would have been ideal, that there are clearly good and bad choices if you care to thinly slice it, or it might have been just me in hindsight.

Like others said, I did not care one iota about the Phill Bell and Ray arc since I did not sense that much tension in their working relationship. The back story that leads to the conclusion of their involvement is relayed to you only during the cut scenes. The level of involvement or justification I found quite puzzling in other missions such as the one that deals with the cursed diamonds of the Irish brothers, all of whom by the way I found distasteful and nasty. The redeeming character here, at least to me, is Kate. Perhaps I could include Little Jacob, Brucie and Dwayne to a certain extent. Compare them with Woozi, Kendl, Cesar, Sweet, Maddog, and the Truth of San Andreas, I would pick the latter, along with Tenpenny providing a somewhat consistent antagonist figure established right from the beginning.

I think in terms of narration the story in these games does not have to strive for realism or moral lessons when you get to murder hundreds of people with a straight face in between having little discussions on themes of revenge and forgiveness. It only needs to provide a framework or motive to propel the game forward in a believable and entertaining way and I will find the fun where I can along the way. Sandbox games are similar to RPGs in which the accepted formula of non-linearity calls for more varied and interesting side missions over the stretch of a central story that may not be as focused or well designed. GTA IV cuts back on the variety of missions and presents a more over-arching theme of 'crime does not pay' and I find it suffers due to this.

I loved the story. I felt really connecting with all the characters and I loved the way it didn't have a set beginning, middle or end. It was just like, well here's Niko, here's what he's done before, here's some people he meets along the way, and here's where he ends up at the end. But nothing has really happened. It's just followed him and the people he's met.

I love stories like that. It felt real in a fictional way (if you get me).

LOL, at the story in GTA4 being deep and/or realistic.  It's an attempt at a real story I spose considering Rockstar's previous efforts and the very weak stories present in most videogames, but the characters are just characatures in a very overly bombastic way.  The story is your typical over the top, synical, tounge-in-cheek, comic bookish videogame story.  The environs of Liberty City were very detailed and cool, but the story, while intriguing at first admittedly, bogs down and ends up being/seeming so convoluted, because of rediculously unrealistic tasks, and super repetitve gameplay that is required.   I was hoping for a sincere story, with characters I could care about and connect to, but the game didn't achieve any of that for me.  I guess I still hold out hope for  a videogame to deliver a novelesque, top tier movie type story and, almost all don't and this is one area games have to strive to improve in gaining additionl stature as mainsteream, meaningful entertainment imo.  

I play tons of games for the fun and not the story sure, and gaming at it's core is about escaping reality, but big games like GTA4 should provide more, storywise.  I actually don't think that was Rockstar's sincere intention/purpose anyway though.....they're more into sarcasm and their bent humor than classic storytelling.  Well we still have Bioware's ernest efforts in storytelling imo, and it seems devs are taking the stories told in games more and more seriously(nice try Epic,lol;-).

I was recently replaying GTAIV and I noticed a dude on the side of the road, you know the special people that talk to you if you walk up to them.

Well it was the crack head, and he went on this crazy tangent about how life was great and gave me a hundred bucks.

I was then laughing my ass off literally, went back to playing the game, got like 4 missions done and was driving by and noticed another little person and it was the same guy.

He went on a tangent telling me how there was this crack rock he was going to buy the size of a boulder that some scientists had, and drove him to that spot and got two hundred dollars.

The fact that you can go that ENTIRE game without ever noticing that dude and he has a whole string of side quests makes this game deep, and game of the year.

"I was recently replaying GTAIV and I noticed a dude on the side of the road, you know the special people that talk to you if you walk up to them.

Well it was the crack head, and he went on this crazy tangent about how life was great and gave me a hundred bucks.

I was then laughing my ass off literally, went back to playing the game, got like 4 missions done and was driving by and noticed another little person and it was the same guy.

He went on a tangent telling me how there was this crack rock he was going to buy the size of a boulder that some scientists had, and drove him to that spot and got two hundred dollars.

The fact that you can go that ENTIRE game without ever noticing that dude and he has a whole string of side quests makes this game deep, and game of the year."

I actually liked GTAIV. Maybe it has something to do with it's the only GTA I've ever "beaten" (story-wise). To me all the previous GTAs were too "cartoony" and just not persuasive enough in their characters. I really appreciated IV's attempt at bringing the series into a more "realistic" interpretation of the game. I felt that most of the characters in IV were entertaining and unique in their own ways. Some throwaway characters could've been dumped completely and the game wouldn't have been affected at (Manny comes to mind right away).

Overall the story might not have been that original (foreigner comes to America; rags to riches archetype, etc.) but the characters themselves were more fleshed out IMHO. Especially Roman and Brucie (I loved him simply because he was so over the top and in love with himself when in reality he was just a big baby). There might be more but I'm too tired to really put thought into this post. I just wanted to throw my .02 in concerning the characters.

Well I have not played it, but I know that GTA has good storylines.

"thabigred said:

"I was recently replaying GTAIV and I noticed a dude on the side of the road, you know the special people that talk to you if you walk up to them.

Well it was the crack head, and he went on this crazy tangent about how life was great and gave me a hundred bucks.

I was then laughing my ass off literally, went back to playing the game, got like 4 missions done and was driving by and noticed another little person and it was the same guy.

He went on a tangent telling me how there was this crack rock he was going to buy the size of a boulder that some scientists had, and drove him to that spot and got two hundred dollars.

The fact that you can go that ENTIRE game without ever noticing that dude and he has a whole string of side quests makes this game deep, and game of the year."

I read the original post like this: he's not arguing that the game is deep, but he's arguing that the story itself is not deep.

Personally, I agree with the OP on one level--GTA IV's story operated on a number of mob cliches and, eventually, the narrative felt tedious. 

However, I still think Niko is one of the most well-developed characters in video game history.  You learn this guy's nuances, understand this guy's demons, and know this guy's motivation on a level that makes him real.  He is neither a good guy nor a bad guy, morally, but a profoundly conflicted one trying to justify his existence in a world more massive than he imagined. 

There's a real loneliness to Niko.  A subtle, nuanced loneliness. "

"GTA IV was like The Dark Knight, it's previous movies were over the top and zanny, no real tangible believable story, just a bunch of crazy shit going on really.  But those two medias did more for the medium than we will ever know, and I wish people like you would realise:

CHARECTERS MAKE STORIES"

I liked the story, the characters, and the choices you had to make.  It was my personal game of the year.  But maybe that's because I don't own a PS3 or even played all that many games released in 2008.

I think this is definitely the best GTA story, and it had some of the best characters, but at the same time it's not as fun to play as GTA SA.  To me GTA SA is the pinnacle of open world sandbox games, and as ridiculous as the f16 and jet packs were, they were really...really fucking fun to mess around with.  Plus the scale of the San Andreas world was enormous, and it made it feel like this awesome, huge place, with so much to do.  I honestly hope to all hope that GTA5, or whatever is after the expansion, is at least as ambitious as GTA SA was, because GTA4 was not nearly as ambitious as GTASA.