First introduced in the original top-down PlayStation and PC Grand Theft Auto title, which released in 1997, Liberty City as a franchise setting clearly holds some precedence within the context of Rockstar’s favorite commodity. Since its debut, the New York City look-alike has been featured in every initial universal leap in technology, from 2D GTA to 3D GTA III and then on into HD GTA IV, which marked the city’s fourth overall appearance.
Still, over the years it has garnered little appreciation, what with the Grand Theft Auto mainstays of Vice City and San Andreas stealing the limelight in their own memorable experiences. And, while I may be one of those very same people, my favorite being GTA San Andreas, there is still no denying how truly awe-inspiring and special Liberty City is, especially in Grand Theft Auto IV, which remains arguably the most under-appreciated and underrated in the entire franchise.
But what makes this graffiti-stained, skyscraper-cramped, overpopulated gloom-fest so remarkable?
Fictionalized & Fractured New York City
The sounds of honking cars, bustling foot traffic, and the rattling screech of above and below-ground subway cars is what cements Liberty City as an almost perfect representation of its real-world counterpart. Even on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, GTA IV looked absolutely stunning, despite being oversaturated with this brownish-yellow hue, as if it were based in a Wes Anderson film. But this only adds to the flavor of Liberty City, both literally and figuratively, given the smog-ridden city it’s based upon. So it may not have received updated ray tracing support like its 3D predecessors, but it still takes my breath away each time I return to its narrow streets and dirty alleyways.
Although I was born in North Carolina, I grew up in New Jersey, not a mere stone throw’s away from that city that never sleeps, and that certainly aids in my love for Liberty City. Releasing seven years after the attack on the World Trade Center, GTA IV was still imbued with the real threat of terrorism in its plot and setting, all while having a middle eastern protagonist take center stage. The story itself may have tip-toed around the really important aspects of what the city was still struggling with in the wake of the attacks, yet the pieces are still there; note how there are no planes in the game, not to mention the towers themselves are likewise not featured.
These subtle yet still necessary in-game aspects are what elevate GTA IV’s version of Liberty City, so much so that I find it even more compelling than Grand Theft Auto V’s southern California. Immersion and realism are what remains at the heart of the experience, and it shows.
A Setting With A Life Of Its Own
The question of which is better, GTA IV or GTA V, persists even to this day. While, on the surface, it may appear relatively cut and dry, what with the latter experience remaining the most financially profitable entertainment product ever conceived, Grand Theft Auto IV still has plenty of words to say in retribution to the naysayers. You see, GTA IV was way ahead of its time, not merely with introducing the franchise to modern-day graphics, but also within its use of the environment, ragdoll physics, and, most notably, NPC AI.
That last aspect is arguably the most interesting, as one GTA Forums poll from 2014 notes GTA 4 as a standout winner in the category of better pedestrian AI mechanics. I myself will never forget reading about how revolutionary the citizens of Liberty City were at the time, that is before the game was even released. Upon its debut, one of the first things I did was tail a variety of NPCs through the city like a freak and, akin to real-world city slickers, pedestrians went about their days as normal as ever; driving to work, strolling through the park, taking photos of landmarks, and much more.
And then there’s GTA IV’s ragdoll physics, provided by Rockstar’s newest implementation of RAGE and its underlying “spark of brilliance” feature, Euphoria. As Kirk McKeand relates in his 2017 Eurogamer article:
The same goes for shooting a cop in the face with a shotgun, or simply bumping into pedestrians on a casual jaunt through the city. In place of doing anything, Rockstar instead went with a more realistic approach for GTA IV’s Liberty City, exactly how McKeand describes it: anything could happen.
“If a car hits you in Liberty City, there are countless ways it could play out: your head could bounce off the bonnet or windscreen, you could be thrown over the top, clipped aside, ran over. It feels like anything could happen.”
The Thematic Core OF GTA IV
Richard Cobbett says it best in the opening line of his 2018 PC Gamer article: “Grand Theft Auto 4 isn’t really the story of a poor immigrant looking to make his fortune, but the tale of one city.” And it’s not just the tale of one city, but of an ever-evolving franchise that was trying to come to grips with its immense success at the same time as trying something absolutely new.
That newness came in the form of a rather divergent narrative set-piece, straying drastically away from its predecessors by way of its “rags to slightly better rags” tale over the longstanding rags to riches GTA formula. For most, this didn’t sit well. Players were used to “do whatever you want” open-world experiences, wherein the main protagonist would always come out on top in the endgame with well over millions - if not billions - in not-so-hard-earned cash.
GTA IV wasn’t like that at all and it’s very much because of its setting. One of the most defining yet vilified mechanics was friendships, which more often than not gave way to rather useless rewards, but it only amplified the city as a breathing reality. Like how the various random NPCs, even those Niko Bellic was acquainted with, had daily lives and activities to do. This bolstered this city as a cultural melting pot with many, many moving parts and chess pieces that seemingly mattered even in its gargantuan scope.
At the end of the day, while GTA V basks in eternal glory, reaping the benefits of consistent updates and next-gen ports, I still remain enthralled with the city that came before it. The city that, in all accords, walked so its sequel could run - or, more so charge headlong into the future.
Ah, Liberty City. You will always have a special place in my heart.
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