May 3, 03:25 PM

The Storytelling of GTAIV

The biggest shame of the Grand Theft Auto series is that, because the media focuses so much on this stereotype of the violent, gratuitously sexual video game, the level of storytelling and writing is lost.

Everything that’s been in the media the past week or so – the killing, the sex, the crime, the prostitutes, the drunk driving – the naughty thrills you get from those things are all short-lived. Once you’ve done it a few times, it just becomes standard operating procedure in the game.

After spending some quality time with GTAIV, the thing that continues to blow me away is the phenomenal writing. Niko Bellic’s journey through Liberty City isn’t defined by an endless spree of killing and sex (although those things are a part of his story). It is defined by the richness of the characters he meets – from Roman’s bottomless optimism to Dimitri’s conflicted sense of reality. You’re blown away by the depth of each new character you meet – you want to get to know them, their story, and how they make it in the rough world.

The most powerful thing in the game is this basic human connection that Niko makes with all of the people he encounters along the way. Yes, the game has a lot of horrible stuff – killing, sex, whatever – but anyone who can get past that savagery is rewarded with a beautiful story and the great sense of humanity that each character in that story brings.

“You can change the game, Niko Bellic, but you can’t change the rules.” – Dimitri

-Jon
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