grand theft auto open world action adventure video game developed published games released april playstation xbox consoles december microsoft windows eleventh title grand theft auto series main entry san set fictional based new_york_city single player story follows war veteran attempts escape past pressure loan sharks mob bosses open world design lets players freely consisting main islands game played person perspective world foot vehicle single player mode players play online multiplayer mode included game allowing players engage operative competitive gameplay recreation single player setting expansion packs later released game lost damned ballad feature new plots main storyline follow new protagonists development began soon release san research open world developers conducted field research new_york development captured footage design team development duties shared studios worldwide following announcement grand theft auto widely anticipated release game received universal critical acclaim praise particularly directed game narrative open world design game generated controversy criticism directed game depiction violence ability drive influence alcohol broke industry sales records fastest selling entertainment product history time earning million day million week considered significant titles seventh generation video games critics greatest video games time won year end accolades including game year awards gaming publications successor released september gameplay action adventure game played person perspective players complete missions linear scenarios set objectives progress story possible active missions running time missions require players wait instructions events outside missions players freely game open world ability complete optional missions composed fictional city world larger area earlier entries series beginning game players explore island composed broker islands story progresses players use melee attacks firearms explosives fight enemies run jump swim use vehicles navigate game world person perspective option vehicles combat auto aim cover system assistance enemies players damage health meter fully multiple techniques eating medical kits calling players commit crimes playing game law enforcement agencies respond indicated wanted meter head display meter displayed stars indicate current wanted level example maximum star level efforts law enforcement players aggressive law enforcement officers search players leave wanted vicinity wanted meter enters mode eventually players hidden officers line sight game cover system allows players cover fire aim freely target specific enemy individual body parts targeted melee attacks include additional moves blocking opponent counter attacking body armour absorb explosive damage process health entirely depleted gameplay stops players nearest hospital game single player mode lets players control war veteran story meets new characters befriends characters perform asks example cousin roman owns taxi service send destination city available gameplay allowing players quickly travel destination course game players faced morality choices alter storyline appropriately depending player choice free game world players engage context specific activities bowling available activities include game television programming contacting friends starting activities access game online multiplayer mode enter cheat codes access game internet allows send receive set prospective dates potential use internet located city game features subway system allowing players quickly traverse game world online multiplayer mode allows players freely recreation single player world players decide game mode wish play including street races cooperative competitive game modes available game modes split ranked matches players level ranks game money earned game features free mode players entire map open explore end goal mission complete hosts game control police presence traffic weapons support available windows version game synopsis setting takes place redesigned version consisting based new_york_city broker based brooklyn queens manhattan adjacent city independent state minor islands present game island initially bridges locked terrorist threat players constantly pursued police bridges crossed lifted story progresses allowing player traverse islands takes place different storyline timeline previous games series game takes place canon expansion packs lost damned ballad successor plot following cousin roman request eastern european comes pursue search man betrayed unit war years prior arrival discovers roman tales luxury lies struggles gambling debts loan sharks roman lives dirty apartment mansion defends roman loan sharks times eventually killing roman russian loan shark forced work settle roman debts ended killing learning slept roman girlfriend murder roman kidnapped members order associate bothered murder hires quickly learns orders kill son powerful man family threatens retaliation orders assassinate order prevent gang war meets collect assassination brings employer instead accusing stealing years earlier denies allegation allowing escape immediately roman forced escape apartment taxi company destroyed arson attacks men things poorly men kidnap roman failed bid ambush kill rescues roman furthermore girlfriend reveals works government agency working agency known cover kills known suspected terrorists agency exchange file numerous crimes police promise assistance finding traitor unit eventually tracks man responsible unit betrayal brings confronts decides fate having dealt past summoned employers demands final favour help extremely lucrative deal heroin point faced choices strike deal exact revenge deal sets taking heroin roman wedding assassin sent kills roman stray bullet kills devastated later tracks chases kills witnessing executing choose exact revenge roman wedding furious betrayal commits drive shooting targets ends killing girlfriend kate soon tracks chases kills hated targeted entire underworld production development work grand theft auto began november immediately release san game developers worked led core members team previously worked game advanced game engine rage previously games presents table tennis combination game animation engine instead pre written animations uses procedural animation control way player moves enabling character movements realistic engine enables react realistic way player actions preview player knocked window character grabbed stop falling game uses facilitate intricate facial expressions ease process incorporating lip foliage game produced sees shift series realistic detailed style tone partly result transition consoles offered high definition graphics new improved capabilities consoles founder said taking grand theft auto idea high definition actually means terms graphics obviously achieving terms aspects design know trying realistic held retaining overall games art director said reasons decided set game new_york knew amazing diverse vibrant cinematic city hoping push detail variety life high level basing game city synonymous things great fit added working high definition knew need research wanted developers consciously avoided creating block block recreation new_york_city said tried thing looks real qualities real environment fun game design perspective grand theft auto rendition far detailed larger size earlier entries series smaller main setting predecessor san comparable terms scope level city number buildings level detail buildings taken account goal dead spots irrelevant spaces wide open achieve realistic environment north team based edinburgh scotland trips new_york research start project previous game smaller development time research team based new_york handled requests information ranging ethnic minority neighbourhood videos traffic patterns story written unlike previous games strong cultural cinematic influence grand theft auto doesn cinematic influences explained consciously trying video games going develop stage thing isn try loving tribute reference stuff reference actual place said terms character wanted felt fresh new obviously derived movie maybe live alongside stuff music supervisor said pick songs new_york today sure won feel dated time game comes developers contacted people order obtain recording publishing rights hired private investigator locate relatives late member license band song walk night citing sources close deals billboard reported paid composition master recording track developers originally considered letting players purchase music going game record shop player ideas cut produced tracks exclusively game hip hop radio station beat record label owner record producer hosts game radio station massive went extra effort flying jamaica artists record tracks references corporate vice president microsoft division announced game appear xbox rolling sleeve reveal temporary tattoo games initially appeared committed original october release date analyst suggested choose delay release game order boost financial results avoid competing release highly anticipated titles halo responded saying track release late october august announced miss original release date october contrary previous statements delayed second fiscal quarter february april later conference investors attributed delay strictly technological problems problems challenges later revealed technical difficulties playstation version game contributed delay storage problems xbox january announced released april release date approached games marketed game heavily forms including television ads internet video billboards viral marketing redesigned website special edition game released playstation xbox meeting april ceo announced gone gold production trucks route retailers game eventually released playstation xbox video game consoles europe north_america oceania april japan october overall grand theft auto took people half years complete total cost estimated approximately million making time expensive video game developed august announced microsoft windows version development game originally announced release north_america november europe november later pushed december respectively contains expanded features including traffic density control draw distance configurations replay editor replay editor allows players record edit game clips videos uploaded website utilised games windows live online play supports players multiplayer protection utilised time online activation required order play game game available steam january episodic content episodic packs released episodes released separately exclusively xbox live downloadable content requiring original game play later released standalone game titled require original game play stated episodes shows different expansion titled lost damned originally released february protagonist lost damned member gang lost second expansion titled ballad released october protagonist ballad assistant nightclub owner tony prince follows resolves conflicts friends family boss vice president games said episodes experiments team sure users access online content xbox interactive chief financial officer revealed microsoft paying total million episodes january announced available playstation microsoft windows april north_america april europe episodes released playstation microsoft windows april north_america april europe complete edition including original episodic expansions listed online stores confirmed compilation released playstation xbox windows october north_america october europe soundtrack like previous games grand theft auto series features soundtrack heard radio stations player vehicle serviced radio stations talk radio stations stations feature music large range genres including tracks genesis david_bowie queen kanye_west elton_john grand theft auto uses similar music system san games series radio station essentially single looped sound file playing songs announcements advertisements order time radio stations sound file held separately randomly allowing songs played different orders announcements songs different time plot events mentioned stations certain songs edited incorporate references fictional variety real celebrities provide voices radio game including fashion designer musicians real life radio talk host saturday night live actors appear liberal conservative radio talk shows respectively playing guests integrity numerous including radio hosts appeared radio characters game soundtrack packaged special edition disc contains soundtrack selections soundtrack features genres hip hop rock reggae artists recorded songs references game locations songs liberty city invasion sex ben composed specifically game soundtrack theme song soviet connection composed previously composed theme san reception initial release released universal acclaim metacritic assigns rating range calculated average score indicating universal acclaim based reviews playstation version reviews xbox version second highest rated game metacritic tied number games highest rated games gamerankings reviewers liked game narrative open world design combat system ign felt game sets new open world games game informer wrote game completely changes landscape gaming reviewers lauded open world design complimenting freedom allows player new_york_times named city real star game impressed city game robinson computer video games considered environment believable felt world utterly ign felt inspired new_york wrote city exists universe directed praise city breathtaking incredibly varied scenery lived look conversely game revolution felt game lacked important features common open world games reviewers praised game narrative ign accepted darker tones story break series tradition official xbox magazine felt surprised depth story game informer wrote level freedom game contributed enjoyment story morality choices faced players narrative welcomed felt gave game element eurogamer considered morality choices fair substitute bosses large health bars game characters particularly received positive reactions critics computer video games called charismatic stating prefer previous protagonists series gamesradar praised depth character ign felt character feels faced difficult decisions felt thing progressed story character favourite features game new_york_times named realised video game characters game script commended use character bonding game missions reviewers found combat system responsive previous games particularly praising addition cover system gamespot wrote cover system makes game combat huge improvement previous games game informer agreed writing targeting system makes players feel responsible deaths ign praised cover system felt auto aim mechanic great help larger battles gamesradar walter wrote cover system paved way new style mission empire called combat sharp felt cover system allows players execute attack plan addition combat system reviewers noted vehicle handling realistic previous games video games felt vehicle handling echoed realism called vehicle selection excellent game revolution praised improvement game mechanics particularly physics engine advanced vehicle character animations reviewers praised sound design ign praised actors performances use licensed music gamespot gamesradar walter commended licensed music humour radio talk stations praised separate features game sound design including city licensed music character dialogue vehicle weapon sound effects developer use uniting features gamesradar praised game soundtrack commending game setting game online multiplayer mode received positive reactions critics game informer praised character available multiplayer mode noted runs smoothly single player game called multiplayer modes excellent ign named best dubbed multiplayer hugely entertaining walter gamesradar praised seamless process entering multiplayer match game revolution felt divided multiplayer naming fantastic idea feeling problems resulted broken experience microsoft windows version grand theft auto released microsoft windows december received generally positive reviews metacritic calculated average score indicating universal acclaim based reviews reviewers liked enhanced visuals additional features criticised port console versions game features added port received addition video editor met positive reactions gamespot called great way creative eurogamer criticised timing critics praised addition radio station allows players listen choice music named best feature port called great touch port upgrade concurrent players online multiplayer mode opposed console version players met positive feedback eurogamer said possibility increases gamespy felt player increase changes action significantly port enhanced visuals commended reviewers considered visuals improvement original versions computer video games called visuals impressive called superb conversely port system requirements considered difficult run advanced settings received criticism eurogamer said windows version attractive version gamespy able demanding system requirements exchange game features commercial performance sales hours release sold million copies approximately million revenue week generated million worldwide revenue approximately million copies sold numbers surpassed analysts expectations title month availability game sold million copies broke highest grossing video game hours highest revenue generated entertainment product hours fastest selling video game hours march announced game sold million copies series surpassing collective total million copies july game sold million copies sales records broken beaten successor release united_kingdom game fastest selling game time selling copies hours broke record set san copies period days availability game sold copies united_kingdom period million units sold united_states end game sold million copies days availability japan sold copies playstation xbox according week availability windows version debuted seventh place weekly charts second week left based unique user counts game played games windows live game second played awards following critical acclaim received release received awards critics publications received game year awards gaming media outlets mainstream publications like new_york_times los_angeles_times time magazine received seven nominations 5th bafta games awards nominations 9th annual game developers choice awards win controversies prior release game subject great deal controversy case previous titles figures including hillary_clinton criticised game organisations including new_york_city officials asked change rating game ages seventeen adults player ability drive influence alcohol initial version released australia new_zealand pre censored allow game meet perceived requirements australian classification system game new_zealand year old student unhappy new_zealand received edited version game result australian censorship laws version subsequently given rating cleared sale new_zealand release version game awarded australia following release distributed patch australian release consoles reports united_kingdom united_states crimes people purchasing employees stores selling game incidents attack near store london later reported unrelated argument groups people leaving pub story referred media panic teenagers later arrested june engaging crime new_york assaulting people attempting according police teens claimed inspired
Grand Theft Auto IV