Best PS3 Themes

echochrome
Promotional artwork
Developer(s)	Game Yarouze Japan Studio
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Director(s)	Tatsuya Suzuki
Producer(s)	Masami Yamamoto
Designer(s)	Satoru Immamura Kashin Hodotsuka Ken-ichirou Hatada Tomokazu Ohki
Programmer(s)	Takashi Noshiro Takanori Kikuchi Kenichiro Obara Hironori Tsuruya
Composer(s)	Hideki Sakamoto
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable
Release	PSP JP: March 19, 2008[2] NA: May 1, 2008[1] AU: July 17, 2008[3] EU: July 4, 2008[4] PlayStation 3 NA: May 1, 2008[1] EU: July 10, 2008[5] PlayStation 4 JP: June 1, 2022[7] NA: June 13, 2022[6]
Genre(s)	Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single-player

Echochrome^[a] (stylized as echochrome) is a 2008 puzzle game created by Sony's Japan Studio and Game Yarouze for PlayStation 3 from the PlayStation Store and for PlayStation Portable (PSP). The gameplay involves a mannequin figure traversing a rotatable world where physics and reality depend on perspective. The world is occupied by Oscar Reutersvärd's impossible constructions. This concept is inspired by M. C. Escher's artwork, such as "Relativity".^[1] The game is based on the Object Locative Environment Coordinate System developed by Jun Fujiki—an engine that determines what is occurring based on the camera's perspective.

Echochrome received a spin-off in 2009 titled Echoshift and a sequel, Echochrome II for the PlayStation 3 utilizing the PlayStation Move in December 2010.^[8]

Gameplay[edit]

Echochrome requires the player to control a moving character—which resembles an articulated wooden artist's mannequin—to visit, in any order, particular locations on the surfaces of collections of three-dimensional shapes. The objectives are marked by shadows ("echoes") of the moving character. When the last marked position has been visited, one last echo appears, which the player must reach to finish the level: scoring is simply a matter of timing completion of each level (or a course containing several levels).

However, the character cannot be directly controlled by the player: it moves autonomously, following a path along the surface of each shape in a manner that keeps the path's boundary on the character's left (that is, in order of preference, turning left, proceeding straight ahead, turning right, or turning back on itself).

The unique aspect of the game is that the path can be altered merely by rotating the shapes and viewing them from a different perspective: for instance, if a gap or obstacle is obscured, the character will behave as if the path continues behind the object which currently, obscures the gap or obstacle from view. Similarly, if discontinuous shapes or parts of the same shape appear, from the chosen camera angle, to form a continuous path, the character will traverse from one to the other.

Although the character cannot step off the surface of a shape, there are certain points where it may hop off or fall. It then falls downwards to whatever appears to be below it, or off the bottom of the screen to be rematerialized at a previous position. This behavior forms one of the most compelling aspects of the game because the player must deliberately interpret the three-dimensional world as if it were two-dimensional to determine where the character will land.

Development and release[edit]

The game was first announced at E3 2007.^[9] The game was released in Japan on March 19, 2008,^[2] on UMD and for download on the PlayStation Store, with a demo released on the Japanese PlayStation Network on March 6, 2008. The North American release of Echochrome is only available on the PlayStation Network.^[10] A demo was released in North America on April 24, 2008. It was followed by the full version on May 1, 2008.^[11] Updates that rotate the set of user-created levels occur periodically.^[11][12]

The game was released as a UMD in Europe on July 4, 2008, with a PlayStation Network version following on July 10. Echochrome was also a playable arcade mini-game in the Bowling Alley/Game Space of PlayStation Home. In 2011, Echochrome was released on Blu-ray as a part of the compilation Move Mind Benders with PlayStation Move support along with Lemmings and Tumble.

The PlayStation 3 version of the game was released in Japan, North America, and Europe, through the PlayStation Network. All regions feature the basic gameplay with 56 levels. A later update added 1000 user-created levels. PlayStation 3 Trophies were made available for the console version in North America via a patch on December 11, 2008, which features 10 trophies. It includes two gold trophies, one silver trophy, and seven bronze trophies. Europe and Japan have now received the trophy patch.

The PlayStation Portable versions feature different levels from the PlayStation 3 version, with some regions having additional gameplay modes or levels:

• In Japan, the game was released on UMD only. There are 96 levels and three gameplay modes: "solo" (same as the PlayStation three gameplay), "pair", and "others".
• In Europe, a version with identical levels and gameplay was released both on UMD and via the PlayStation Network.
• A different European version called Echochrome Micro was also released on the PlayStation Network. It has the same 96 levels as the full Echochrome game, but only "solo" mode is available.
• In North America, a downloadable PlayStation Network title was released, with no UMD version. This version has only the first 56 levels of Echochrome Micro, with "solo" as the only gameplay mode.
• A DLC pack was released for the North American version, which includes the remaining 40 levels, making it effectively identical to Echochrome Micro

Audio[edit]

The music of Echochrome was composed by Hideki Sakamoto at the Tokyo-based sound design company Noisycroak. Most songs on the game score consist of a string quartet, including two violins, a viola, and a cello. However, three tracks include operatic vocals by singer Rumiko Kitazono. These are the opening themes to the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, plus an additional theme that is unique to the soundtrack album.^[13]

Team Entertainment published the original soundtrack to Echochrome^[b] on May 21, 2008. The performers included Hitoshi Konno (1st violin), Nagisa Kiriyama (2nd violin), Kazuo Watanabe (viola), and Ayano Kasahara (cello).^[14] The composer had originally considered naming the game's tracks after philosophical terminology to match the title's abstract qualities, but later decided to use prime numbers so as not to color the songs with subjective interpretations.^[15]

Reception[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2014)

Echochrome received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[16][17] The game's minimalistic presentation, originality, and level design were cited as its strongest aspects. In 2008, IGN awarded the game for Best Innovative Design,^[29] and nominated it for Best Artistic Design,^[30] Best New IP,^[31] Best Puzzle.^[32]GameSpot nominated the game for Best Original Game Mechanic in their Best of 2008.^[33]

See also[edit]

• Monument Valley
• The Bridge

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

Citation[edit]

Tekken
New series logo first used by Tekken 8
Genre(s)	Fighting
Developer(s)	Bandai Namco Studios Namco
Publisher(s)	Bandai Namco Entertainment Namco Sony Computer Entertainment
Creator(s)	Seiichi Ishii
Platform(s)	Android Arcade Game Boy Advance iOS Microsoft Windows Nintendo 3DS PlayStation PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 PlayStation Portable Wii U Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
First release	Tekken September 21, 1994 (1994-09-21)
Latest release	Tekken 8 January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)

Tekken (Japanese: 鉄拳（てつけん）, meaning "Iron Fist") is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations.

The main games in the series follow the events of the King of Iron Fist Tournament, hosted by the Mishima Zaibatsu, where players control a plethora of characters to win the tournament and gain control of the company; the conflict between the Mishima family serves as the main focus of the series' plot, while players explore other characters' motivations in aiming to control the Zaibatsu.

Gameplay focuses on hand-to-hand combat with an opponent, with the gameplay system including blocks, throws, escapes, and ground fighting. The series later introduced combos and special moves, with characters also able to stage break arenas. Tekken is noted as being one of the first fighting games at the time to use 3D animation.

Japanese video game developer Namco began the series in 1994, with the release of the self-titled first entry. As of 2017, it has nine additional entries, eight spin-off games, and has been adapted into three feature films and other media. Tekken 2, as well as the third game Tekken 3, are considered landmark titles; they received critical acclaim for their gameplay and more immersive experience. Subsequent titles have followed this concept and received generally positive critical responses. It has been mentioned as early as 2015 by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running story in video games without reboots, retcons, or revisions. The Mishima saga covering the first ten games until Tekken 8 was described as a story revolving around the Iron Fist Tournament and a family aiming to destroy each other.^[1]

The series has been universally acclaimed and commercially successful, having shipped over 57 million copies by 2024, making it the third best-selling fighting game franchise. The main series has been widely credited by critics and video game publications for raising the standards of fighting games and praised for its gameplay mechanics and replay value.

Games[edit]

All major installments of the series are originally arcade games, and the boards used to run them have traditionally been based on PlayStation hardware. Following their release in arcades, home releases in the series have mainly been for consoles in the PlayStation line.

1994–1997: Original trilogy[edit]

Tekken[edit]

The first game in the series, Tekken, was released in 1994, first as an arcade game and as a port for the PlayStation in 1995.^[3] The game features eight playable characters, each with their own sub-boss. The PlayStation version features remixes of the stage themes and also made the sub-bosses playable for a total of eighteen characters, including a costume swap for Kazuya (Devil Kazuya). In addition, a cutscene is unlocked when the player finishes arcade mode with each of the original eight characters. The canon ending of the game consists of Kazuya exacting revenge on his father Heihachi Mishima, beating him in the tournament and tossing him off the same cliff that he was thrown off by Heihachi.^[4]

Tekken 2[edit]

Tekken 2 was released in 1995 in arcades and in 1996 for the PlayStation. A port was also made several years later for Zeebo. There are ten playable characters as well as fifteen to unlock, for a total of twenty-five characters. The home version features four new modes that would become staples to the series, which were Survival, Team Battle, Time Attack, and Practice. The game features remixes of the arcade versions' characters' themes, and a cutscene unlocked once the player completes the arcade mode. The canon ending of this game consists of Heihachi surviving the fall, entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2 and defeating Kazuya, throwing him into an erupting volcano and reclaiming the Mishima Zaibatsu.^[4] During the events of the second King of Iron First Tournament, Kazuya and Jun Kazama were mysteriously drawn to one another and became intimate.

Tekken 3[edit]

Tekken 3 was released in arcades and for the PlayStation in 1997 and 1998, respectively. Due to the 19-year storyline span between the game and its predecessor, the game largely features a new cast of characters, including the debut of staple main character Jin Kazama, the child of Kazuya and Jun, as well as now-staple characters Ling Xiaoyu and Hwoarang, with a total of twenty-three characters. The home version includes a mode called Tekken Force, as well as the bonus Tekken Ball mode, and also includes remixes to the characters' themes from the arcade version.^[5] The canon ending of Tekken 3 consists of Paul Phoenix defeating Ogre and leaving victorious. After its defeat, Ogre transforms into a monstrous creature, "True Ogre". Jin Kazama faces True Ogre and defeats him, avenging his mother. With Ogre out of the way, Jin's grandfather Heihachi shoots him, leaving him for dead. However, Jin survives, being revived by the Devil Gene he inherited from his father.^[4]

1999–2004: Debut of team-battle oriented games[edit]

Tekken Tag Tournament[edit]

Tekken Tag Tournament was released in 1999 in arcades and as a launch title for the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Tekken Tag Tournament features tag battles and includes almost all of the Tekken characters in the series up until that point in time, for a total of 34 characters. The game ran on the same arcade board with an updated Tekken 3 engine, and thus saw major graphical upgrades when ported to the PlayStation 2. The home version features remixes of the characters' themes from the arcade version, and also features a bonus Tekken Bowl mode. A remastered version of the game, Tekken Tag Tournament HD, is included in the 2011 collection Tekken Hybrid,^[6] which also contained a playable demo of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and the film Tekken: Blood Vengeance.^[7]

Tekken 4[edit]

Tekken 4 is the fifth installment of the series, released in 2001 in arcades and 2002 for the PlayStation 2. The home version includes a new Story mode that unlocks cutscenes when played, in contrast to previous installments in which such cutscenes were unlocked from playing the Arcade Mode. Gameplay revisions include the ability for the player to move about before the round begins, as well as walled-stages. For the first time, the themes used in the arcade mode are the same ones put into the home version. There are 23 characters to choose from. The story reveals that Kazuya survived the fall into the volcano from 20 years prior, and enters the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 to take back the Mishima Zaibatsu. In the canonical ending, Kazuya and Heihachi are both defeated by Jin. Jin unwillingly transforms into his Devil form, but after glimpsing a vision of his mother, Jun (whom he had not seen in six years), he refrains from executing Heihachi.^[4]

Tekken 5[edit]

Tekken 5 was released in arcades in 2004 and 2005 for the PlayStation 2, with a short period of time of transition from arcade to PlayStation, of two months in North America and four months in Japan.^[8][9] There are 32 characters to choose from, including staple newcomers Devil Jin and Osaka's Asuka Kazama. Many of the characters who were removed in Tekken 3 returned in Tekken 5. The home version includes a mode known as Devil Within, a variant of the Tekken Force mode introduced in Tekken 3. In the canonical ending, Jin Kazama defeats his great-grandfather Jinpachi Mishima (who took over the Mishima Zaibatsu shortly after the ending events of Tekken 4), and inherits the Mishima Zaibatsu.^[4]

2005–present: Expansion and other projects[edit]

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection[edit]

Although Tekken games normally saw updates to the arcade versions, Tekken 5 was the first installment in the series that had a revision significant enough that it was rereleased, with the subtitle Dark Resurrection in 2005. The game was ported to the PlayStation Portable in 2006 and features two new characters: Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort and Sergei Dragunov. Armor King was also reintroduced as a playable character in this revision. The game also introduces a ranking system to the series. The home version featured new modes, such as Ghost Mode, Tekken Dojo Mode, and the two bonus modes, Gold Rush mode, and a revised version of the Tekken Bowl mode introduced in Tekken Tag Tournament. The Devil Within mode from the PlayStation 2 version however, was absent. Namco Bandai saw the fan demand for a console version and a port for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network was released in 2007, in full 1080p HD.^[10][11] The PlayStation 3 version also saw an update and was retitled Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection ONLINE, marking the first time in the series that online play was featured. The PlayStation 3 version also made Jinpachi Mishima playable (but not online).

Tekken 6[edit]

Tekken 6 was originally released in arcades in 2007, followed by an updated version in 2008 titled Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion.^[12] The home version was based on Bloodline Rebellion and was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, marking the first time in the series that a game was multiplatform.^[13][14] The game features a Scenario Campaign mode, which follows gameplay from previous Tekken Force modes, which was playable online alongside standard versus. In the Scenario Campaign ending, after being defeated by Heihachi's illegitimate son Lars Alexandersson (who suffered amnesia at one point during the Scenario Campaign), Jin Kazama is revealed to have wreaked havoc and waged war on the world to fill it with negative energy and generate a physical manifestation of Azazel, so that he himself can face and kill him, as he believed that killing Azazel may purge Jin himself from the Devil Gene inside his body. After the battle, Jin's body is found by Raven, and the Devil Gene is still intact in his body.^[4]

Tekken Tag Tournament 2[edit]

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was released in Japanese arcades in 2011.^[15] Its console version was released the next year and is based on the updated arcade version called Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Unlimited that contained new features.^[16] The Wii U version, which served as a launch title for the console, includes a revised version of the Tekken Ball mode from Tekken 3 and exclusive Nintendo themed costumes for each character, as well as a new mode that makes use of the mushrooms from the Super Mario Bros. franchise. Like the previous iteration, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 includes nearly every character up to that point and a few exclusive characters. Lili's butler Sebastian, Eddy Gordo’s disco-oriented alter ego Tiger Jackson, a new female wrestler character named Jaycee, who is actually Julia Chang in disguise but was made to differentiate the play style of Julia and her mother Michelle Chang, and Slim Bob a slender version of Bob. A demo version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was released as part of Tekken Hybrid including exclusive designs for Devil and Devil Jin from the film Tekken: Blood Vengeance. American rapper Snoop Dogg was featured in the game with his own stage and an original song by the rapper titled “Knocc ‘em Down”.

Tekken 7[edit]

In early 2014, Katsuhiro Harada expressed interest in continuing the series on PlayStation 4.^[17] Tekken 7 was released in Japanese and Korean arcades in 2015. It is the first game in the series to be powered by the Unreal Engine.^[18] The game received an update, subtitled Fated Retribution and released to arcades on July 5, 2016, and featured the series' second, third, fourth and fifth guest characters, the guest characters appearing are Akuma from the Street Fighter franchise by Capcom, Geese Howard from SNK's fighting game franchises, Noctis Lucis Caelum from the Final Fantasy franchise by Square Enix and Negan Smith from The Walking Dead franchise. The PlayStation 4 version was confirmed at Paris Games Week 2015, and features exclusive content as well as virtual reality support. The Xbox One and Microsoft Windows versions were released on June 2, 2017, alongside the PlayStation 4 version, and are based on the Fated Retribution.^[19] In the canonical ending, considered the conclusion of the Mishima saga, Heihachi takes control of the Zaibatsu, and attempts to expose Kazuya of the Devil Gene, after a failed attempt on capturing a missing Jin, who was found safely by his uncles Lars and Lee. In their final battle, Kazuya permanently kills Heihachi and throws him into an erupting volcano, whereas Jin, who recovered from his coma thanks to Lars and Lee, declares that he must kill Kazuya to end the cursed Mishima bloodline. It was also revealed that Heihachi killed his wife Kazumi in self-defense because of her possession of the Devil Gene and the fact that she had gained a split personality because of it, shortly after Kazuya was born. Few side playable characters’ storylines have their endings from Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ties to this game.^[4]

Tekken 8[edit]

A teaser for a new mainline entry in the series was shown during Tekken 7's tournament at EVO 2022, before being formally announced on September 13, 2022 during Sony's State of Play presentation. It was released on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through Steam on January 26, 2024. As a continuation from the seventh mainline game, it focuses on a conclusion of Kazuya and Jin's enmity.^[20] In contrast to the seventh mainline game's utility of Unreal Engine 4, Tekken 8 will utilize Unreal Engine 5, making it the first fighting game to do so.^[21] This game was announced on January 6, 2023 to be co-developed with Arika, who also handles the recent patch(es) for Tekken 7.^[22]

Spin-off and crossover games[edit]

Tekken 3 was also ported to the Game Boy Advance as Tekken Advance in 2001.^[23] Tekken 6-based Tekken 3D: Prime Edition was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. A free to play version of Tekken was released in 2013 for PSN as Tekken Revolution. Tekken Card Challenge was released on the WonderSwan, a Japan-exclusive handheld, in 1999.^[24] A spin-off action adventure game featuring series' character Nina Williams as the protagonist, Death by Degrees, released for the PS2 in 2005.^[25] Two mobile Tekken spin-off games were released in 2011: a 2D fighting game Tekken Resolute, which was the first game not to include Heihachi Mishima,^[26] and Tekken Bowl, the bowling mini-game from Tekken Tag Tournament, for the iOS operating system. Tekken Bowl was first game not to include Yoshimitsu, Nina Williams, Paul Phoenix, or King.^[27] In 2013, a third mobile game titled Tekken Card Tournament was released by Namco Bandai to the App Store for iOS and Google Play Store on Android.^[28][29] That same year, Namco Bandai also released Tekken Arena to the Google Play Store on Android.^&#

Grand Theft Auto IV
Developer(s)	Rockstar North[a]
Publisher(s)	Rockstar Games
Producer(s)	Leslie Benzies
Programmer(s)	Adam Fowler Alexander Roger Obbe Vermeij
Artist(s)	Aaron Garbut
Writer(s)	Dan Houser Rupert Humphries
Composer(s)	Michael Hunter
Series	Grand Theft Auto
Engine	RAGE
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Windows
Release	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 WW: 29 April 2008 Windows NA: 2 December 2008 PAL: 3 December 2008
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and the eleventh entry overall. Set in the fictional Liberty City, based on New York City, the single-player story follows Eastern European war veteran Niko Bellic and his attempts to escape his past while under pressure from high-profile criminals. The open world design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main islands, and the neighbouring state of Alderney, which is based on New Jersey.

The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot and by vehicle. Throughout the single-player mode, players control Niko Bellic. An online multiplayer mode is also included with the game, allowing up to 32 players to engage in both cooperative and competitive gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting.^[b] Two expansion packs were later released for the game, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, which both feature new plots that are interconnected with the main Grand Theft Auto IV storyline, and follow new protagonists.

Development of Grand Theft Auto IV began soon after the release of San Andreas and was shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide. The game introduced a shift to a more realistic and detailed style and tone for the series. Unlike previous entries, Grand Theft Auto IV lacked a strong cinematic influence, as the team attempted an original approach to the story. As part of their research for the open world, the development team conducted extensive field research in New York, capturing over 100,000 photographs and several hours of video. The developers considered the world to be the most important element of the game; though not the largest map in the series, they considered it comparable in scope due to its verticality and level of detail. The budget climbed to over US$100 million, making it one of the most expensive video games to develop.

Grand Theft Auto IV was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in April 2008, and for Windows in December. Upon release, the game received critical acclaim, with praise particularly directed at the narrative and open-world design. Grand Theft Auto IV broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history at the time, earning US$310 million in its first day and US$500 million in its first week. Considered one of the most significant titles of the seventh generation of video games, and by many critics as one of the greatest video games of all time, it won year-end accolades, including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications. It is among the best-selling video games with over 25 million copies sold by 2013. The game generated controversy, with criticism directed at the game's depiction of violence and players' ability to drink-drive. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto V, was released in September 2013.

Gameplay[edit]

Grand Theft Auto IV is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective.^[2] Players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. It is possible to have several active missions running at one time, as some require players to wait for further instructions or events. Outside of missions, players can freely roam the game's open world and complete optional side missions.^[3] Composed of the fictional city of Liberty City, the world is larger in area than most earlier Grand Theft Auto series entries.^[4] At the beginning of the game, players can only explore the first island—composed of Dukes and Broker—with all other islands unlocking as the story progresses.^[5]

Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the game's world. There is a first-person perspective option when using vehicles. In combat, auto-aim and a cover system can be used as assistance against enemies. Should players take damage, their health meter can be fully regenerated by consuming food or drinks, using medical kits, or calling for paramedics.^[6] If players commit crimes, the game's law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display (HUD). On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level (for example, at the maximum six-star level, efforts by law enforcement to incapacitate players become very aggressive). Law enforcement officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. The wanted meter enters a cool-down mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight.^[7]

The game's cover system allows players to move between cover, to fire blindly, aim freely, and target a specific enemy. Individual body parts can also be targeted.^[8] Melee attacks include additional moves, such as dodging, blocking, disarming an opponent and counter-attacking. Body armour can be used to absorb gunshots and explosive damage, but is used up in the process. When health is entirely depleted, gameplay stops, and players respawn at the nearest hospital.^[6]

The single-player mode lets players control an Eastern European war veteran, Niko Bellic. During the story, Niko meets and befriends various new characters. They can then perform favours for Niko whenever he asks; for example, his cousin Roman, who owns a taxi service, can send one of his cabs to take Niko to any destination around the city. Cabs are always available during gameplay for quick travel to a destination. Throughout the course of the game, players are also faced with morality choices, which alter the storyline appropriately depending on the player's choice. While free roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as bowling or darts. Other available activities include a vigilante mini-game, and in-game television programming.^[9][10][11] Niko has a cell phone for contacting friends and starting activities.^[12] The cell phone is also used to access the game's online multiplayer mode, and to enter cheat codes.^[13] To access the in-game Internet, which allows Niko to send and receive emails and set up prospective dates with potential girlfriends, Niko can use Internet cafés located around the city.^[14] The game also features a subway system, allowing players to quickly traverse through the game's world.^[15]

The online multiplayer mode for Grand Theft Auto IV allows up to 32 players^[b] to freely roam across the map. Players decide which game mode they wish to play, including deathmatches and street races. Both cooperative and competitive game modes are available, split into ranked and unranked matches.^[16] For players to level up through ranks, in-game money has to be earned. The game also features a Free Mode, in which players have the entire map open to explore, with no end goal or mission to complete. Hosts of the game can control many variables, such as police presence, traffic, and weapons.^[17] The multiplayer mode was discontinued on Windows in 2020.^[18]

Synopsis[edit]

Setting[edit]

Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in 2008, within a redesigned version of Liberty City. The design of the city focuses on a recreation of four of the boroughs of New York City: Broker (based on Brooklyn), Dukes (Queens), Bohan (The Bronx), and Algonquin (Manhattan). The setting also includes the neighbouring state of Alderney (based on New Jersey).^[19] Initially, bridges are locked down due to a terrorist threat, and police constantly pursue players if the bridges are crossed. The blockades are lifted as the story progresses, allowing the player to traverse between islands safely.

Grand Theft Auto IV is set in the fictional "HD Universe", which mirrors and parodies the real world. The previous games formed fictional universes of their own,^[c] which despite having many similarities with the HD Universe, are considered to be different continuities. Hence, the Liberty City depicted in Grand Theft Auto IV is different from its previous renditions, and the game itself serves as a reboot for the series. The new timeline established by Grand Theft Auto IV would continue with two expansion packs, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, and a sequel, Grand Theft Auto V, as well as its online component, Grand Theft Auto Online.^[21][22][23] The handheld game Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is also considered part of the HD Universe, because it features the same map as Grand Theft Auto IV, except for Alderney.^[24]

Plot[edit]

Niko Bellic, an Eastern European ex-soldier,^[25] arrives in Liberty City aboard a cargo ship, the Platypus, to escape his criminal past, pursue the American Dream, and search for the man who betrayed his unit to an ambush during a war ten years prior. Reuniting with his cousin Roman, he discovers that his tales of riches were lies concealing his small, dirty apartment, unprofitable taxi company, gambling debts, and disputes with loan sharks. Niko begins assisting Roman with his problems, which leads him to make his first criminal contacts in the city. He befriends Yardies second-in-command Little Jacob and is forced to work for Vlad Glebov, Roman's Russian loan shark, whom Niko eventually kills upon learning he had slept with Roman's girlfriend, Mallorie.

In retaliation, Niko and Roman are kidnapped by Russian mobsters on orders of their boss Mikhail Faustin and his lieutenant, Dimitri Rascalov. Indifferent to Vlad's murder, Faustin releases them and employs Niko as a hitman, eventually ordering him to kill the son of Russian crime lord Kenny Petrović. When Petrović threatens retaliation, Dimitri convinces Niko to assassinate Faustin. However, he then betrays and brings Niko to his former employer, Ray Bulgarin, who accuses Niko of stealing from him during a botched human trafficking job years earlier. Niko denies the allegation and a firefight ensues, allowing Dimitri and Bulgarin to escape.

Dimitri's men burn down Niko and Roman's apartment and taxi company, forcing them to flee to Bohan. While Niko finds work with several local drug lords, Dimitri kidnaps Roman in a failed attempt to lure Niko into a trap. Later, Niko discovers that his romantic interest, a woman named Michelle, is a government agent, who then entraps him into working for her agency. In exchange for the murders of several known or suspected terrorists, the agency clears Niko's criminal record and assists him in searching for the traitor he seeks. Niko and Roman's fortunes improve when the latter receives a large amount of insurance money from his destroyed business, which he uses to rebuild it and buy an apartment in Algonquin. Roman also proposes to Mallorie, who accepts.

While working for the Irish Mob, Niko befriends gangster Patrick "Packie" McReary and helps him and his brothers carry out various jobs, including a major bank robbery. Niko is later hired by Ray Boccino, a caporegime in the Pegorino crime family, to oversee a diamond deal, which goes awry. Boccino repays Niko by helping him find his ex-comrade Florian Cravic, now known as Bernie Crane, who claims he was not the one to betray their unit. Niko concludes that the traitor was Darko Brevic, the only other survivor. Niko continues working for the Mafia in Liberty City and eventually earns the trust of Don Jimmy Pegorino, who orders Niko to kill Boccino after suspecting him of being a police informant. Niko also helps Packie kidnap Don Giovanni Ancelotti's daughter to ransom her for the diamonds, but Bulgarin intercepts the exchange. In the ensuing firefight, the diamonds are lost.

Eventually, the government agents find Darko in Romania and bring him to Liberty City for Niko to decide his fate. Afterwards, Niko is summoned by Pegorino for one final favour: to help with a highly lucrative heroin deal in collusion with Dimitri. Niko must either agree to work with Dimitri or exact revenge on him.^[26] If Niko goes through with the deal, Dimitri betrays him again,^[27] kills Pegorino,^[28] and attempts to kill Niko via an assassin at Roman's wedding, but accidentally kills Roman;^[29] Niko retaliates by tracking and murdering Dimitri.^[28] If Niko chooses to exact revenge, he kills Dimitri aboard the Platypus,^[30] prompting a furious Pegorino to target Niko but accidentally kill Packie's sister Kate, whom Niko had been dating, at Roman's wedding;^[29] Niko retaliates by tracking and murdering Pegorino.^[31] Later, either Mallorie or Roman tells Niko that Mallorie is pregnant.

Development[edit]

Preliminary work on Grand Theft Auto IV began in November 2004,^[32] a month after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.^[33] Rockstar president Sam Houser felt that following up San Andreas was "a nightmare".^[34] Rockstar North, the core 220-person team behind the game, co-opted studios owned by parent company Rockstar Games to facilitate development between a full team of over 1,000,^[35] including 50 employees at Rockstar NYC, 40 at Rockstar Lincoln, 10 at Rockstar San Diego, and around 600–700 working part-time internally and externally.^[36] Some key members of the development team worked 12-hour days during production, often without holidays.^[35] The team decided to continue the numbering scheme absent from the previous two main games to represent the same leap in production as Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999) to Grand Theft Auto III (2001).^[33] Development of Grand Theft Auto IV ceased by 21 April 2008 when the game was submitted for manufacturing.^[37] Producer Leslie Benzies estimated that the budget of the development efforts exceeded US$100 million, making Grand Theft Auto IV one of the most expensive video games ever made.^[35]

Research and open world design[edit]

The game's setting, Liberty City, is based on New York City. The team did not look at the previous renditions of Liberty City as inspiration, wanting it to retain the "general feel" but nothing else.^[38] The map is roughly three times the size of Grand Theft Auto III's.^[38] The developers originally considered using the entire state of New York, before restricting it to Manhattan, and then expanding it out again. They considered including more suburbs with woods, and would regularly vote on which areas to include.^[39] Art director Aaron Garbut said that the team chose the setting because of the detail and variety it provided, describing New York as "an amazing, diverse, vibrant, cinematic city".^[40] Writer Dan Houser added that the team "wanted to be somewhere where we had a foothold" due to the amount of research required for the world; Rockstar Games's main headquarters are located in New York.^[41] The team consciously avoided a precise recreation of New York City to allow for more enjoyable game design,^[32] selecting the areas that they felt "characterised it the best".^[40] Garbut wanted to capture a caricature of the city as he felt that most people were familiar with "the highlights" from film or literature but did not need to know the areas precisely.^[40] The city was not built with specific missions in mind; the area was created first, and missions implemented later.^[42]

To achieve a realistic environment, 60–70 employees from Rockstar North travelled to New York for research: first at the beginning of the project in March or April 2005 for a week and a half,^[39] and a smaller trip in 2007.^[38] Police officers who previously worked the beat drove the team around Washington Heights.^[39] A full-time research team based in New York handled further requests for information, such as the ethnic minority of a neighbourhood or videos of traffic patterns. Videos shot in New York were played on televisions at the Rockstar North offices "so while they worked they could look up and there was New York".^[39] Benzies claimed that the team took over 100,000 photographs on location in New York,^[35] though Garbut estimates that they took around 250,000.^[38] They also studied architectural plans for apartments, used satellite images to determine city block layout, researched sales figures for models of cars, and read books that detailed the city's infrastructure, including its subways, sewers, and garbage disposal.^[43] Hove Beach is based on Brighton Beach, which Sam Houser found "pretty incredible" and unusual; the name is based on the English city Brighton and Hove, made up of the former neighbouring towns Brighton and Hove.^[44] Houser appreciated that Brighton Beach was home to several Eastern Europeans due to the nature of the game's characters.^[44]

Dan Houser described Liberty City as "the biggest character" of the game.^[40] The Grand Theft Auto IV rendition of Liberty City is more detailed and larger in size than most earlier entries in the series; although smaller than San Andreas, the setting of the previous main game, the developers considered it comparable in scope due to city's verticality, number of buildings, and level of detail.^[45] The team wanted less dead spots and irrelevant spaces, such as the wide open deserts in San Andreas.^[32] They wanted the game to be "a more focused experience" than San Andreas, and Dan Houser felt that the limited activities of New York allowed this.^[33] The team felt that the addition of Niko's mobile phone added to the immersion of the world and represented society's shifted focus on phones.^[33] The in-game brands and products are designed over several years; the billboards were implemented in the game around six months prior to release.^[38]

Story and character development[edit]

Leslie Benzies

Dan Houser

Sam Houser

Benzies produced the game. Dan Houser co-wrote the story,^[35] while his brother Sam executive-produced the game.^[34]

The game's script, written by Dan Houser and Rupert Humphries, is about 1,000 pages.^[35] Approximately 660 actors provided voices for the game over 80,000 lines of dialogue.^[39] After conceiving the character and setting, Dan Houser spoke with his brother Sam Houser and Leslie Benzies to bounce story ideas before writing a rough synopsis, a six-paged, detailed document. Once the synopsis was reworked, the designers broke it into missions, represented by a large flow document demonstrating each section. The writers then work on the introductions to the missions; the gameplay dialogue comes much later.^[41] Unlike previous Grand Theft Auto games, Grand Theft Auto IV does not have cinematic influences. "We were consciously trying to go, well, if video games are going to develop into the next stage, then the thing isn't to try and do a loving tribute or reference other stuff," said Dan Houser.^[41] He said that the writers wanted something "fresh and new and not something that was obviously derived from [a] movie".^[41] Dan Houser felt that the quality of the writing had to improve alongside the advancements in graphics and technology. He noted that the improvements in facial animation allowed for slower-paced cutscenes.^[40] The unique dialogue that plays when a mission is retried was to ensure that the gameplay felt "less canned and less like Groundhog Day".^[40]

Dan Houser described Niko Bellic as "a more rounded character" than those in previous games.^[40] He felt that his dual personality—often saving innocent people, while also being a "cold-hearted killer"—made him more relatable.^[40] He also felt that Niko's unfamiliarity with Liberty City allowed for the player to relate to him more, only driven by his vague past and relationship with Roman. When deciding on Niko's background, the writers felt that being an immigrant could lead to more dangerous situations, and therefore more enjoyable missions; after discussions with criminal experts, Dan Houser found that "the real scary characters are not born in America anymore".^[40] He felt that Niko's outsider view of American culture was "fun".^[40] The team wanted Niko to be "more of an anti hero than a hero, capable of making positive actions within his criminal world".^[46] They wanted his demeanour to reflect the weight of his past and choices.^[46]

Niko's design underwent a few changes, but was finalised early in development.^[47] His outfit underwent several changes based on Eastern Europeans, particularly photographs of men fighting in winter wars in Yugoslavia and Chechnya. The primary motivation for the design was a face to convey the appropriate emotions and a body that could move nicely with the new animations.^[40] The in-game purchasable outfits were also designed to fit with the character.^[33] The team ensured that the gameplay choices presented to the player were not too extensive, as they still had to make sense to the character, who is driven by the people around him. Dan Houser felt that the missions in San Andreas had become too linear, and wanted to present choices to the player in Grand Theft Auto IV.^[40]

The writers found that Niko needed a motivation to come to America, so they created his cousin, Roman. Dan Houser felt that the two could not be brothers as there would be a deeper level of familiarity than necessary. He described the two as a double act, with Roman's fantasist charm playing off Niko's tough cynicism. The team gave other non-playable characters (NPCs) more definable behaviours and dialogue to make them feel more alive. The writers initially considered having a smaller group of characters, but found that the story became boring and that players were less likely to explore the world. The stranger characters found in the game world were based on the "crazy people" that populate New York, according to Dan Houser, which in previous games were only able to be captured through radio stations or mild pedestrian behaviours.^[38] The team based the ethnicities, clothing, and behaviours of the NPCs on the photographs and videos that they captured around New York, divided into different areas;^[40] they created mood boards for each location.^[38] The NPCs also converse in different languages.^[39]

Art design[edit]

Grand Theft Auto IV sees a shift in the series to a more realistic and detailed style and tone, partly a result of the transition to consoles which offered high-definition graphics and the new and improved capabilities of such consoles. The development team worked to represent the upgrade in quality across all design aspects while maintaining the coherence of the previous games.^[32] The team took the game's development as an opportunity to "strip things back and start again", refining the art style without losing the style of the series;^[40] they distanced the game from the "cartoon-like style" of its predecessors while creating a new style that was consistent across all aspects of the game.^[48] Garbut found the increased demand of detail brought on by the advanced technology daunting.^[49] A technique used to make the visuals look real was to avoid harsh edges, instead blending surfaces together to make the world look dirty and lived-in.^[50] The props department created multiple variations of different objects to make the world more interesting and unique.^[40] G