Grand Theft Auto IV: A Play Journal: Developing Character
Roman, Vlad, Little Jacob, Dimitri, Mikhail, Brucie, and Playboy X, just to name a few; these are some of the over the top characters of GTA IV, caricatures of American criminal life.
They’re all brought to life with some absolutely phenomenal voice over work and animation. Each, regardless of their wildly distinct personalities, is endearing in their own way. Your cousin Roman, your best friend and right hand man, is full of bombast and big talk but a lovable goof nevertheless. He’s a sort of paranoid moral compass, and Niko’s interactions with him are brotherly and protective.
Thus far, character relationships serve to draw you further into the setting and story. Conversations with Roman, for instance, are immediately pronounced for establishing the setting. Hope into a car with any particular friend or associate, and you’ll typically engage in a conversation. Excellently scripted, they give insight into Liberty City and the lives of the characters themselves.
Niko, as it turns out, is a deeply complicated character. Mission cut scenes frequently reveal the depth of how broken inside he really is, despite his outwardly confident manner. His former Eastern European life was clearly one of strife and horrific experiences as the result of some vaguely mentioned “war”. In his own words, “When you see children lined up against the wall of their school with their throats slit and hands cut off…”
But mission cinematics are only half the delivery. The game is utterly dense with tertiary conversations, ones that occur almost entirely as optional. For instance, Niko will meet women along his journey, and he can actively date them throughout the entirety of the game. You, literally, go out on dates. While driving to or from an activity with your date you’ll engage in scripted conversations with them. Michelle, one particular single you date early on, prods Niko about his past and his involvement in the war. A portion of their exchange unfolded like this:
“It ruined me,” Said Niko.
“I’m so sorry,” Michelle replied.
“So am I.”
The brilliance of this is certainly in its delivery, but also the fact that this is but one example of completely optional conversation pieces, conversations rewarded by simply taking part in Liberty City life. Thus far the game is exhibiting great strengths in developing character and character relationships.
Other notable characters include Brucie and Little Jacob who you will meet early on. Brucie is a car dealer of the illegal street racing kind, a completely hyperactive manic poser “juiced” on steroids and practically screams every word that comes out of his mouth. Little Jacob is your typically laid back Jamaican, a drug dealer with an accent so thick you’ll barely understand a word.
Like dating, you can engage in activities with any of these characters by simply giving them a call. By getting to know them better, you’ll know what better activity to engage in with them, and if they like it they will grow to like you better. Likewise, they will give you mission assignments, the more you complete successfully the more respect you will gain from them.
While this is entertaining in and of itself, and the conversations you engage in reveal more about the characters and sink you further into the game, relationships have a very gameplay-centric twist: once you’ve earned the favour and respect of any particular character, they offer you unique services. Little Jacob can be called upon to purchase discounted weapons, and Brucie can be called upon to set up street races, by way of example. This is a very clever and motivating feature indeed.
Next up, we look at the combat of Grand Theft Auto IV.
peachey @ May 2, 2008