Grand Theft Auto IV

=== Setting ===
Grand Theft Auto IV takes place within an alternate version of Liberty City seen in Grand Theft Auto III. 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). In the story, it is explained that bridges are locked down due to a terrorist threat, and police constantly pursue players if the bridges are crossed. These barricades are lifted as the player progresses the story, allowing them to traverse uninterrupted between islands.
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, 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 continues 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. 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.

Plot

Niko Bellic (Michael Hollick), an ex-soldier from Eastern Europe, arrives in Liberty City aboard the cargo ship Platypus to escape his criminal past, pursue the American Dream, and search for a man who betrayed his unit to an ambush ten years prior. Reuniting with his cousin Roman (Jason Zumwalt), he discovers Roman's stories of riches and success were embellished: instead of living a life of luxury with cars and women, Roman lives in a small, dirty apartment, owns an unprofitable taxi company, has gambling debts, and often disputes with loan sharks. Niko begins assisting Roman with his problems and makes criminal contacts in the city. He befriends Yardies second-in-command Little Jacob (Coolie Ranx), and is forced to work for Vlad Glebov (Misha Kuznetsov), Roman's loan shark. Niko eventually kills Vlad upon learning he slept with Roman's girlfriend, Mallorie (Elena Harvey Hurst).
In retaliation, Niko and Roman are kidnapped by Russian mobsters on orders of their boss, Mikhail Faustin (Karel Roden), and his lieutenant, Dimitri Rascalov (Moti Margolin). Indifferent to Vlad's murder, Faustin releases them and employs Niko as a hitman, ordering him to kill the son of Russian crime lord Kenny Petrović. When Petrović threatens retaliation, Dimitri persuades Niko to assassinate Faustin and satisfy Petrović. However, Dimitri betrays him after the killing and brings Niko to his former employer, Ray Bulgarin (Vitali Baganov), who accuses him of stealing from him during a failed human trafficking job years earlier. Niko denies the allegation and a firefight ensues, allowing Dimitri and Bulgarin to escape.
Dimitri's men burn down Roman's apartment and taxi company, forcing him and Niko to flee to Bohan. While Niko works with several local drug lords, Dimitri briefly kidnaps Roman in a failed attempt to lure Niko into a trap. Later, Niko discovers that his romantic interest, Michelle (Rebecca Henderson), is an undercover government agent named Karen, who entraps him into working for her superior (Milton James). In exchange for the murders of known or suspected terrorists, the superior clears Niko's criminal record and aids him with seeking his traitor. Roman receives a large amount of insurance money from the arson, which he uses to rebuild the business and buy an apartment in Algonquin. He also proposes to Mallorie, who accepts.
Niko befriends gangster Packie McReary (Ryan Johnston), helping him and his brothers carry out various jobs, including a major bank robbery. Niko is later hired by Ray Boccino (Joe Barbara), 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 (Timothy J. Alex), who claims he was not the one to betray their unit. Niko realises the traitor was Darko Brevic (Michael Medeiros), the only other survivor. He continues working for the Mafia and earns the trust of Don Jimmy Pegorino (Tony Patellis), who orders him 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.
After they request Niko work with Jon Gravelli (Madison Arnold), the aging head of the city's most powerful crime family, government agents find Darko in Romania and bring him to Liberty City for Niko to decide his fate. Niko is summoned by Pegorino for a final favour: to help with a lucrative heroin deal in collusion with Dimitri. Learning Dimitri is aboard the Platypus, Niko must decide to either work with Dimitri or exact revenge. If Niko agrees to the deal, Dimitri betrays him again, kills Pegorino, and sends an assassin to kill Niko at Roman's wedding, but the assassin accidentally kills Roman instead; Niko retaliates by tracking down and murdering Dimitri. If Niko chooses revenge, he kills Dimitri, prompting Pegorino to target him at Roman's wedding but accidentally kill Packie's sister Kate (Mary Catherine Donnelly), whom Niko had been dating; Niko tracks down and murders Pegorino. In both endings, Niko learns that Mallorie is pregnant, and he promises to remain close with his family in Liberty City.