User:Stephenfisher2001/sandbox/GTA IV

Grand Theft Auto IV (also known as GTA IV or GTA 4) is an open world third-person shooter developed by Rockstar North and published and released by Rockstar Games. The game is the eleventh title in the series and is notable for being the first HD Universe game, that is, the game where GTA started to become more realistic. Set within 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 loan sharks and mob bosses. The open-world design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main big islands.

GTA IV saw two episodic expansion packs, the first one being called The Lost and Damned, which came out on 17 February, 2009, and the second being The Ballad of Gay Tony, which came out on 29 October, 2009, and both were bundled in a standalone game titled Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City. Originally, the two episodes were exclusive to the Xbox 360 until they were released on PC and PlayStation 3 in April of 2010. 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.