Grand Theft Auto IV was released on April 29, 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PS3. A PC version of the game was released on December 2, 2008.

The ninth title in the long-running and popular Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in a redesigned Liberty City, based on four of the boroughs of New York City and parts of New Jersey. While the total area of the map is smaller than that of San Andreas, the newly designed Liberty City is far more detailed and larger than any of its predecessors.

Core gameplay primarily consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game. The main character, Niko Bellic, can walk, run, swim, climb, jump, use weapons and engage in basic hand-to-hand combat. A variety of vehicles are available, including automobiles, boats, helicopters and motorcycles.

When exploring the game world, keep in mind that wreaking havoc will attract undesired and potentially lethal attention from the authorities. The strength of the response correlates to the severity of the chaos created. Police respond to minor infractions within the game such as attacking people, pointing guns, stealing cars, killing a small number of people, etc. Higher level infractions are addressed by SWAT teams, the FBI and the military.