Grand Theft Auto IV rocks. It deserves every bit of critical praise. To me, the most compelling parts of game the are the ways it lets you interact with the story. Many techniques have been explored in previous installments and other games, but never before have they all worked so well together under one package. It’s a big step forward for sophisticated gaming experiences. These are some of the elements that stand out:

Friendships.
As you progress through Liberty City, you begin to meet colorful characters that occasionally call you up and want to hang out. Some are business partners, such as the steroid-pumped jock Brucie, while others are potential love interests, like your friend’s sister Kate. You can play darts, go drinking at a bar, catch a comedy show, and more. Each friendship has a likeness percentage that goes up or down depending on how you treat everyone, and high percentages unlock perks based on that character’s background (such as access to your cousin’s taxi service to help get around town quicker). It’s the best in-game relationship system that I’ve ever experienced, and helps all the characters break free from being one-dimensional pieces of cardboard.

Non-Cutscene Dialogue.
The cutscenes in GTA IV are fantastic, but I think the best conversations take place when you’re in control. They often happen seamlessly, such as when you’re driving with a friend and they randomly begin chatting with you for a good 3 minutes about what’s going on in their life. Or when you’re walking down a sidewalk, pick up your cell phone, and learn about a new job without ever breaking stride. Niko’s frequent outbursts really help to shape his character as well. The fact that these conversations feel like they occur organically, rather than a script that triggers when you reach a certain point, give a compelling sense of life to everyone.

Moral Choices.
GTA IV throws some interesting moral choices tangled into the storyline. There are quite a few times where you reach a target with a gun drawn, only to have them plead for their life. Do you follow through with the job, or have mercy and trust that your employer will never find out? One of the more difficult decisions happens when you’re forced to kill one of two main characters, each who you identify with in different ways. I definitely felt bad about the choice I made, especially when I came across a late email from my victim thanking me for being a good friend. A game has never made me feel regret in that way before.

Sandbox Gameplay.
Like its predecessors and the genre they defined, the open-world sandbox gameplay - that is, being able to do whatever you want in this giant playground of a city - allows the story to move along at your own pace. The idea of “levels” seems archaic in a free-roaming game like this. In one particular warehouse mission, I parked my stolen police car below the catwalk of an adjacent building, climbed on the hood, jumped, and pulled myself up the stairs. When I got to the higher vantage point of the roof, I started lobbing grenades and sniping the bad guys one by one. My plan worked beautifully, and I was happy that the game never held my hand and told me what to do - I figured out the best initial attack myself.

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I don’t want to argue that all interactive stories should emulate what’s happening in Liberty City. Linear, more scripted games still deserve your shelf space, but GTA IV’s non-linear slant is an excellent example of what makes video games such an engaging and growing storytelling medium. It’s the digital equivalent of a page-turner or a summer blockbuster.

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