Grand Theft Auto IV, which is celebrating its 15-year anniversary on April 29, 2023, has had a significant impact on one New Yorker’s connection with his home city. He recounts how Rockstar’s simulation of Liberty City, which is a fictional version of Manhattan, helped him explore and map out New York in a way he never could before. As a kid, he was intimidated by the city’s size, density, and speed, and it wasn’t until playing GTA IV that he felt comfortable exploring it. Although Liberty City isn’t a one-to-one replica of New York, it offered enough similarities that he felt grounded in a place he’d previously felt disconnected from. It even depicted project buildings that he and his family had just moved into around the same time. The game’s version of Liberty City is now an interesting snapshot of a pre-recession and gentrification New York City, which has since undergone significant change. However, GTA IV remains a beloved tribute to a time and place that this New Yorker only fleetingly knew.
