Grand Theft Auto IV is a choice.

You make a choice to play a game in which you take on the role of a violent protagonist in a crime-ridden existence (and make no mistake, this game was created and intended for an adult audience, is rated mature and should not be played by anyone under the age of 17). You decide whether to portray this character as either being without remorse, or haunted by his past and his actions. You can choose to follow the story that was created by the developers or to roam and explore an open, virtual world.

The game, the latest title in the video game franchise created by Rockstar Games, is also the greatest of the series. Developed for the PS3 and Xbox 360, in many ways, GTA IV is much like its predecessors. It has the same style of animation, the same satirical bent, the same gangster-film esthetic. With each GTA game, the Rockstar developers have refined the sandbox genre that they popularized, and the changes that were brought to the new game elevate it beyond the achievements of its siblings.

The last GTA game in the series, 2004’s GTA: San Andreas, sprawled over an entire state, which was based on California. GTA IV has scaled back, limiting players to a city inspired by New York City. Wise decision, because while big can be better, San Andreas was too big for most players to have fully explored. Gone — thankfully — are the role-playing elements that were introduced for GTA: San Andreas. The driving and weapons controls have been tightened up in GTA IV, too, and there is more chaos in the system, exemplified by the number of people and vehicles on the streets.

The story, written by Rockstar Games cofounder Dan Houser and Rupert Humphries, features similar plot lines to other GTA games. It’s a dark, violent tale set in the seedy underworld populated by criminals and the morally divergent. You take on the persona of Niko Bellic, a Serb who has come to Liberty City, presumably to start a new life. Like the best gangster films —what this game is in its heart — GTA IV is an immigrant tale, a dark comment on the myth of the American dream. Niko finds work where he can get it, and due to his military experience becomes useful to a variety of criminal organizations, from the Russian mob to the Jamaican posse, all of whom keep in touch using mobile calls and text messages.

Along the way are the expected spoofs of American consumer culture presented through the radio and television stations you can listen to and watch, and even through the Internet, accessed by visiting the cyber café Tw@ (think on that for a second). Even the background denizens of the city are spoofs of character clichés, from the strung-out junkie to the coke-addled banker, from the sidewalk preacher to the vacuous member of the upper class.

The environment, inspired by New York City of the ’70s and ’80s, re-creates four boroughs — Brooklyn (Broker), the Bronx (Bohan), Queens (Dukes) and Manhattan (Algonquin) — and New Jersey (Alderney). It’s a dirty, degentrified place that is made beautiful by the lighting and shading of the video game’s creators.

The multiplayer capacity of the game can support up to 16 players and includes the entire city, not simply a section of it. You can dive into a variety of combative and co-operative multiplayer game modes or step into “free mode,” which lets you and your friends explore the entire map together without worrying about goals or missions.

GTA IV is not, however, flawless. There are a few minor rendering and frame rate glitches, and as for the reports of the game crashing and freezing PS3s and Xbox 360s, I can attest that there is some truth to them. Despite repeated attempts to get the game running on my 60GB PS3, it kept freezing. I’ve had no problems with the Xbox 360 edition, however.

While it is true that the decisions you make as Niko have consequences, the story branching is limited to two possible endings, which hinge on a final, momentous choice. What you do at this point will stem from who your Niko has become. The cold realities of America, it seems, can either harden or ease a tortured soul.