GTA IV pt. 4

• Niko helps clean up drug dealers, and then later helps them. GTA IV is by no means an immoral game, merely an amoral one.
• Some slight elements of gender equality exist. Niko argues that the possibility of Roman and Mallorie getting married is an equal decision rather than only Roman's.
• Driving recklessly reasonably forces Niko's date to leave. I assume that hitting her, much like in GTA: SA, forces her to leave as well.
• A female character (who shall remain nameless) turns out to be a law enforcement agent undercover, but that's the closest I've seen to outright hostility to women. Again, she's a bad person because she's a cop.
• The strip clubs are not only unalluring, but uninteresting as well. Some feminists would argue that the mere existence of strip clubs are misogynistic, but feminism is no monolithic thing. If anything, I'd argue that the strippers are strong moral characters since they actually have legal jobs, unlike most of GTA IV's cast.
• Alcoholism is bad, as evidenced by a variety of characters. I should also mention that, regardless of the hullabaloo about drunk driving, that GTA IV is a great demonstration of why it's BAD. You can (and should) call for a cab instead. And I'd much rather people (adults and children alike) find out how hard drunk driving is at home rather than on the roads.
• Use of drugs is also voluntary. So far, Niko has turned down marijuana twice, coke once, and alcohol a number of times. You can CHOOSE to drink, but in no way is it a required part of the game.
  
• The Internet is somewhat limited in GTA IV, but the addition of Craplist (a parody of Craigslist) tickles my fancy.
• A character gives sound economic advice on the need to diversify investments.
• The cover system is heads and shoulders above the previous entries. I liked GTA: SA's as an improvement over GTA: VC, but there's no comparison. I was able to dominate in GTA IV in combat situations that would've killed me in an earlier installment, entirely due to the cover system's awesomeness.
• McReary, thus far, is a more compelling portrayal of a cop than previous installments. Samuel L. Jackson's turn as corrupt as hell Officer Tenpenny in GTA: SA was enjoyable, but one-sided. McReary really seems conflicted, and desperate to prove to others (but mostly himself) that he's an honest cop. I'm excited to find out his full story.
• At some later time, I'll share my thoughts on Grand Theft Childhood, but one aspect relevant here is that psychologists have found that the biggest problem with violent media and child emulation is that the violence is unpunished. Niko gets in problem after problem due to violence, and violent characters all face consequences, either at the hands of law enforcement or other criminals.
• The organ harvesting doctor is black.
• GTA IV has multiple ongoing storylines, especially with the addition of appointments. This develops lateral thinking and is similar to complexly plotted TV shows and novels.
• Pan-African solidarity between a black gangster and Dubai is amusing, wrong, and educational.
• Niko is a harsh critic of American consumerism and breast implants.
• I've encountered two situations now where Niko can CHOOSE whether or not to execute people at his mercy. I'm not sure if that will make a difference in the long-run, but it's nice to have the option to kill.
• Auto-saving is wonderful. There's no excuse not to have it. I no longer have to put off sleep to find a save point. Now I can put off sleep to play more missions.