GTA 4 parents guide: Should you let your kids play it?

While Grand Theft Auto 4 was one of the most controversial video games that Rockstar Games released, this GTA 4 parents guide should give you an idea about whether you should let your kids play the game. The Grand Theft Auto series has always attracted players from different age groups, despite the titles being originally designed for adult players.

However, this GTA IV parents guide will discuss parameters that should clear all your doubts regarding the content of the game and help you decide whether your underage kid should have the Grand Theft Auto 4 experience.

Note: Some parts of this GTA 4 parents guide are subjective and only reflect the writer’s opinions.

GTA 4 parents guide: What is the official rating of the game?

Rockstar Games showing the official rating of Grand Theft Auto 4 in its first trailer (Image via Rockstar Games)

Grand Theft Auto 4 was rated M by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). This means the 12th installment in the Grand Theft Auto series is suitable for mature audiences who are 17 years and above. Therefore, if your kid falls into this category, the GTA 4 parents guide advises you to let them enjoy the gameplay without any worries.

Now, you might wonder who the Entertainment Software Rating Board is and the role it plays in the world of video games. The official website of the board describes itself as follows:

“We are the non-profit, self-regulatory body for the video game industry. Established in 1994, our primary responsibility is to help consumers – especially parents – make informed choices about the games their families play.”

However, parents should note that this body only rated Grand Theft Auto 4 for the audiences of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. If you are from a European country, then you should follow the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) system, which rated the 2008 title as 18. This means the game is only suitable for adults from the European region.

Since Grand Theft Auto 4 was developed and published by an American studio, this GTA 4 parents guide will discuss the instructions given by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

The ESRB pointed out these parameters about the gameplay in Grand Theft Auto 4:

Blood
Intense Violence
Partial Nudity
Strong Language
Strong Sexual Content
Use of Drugs and Alcohol

The GTA 4 parents guide will discuss more details about these parameters.

Bloody scenes in Grand Theft Auto 4

The Grand Theft Auto 4 gameplay has some gory and bloody scenes (Image via Rockstar Games)

The Grand Theft Auto series is notorious for being a crime simulator and the gameplay of Grand Theft Auto 4 follows a similar path. The title has various missions where you kill people and the gameplay shows blood on their corpses. On top of that, players can also kill random NPCs and police officers in freeroam.

The above screenshot is from the mission Uncle Vlad, where the protagonist Niko Bellic kills a character named Vladimir "Vlad" Glebov at point blank. While the killing happens during a cutscene, his blood-spilled corpse can be seen.

Additionally, if Niko Bellic gets serious injuries, he will also spill some blood. If your kid has no issues with video game blood and gory scenes, then the GTA 4 parents guide suggests you let them play the game.

Intense violence in Grand Theft Auto 4

The Grand Theft Auto 4 experience is full of violent moments (Image via Rockstar Games)

One of the other things that Grand Theft Auto 4 includes is various forms of violence. Whether it is gunfights, physical fights, ruthless driving, cold-blooded murder, kidnapping, or any other violent acts, players can see all of these in the crime simulator.

However, the GTA 4 parents guide would like to clarify that neither Rockstar Games nor the gameplay promotes these acts in real life. The studio added a gatekeeping system that keeps players from doing unnecessary violent acts.

Whenever you break the law, you will be struck by law enforcement agencies that grow stronger if you don’t surrender or hide. Moreover, the number of police patrols in Grand Theft Auto 4 is more than any other game in the series.

Partial nudity in Grand Theft Auto 4

Rockstar Games added some partial nude scenes in Grand Theft Auto 4 (Image via Rockstar Games)

Since Grand Theft Auto 4 is an adult-centric game, partial nudity is prevalent in the gameplay. One of the very first scenes in the title has partial nudity. However, GTA 4 parents guide readers should note that it is not provocative at all, but rather funny.

Other than that, various cutscenes and dialogs depict partial nudity. Protagonist Niko Bellic can also pick up prostitutes in cars. Therefore, if you are okay with the nudity aspect described in the GTA 5 parents guide, then GTA 4 parents guide readers should not have any problem with the 2008 title. Moreover, it is very easy to overlook the prostitutes in the game.

Strong language in Grand Theft Auto 4

The Grand Theft Auto 4 gameplay extensively uses strong language at various moments (Image via Rockstar Games)

Niko Bellic is a calm and cool person most of the time, but he becomes very aggressive when someone provokes him. Then, the protagonist frequently uses strong language to express his anger. While dropping F-bombs is very common in the gameplay, Rockstar Games also added some Eastern-European slang in the dialogs.

However, GTA 4 parents guide followers should note the profanity in this game is not as severe as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Since Niko Bellic has a serious personality, most of his dialogues are either calm or aggressive in nature. Therefore, the GTA 4 parents guide suggests that you should not bar your kids from playing the game fearing that they would learn bad language.

Strong sexual content in Grand Theft Auto 4

Although limited, the Grand Theft Auto 4 gameplay still has some sexually suggestive content (Image via Rockstar Games)

As mentioned before in the GTA 4 parents guide, nudity and sexual content are there in the Grand Theft Auto 4 gameplay. Various dialogues of the game also suggest the same. However, it is also true that it is very easy to miss the references.

GTA 4 parents guide readers should note that there is no direct sexual content in the game. Most of it is included in dialogues and in-game TV commercials. The prostitutes in the game appear as regular NPCs and players can easily miss them if they are not aware of them beforehand.

Use of drugs and alcohol in Grand Theft Auto 4

Players and NPCs can consume controlled substances in Grand Theft Auto 4 (Image via Rockstar Games)

Players can consume drugs and alcohol in the Grand Theft Auto 4 gameplay. Rockstar Games landed in hot waters after the release of the game when some people (mostly parents) found out that Niko Bellic could drink and drive. However, this is only partially true.

Since it is a vehicle-themed game, most of the cars are always available to drive. However, one of the most interesting details in the Grand Theft Auto 4 map is that it always spawns an empty cab nearby whenever the character walks out of a bar being drunk. It is the choice of the player whether they walk, take a cab, or drive by themselves.

GTA 4 parents guide readers should also note that if you decide to drink and drive, the game will automatically give you a wanted level as soon as you get spotted by a cop.

If a cop is nearby and sees you getting into the driver's seat drunk, he will start chasing you as soon as you press the acceleration button. Therefore, GTA 4 parents guide readers should not worry that the game promotes the use of drugs and alcohol.

Can kids under 18 play Grand Theft Auto 4?

The straightforward answer would be yes. If you thoroughly consider the aforementioned parameters by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, then any mature player can freely enjoy the Grand Theft Auto 4 gameplay. If you are still worried about what your kids consume and learn from the game, you can accompany them during the playtime.

Grand Theft Auto 4 has one of the darkest storylines that often triggers the thinking aspect of players. Several missions give you multiple choices and you have to morally decide which path to choose.

What content does Rockstar Games offer in Grand Theft Auto 4?

Grand Theft Auto 4 is one of the most feature-packed games in the series (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA 4 is one of the biggest games in the Grand Theft Auto series and it has more missions than Grand Theft Auto 5. Rockstar Games offers 88 story missions that GTA 4 parents guide readers can enjoy. However, if you consider all the multiple-choice missions, the number increases to 91. This is why fans often talk about the memorable missions in Grand Theft Auto 4.

Here is a list of all the story missions that GTA 4 parents guide readers can enjoy:

The Cousins Bellic
It's Your Call
Three's a Crowd
First Date
Bleed Out
Easy Fare
Jamaican Heat
Concrete Jungle
Bull in a China Shop
Hung Out to Dry
Clean Getaway
Ivan the Not So Terrible
Uncle Vlad
Crime and Punishment
Do You Have Protection?
Final Destination
No Love Lost
Rigged to Blow
Shadow
Logging On
Search and Delete
The Master and the Molotov
Russian Revolution
Roman's Sorrow
Out of the Closet
No. 1
Escuela of the Streets
Street Sweeper
Luck of the Irish
Blow Your Cover
Call and Collect
The Puerto Rican Connection
The Snow Storm
Have a Heart
Final Interview
Holland Nights
Lure
Deconstruction for Beginners
Harboring a Grudge
Waste Not Want Knots
Three Leaf Clover
Actions Speak Louder than Words
I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots, and Your Motorcycle
Smackdown
A Long Way to Fall
Taking in the Trash
Meltdown
Museum Piece
No Way on the Subway
Babysitting
Tunnel of Death
Blood Brothers
Undertaker
I'll Take Her
Late Checkout
Truck Hustle
Pegorino's Pride
Payback
Catch the Wave
Flatline
Trespass
To Live and Die in Alderney
Deconstruction for Beginners
Photo Shoot
Hostile Negotiation
Wrong is Right
Portrait of a Killer
Dust Off
Paper Trail
Ransom
Weekend at Florian's
She's a Keeper
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Pest Control
Hating the Haters
Union Drive
Buoys Ahoy
Entourage
Dining Out
Liquidize the Assets
That Special Someone
One Last Thing
If the Price is Right
Mr. & Mrs. Bellic (Deal)
A Revenger's Tragedy
A Dish Served Cold
Mr. & Mrs. Bellic (Revenge)
Out of Commission

Readers should note that the mission list is not in any particular order. The Grand Theft Auto games are known for their non-linear storytelling. This allows players to play most missions without following any particular order. However, Rockstar Games limits this feature during the beginning, finale, and, if there is an important plot twist in between.

Moreover, there are seven categories of Side Missions that you can enjoy in Grand Theft Auto 4.

Story expansions of Grand Theft Auto 4

The official box art of Grand Theft Auto 4: The Complete Edition (Image via Rockstar Games)

GTA 4 parents guide readers should note that Rockstar Games released two story mode expansions for Grand Theft Auto 4. They are as follows:

Grand Theft Auto 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned

This is one of the unique things in Grand Theft Auto 4 as no other single-player mainstream titles in the GTA series have ever received a story expansion update. GTA 4 parents guide readers should note that, just like the main game, the DLC expansions also received an M rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).