GTA 4's Ending Choice Isn't As Hard As It Thinks

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Grand Theft Auto IV's story has two potential endings the player's actions can lead to, but one is vastly preferable to the other. Each ending results in some sort of loss, but the stakes for both are not equal, leading to one ending hitting in a more painful way than the other. Players who know what to expect will likely pick one ending over the other every time, and there are some legitimate reasons for doing so.

Grand Theft Auto 4 has a reputation as one of the darker, more downbeat games in the series. It doesn't revel in irreverence and over-the-top setpieces as much as other games in the series. Comparing GTA 4 to GTA V makes the difference in tone clear, starting with Niko's dark backstory before GTA 4. Even the game's art style features more muted colors compared to its vibrant successor. This also follows through in the game's ending. No matter what choice the player makes, someone close to protagonist Niko Bellic will die at the end, with the chosen finale determining whether it will be Niko's cousin Roman, or his love interest Kate.

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One would assume that effectively choosing which of Niko's associates would die would be a very difficult decision. However, this decision was not as balanced as Rockstar may have believed when the game was in development. While both endings have their share of bitterness, one manages to be far better than the other for a few reasons.

Roman and Kate both play a role in GTA 4's story, but their roles and strength as characters are far from equal. Roman could cameo in a future GTA title with few complaints, while Kate is much more forgettable in the grand scheme of things. The balance between the two characters