How GTA 5 Ruined A Grand Theft Auto 4 NPC's Happy Ending
Grand Theft Auto V's writing is largely decent, but ruining Marnie Allen's arc from GTA IV with the Epsilon Program is one of its biggest missteps. Although it doesn't really affect the main plot, it can still leave a negative feeling for those who thought Marnie had made it out okay in the previous game. As GTA 5 reveals, Marnie relocated from Liberty City to Los Santos and fell in with Chris Formage's religious cult, undoing her happy ending in the process.
In the Grand Theft Auto series, stranger missions are lines of missions, usually fairly short, involving a minor side character. They usually have nothing to do with the rest of the story, but offer more things for the player to do and give the protagonist a new person to interact with. Marnie is one of these stranger missions in GTA 4, being introduced as a sex worker with substance abuse problems. Similar to Grand Theft Auto 4's uncontrollable drunk driving, Marnie's story shows the hazards of gullibility and addiction. Although Niko only encounters her twice, her short arc is still quite effective.
Related: What GTA 6's Map Can Borrow From GTA 5's Los Santos
Niko's encounters with Marnie do a lot to help humanize him, even with all of the crimes and brutality he deals out over the main story. He feels bad for her, gives her some money while gently turning down her advances, and helps her out again later when she gets herself in trouble. It helps that Marnie herself is kind as well, despite the hardship she's faced. After her short arc is over, she even e-mails Niko to let him know that she's back with her family and going to college. She's a character who brings out the best in Niko, showing his more empathetic and protective side. It also shows that despite
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