‘Grand Theft Auto 4’ Gave Us One of the Realest, Most Devastating Characters Ever

There’s a reason other games are afraid of the big, bad Grand Theft Auto. You don’t get to be an indomitable monolith of an IP without putting in an otherworldly body of work. Grand Theft Auto 4 is easily the best in the franchise if we’re talking about the overall narrative and character development. If you pull most people up and ask them to rank all the mainline Grand Theft Auto games, GTA4 would probably, at best, sit somewhere at a comfortable “mid-tier.”

Which is a crying shame because Rockstar was in their bag with Grand Theft Auto 4. I considered the game “good, but not my favorite” for the longest time. But, that’s because I was too young to understand it. You want to know the real reason why Grand Theft Auto is as big as it is? Because Rockstar Games found the secret formula. The series, on the surface, is a bombastic, cathartic, balls-to-the-wall action movie that’s easy to digest. It has many side activities, absurd characters, wild set pieces, and small details you uncover with each subsequent playthrough.

But, the franchise has always had something more meaningful to say. Grand Theft Auto 4, for example, is the deconstruction of the “American Dream.” Breaking down the myth that if you come to America, you can realize your wildest ambitions. Niko Bellic, our vaguely Eastern European protagonist, believes he can be something different. That his unfortunate, violent past wouldn’t follow him — couldn’t hurt those he cared about the most. He wants to be better, but he can’t. It’s not how he’s wired — it’s not what he knows. So, it makes sense he almost immediately sympathizes with the hero of this article: Dwayne Forge.

dwayne forge is the protagonist of a Shakespearean tragedy

Dwayne is a… complex dude. When Niko meets him, he’s just getting out of jail following a near-decade in prison. The first person he goes to see? Playboy X — AKA Trey Stewart — who has taken over Dwayne’s drug empire. To the newly released Dwayne, Playboy X represents comfort and familiarity. He doesn’t see that his protege may not exactly be thrilled to see him out and about. Despite going to jail after an informant dimed him out, Dwayne wants his empire back. He wants to feel that sense of accomplishment again. It’s not the life he wanted or deserved. But his circumstances left him no other choice.

Born to an abusive father who frequently beat his mother, Dwayne grew up as disadvantaged as a person could be. “Expect the worst, then you can only be pleasantly surprised” is what he’d hear shortly before his father beat him. He came up in the projects, surrounded by violence and drugs — lacking resources and options. Dwayne’s father died when he tried to rip off other drug dealers. Yet, Dwayne felt nothing.

When he was old enough to dream, to pursue something he wanted to do, he tried becoming a police officer. However, he was illiterate. And, back then, the police department wasn’t exactly looking for Black officers. His lack of education meant he couldn’t find a job anywhere. It wasn’t a shock, then, when Dwayne finally found inspiration from his deceased father and started selling drugs. “I could add up and I could scare people, so I started selling dope.”

‘grand theft auto 4’ laid it all on the line

Eventually, Dwayne ascended to becoming a full-fledged drug kingpin. But, something was wrong. The people he’d found success with were suddenly envious of him. This led Dwayne to a deep, dark depression where he isolated himself from everyone — as paranoid as he was lonely. Then, he found Cherise Glover, his girlfriend, and the boy who’d one day usurp him: Trey Stewart. These two would ground Dwayne and give his life a purpose. Cherise showed him love, and Trey showed him loyalty. It was a dysfunctional family, but it was his.

…Can you tell how invested I was in the Dwayne/Playboy X feud? This became a whole mini-creative writing assignment. Anyway, back on track! Grand Theft Auto 4 as a storytelling masterclass!

Dwayne taught Trey everything he knew. The tricks of the trade — treated him as something resembling a son! Then, unfortunately, Dwayne found himself in jail, losing everything as a result. Niko is introduced to him through his work with Playboy X, and the two connect. Dwayne is immensely depressed, and Niko is quietly depressed but deals with his conflicts… aggressively. Choosing to hang out with Dwayne is one of the most rewarding experiences because he organically opens up to Niko! It feels like a real friendship!

listen, I love ‘grand theft auto 4,’ okay?

There are so many more layers to Dwayne than what I described. The regret he feels for selling drugs to his own people. The pain of being betrayed by those he grew to trust the most. Feeling as though nothing matters in life and wanting nothing more than for it to end. Wondering if he failed Playboy X. If he resented him for being successful in his place. …One day, I’ll be strong enough to talk about the infamous execution scene if you choose to go that route. Just know this: if you ended Dwayne’s life? You have no soul. Next time (if I feel like it), we’ll talk about Playboy X himself and all the little nuances Rockstar created in their relationship! I’m telling you, go back and play Grand Theft Auto 4.