The Serbian protagonist of the best-selling game of 2008, GTA IV.
Many
people mistake him as Russian, vaguely "Eastern European" or something else, but it'
s rather obvious by his name and native language which he utters throughout the game, he'
s Serb.
A veteran of the Yugoslav Wars (see: Bosnian war) in which he participated during his teenage life, Niko has a bitter and cynical perspective of the world because of a long history of suffering and betrayal at the hands of others.
He's a no-nonsense, business-oriented
guy who'
s overly protective but perhaps a little paranoid as well.
After his army
unit is wiped out in an ambush due to an unknown informant (later revealed to be a member of the unit itself) and at the invitation of his cousin, Roman, he comes to Liberty City in the US, where he'
s promised a lavish and rewarding life of luxury.
This is where the game kicks off, leaving the
player largely to their own devices and free to mould Niko into either: a brutal, psychopathic and cunning hitman who exacts revenge on everyone who betrays him OR a repenter who eventually sees the bright side of life.
The game essentially details Niko'
s dealings and relationships with the various criminal organisations of Liberty City
like the Russian Mafia.
However, there'
s is so much more to the story it'
s impossible to explain it all in one
definition.
