"grand theft auto iv" has the same basic gameplay from the earlier games in the series. the player can walk, run, swim, climb, jump and use weapons and basic hand-to-hand combat. players can steal and drive many types of cars, boats, helicopters and motorcycles. players can explore and choose how they want to play the game. players can complete missions, but these are not needed to get farther into the game to open content. when the player does a crime and the police see it, they will start to follow the player and try to catch him.