Hire 150 programmers to artfully weave the two together in a crime-laden effigy of New York City and the result is "Grand Theft Auto IV," a technical masterpiece sure to carjack the 2008 sales chart.

Developer Rockstar Games has worked the formula since the series’ 1997 inception. More than 70 million cash register receipts later, "GTA4," released Tuesday, elevates the medium of video games to new heights.

The allure of the franchise has always been its "anything’s possible" sandbox-style of play, but the criminal activities that make up the single-player game’s 90 or so missions - stealing cars, recovering stolen drug shipments and murdering hospital patients (to name a few) - clearly aren’t suitable for youngsters.

For adults with a mildly defective moral compass, here’s what makes this criminal rampage so great:

Compelling story, characters

Players take on the role of Niko, a morally challenged Eastern European emigre who arrives in Liberty City and quickly learns his aptitude for bloodshed is a marketable job skill. Unlike previous protagonists, Niko is more than a mere thug. A former boy soldier in the Balkans, he’s a sympathetic character who "has done some bad things" and sometimes regrets his life of crime. As the story unwinds, the sharp-tongued Niko and his manic friends come to life as fully realized characters.

Missions and more

The missions - obtained from a handy cellphone that works as the game’s menu - will take the casual gamer at least 40 hours to complete. Most are of the usual "find someone and kill them" variety, but a few are more clever, including one that involves delivering a bomb in a difficult-to-control truck.

When not murdering for hire, Niko can use his cellphone to contact friends. Invite a pal to catch the sights at a virtual strip club often enough and he can be counted on to help in a future firefight. Other bonding experiences include power drinking and bowling, darts and billiards contests. When alone, Niko can work as a taxi driver hustling fares or spend countless hours watching TV, surfing a parody of the Internet, checking e-mail or even taking in a live cabaret show. If that’s not twisted enough, Niko can troll for hookers or go on a date. Sex happens, but this time around, it’s an off-screen affair.

A vibrant city

"GTA4," the first in the series compatible with next-generation consoles (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3), is, of course, drastically improved in the graphics department.

The star of the show is the stylized metropolis of Liberty City, the so-called "Worst Place in America." It’s huge, encompassing miles and miles of detailed cityscape chock-full of cars, pedestrians and criminal activities. Simply driving from one mission to the next can take half an hour, but the city feels so "alive" it’s more of a scenic tour than a chore. And the infamous radio stations, be it ribald talk radio or the 16 channels of music, make it a memorable ride, especially when there’s news reports of Niko’s latest hit job.

Despite the thousands of pedestrians, it is difficult to find two who look alike. And the amount of conversation overheard on the streets is mind-blowing.

Improved combat

Other than visuals, the most noticeable improvements are the lock-on aiming system and the ability to hide behind objects during shootouts, similar to the system used in "Gears of War." It’s a good thing because "GTA4" features more shootouts than ever, especially late in the game.

There are hundreds of types of cars that can be stolen, each with believable handling characteristics that make navigating the city at high speed a challenge (especially when drunk).

Now players can break the glass out of any car and fire weapons while driving, a complicated but very useful ability when the cops are in hot pursuit. Police seem easier to ditch than in the past, and players are given an option to resist arrest. Fighting to the death simply restarts a mission and is preferable to surrender, which results in a hefty fine and the loss of weapons.

Helicopters are the only way to fly. Taking to the night sky for a flight among Liberty City’s skyscrapers is an awe-inspiring spectacle.

Multiplayer

For the first time, the series fully embraces online play. After creating a simple custom character, 15 online modes are available that can host up to 16 players. Unbelievably, the entire single-player map is made available. Aside from the usual racing and death match modes, there are several unique offerings, including "Cops N’ Crooks," which challenges a team of police officers to stop a team of criminals from escaping an area.(George Mathis, New York Times News Service)