So you've gotten to the end of GTA 4 and now - wait, you are done, aren't you? If not, you have to stop here. This is spoiler country.

Is he gone, that guy who didn't get to the end yet? Okay, as I was saying: So you've gotten to the end of GTA4 and now you're wondering what you missed when you chose to kill Derrick instead of Francis. Or was it vice versa for you? You're wondering what happened to those targets you spared and how the ending would have changed if you opted for revenge instead of a deal. Well, you can play through the game a second time, or you can read on.

Kill Him/Her or Spare Him/Her?

Throughout the game there are a few minor characters you executed or spared. If you executed them, you simply fulfilled the mission objective. But if you spared them, they went go into the "strangers" pool, appearing on the minimap as one of those little blue stick figures. Strangers - although in these cases, they're not technically strangers - offer you side quests, usually for a minor cash reward, if that. Some strangers actually cost you money. So if you want to extend the story arcs, spare everyone you can.

Dwayne or Playboy X?

The first big choice you faced was whether to kill Dwayne or Playboy X. This is arguably the most controversial for how much impact it has on the gameplay, and not always for the better. If you killed Playboy X, you got his apartment as a safehouse. This might not seem like a big deal, since you already have an Algonquin safehouse in Middle East Park. But Playboy X's pad happens to have nicest TV in the game. Furthermore, you left Dwayne alive and therefore available for buddy activities. Once you got Dwayne's "like" rating high enough, you could call him and request back-up. He'd send out a couple of friends who were invaluable not just for the extra firepower, but for drawing fire away from you.

But if you killed Dwayne, all you got was a lousy $25,000. With the lack of money sinks in Liberty City, this is chump change, particularly after the Three Leaf Clover robbery. Worst of all, you missed out entirely on Dwayne's back-up friends, who are useful even after the story is over. And you have to watch Republican Space Ranger on a crappy 30" TV. This choice was Rockstar's way of sticking it to everyone who decided to kill Dwayne.

Francis McCreary or Derrick McCreary?

Rockstar dropped the ball with this one. If you killed Francis, nothing much happened. But if you killed Derrick, you didn't get Francis ability to reduce your wanted level, which is only marginally useful anyways, since dating Kiki will do the same thing. No matter what you chose from this conundrum, nothing changed for the McCreary family. The ensuing funeral mission played out exactly the same no matter who was in the coffin, and there were only minor differences in the dialogue from the surviving McCrearys. According to the calculus of Rockstar's dramatis personae, there's no difference between a paranoid heroin junkie and a corrupt cop.

But what's most disappointing is that the game never explored the implications of what Niko had done, given his relationship to the McCreary family. He's murdered the brother of Kate, Packie, and Gerald, yet they never find out. The subtext of his presence at the funeral is never explored. The storyline instead veers off into the tedious Italian Mafioso stuff, leaving the McCreary's as little more than a source of car bombs.

Darko Brevic: Kill him or let him live?

This was the moment of Niko's ultimate revenge, but your choice had no bearing whatsoever on the storyline or the gameplay. Whether you killed or spared Brevic said more about you than the game. No matter what you decided, the ensuing drive home was a somber moment for Niko and Roman, and a great example of the power of understatement. With the radio switched off and no sound but the hum of your tires on the street and the traffic around you, this is where Rockstar forced you to think instead of watch or listen.

Deal or Revenge?

The final "Deal" or "Revenge" choice had the greatest effect on the storyline, and the most emotional impact. It was also Rockstar at their manipulative best. By sussing out your preference with a couple of phone calls, they figured which character you cared about most, and then they killed that character. Here's how it works:

If you honor Kate's request and select "Revenge", she attends Roman's wedding with you and takes a stray bullet during Jimmy Pegorino's drive-by. If you throw your lot in with Roman and go for the living large option in "Deal", Kate ditches you and you go to Roman's wedding stag. Roman is then murdered by Dmitri. The final mission plays out pretty much the same, with either Dmitri or Pegorino as your ultimate opponent.

From the perspective of gameplay, it's sad but true that you don't get much from having Kate survive. But if Roman surives - that is, if you select the "Revenge" mission - then you'll still have his cab service available after the storyline is over. The lesson? Bros before hos, particularly if you want a free ride.