The game's characters—particularly Niko—received positive reactions from critics. Hicks of "Official Xbox Magazine" and Andy Robinson of "Computer and Video Games" both called Niko "charismatic" and "likeable", stating that they prefer him over previous protagonists of the series. George Walter of "GamesRadar" praised the depth of the character, and "IGN"s Goldstein felt that the character of Niko feels relatable when faced with difficult decisions. Jeff Gerstmann of "Giant Bomb" felt that Niko was "the only thing that mattered to " as he progressed through the story, with the character becoming one of his favourite features of the game. Schiesel of "The New York Times" named Niko one of the most realised video game characters attributing this to the game's script, while "1UP.com"s Boyer commended the use of character bonding during the game's missions.