Grand Theft Auto IV
Here are 15 birthday beats for an underrated legend
War vet Niko Bellic chases the fabled American Dream, only to find his cousin Roman’s failing taxi business, dirty apartment, and everything he owes to the loan sharks on the other side of the pond. Fans of the open world crime-’em-up series are no strangers to disillusioned protagonists or their tales of violent delights, but GTA IV has earned a special place in the hearts of many.
“Still the best one!” says Alex Hutchison. “Best GTA,” Michael Drone agrees. “Genuinely fun to explore and play offline. The most interactive world of any Rockstar game other than [Red Dead Redemption 2].”
BIG FISH, SMALL POND
IV can’t escape comparison.
Luke Michael Hodgson calls it, “Ten times the game GTA V is…”
@ThatKidCarnage adds, “I’ll take the darker tone and the physics any day over GTA V.”.
Don McCoy shares, “The city definitely felt more alive in this than V.”
“The story was so good, and tragic,”
Jai Nelson says before also drawing comparisons: “GTA V is a lot of fun and the map is epic in size, but Nico and Roman’s story was captivating. Plus, the jump in graphics quality from San Andreas was mind-melting when they released that first trailer.”
Speaking of throwbacks,
@GamerBhoy89 reflects, “I played it on launch, was sorely disappointed. I wanted it
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to be another San Andreas with tons of activities to do, customisation options – everything GTA V would end up getting. I didn’t appreciate it for what it was. Now I do – and I love it. Great story as well.”
Despite such fondness, IV remains notably absent from modern PlayStation consoles with neither a remake or remaster. However, given the original trilogy’s Definitive Edition debacle, that may be a small mercy…