It doesn't matter if GTA IV's physics are accidentally compelling or a mistake, they're still fascinating and immersive storytelling props. Storytelling in games is still unfortunately often observed in terms of traditional narrative. Just as an actor brings a character on a script to life for a movie, the technical stuff that you might not care about on first glance like how physics weigh on a character and define their tether to the world is often key in making that story what it is in the first place.
The worst thing that could ever happen to GTA IV, outside of being removed from space and time, is a remaster that polishes the gunplay and makes the characters animations more graceful. To do that would puncture Rockstar's disturbing yet compelling depiction of The American Dream. Yes, GTA V is a massive technical and artistic achievement that dwarfs IV in terms of content and pleasurable activities to do.
IV is not without its flaws. The writing is problematic in certain places, particularly some homophobic and misogynistic sections that feel juvenile rather than provocative, and Oh My God I Forgot How Bad The Checkpoint System Is. However, IV's ambitions and its executions on those ambitions, are still unmatched by nearly any other game out there by my measure.
Epic in scope and bleak but humanistic, IV lives beyond these issues as a modern classic in a way that the other GTAs just don't. Javy Gwaltney's cultural column, The Virtual Life , is dedicated to exploring the places where our lives and games intersect, making meaningful connections to games. It runs bi-weekly on Wednesdays. Join Sign In. Post Tweet Email. Follow Us. Share Facebook Post. Twitter Tweet. Email Email. Comment Comment. The driving, shooting, and movement all feel heavier than in the sequel, contributing to the relatively grounded vibe.
The fourth numbered entry shrunk things down a bit for a more dense city, but Grand Theft Auto 5 blew it up again to give gamers both a giant city and beautiful nature. Players can run rampant on city streets or fool around in forests and canyons. This scale also contributes significantly to mission design and side quests. More map variety means more gameplay variety. Size is not everything, but Grand Theft Auto 5 goes above and beyond by making every inch of its landmass interesting.
While the writing in Grand Theft Auto 5 is superb, there is a solid case to be made for Grand Theft Auto 4 taking the cake when it comes to characters. Franklin, Michael, and Trevor are all incredible protagonists, but Niko Bellic is on another level. His background and personality make him one of the most unique playable characters in gaming. It is easy to sympathize with Niko as one learns about his past and simultaneously feel repulsed as he engages in unsavory activities.
Up until the fifth mainline game, the Grand Theft Auto franchise was never known for its impressive arsenal. Players were generally presented with the generic array one came to expect from a shooter.
Grand Theft Auto 5 includes a larger variety of guns, each with their own nuances. The online component also adds new weapons periodically. It was the first time players actually had to care about what weapons they bring to a firefight, along with attachments.
There is something to be said for the game that does it first. The resolution, graphical fidelity, world detail, and physics make unimaginable leaps between the two titles. Grand Theft Auto 5 is technically better in all these areas, but it is simply an improvement off a foundation the fourth game already laid down.
Told to drive somewhere? It wasn't a great look even in GTA 4's day, when Saints Row 2 embraced anarchy and really gave no shits how you finished most of its missions. Likewise, as the story progressed, it became harder for it to justify much of the action.
As a penniless immigrant, Niko has problems. The PC version of GTA 4 made its own leaps forward, with more players in its online mode and customization options like custom radio stations. GTA Online wasn't a monster hit at the time, but GTA 5's improvements would later propel it to rake in billions of dollars. And as a canvas for mods, GTA 4 helped kickstart a community of skilled video game photographers, who used graphics and lighting overhauls like iCEnhancer to conjure up striking shots of Liberty City.
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