It’s been 13 years since Rockstar Games first releasedGrand Theft Auto 4, which many believed was way ahead of its time.Grand Theft Auto 4’s staggering visuals breathed life to the grim and grey streets of Liberty City, whereas its diverse cast of characters helped portray a convoluted, slow-burn of a story that is still one of the greatest narratives in games. Needless to say,Grand Theft Auto 4is still just as impressive, even though in many ways it doesn’t hold up as well as it did back then.
Surprisingly enough,Grand Theft Auto 4hasn’t gotten theGrand Theft Auto 5treatment, the latter of which has already been released on two generations of consoles, with another re-release happening later this year. UnlikeGrand Theft Auto 5,Grand Theft Auto 4is still tied to the PS3/Xbox 360 and PC, although the 360 version of the game isbackward compatible with Xbox Oneand Xbox Series X/S. It’s a shame becauseGrand Theft Auto 4deserves the attention thatGrand Theft Auto 5gets, and for that to happen, it needs to be more easily accessible. AGrand Theft Auto 4remaster or remake could solve that problem, and it’d be worthwhile for Rockstar Games.
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Why a Grand Theft Auto 4 Remaster is Needed
Grand Theft Auto 4ushered in a new era for Rockstar Games with its at-the-time jaw-dropping visuals, intricately designed open-world, and impressive physics.Grand Theft Auto 4kicked off the realistic andimmersive open-worlddesign that Rockstar Games mastered with 2018’sRed Dead Redemption 2. NPCs would cover their heads with newspaper when it rains, car tires would deflate slowly when hit, and garbage trucks would only appear in the morning hours.
These minute details broughtGrand Theft Auto 4to life, and set the benchmark high for open-world games. However, everything came at a cost, withGrand Theft Auto 4experiencing performance issues on all three platforms it initially launched. Fast forward to 2021, plenty of high-end PCs still struggle to runGrand Theft Auto 4at a stable 60 FPS or more without fan-made mods or fixes.
WhileGrand Theft Auto 4is notably absent on PS4 and PS5, the Xbox Series X/S versions suffer from a bizarre issue that makes it all the more problematic.Grand Theft Auto 4on Xbox Series X runs at an uncapped 60 FPS, which although makes cruising around Liberty City a buttery smooth experience, creates an issue in the final mission of the game which makesGrand Theft Auto 4almost impossible to beat on Xbox Series X.
In the final mission, there is a chase sequence where players have to jump from a ramp directly to a helicopter, all the while spamming the “A” button to climb and pilot it. But given the increased FPS, the game is unable to recognize or register the required number of times the player actually spams, resulting in a situation where they are pretty much unable to climb into the helicopter. A similar issue also persists on the PC port ofGrand Theft Auto 4, and while it is game-breaking, it is only one of the many issues that exist in the game’s current version.
Aside from the frame rate,Grand Theft Auto 4has a history of corrupted save file issues that exist on seemingly all platforms. Last year, the Steam version of the game got a minor update to restore some music but instead ended up corrupting saved files for many people.Grand Theft Auto 4’s Steam corrupted save file issuehas been reversed, but issues like these indicate the underlying complex and poorly optimized structure ofGrand Theft Auto 4that seemingly makes it difficult to port or update.
Aside from game-breaking issues,Grand Theft Auto 4could do with plenty of quality of life changes that only remastering or remaking it could fix. Things such as the floaty driving mechanics, cumbersome aim on consoles that makes it impossible to play without auto-aim, are some of the issues that makeGrand Theft Auto 4a dated experience. It’s a shame because without the technical problems leaves an open world and story that is arguably one of the best.Grand Theft Auto 4was revolutionary for its time, which makes a remaster or a remake all the more necessary — both for the players who adore the original, and those who’ve only playedGrand Theft Auto 5.
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Grand Theft Auto 4 Deserves the GTA 5 Attention
Compared toGrand Theft Auto 5,Grand Theft Auto 4’s story was grimmer. While Los Santos does a fine job of depicting the superficiality and hypersonic mentality of its 21st-century American residents, Liberty City somewhat represents the more darker and dangerous side of America. Playing asNikko Bellic, a Yugoslavian expat, is also a fresh change and allows players to experience the good old American dream from an outsiders' perspective. Although satirical,Grand Theft Auto 4does a fine job of exemplifying the racial and political tension that surges through the 21st-century streets of New York City, and is much appreciated for the same.
While a slow burn of a story isn’t necessary to flesh out every cast of characters a game offers,Grand Theft Auto 4does that admirably well. Compared to that,Grand Theft Auto 5’s campaign feels rushed.Grand Theft Auto 4also delivered on two of the best story-driven singleplayer DLC expansions, in the form ofThe Ballad of Gay TonyandThe Lost and Damned. Rumors of a similar singleplayer DLC forGrand Theft Auto 5surfaced, but it never saw the light of day. Many would argue thatit’s not too late for a singleplayer DLC forGrand Theft Auto 5, given the PS5 version of the game launching later this year, though it seems that ship has sailed a long time ago.
Resident Evil 2 Remake,Final Fantasy 7 Remake, andMass Effect Legendary Editionhave already proven that the games industry is immensely welcoming of remakes and remasters. As such, it’s high time that Rockstar Games finally delivers aGrand Theft Auto 4remaster or remake that is free of all its technical limitations, leaving behind a legacy-defining experience.
Grand Theft Auto 4is available on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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