Maybe it’s the excitement of knowing we’re about to see a whole load of GTA 6 soon, or maybe it was just another weekend where it felt too hot to move, but I decided to boot up Grand Theft Auto 4 for the first time in 18 years. This may not surprise many of you, but I’m here to tell you that it’s still very fun. Niko still rules. I love the lived-in feel of Liberty City. I even really enjoy the driving — somewhat controversial, I know. What I’m trying to say is: GTA 4 is still good, innit.
IGN gave GTA 4 a 10 way back in the day (I didn’t review it; I was still in school at the time), and, while I may not agree with it being a full-fledged masterpiece, there’s still plenty to admire. I’m not going to give it a full re-appraisal here; that’s what my colleague Luke Reilly will be doing when he gets round to it on our GTA legacy review series. I’m just here to let you know it still has the juice.
I won’t lie, though, the first thing I noticed when booting GTA 4 up was a sign of just how far we’ve come since Rockstar’s first hi-def city. The draw distance is really poor, at least on the original Xbox 360 version. Really, it was as if someone had stolen my glasses, proceeded to rub mud into my eyes, and then asked me to look directly into the sun.
When things do come into focus, though, it becomes clear just how much effort Rockstar put into this version of Liberty City’s character. Technical limitations didn’t prevent some first-class world-building here, especially the really grimy atmosphere that coats the opening areas of this New York proxy. Niko’s first apartment is suitably cramped for the start of this American dream story — the tape barely holding the lad’s mag posters to the wall, each bikini model sporting more fold lines than tan lines. It’s a classy(?) touch.
The slapdash feeling continues when you step outside and into Roman’s taxi, with its rear bumper clinging on for dear life as you push the accelerator. The handling of vehicles in GTA 4 has been a topic of heated conversation since it first came out, but I have to admit, I kinda like it. There’s a looseness in how you corner that adds unexpected thrills to chases. Yes, it does make some roads feel like ice has been layered over the top of the asphalt, a feeling only enhanced by cars that feel heavy to the point of wondering if someone has lumped a pallet of bricks in the trunk as a prank, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t prefer it to what would come five years later. There’s no denying that you feel far more in control of a car in GTA 5, but I miss the danger of its predecessor’s driving. I’d love GTA 6 to find a balance between the two.
After its set up all the series basics, one of the first things GTA 4 introduces is its relationship system, which can involve both romantic and platonic bonds. It’s surprisingly deeper than I remember, and actually a pretty good reflection of what it can feel like to move to a big city where you know almost no one. That authentic feeling even forms the basis of Niko’s first date with Michelle, another newcomer to Liberty City.
The system, while often ridiculed for being a non-stop barrage of phone calls from your bowling-obsessed cousin, really rewards you for spending time with other characters. Whether it be unlocking weapons or helicopters by building these bonds, or just enjoying the activities you can do as a pair, there’s plenty of interesting ideas here and fun things to do. You can even go to see a Ricky Gervais stand-up show — something you might have actually considered doing with some enthusiasm in 2008. It was a different time.
Of course, the first of these activities you partake in is bowling, albeit not with your cousin Roman, and I did laugh when I saw the two pins and ball of the alley’s neon sign arranged in a certain way to resemble a part of the human anatomy. I really am still the same teenager that first played this game 18 years ago. It really is these small touches to Rockstar’s world that make the whole, though, and GTA 4’s ability to blend that audaciousness with the somewhat serious is partially what has enabled it to stand the test of time.
Hey, maybe its mission design does leave quite a bit to be desired — as, I’d argue, is the case with every GTA up until the most recent entry. But knowing that the much-lauded Three Leaf Clover is coming up at some point in the near future is admittedly exciting, even if the lustre of its cinematic bank robbery may have dulled over the years since launch. I’m looking forward to revisiting the level that set the series on a new trajectory for the first time in many, many years, and seeing how much of the sequel’s heist DNA I can see within it.
The thing that stood out most on this trip back to Liberty City was, of course, Niko Bellic. He’s at the centre of everything that makes GTA 4 as good as it is. I’m all for the puerile humour of these games, as seen above when it comes to my chortling at a glowing cock and balls, but I do think Rockstar is at its best when there’s a foundation of sincerity holding it all up. Red Dead Redemption 2 is my favourite game ever, and it’s Arthur’s story and the lives of his companions that make it so special. Niko’s tale is the only other Rockstar game to take on a similar tone, and I found myself resonating with him even more this time around. Perhaps the realisation of chasing a dream that may never fully come to fruition makes me see it differently than I did at 16. But let’s not dwell on that too much.
Even if Grand Theft Auto 5 is my favourite of the series overall due to blockbuster ambition and execution of its world and missions, 4 is still the best GTA story told to date. Niko is still the most compelling protagonist. Whereas Franklin, Michael, and Trevor may all be very fun hangs, they are presented more as caricatures rather than full renderings of the human experience. And so it will be interesting to see what sort of tone GTA 6 takes, especially considering it will be Rockstar’s follow-up to Red Dead Redemption 2. Anyway, that’s for another day — November 19, to be exact — leaving plenty of time to finish Niko’s story again in the meantime. I’ll have to tear myself away from bowling strikes while R.E.M. plays on the tinny alley speakers first, though. I’m a man of simple pleasures.
As the world continues to heat up and I’m edging closer to my impending middle-aged years, I’ll likely start looking back to simpler times when playing good games and turning up to class on time were the only things on my calendar. I’ve already revisted Burnout Revenge, but if you fancy more ramblings like this, let me know. I already feel the likes of Fable 3, Max Payne 3, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution calling to me from my shelf.
Games are good, innit.
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.
