There are a ton of secrets to find, jobs to carry out, and of course, many many opportunities to go bowling with Niko’s eccentric brother Roman Bellic. The city itself is in true Rockstar fashion – a playground of possibilities. This can majorly be attributed to Rockstar’s great art direction which contrasts sharp visuals with a muted color palette which gives the environments a striking yet understated look.
The game’s atmosphere and the city also stand out among other entries in the franchise. Grand Theft Auto 4 also does this by slowly uncovering the many realities of the dreams that bring many people to other locations, but all of this mostly plays second fiddle to a more grounded revenge story of war veteran Niko Bellic. The franchise is known for putting commentary on social issues front and center with the Grand Theft Auto games, such as the gang culture in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and would give a similar take on modern society with Grand Theft Auto 5. Grand Theft Auto 4 is a special game in this long-running open-world franchise, known for being one of Rockstar’s most earnest stories to date. Given the demand, it’s shocking that Grand Theft Auto 4 is yet to receive any remaster, and as such should be the next game to receive a similar treatment. With the original trilogy now being brought to a modern audience with a souped-up presentation, whether you like it or not, and Grand Theft Auto 5 still being Rockstar’s cash machine, thanks to hundreds of thousands of fans logging onto its online component on an almost-regular basis – 2008’s Grand Theft Auto 4 now sticks out like a sore thumb due in today’s gaming landscape, specially given how many fans consider it as one of the better entries in the franchise. Regardless, while it might not align with what many fans might be expecting from the release, the games certainly seem to be a decent step-up from the originals as they sit in a comfortable spot between a full-fledged remake and a low-effort by-the-numbers remaster. A shift to Epic’s Unreal Engine 4, a redone lighting system, increased draw distances – there’s a lot to appreciate about the game but the remasters are marred with bugs and other issues. However, Rockstar Dundee’s efforts haven’t paid off and the remasters are apparently having a lot of issues so as to make them appealing to a modern audience. Rockstar knows this, and the released Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is an indication that the studio wants its old games to be remastered. Hence, the games do need to be preserved and the legacy needs to be carried on – which is best done through the use of remasters and remakes. Each entry in the franchise has been met with great critical and commercial reception, and rightfully so. Many such games have gone on to garner great fandom and long-standing legacy, case in point, Grand Theft Auto which is Rockstar’s pinnacle of open-world offerings. Take-Two’s premier group of institutions has cemented its place within the industry, thanks to a consistent and quality output of games over decades at this point. Rockstar is one of the best names in the business.