Has GTA 4 aged as well as other games in the franchise?

The gameplay, controls, and visuals

One of the other significant reasons why GTA 4 isn't in the public view is because it wasn't available for the previous-gen console, the PS4 and Xbox One. Newer consoles allow a game to find new life, and a remaster can work wonders.

A remaster allows the studio to not only give the game a much-needed visual upgrade but also fix some of its lingering control issues. Remapping specific controls and tinkering with driving physics could have helped make GTA 4 far more accessible than how it is currently.

Drab visuals

The visual aesthetic that plagued the 2000s is all over GTA 4, instantly turning away audiences with its perennially lifeless and gray tones. While credit is due to Rockstar for sticking to its creative vision, and the game is all the better for it, it doesn't necessarily mean the title has aged well.

Another glaring issue that jumps off the page when playing through GTA 4 is just how many driving missions there are in the game. The typical task involves either picking up a friend, dropping one, or simply chasing someone down.

Gameplay variety, or lack thereof, and driving

The lack of variety makes GTA 4 feel incredibly bogged down. The player is either shooting or driving, and the lack of interesting context for the majority of the time can make the game feel uninteresting at times.

But perhaps what truly makes GTA 4 unplayable to a large portion of players is down to the driving physics. Rockstar's vision for the title mandated that each aspect of the world feel as authentic and grounded in reality as possible.

That essentially translated to vehicles feeling like they had 20 tons of cargo in their boot at all times. The cars had enormous weight, which, to be fair, were true to life and made the game feel incredibly real and authentic.

Many are rightfully fans of that decision as it ultimately made the game world feel all the more authentic. The player simply couldn't drive like a maniac without consequences, which was ultimately a brave move by the publisher. But it also meant that it wouldn't sit well with large portions of fans.

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Is GTA 4 still worth the player's time?

Despite some issues listed above, and how GTA 4 has essentially been outclassed by its successor, it still has incredible value. The narrative aspect is perhaps the strongest Rockstar had ever put up at that point.

Purely in terms of narrative and the kind of story the developer chose to tell, the game is right up there with the likes of Red Dead Redemption. GTA 4 represents Rockstar's pursuit of constant innovation and ambition and how creativity takes precedence over everything else.

It was, and still is, refreshing to see that a publisher as monumentally big as Rockstar is always willing to take risks and double down on its vision. GTA 4 might not be the perfect game that is endlessly replayable in 2021, but it is a solid offering that fans should try again, if for nothing else but the narrative.