Grand Theft Auto 4 Is A Bizarre Relic Of A Bygone Era For Open-World Games

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Grand Theft Auto IV is celebrating its 15-year anniversary today, April 29, 2023. Below, we look back at the series' flawed but compelling attempt to break free from its glamorous kingpin empowerment fantasies.

At the time of its release, Grand Theft Auto IV's faithful recreation of New York City was unlike anything that gaming had ever seen. Its grim aesthetics and grounded presentation signaled a new era for video game verisimilitude, where developers could make players feel as though they were really living in a virtual world.

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Now Playing: History of Grand Theft Auto

Today, however, GTA IV is perhaps best-known for a more distinct sort of ambition: a sense that Rockstar was making a different take on the open-world crime game, one that questioned the very foundations of the genre. Though it didn't fully succeed at that aim, it's now a reminder that even blockbusters can challenge their players in a variety of ways, a lesson that today's game developers would do well to remember.

It's no exaggeration to say that GTA IV's technological leaps overshadowed much of the game's radical identity. The introduction of more impressive combat mechanics (particularly cover-based shooting) and a more realistic handling model for vehicles made for a night-and-day mechanical difference between it and its predecessors. The cartoonish violence of GTA III and Vice City were replaced with gritty gun battles and believable criminal hijinx. Even the game's most outlandish setpiece, a lengthy bank robbery sequence strongly