Grand Theft Auto games transitioned from the 3D era to the HD era in 2008, and during that time, “Grand Theft Auto IV” was released—a production that went far beyond its time. I don’t recall any other game that pushed the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles to such an extent. Not only did it need to surpass the 3D era games during the transition to the new generation, but it also set an unattainable benchmark by going above and beyond.

Rather than following a linear path like many other main characters, Niko Bellic in “Grand Theft Auto IV” had choices when faced with different situations. The game’s design of Liberty City, reflecting the illusionist concept under the American Dream, allowed players to experience the appeal from day one, which still holds true today. The story, presented as a pursuit of wealth and money, cleverly concealed an underlying revenge mission. Throughout the game, the protagonist’s past wounds and pain were portrayed in a tragicomic manner, making the storyline one of the best in the series—even to this day. Additionally, the game introduced RPG elements based on player choices, evolving from the character-based RPG features seen in “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.” The memorable and truly original characters played a crucial role in the game’s success. Roman Bellic’s well-crafted character made players feel his connection as Niko’s cousin throughout the game’s progression. Little Jacob’s presence and the friendship formed with the main character effectively captured the absurdity of New York through dialogues. Successfully portraying the attraction between characters who don’t understand each other—completely opposite personalities—was a remarkable achievement that we won’t see replicated in future games.

The game’s semi-realistic and immersive structure laid the foundation for the high bar I mentioned. In almost every aspect, we witness physics quality that we haven’t seen in the series. From the protagonist’s animation quality to the variety of animations and behavior of NPCs, as well as the physical reactions to vehicles and the game world, “Grand Theft Auto IV” remains unmatched. While the game’s vehicle controls have faced criticism, the feedback received suggests that no other open-world game has achieved this level of quality. Unfortunately, some players misunderstood the anti-fun aspect of vehicle physics in “Grand Theft Auto V,” leading to criticism of its physics. Despite that, the game’s legacy endures, and its appeal remains strong even today.

+ Amazing graphics
+ London map and atmopshere is quite good

- Gameplay is too repetitive
- Story is boring also lack of main character is a bad choice