‘The Lost and Damned’ and ‘The Ballad of Gay Tony’ expansion packs are practically two new stories, which also introduce new weapons, vehicles, and soundtracks into the bargain. Whereas Grand Theft Auto V never fails in churning out more and more multiplayer content, its overlooked predecessor wins hands down on the single-player side of things. Ranks mean virtually nothing in practical terms, with everyone donning the same everyman character model and with access to the same weapons and vehicles available at set locations across the map. It’s deeply hierarchical, and there’s nothing worse than joining a lobby only to get immediately steamrollered by a less skilled player in an unlockable aircraft who just happens to have more game time under their belt.Īlthough sparsely populated nowadays, Grand Theft Auto IV’s online is more reassuringly old school, setting everyone on a level playing field, even if there’s neither a lot of depth nor width to that field. Not so good for those who just want to jump in every so often and just have a blast. More geared towards marketability and microtransactions than that of its humbler predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V’s online (now almost a full game in itself) is good for those who want to stick around and be serious. By contrast, Grand Theft Auto V has just one. The world of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is also large in scale, but it features three main cities each with its own distinct feel. Sure, Los Santos County is a whole lot bigger and spread out (in fact, Rockstar’s second-largest map to date), but it’s mostly just empty hills and uninteresting greenery – almost like Rockstar went with size for the sheer sake of it. There are also more enterable interiors, and without the added annoyance of having to wait through a tedious loading screen to get to them. The Liberty City of 2008 may be smaller than the Los Santos of 2013, but it is infinitely more pleasing in its aesthetic and level of detail, perfectly capturing the grim feeling of being alone in a big metropolis – a stranger in a strange land. It also leaves the player wondering which of the three to play when idling, which is a nice headache to have, but a headache nevertheless. Although the story smartly intersects their respective narrative arcs together, it means less time is spent on developing one single character to its fullest, most twisted extent. There are the got-it-on-a-plate, spoiled types of Michael and Franklin, and then there’s Trevor who’s violence personified and with about as much depth as a pre-school paddling pool. Grand Theft Auto V would innovate by featuring three playable protagonists, but that doesn’t make it better. Rule number one of good character development: establish someone in who the audience can get invested. Being a recent immigrant to Liberty City who is almost involuntarily drawn into the dark and terrible underworld of its crime lords, Niko Bellic is a man with whom it is easy to sympathize. Like every Grand Theft Auto game leading up to it, Grand Theft Auto IV opts for one main protagonist as the central focal point of the action. It’s just that the latter is preferable over the former. Rockstar were obviously going for a totally different feel which they nailed perfectly, just as they nailed the more gritty theme of Grand Theft Auto IV. It also dumbs down a series full of hard missions by introducing mission checkpoints. Like the very characters it portrays, it’s a game that feels like it’s sold itself to the devil. Altogether darker and less playful, it’s about the American dream and the subsequent breaking of that dream.īy contrast, its sequel goes full Hollywood with its over-the-top narrative. Minus the chance escapes and implausibly large killing sprees, of course. Whilst Grand Theft Auto V’s story involves the occasional – albeit dreamlike – stage battling psychedelic aliens, Grand Theft Auto IV’s is way more serious and reminiscent of something that could and does happen in the real world. In fact, Grand Theft Auto IV is still so good today that, quite frankly, it doesn’t need a remaster. Okay, so the unsung hero that is Grand Theft Auto IV isn’t one of the three that’s getting the remaster treatment, but in light of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, now seems as good a time as any to reflect on 10 reasons why its understated brilliance outshines the more widely acclaimed merits of its younger sibling, Grand Theft Auto V.
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