Grand Theft Auto IV: 15th Anniversary

[[classic swim]]

Out of left field, but I felt like rambling about it.
 

I’d say it’s a game that got better with age. I remember when it first released, I was put off by the controls and just went back to playing San Andreas for awhile.

I also favored Saints Row 2 when it came to that little rivalry. IV eventually won me over and sorta became a time capsule like SR2.

 

Everything from clothes I used to wear, nailing down the ‘00s East Coast hip hop scene, terrorism rants, having the near final act of the game be a rebuttal to Sopranos ending. Could go on and on.

 

In a world where regurgitating the same ol’ shit prevails, IV took its own complex turn and still expanded on all the good stuff from the GTA Trilogy at the same time.

 

You have these aged mobsters yearning for what they had back in the Vice City days, and the most lethal fixer in town is detached from all that as he’s spent most of his life in some Yugoslavian hovel.

 

And mind you that soft-rebooting “a franchise about killing cops and prostitutes” was never quite necessary. Aside from entertainment’s overall push to HD.

I get at this point it’s an echo chamber to say it’s the most dark and gritty game or whatever, but the writing’s still insanely good.

Not to slight the trilogy, because much of the appeal in the first place was having those one-note mob flick caricatures. Only IV made it so even Ray fucking Boccino had a decent set of layers in the script.

 

 

As for multiplayer... fun times. The most useful feature ever was turning off the police.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Raptorpat
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[Raptorpat]

I have very little direct experience with the GTA games, just never had the right console when I was younger and never got around to it when I was older.

My one experience was with IV, we were heading over to a friend's new house to do something entirely different and he had just gotten the game so we just spent the evening taking turns doing stupid stuff in the game. Out of everything, weird how that one memory sticks out in particular.

[Neubauten]

The GTA trilogy were my favorite games as a teen. San Andreas was the last GTA game I ever played before finally growing up and moving on from gritty, cinematic console shooters to the formulaic Rated E world of Nintendo handhelds/emulators. 

I actually just recently replayed SA on PS2 after like 15 years though, and I have to admit it has left me wanting more of That.

In 2015 I would go over my next door neighbor's house sometimes and watch him play IV but it just didn't appeal to me at the time, I was too deep in the Pokemon battling meta..... Now after reading this thread I'm sitting here seriously thinking about scouring around for a used PS3, and wondering what sort of person would still be active on the multiplayer. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Neubauten

[[classic swim]]

16 minutes ago, Neubauten said:

Now after reading this thread I'm sitting here seriously thinking about scouring around for a used PS3, and wondering what sort of person would still be active on the multiplayer. 

From what I’ve heard since this anniversary at least on the Xbox (and maybe PC) side, lots of people apparently still play. 

I’d play last gen GTA Online, IV’s multiplayer, and SR2 with friends all the way through 2016 before I ditched my 360. Barely even touch the Xbone at all in comparison.

There was a time on XBL where no matter what game I played, I could always count on my recent players tab being filled to the brim with GTA IV. Kind of miss when that was top of the charts.

I couldn’t agree more about the Trilogy. I played old school Nintendo and did the arcades, but PS2 was the first console I had to myself.

San Andreas was the best of them all, with Vice City being an inch close second. Much of my uncontrollable hype for GTA V was remembering how fucking sweet the launch of SA was. 
 

I still don’t envy the ones who tried finding a good copy of that game during the Hot Coffee nonsense.

[Insipid]

gta4 is a vibe, probably now my favorite gta. I really hope gta6 goes hardcore vaporwave.

[[classic swim]]

I’ve thought about replaying both IV’s campaign and Episodes From Liberty City all in chronological order. I think I’m too lazy to fully commit to such a thing.

 

I also tried getting into Chinatown Wars/Vice City Stories but my PSP has broken down.

[Lemming]

It’s fun having the attack helicopter out the gate. 

[[classic swim]]