The game, in many aspects, represents Rockstar Games at the height of their creative powers – both in terms of writing and game design. Which is exactly the kind of energy Rockstar is in dire need of, since there is a perceived air of complacency around Rockstar at the moment, perhaps a bit unfairly, but such is the case. In the years since, many have warmed up to Grand Theft Auto IV and come to appreciate Rockstar’s refusal to be complacent, and the game’s ability to take risks. The response from the fans on launch was polarizing, at best, since many were not on-board with the direction the series was skewing towards. Simply put, GTA IV was as divisive an entry as there ever has been in the history of the series. Can Grand Theft Auto IV be a success in the modern era of gaming? Xbox still fares better in that regard due to the consoles’ impeccable backwards compatibility. GTA IV’s absence on last-gen consoles has been felt dearly, as the only available options to play the game remains through the weirdly unsuccessful PlayStation Now or on PC. One need only take a look at the Resident Evil franchise, as well as 2K’s Mafia: The Definitive Edition. If the last few years have shown anything, it is that remakes can often revitalize the franchise in a way that was previously not possible. Which is absurd, to say the least, but on the flipside, it leaves room for Rockstar to capitalize on its absence on more platforms with a remaster/remake. Yet, despite this, Rockstar have previously ported the PS2 trilogy games (San Andreas, Vice City, and III) on the PS4 and Xbox One, but mysteriously – not GTA 4. The game is right at the uncomfortable spot of being too big and expansive to be on mobile (like the PS2 trilogy) and not being modern and advanced enough to be ported over to new-gen or last-gen consoles (PS4 and Xbox One). But why is that? GTA IV needs to be on more platforms The game, despite being a bold, new direction for the franchise (which it abandoned right after), the game has continued to live in the shadow of its predecessors and the hilariously successful successor. While the game is still the highest-rated GTA game on Metacritic, it is often the one fanbase seems to talk less about.

Gone were the ridiculous, over-the-top missions and the casual romp-ish nature of the campaign, replaced by a grim, dark, yet self-aware journey through the criminal underworld in a modern metropolis.

It would be a mighty understatement to suggest GTA IV was a shock to the system, as the game pretty much subverted every expectation players had from the franchise at that point.

GTA IV – The boldest game in the series, and often the one least-talked about

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