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Grand Theft Auto 4 took the GTA franchise to the dark underbelly of criminal life. The storyline left gamers stunned after playing through the realities that the protagonist faces throughout the title.
Many modders have made the game look even more fascinating by updating the graphics and resolution.
GTA 4 follows the story of Niko Bellic, set in 2008 in a redesigned Liberty City. It has a lot of elements that make it a popular hit among the series' fans.
The title's online mode also still has users playing it with each other in the Niko Bellic version.
GTA 4 is one of the best games in the Grand Theft Auto franchise
GTA 4 has many reasons for players to get back to even in 2022, and here are a few of those reasons, not in any particular order or ranking.
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1) Main story and DLCs
GTA 4's story has much to offer gamers, and many consider the story to be even better than GTA 5's campaign. Rockstar Games ensured they focused more on the main character and the plot, so the story felt much more realistic at times, even if it had a dark tone.
The supporting characters were not just cameos, as they gave the story a lot more depth and took Niko's story forward. It was even more evident in the DLCs that followed: The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, both originally released on Xbox 360 in 2009.
The two DLCs did not just add new missions, as they introduced completely new characters to the game, and both new characters introduced to the game had interesting storylines themselves.
2) Characters
Apart from Niko, who fans loved playing, there were also lots of characters who left a lasting impression. From the protagonist's love interest, Kate, to Brucie, every character became much more interesting in the game.
Roman is the cousin everyone wishes they had. He is constantly at the beck and call of Niko, and Roman's taxi is also free for Niko anytime in the title. This gives the hero easy access to get around the massive map.
Roman's character is so good that fans find it challenging to decide how the game ends when given a choice.
Little Jacob is another interesting character who stays loyal to Niko throughout the game. Once his friendship stat reaches 75% with Niko, Little Jacob also sells weapons to Niko at a good discount.
His drug business allows Niko to earn cash, making him a helpful character.
3) Map
The game's map was massive, yet it was shown to be a single city. Getting around it wasn't quite an easy ride either.
The entire map will need a few hours to get used to, and it's not just useful while commuting, as the mini-map is equally helpful during combat.
The mini-map shows the number of enemies left, with big red dots showing their nearby locations. Driving around the map will also be quite an experience, with the NPCs looking much more advanced in their response, even compared to GTA 5.
4) Gameplay physics
Driving around the map, hitting other pedestrians, engaging in a fight, and falling off vehicles look considerably better than the games that rolled in after GTA 4. How NPCs react, fight, fall, or jump looks much more realistic.
Watching characters fly through the windshield when hitting a pole or another vehicle will never get old. Users driving around the map can feel the driving experience being quite heavy when trying to accelerate or come to a stop.
This can be compared to what modern gamers feel with haptic feedback in controllers. Fans have come up with many videos comparing the visuals, showing why GTA 4 looks a lot better.
5) Online mode
Surprisingly, GTA 4's online mode is another reason players can get back to playing it, as there's still a community of users playing together. Most online gamers use mods to bring hilarious outcomes while dealing damage to others, which adds to the complete experience.
The game's online mode is still running smoothly on dedicated servers, a significant plus for individuals to have a retro game to get back to. Even with mods, most can still have lots more fun compared to being blown away by griefers in GTA Online.
Note: This list is subjective and reflects only the opinion of the article's writer.
