Is GTA 4 still fun to play in 2025?

Modified Apr 06, 2025 11:15 GMT

Despite being nearly 17 years old, GTA 4 is still one of the most popular Grand Theft Auto titles from Rockstar Games. It was the pioneer of the HD Universe of the series and introduced various gameplay changes that caught gamers' attention. The game can be played on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

This article briefly explains why GTA 4 is still enjoyable in 2025.

Note: This article is subjective and only reflects the writer’s opinions.

Things that make the GTA 4 gameplay enjoyable in 2025

GTA 4 has one of the most unique storylines in the Grand Theft Auto series. This tale of tragedy revolves around Niko Bellic, who cannot escape his demons even after moving thousands of miles away from home. It also has one of the darkest storylines that can deeply influence you if you follow it thoroughly.

The storytelling of Grand Theft Auto 4 is arguably better than its predecessor and various other titles in the series.

Also read: 5 reasons why GTA 5 fails in comparison to GTA 4

The 2008 title was also Rockstar Games' entry into the new HD Universe of the Grand Theft Auto series. The developer surprised the playerbase by introducing the Euphoria Engine in the game. While there are polarizing opinions about Euphoria's physics, it offers a unique driving experience and realistic character movements, making Grand Theft Auto 4 relevant even in 2025.

Also, Euphoria's physics is only available in this game. Rockstar later resorted to pre-recorded movements in Grand Theft Auto 5, which is not great.

Also read: GTA 4 Girlfriends guide

Grand Theft Auto 4 offers two single-player DLCs, a feature that is missing from other popular Grand Theft Auto titles. Rockstar Games released the following expansions after 2008:

The Lost and Damned - February 2009
The Ballad of Gay Tony - October 2009

Both expansions have their own storylines that perfectly intertwine with the others. Therefore, to understand the stories of the GTA HD Universe better, we suggest playing Grand Theft Auto 4 and its expansions ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto 6.

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About the author

Mridul completed his post-graduation in Mass Communication, Journalism, and Media Studies. His career as a journalist began at Sportskeeda, and he has been associated with the Esports & Gaming division for over 1.5 years. He has produced 1600+ articles on Grand Theft Auto, his favorite gaming franchise of all time.

Mridul writes detailed and well-researched articles, relying solely on official sources and reputable insiders for credible information. His immense love for the GTA series shines through in his work, which resonates with readers, with five of his articles having crossed the 100,000 reads mark each. Overall, his reads count stands at close to 8 million.

GTA: Vice City served as Mridul's introduction to Rockstar Games, and he has dedicatedly made his way through the publisher's catalog since then. If given a chance, he would love to drop into the world of Bully and relive his school days. However, he would like to recommend Grand Theft Auto 4 to beginners due to the depth of its narrative and in-game mechanics.

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Edited by Dinesh Renthlei