LJ was the realest. Always kept it 100 and hanging out with him was fun. His dialogue was interesting (not just because of the heavy patois) and you could see weed smoke coming out of the car windows. Then he becomes your go-to guy for cheap weapons anywhere in the city. Loyal to the end. Would have been amazing to get him as a heist member in GTA5.
Oh for sure. I thought it was just another GTA game. I played when I was like 11 or 12 so I didn't fully grasp the story. I replayed it fully twice. Once at 17 and another time at 23. This is handsdown the best story Rockstar has done besides the red dead series. The gritty realistic story line of GTA IV is top tier.
I think it's because the storyline is more "real", so it would make sense to appreciate it more as we grow older. It has that grittiness to it that just wasn't there really in both the original trilogy as well as GTA 5.
I always had San Andreas as my number one favorite GTA game until recently. Replayed GTA IV as a 28 year old and I can appreciate how good the story is. Hands down the best in the series. Have to say it’s my favorite game in the series now.
I just turned 27 and I'm playing it now. Last time I played it was probably in 2010. I didn't understand the story so I'm definitely trying to catch up
@@awkwardpeepfanmost of the issues people have with it are kinda dumb imo. Like even the driving is fun and I'd assumed for years everyone was right about it until I replayed it recently, it's definitely the best GTA
@@awkwardpeepfanYeah lack of customisation for Niko was a non-issue for me. It's a very character driven game and Niko isn't someone who'd care about buying a lavish wardrobe or getting different hairstyles. Plus, how much does that really add to the overall experience? I think car customisation is another story though. Being able to modify and upgrade cars has always been a tonne of fun in GTA games and having virtually nothing in GTA4 other than "go to pay and spray and repeat until it randomly gives you the paint colour you want" was a big disappointment. BTW GTA 4 is my favourite game of all time so I'm certainly not a hater.
dimitri wasn’t a conflicted character, from the start he was playing niko by playing the cool and collected character to faustens rage and drug filled character. it was to make niko trust him over fausten so when it was time to betray him he wouldn’t think twice because fausten was a liability
I love the driving, you just got to be gentle with her, no rough stuff. Less is more. Just a gentle tap every now and again will get you around that corner.
That and keep back when chasing someone. You won't be able to attack them until the game lets you, so keep your distance. It'll give you more time to react. This game wants you to take your time.
About Michelle, if you take her to dates and pay attention to the conversations you have with Michelle, I think there is one point where Niko implies he likes her if I remember correctly. But during the dates every time, especially if you go drinking and you're drunk) she's trying to ask you about you illegal activities, so she is all the time searching for useful info. I found it particularly interesting that she asks you more if you're drunk.
Hey Niko what's one of your crime instead of taking a federal agent out for drinks and try to take a home to have sex with so just drinking and driving and possible rape edit I guess you could take a cab and say no
Kate only feels shallow if you don't interact with her. When you go on dates, you see how she is trying to steer Niko on a good road. One that doesn't involve him being a criminal. She tells how she doesn't want to see Niko end up as one of her dead brothers. The game choices on the other hand also play the same part. When you spare all of the people you are given the choice for, Niko's character develops from a person blinded by revenge to someone better.
2005-2011 were arguably the greatest years in gaming history in my opinion. The PS3 and XBOX 360 were really hitting their stride at the time. We got Bioshock, Halo 3, GTA IV, Assassin’s Creed 2, The Orange Box, Call of Duty 4, Gears of War, Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption, Oblivion, Minecraft, Skyrim, Fallout 3, etc. This was all in the span of 5-6 years. Simply unbelievable. I feel blessed that these games coincided with my high school and college years. What a time……
Now those same game devs are either out of the industry or fractured amongst the new companies which is why the quality of games has gone wayyy down besides corporate meddling
You know, I never thought Niko and Kate’s relationship was hollow I just thought it was platonic and didn’t really have the space to grow until after her Brother’s funeral which ultimately led to the end of the relationship.
It was platonic. I think on one of their dates Kate did straight out say she doesn’t want to date a wanted man. Niko might have feelings for her, but Kate sees nothing beyond platonic (though after the Deal Ending she said she can’t bring children to a world without a father).
I'd call it reluctantly platonic. Both were afraid of the consequences of the criminal life Niko leads, and maybe with time both would have settled down for something more civil.
@PaulRudd1941 technically he did try pulling moves on Luis towards the end of tbogt then went into full straight damage control when Luis pushed him away. This dude is definitely gay. All that stuff about him and these billions of women he keeps talking about and seen with is all just a bs ploy. Closeted as f*ck
@@soulindenial5001 That's... just how you drive cars too lol, it's not forbidden knowledge. Like when we were kids you **might not** know that but it's second nature eventually.
Though the handbrake feels awful as well. Also, enemies don't seem to lose much momentum when making tight turns, while you are forced to nearly come to a halt.
@@Elite7555 that's because sometimes the AI get the cars they drive with better handling. you can see this mostly with cops. you can steal the car they drive with the handling increase and keep it. that's why enemies seem to keep up without breaking a sweat during a turn. im still trying to figure out when exactly the handling increase is activated when they chase you. it seems like it's when they get right behind you
I personally love the driving in GTA IV. It just takes some getting used to and playing around with it. It can be kinda annoying but once you nearly master it, it's a dope experience. It's not the best driving mechanics, I acknowledge the criticism and I get it. I feel like it's an acquired taste. A lot of people love it but a lot of people hate it. I just had a lot of fun with it back in the day and even replaying it now, I still have a lot of fun with it. Also, Dimitri's betrayal has nothing to do with him going crazy over Faustin's death. The channel "TheProfessional" made an excellent in depth video about the reasons why Dimitri did what he did. Highly, highly recommend it. He is quite possibly one of the best written and evil antagonists that Rockstar has ever made. I didn't despise a Rockstar antagonist more than him until Micah Bell in RDR 2, they both come pretty close. Great video!
The driving in GTA IV was pretty realistic. Acceleration took a bit of time, particularly with older cars. You couldn't just fly through corners like in GTA V; you had to plan ahead and hit the brakes before going in, just like in real life. And the damage modeling is still unsurpassed in any game that I know of.
@@vulpesinculta3238 Exactly. Feel like people who hate the driving physics either never drove a car, or want some unrealistic game. You can’t go 160mph and expect a turn by just braking
I can't disagree, even though i can get why some people dislike the driving, to me the thing about it is that it mostly takes a bit more skill than the other GTA games, which i don't think there's not much wrong with, i love the driving in 4, then if we're comparing it with the driving in GTA 5? They screwed the driving up in that a bit for me, it literally feels like a am arcade game and all the cars are basically the same speed, maybe they were trying to stray a bit too much from the driving from 4 with that, but honestly it's a bit too arcadey for me, give me 4s' style of driving all day
@@lefez9015 do you think Nico would stay in Liberty city I mean he got his free friends and it's free optional girlfriends and Kate breaks up with him a deal is done also Roman is dead what does he him he has money to leave you could probably get his apartment sold for some money or rent them out the only argument is if Lester can't find them then he's not in America and that's just an Easter egg too but if you have to go off one of those two things the only thing that can make you confirm on it is if Niko's cousin has a post you can see on his page
Dimitri has always been a snake. Dimitri basically uses people until he no longer needs them. He transformed Faustin into the irrational person that he is, then acts rationally so Niko believes that Faustin is the problem. TheProfessional has a video on Dimitri's betrayal. It's a very good analysis. By the way, I also fall into the opinion of loving driving in GTA IV.
GTA 4 and then TBOGT are my two top favorite GTA's! For example, GTA 4 has fail calls and cutscenes vs GTA 5, where it just has a "mission failed" screen. I think the shooting mechanics are better than 5's. In 5, you shoot someone twice, cash then just squeezes outta their ass. The fighting was better too. I like the storyline more and it had more colorful and likable characters. In 4, you can go into so many more interiors than in 5. You have a lot of choices to make in 4 compared to 5 which I liked too. Plus it was the first one in HD and the first I played when it came out in 2008, I was 13 haha. Then I loved TBOGT with the storyline too and how colorful everything was. Gave some flare to the GTA 4 world.
Also, interiors didn't offer much. They were mostly empty and meaningless. Shooting mechanics are sorta mediocre in both, but 4 can be brutal at times so that makes it a bit better. The fighting or melee systems in both games were below average. I don't think Rockstar did good melee systems til Red Dead Redemption 2. And, 5's characters are more memorable. 4's characters almost blend together and the graphics didn't help. And 4, like the RUclipsr said, the choices didn't matter but in 5, the few choices you did have actually mattered. And the other choices that weren't plot relevant mattered too, like what to invest in or what businesses to buy. Plus, 4's fail screen are cool, but, 5's fail screen is just as effective, if not more as it can return the player back to the level quicker. A combination of the two would be good.
@@channel45853 You're trippin if you say GTA V's characters are more memorable than 4's. Maybe give or take side characters, but I could not give a damn about Michael, Trevor, and Franklin like I do Niko(or luis or Jonny even). Guess its all subjective, but I liked the darker, more serious tone of GTA 4's story way more than the California/michael Bay story from GTA 5.
I think GTA 5 has a few failed mission cutscenes, like the crew being arrested at the jewel store if you don't leave in time, tho they are few and far inbewteen
1:20:20 "He told me to leave it. I left it." Hearing Nico's voice crack is heartbreaking. The entire game he seems either just angry or stoic. Hearing the true sadness in his voice is just wrenching
Phil Bell also knew the deal was a trap. Knowing Phil’s character he would have not done the deal at all. In deal, Phil questions Niko about why do a deal with a someone who betrayed him. In revenge, Phil says that Niko made a great decision which shows that Phil respects Nikos intelligence and decision making.
Replaying GTA 4, I liked Phil's character, he's a homie. He's also shown as an antithesis to Ray Bocchino who tries too hard to impress Jimmy and move up the food chain, and eventually gets betrayed, whereas Phil just gets things done and stays loyal despite not even being of Italian descent which means he would have never been made a capo/made man. Even cuts ties with Niko cordially and never betrays him. I liked him as a character.
So there's one thing you didn't include that I think adds much more weight to the revenge ending of the game. The conversation between Niko and Kate on the way to the wedding is incredibly important and adds much more weight to Kate's death. Kate wasn't ever really supposed to be an important character until the end of the game specifically because of her role in being the driving force behind getting Niko to finally escape the criminal world. During this conversation Niko is incredibly unsure about his ability to walk away, and this is because Kate is the only character in the entire game who genuinely does seem to believe he can. Without her, Niko is basically doomed to remain in the criminal world his entire life, as after his one attempt to escape that world (coming to liberty city) every person besides Kate he has interacted with has pulled him further and further down the criminal path. Just before Kate dies, their conversation represents the one and only way for Niko to escape the life he's in. After Kate's death, that's taken away from him. This is why Kate didn't have a big role in the story until the very end; she was never meant to. It wouldn't make sense for the one character who represents Niko's ability to escape his current life to be so involved as the story progresses and Niko devles further down the criminal path. You can argue that their relationship seems so forced and manufactured but I believe that their relationship is far more necessary to Niko's character arc towards the end of the game then the game is showing. That conversation on the way to the wedding establishes what the future could look like for Niko, where because of Kate he learns that it is still possible for him to walk away from the world he's involved with after all. When that one path towards a better life for Niko is almost immediately taken away, her death becomes far more tragic. I think you were looking at Kate from the perspective of her being a much bigger character throughout the entirety of the game than what she actually was, where she really did become important for Niko's story toward its end.
The best story of any GTA... The ending is very realistic, as you don't win regardless of what your choice is. Just a flawless portrayal of a criminal lifestyle.
Dimtri in the revenge ending had an oh crap moment once Niko says nothing can change his mind. For the first time, Dimitri is cornered by an enemy who could care less about what he has to say and just wants to end him outright. I always assume he’s used to talking his way out of this but this time he’s in situation that is way out of his element.
Two things... 1. Similar to Michelles betrayal, Kate's death really only has the full impact if you put the time in to fully date her(long enough to hear all the dialogue and do the 'warm coffee') 2. Dimitri isn't conflicted, he's a complete psychopath. Watch TheProfessionals deep analysis.
The ending got me in all the feels. A lot of other games like this would have an ending where nobody gets hurt or killed, but here, someone still dies regardless of your decision.
@@lesediramahobo8991 it's still great today, I still get on multiplayer on ps3 like at least 3 or 4 times a week, if ur lucky there's even full lobbies
I love how they completely revamped liberty city and basically adding areas around what I seen as pieces of the old version. They really fleshed out the world.
I've watched this whole video, without looking at the channel name or view count and I was 100% sure this was a Whitelight video, with millions of views, but when I heard at the end "I'm Fuzzy Slippers", I was like "wait, what?" and then I looked and I was shocked to see that you have less then 500 subs and less then 1k views on this video... You have done a very good job with this, and I am glad you managed to make me relieve the story of GTA 4.
I love IV and was happy to see Packy recruitable in V and love that in V's bank job that if you take Packy with you, he will reminisce about IV's bank job while everyone is being shot at
This game was like something out of a fever dream when I first tried it at a cousins house on release, it was almost mesmerizing how next gen this felt.
WTF, why is everybody complaining at the car driving physics?! I was absolutely fantastic in driving cars in gta iv. GTA V for example is way to direct... You always have to adjust the stearing while in GTA IV you can just let you float...
1:36:06 this is why i like gta iv the most personally, the tone being closer to red dead redemption which to me is Rockstar at their absolute best. The question of morality is stronger in Red Dead of course but i appreciate a lot of the little moments they add in IV to make Niko seem conflicted
The driving is fine if you don't mind taking your finger from the accelerator once in a while, I can see in the footage you're trying to do a tight turn in a pickup at full throttle and wondering why it isn't steering.
Yeah I learned that lesson while playing the DLC, so I could have done a better job explaining the driving mechanics. There's a learning curve to it, but it isn't the worst thing in the world either.
@@sunnyshinecreation it makes you realize that most cars can't take a 90° turn going 50 which is definitely unlike most cars in the prior games using the old renderware engine
I loved gta 4 growing up. I was 8 years old when it first came out and it blew me away. All I had before that was Liberty City Stories and going from that to gta 4 was a huge upgrade. Didn't really care for gta 5. Wish we could get a story like gta 4 with next gen graphics and mechanics.
The Roman death ending felt a lot more impactful. Very dramatic with the rain and thunder, and felt better getting revenge on someone you'd been dealing with for so much of the game. Even we would prefer Roman not die, it still makes for a better ending in my opinion.
Furthermore contrary to people believes, Niko has a reason to go out of his way and work for Dimitri one last time. After finding Darko, Niko understands that revenge will never lead him to letting go of the past, by doing that last deal not only he'd gain a lot of money to comfortably start life over, but also grant him powerful ally in commission that could protect him if ghosts of his former life tries to chase him. Kate would eventually forgive him and actually appreciate he was capable of letting go of his past instead of making mob boss angry and chase him, he didn't give her a full picture of his situation when he originally spoke with her, so obviously she would advise him to get revenge, but after getting said full picture she couldn't be mad at him. After "If the price is right" Niko has realistically no loose ends and he can cut ties to his criminal life, Dimitri didn't have resources or allies to chase him with his allies or so it would seem. After "Dish served cold" you immediately know you have to either run or kill Jimmy P because he'd use every opportunity to get revenge on you, you cost him everything so he's desperate unlike Dimitri who has no reason to chase you other than his obsession. Last thing is Niko never really cared about Dimitri, he made no effort to find him earlier, only when he learned about his location thought of killing him crossed his mind. Given knowledge he'd be in a lot of trouble killing him at that moment, he probably would sacrifice his morals.
@@southweststrangla9591 no you went to Liberty city to go find what's-his-name and because he betrayed you once you know he would betray you again so why take the deal it's not like he got to had a gun to your head before he didn't that time
Replaying GTA IV just gives me a sad sense of nostalgia. It's the last game i can remember truly of it's kind. Driving through Liberty City just makes me remember of all the great times I would have online, before playing GTA was a chore, before you had to play for a week straight to unlock anything. You just drop into the world and find weapons and cars and do whatever you want with your friends. There was no challenge, no worry about 3 days of work being wasted because of a flying bike, just good times and good friends. Seeing the same sights now as I'm older and without the friends I used to spend time with.... Liberty City just feels empty. Just a memory of a time when things were better, when responsibilities were negligible and friends would always be by your side. Life has changed, and the games with it. They aren't the fun they used to be. Or maybe I'm just getting old.
Ever Since I Played GTA IV, no other game really truly captivated. No to mention the amount of detail they put into this game. And the DLCs, forget it. They're one of the best DLCs ever
This game has a special place in my heart. Me, my older brother and my little brother all played this game. We each had our own saved slot and would tell each other what time we saved at so we didn’t ruin each others progress or cars lol. We played this game up until GTA 5 came out but I still look back at and takes me back to being a pre teen and damn I kinda miss that feeling.
I started playing it again a month ago, now on PC with a mouse and a keyboard and IT IS SO GREAT. Drama, action, character development, good graphics, great movement with its RAGE motor... it is the gift that never stops giving. Such a masterpiece in my experience.
Can't wait to replay it. The driving in GTA IV is amazing and I was shocked when I first played V. I spent countless hours just drifting around corners in GTA IV, perfecting my driving skills. In GTA V it feels like you're on rails and the cars don't really differ that much in handling.
He's the most bad-ass protagonist next to Tommy and Toni.CJ just is gangsta yet loyal to his friends and his family with a passion and shows remorse for anyone he killed when was close to which were smoke and ryder Claude is of course the silent protagonist and of course the gta v characters speak for themselves
Dimitri didn’t go crazy after having Niko kill Mikhail. He was playing Niko from the start. He masquerades as the level-headed one to trick Niko into having no qualms about doing away with the quick-to-anger Faustin. Dimitri’s a snake and would’ve betrayed Niko in one way or another, and the same goes for Faustin. He would’ve found other ways to betray and kill Faustin, because he is not loyal to anyone. Anyone he meets, he’ll stab in the back.
People complain about the driving in GTA IV, and I really wonder if they just don't use the handbrake mechanic. I noticed you never did in your gameplay. It makes handling IMMESURABLY easier around corners, because you can drift pretty easily. It's borderline required for some of the chases in the late game. I remember tearing my hair out as a kid driving in the game until I learned how to use the handbrake. I recently just finished playing through again, and not ONCE did I ever lose someone I was chasing. It's seriously game changing, and they should have made a proper tutorial explaining how to use it.
I feel like you're a little too critical of these games. Most people don't scrutinize as much as you do. This was a great game and frankly the mechanics aren't as bad as your driving skills 😉
I'm actually a fan of GTA IV and V. I don't feel one is better than the other, they're just telling different stories in different styles and I'm pleased Rockstar were willing to try different things with their cash cow franchise. Its a lot better than simply turning out cookie cutter sequels every year or two.
Precisely. I like both, but IV slightly more so. What salvaged V for me is the extensive modding ability. Fixing small things like more traffic and scenario variety. Wooded areas in Alamo, narcotics dealing, bonus robberies, etc.
I agree but they never should have took out the ability to pick up random objects people drop or the ability to push people then jump on a car and then call the cops and have the NPC assault you and then have the cops arrest him and then you hijack the cop car
*Fun Fact:* GTA IV was originally supposed to released in Fall 2007 which is when the game is supposed to take place but was delayed to Spring 2008 due to technical issues mainly with PS3.
Man, I played it at friends house first. I played the others, but I grew up in a bad house and by that time I was a 16 year old minimum wage employee, homeless, in high-school trying to make ends meet . Gta 4 and especially online with my rich friend Robert, made me feel like a gangster. Definitely good memories.
Wow, pretty complete review! I feel like they wanted to focus more on the story rather than the extra activities like you had on previous titles. That could be good or bad depending on what you were expecting at that time lol. DLC stories were not that great as the main title, at least to me, but I enjoyed them anyways. Thanks for the nostalgia ;)
This is without any doubt my favourite GTA game. I completed this game during a difficult time in my life. My family kept moving out and living in different places left and right until we lived with my mom’s cousin who had an Xbox360 with GTA4. So this game will always be special to me.A Masterpiece of his own. A+ Side note : I agree that there should’ve been a few more missions involving Kate. For example they could’ve made the Albanian gangsters kidnapped her as a form of payback for what Gerry did to them.
I remember the first day playing gta 5 with my brother, we wanted to go straight to the mountains to explore it, we thought it was so cool for a open world game to have realistic hills and wildlife
One of the best retrospective videos I’ve watched. The narration bringing me back along the journey if the campaign. Instant subscribe and can’t wait to watch the rest of your videos ❤
If you go on dates with Michelle it’s super easy to tell she’s undercover. Literally all she ever talks about is crime, and gets caught lying or trying to change the subject whenever it’s not about Niko and his “work”. Niko even says stuff like “why are you always asking questions” and “there’s something off about her”. They make it real obvious, from the start. Either way, it’s definitely not “small hints” it’s designed so you suspect something. Her final date, she literally asks if Niko knows where she can buy drugs, in the most nervous unsure way possible, like she knows she’s taking a huge risk. There isn’t one moment spent with Michelle where the game isn’t hinting she has hidden motives for spending time with Niko. You’d have to be so oblivious not to catch on.
I recently learned to handle the physics. If GTA VI does something sorta in between this and V, I think they'll nail it. But unlike in the PS2 games, you can't just gun it, and you're not expected to, either. Just drive at a modest speed and you'll do fine in all the chases. Even that race that you do for Brucie went a lot smoother when I slowed down, kept the other drivers in view, and just overtook them when the moment came. This might sound obvious as all fuck, but in those PS2 games, the best strategy was usually to take off like a bat out of Hell and make a beeline to your target and start blasting. But with this game... slow down. Savor the ride. Take in the atmosphere. It made everything so much easier.
4 is still the best GTA imo, San Andreas is right behind it but the game is still unmatched to me. Even my little 13 year old brain thought 5 was worse generally but I still loved it because it was closer to SA and had pretty graphics. In retrospect? 5 is probably 3rd but it's highly contested imo
I absolutely loved GTA4 when it came out. I vividly remember picking it up at midnight with my brother and staying awake all night, instantly addicted. I really liked the darker tone and story. Niko was a great character and I ended up naming my dog after him. Had to put him down last year and now I get sad when I hear the name.
Amazing video and comprehensive retrospective! GTA IV is my favourite game in the series, and this did it justice. Going to check out your other content for sure. Watched the GTA III video and that's awesome too. Keep up the great content man 👏👍
I actually think there is something between Niko and Katie. Not saying its perfect or flawless, but in the game narrative wise - Niko tells her alot about his former lifestyle during activites, actually taking comfort as she learns about him, and understands. Compared to Michelle (spy), Alex (refuses to acknowledge his terrible life and wants lies), Carmen (dicks ahoy!), Kiki (stockholm syndrome for all criminals) - she's the most real out of them. Not perfect, by any means, but she's the best.
Too bad nothing ever happens with her. You either save Kate and have Roman die, then she says she wants to cut things off with you, or she dies and Roman lives then you lose her completely
@@Gameprojordan Truth, truth. I feel if things did continue it would be one of the most soulless dates afterwards... because it would feel forced for the two of them, and it would just be awful. Like I said tho, not flawless.
Really good job with the video! It appeared this morning in my recommendations and glad I sat through and watched it between working today! Your content is great 😊 from a fellow small RUclipsr to another: congratulations and well done!
Similarly to how different people have "their James Bond", this was "my GTA". Being 14 when it came out, it was the first GTA I can remember getting close-ish to release and really being engrossed in the hype of it all... Even though IMO San Andreas and GTA V are better and have a more appealing story lines, GTA IV holds a very special place in my heart because I. Was. Fucking. There! 🤣
This was the first game of that generation where I was like. Yeah this is the next big step. It also made me infatuated with nyc and the big city look of everything. Maybe even a city life style to a lesser extent
I love this game. It’s my favorite GTA game. The characters and story are incredible and I always find myself replaying this every so often. A true masterpiece.
The driving is fine, we can clearly see that you’re driving all wrong. Let off the gaz and brake before turning. Not all cars are sports cars that can turn on a dime
Sadly I chose the wrong option at the end (the deal), only because of the money and I listened to what Roman had to say, I wanted them to get money and leave their past behind together as family, for good now. Too bad it was the exact opposite I got.
I played GTA 4 recently for the first time, and without nostalgia goggles, the story was good, I liked the character development of Nico and Roman, but the missions uh... every mission felt the same I felt such a relief when I had to kidnap grace it was such a change of pace.
This game was superb when released, all the other times I played it afterward in the Ps3 era and during the current playthrough I'm doing on PC. It was grounded but still GTA. The DLC's especially TBOGT remedied the grey, grounded aspect of Liberty City's stories. In regard to the driving, I'm betting everyone who had issues with it was just mashing the accelerator and brake spinning out the tyres and locking the brakes. If you feathered the throttle and brake you would have a much better time of the driving. That being said I am a veteran pad-based driving game player so that probably has a lot to do with it. Also, Likkle Jacob was the real Don Dadda ya seemi!?
I know you later said you were too hard on the driving in this game, but I gotta say, I can see why you didn't like it. I adore it, for some reason I was pretty good at it right off the bat, but watching you trying to drive at some points in this video really highlights how difficult it was for a lot of people to get it down. My friends struggled with it too back in the day. Personally I'm glad it is what it is, but since so many people had trouble with it, I wonder if R* could have done a better job teaching the player in-game. Anyway, just something I was pondering. Great video!
I’m blown away by the quality of this video. I consider myself a huge GTA IV fan, cause this game had a solid impact on my childhood. I have seen countless videos and reviews of this game, and I can tell you this was the best. I loved how you unfolded the storyline in chapters, while commenting about it at the same time, kinda giving your own point of view on it. About the ending, I always felt like the deal was the best option, because it gave me more closure at the end, killing Dimitri. The revenge ending never gave me that same feeling, as pegorino’s arc didn’t have that much buildup as Dimitri’s to become a “final boss”. But I liked your point of view, made me realize that the revenge actually made more sense. It’s cool how a 14 year old game can make you actually stop to think about its lore, and see things from other perspectives. It just shows that it’s a timeless game. Anyway, great video man, with this quality you’re only going upwards.
Thank you! I used to feel the same, it just felt like one ending only works because characters have to act out of character. I think Pegorino would work better as a final boss if we worked with him way earlier or he betrayed us like Dimitri
I'm very disapointed by the skill this guy has. Poor driving, poor shooting, looks like he's a noob at GTA4 xD That being said, I do like the video as well, but feels like he just didn't play enough this game.
The Driving was my favourite part of this game , it's really realistic. Of course not so Realist as as Project Cars. Still the damage the Handling and it's weight are made fantastic. On Keyboard it's hard cause you control it rough but on a gamepad it's really fun.
My first GTA game that my parents bought me for Christmas when i was like 11 or 12. I loved this game so much and still do. I loved party mode. You could play online but by yourself or with friends. Such a great game and this video fills me with nostalgia. Also, i 110% think this game is a masterpiece. I love GTA V too. 🏴☠️
I’m so so excited at the cult rebirth of this game. I loved this when I was a kid. I played this as I became a teenager and remember this game being super gritty to me. I’ve been Ty played it thru five times since. Never disappointed. Thank you gta IV
The missions in GTA4 are extremely dynamic and versatile similar to RDR2 except with out the fail walls that you run in to you can approach missions on gta4 from any direction you want now if you don't do it that's on you but if you really like to push games to the limit and see what you can do it is very rewarding stop approaching missions from the most basic of routes
@@tylercouture216 There is also a one with rains fall were you can use dynamite as I distraction. Also When Arthur Comes back from Gurarma Instead of going to shady you can head straight to Lakey. In the mission with the French Artist if you do not save him there is an alternative scene were he begs for his life. In the side Quest with Charlotte you can kill Her and end her quest line. During the feminist march mission you can stay and fight the cousins which will change there dialogue in the side quest in Chapter 6. Also you can catch the street kid before he gets to you were you can catch the street kid before he gets to his friends. In the Mission were you look for charles there is a badass cutscene if you shot one of them instead of getting in a fist fight. Also In the stage Couch mission with Josiah You can follow his lead or straight up rob them and you get an alternative seen and Josiah gets a bit pissed off with you. In the mission were you get oil Wagon for John If you wait to long John will actually get it himself. So as far as mission design goes RDR2 is really inconsistent.
@@John-996 I knew about John and the oil wagon, the trelawny kidnapping with Charles. Robbery mission with Josiah . And that's about it. I actually found this one cave with nothing in it. But have not seen it mentioned on RUclips it honestly is just a random cave just to add to the world building. Other then that I missed a lot of golden opportunity during missions. But I have beat the living hell out of rdr2 so I find it boring before I get to the end but with all these possibilities it might be worth another play through
GtaIV is one of my favourites in the series overall. it was the og next gen era GTA title. I loved the mechanics of the game and the liberty city map. The missions from day one were action packed and immersive. Going on dates and nights out with friends was a fun throw back to SA. Going to comedy shows etc. Being able to pick up random objects off the floor or tables was a great mechanic that was really missed out on in gtaV. The ragdoll physics was both frustrating and also hours of entertainment in itself 😂.
16:12 I can tell you’re not familiar with cars of the 90s. This was an accurate representation of vehicles of the time period and very realistic. They were alll boats. Now, cars handle like arcade cars (GTA V). Takes the fun out of it.
GTA IV is easily my favourite in the franchise. I like it's more grounded, serious and gritty story, I love the main cast and I love Niko, he's a big reason I like GTA IV so much. It still has quite an unhinged cast of supporting character, like Brucie or Bernie, but they add a lot of flavour, even if they are headache-inducing sometimes. Being slavic myself, I appreciate the absolute fuck out of the slavic flavour it has going for it, Vladivostock FM being one of several highlights. I don't remotely like the actual music, but it's nonetheless was cool to hear in an foreign AAA project. There are some translation and pronunciation issues, but it's not nearly as bad as it could've been, I can live with that. And after your descriptions and footage of gunfights, I can appreciate PC version more because more prescise control allow you to play extremely aggresively and constantly push, AI has a hard time dealing with that and it's fairly easy to land headshots, so even more drawn out gunfight usually done with fairly quickly. One thing I really don't like about it is just how scripted missions feel though, as you point out. Which isn't necesserily a problem by itself, but jesus it's not nearly as tight as Rockstar thought it was, scripted chases are especially frustrating. Thanks for the video!
Honestly same, it's a blast how oddly Eastern Europe the game is considering it's set in NY. My only grip is that Niko's accent isn't anywhere close to a Balkan accent and the fact that Niko's last name is consistently mispronounced even by himself is a bit cringe. Granted, game is great and so is the voice acting but I've always felt like I've missed out on the same immersion as an American (or whoever) playing this since whenever I hear Niko trying to be all dramatic whilst speaking broken Serbian in a somewhat cheesy nasally Russian accent impression makes my immersion break.
I've noticed there's more and more youtube content on old school GTA games, 2 years ago there was very few Retrospective and Deep Dive videos about GTA IV and other GTA classic, glad that's happening, I mean GTA IV holds up so well, it's a better game than 99% of games today even, at least to me.
Everyone hates on the Deal option, but after replaying the story 20 times, it kind of makes a lot of sense.. If Niko *did* kill Darko, he quickly realized how empty he felt and how it didnt solve anything. Obviously he would never forgive Dimitri, but it's possible he realized seeking revenge again wouldn't solve anything. Until Roman/Kate's death, Niko was essentially done. He was ready to give up that life and stop 'Dealing in Death'. That chapter in his life, seeking Darko and revenge for his comrades, was over.. And that one final deal for half a million. I saw it less as Niko being stupid or greedy, but doing it so Roman and Mallory could have a fairly comfortable life for awhile, while he himself can leave the life for good.
I was young when this game was popular but damn that driving just felt great. I also liked that you could access the police computer and take out other criminals
I love how when i played it i had no idea who the protagonist is, and being southslavic myself i speak bosnian/serbian/croatian and i could understand what he was saying 😂😂, also if im not mistaken you get an email from his mother that has been written in that language and i just find it so cool, def one of my favorite gta’s
"Never flip flopped more on a game." Yeah man, same. At first I was amazed, then underwhelmed, then amazed again! Then found myself wanting for more, then the expansions were remarkable and made me wanna replay the main game, and I loved it finally!!! But it has it's downers....but it's great! Yeah, contentious title this. All in all I'm glad it exists and that I got to enjoy it.
The first line being “Daddy’s back bitches!” Is, in my opinion, Rockstar literally saying that to the player. It had been a relatively long hiatus since GTA:SA and they’re ready to rock. Of course since it’s gta they immediately gotta make you question your life choices with the BDSM 🙃
The cars in GTA do feel more realistic as someone who's driven and raced cars for 10 years lmao, try driving the way you do in GTA 4 irl if you don't believe me
One thing that always bugged me was how terrible Niko's Serbian is...well, all the Serbian-speaking characters in the game are off. Very odd translations and pronunciation for a language that isn't that difficult to speak. They could have just consulted someone for 5 minutes, it's not like you can't find Serbs in New York.
I remember the first time getting this game I was blown away by how much the city felt alive npcs act like actual people and while stuff like character movements, weapons and mission design were kinda wonky and abit down graded I still appreciate the fact that it was trying to show you a city that had alot of grayness to fit it's real life counter part, you'll see trash filled everywhere homeless people and musicians will ask you to give them money and some people will hold umbrellas when it's raining, driving was abit slippery but became fun once you get the hang of it and story was more about realism and morals than in gta 5 where it's about robbing banks
I think the thing I love most about this game is that it has so many accessible interiors. Apartment buildings, safe houses, food chain restaurants and many more
Yeah but most of them will use for missions if you actually think about it. If you take away the fact that you enter them and it's not like the PS2 games with a loading screen the only places you would be able to go into are your safe houses and the fast-food chains. Like that one Penn's house you can enter the lobby while you can fly up to if a helicopter but it was already designed for a mission same with the hospital the only one you can enter
I should be like GTA v the newest places where you can enter without a loading screen all your safehouses but because it's still GTA IV possibly fast food. Give me places with don't involve emission what you can enter or the strip clubs in that Irish pub
38:18 I went on 0 dates besides the mandatory one on my initial playthrough, so that full feeling of betrayl was lost on me. Anyways nice vid. Love hearing retrospectives.
overrated? it was fucking masterpiece back in the days, there was no sandbox game even close to what Rockstar did with GTA IV in terms of story telling and world building. i specially bought x360 on a IV release day to take my hands on asap and i remember how great it was back in the day. totally no competition.
My favorite part of the game growing up was last standing against the cops in the hospital
bro me too I never actually played story mode until a little while ago I used to just mess around on my dad’s complete save
Personally for me it was cluckinbell or burgershot
So it wasn't just me? Incredible.
I do this till today.
NO FUCKING WAY IM NOT THE ONLY ONE
Little jacob is one of the best characters in a gta game. No double crossing, no enemy-turned-friend, he's just a solid dude
Only dude who can call me to go bowling and I'll drop everything.
They did my boy badman so dirty, they didn't gave him enough time
LJ was the realest. Always kept it 100 and hanging out with him was fun. His dialogue was interesting (not just because of the heavy patois) and you could see weed smoke coming out of the car windows. Then he becomes your go-to guy for cheap weapons anywhere in the city. Loyal to the end. Would have been amazing to get him as a heist member in GTA5.
@@skillfuloli492Badman... Real hortical don.
@@skillfuloli492 RIP Badman's voice actor Terry Marshall
I feel like the older we get, the more we appreciate GTA IV
Haha
Oh for sure. I thought it was just another GTA game. I played when I was like 11 or 12 so I didn't fully grasp the story. I replayed it fully twice. Once at 17 and another time at 23. This is handsdown the best story Rockstar has done besides the red dead series. The gritty realistic story line of GTA IV is top tier.
Particularly the driving, its hard to go back once you get use to the weightier car physics
I think it's because the storyline is more "real", so it would make sense to appreciate it more as we grow older. It has that grittiness to it that just wasn't there really in both the original trilogy as well as GTA 5.
Really niggaz appreciated it from day one lol
I always had San Andreas as my number one favorite GTA game until recently. Replayed GTA IV as a 28 year old and I can appreciate how good the story is. Hands down the best in the series. Have to say it’s my favorite game in the series now.
I can honestly forgive Rockstar for not letting you customize Nico like CJ. If it's a stellar story such as GTA 4 it's aokay for me.
@@awkwardpeepfan also, as I saw in a different comment, Niko simply looks strange with any other hairstyle or beard.
I just turned 27 and I'm playing it now. Last time I played it was probably in 2010. I didn't understand the story so I'm definitely trying to catch up
@@awkwardpeepfanmost of the issues people have with it are kinda dumb imo. Like even the driving is fun and I'd assumed for years everyone was right about it until I replayed it recently, it's definitely the best GTA
@@awkwardpeepfanYeah lack of customisation for Niko was a non-issue for me. It's a very character driven game and Niko isn't someone who'd care about buying a lavish wardrobe or getting different hairstyles. Plus, how much does that really add to the overall experience?
I think car customisation is another story though. Being able to modify and upgrade cars has always been a tonne of fun in GTA games and having virtually nothing in GTA4 other than "go to pay and spray and repeat until it randomly gives you the paint colour you want" was a big disappointment.
BTW GTA 4 is my favourite game of all time so I'm certainly not a hater.
dimitri wasn’t a conflicted character, from the start he was playing niko by playing the cool and collected character to faustens rage and drug filled character. it was to make niko trust him over fausten so when it was time to betray him he wouldn’t think twice because fausten was a liability
Yeah. The professional showed the signs of dmitri being manipulative in the beginning before he betrayed niko.
yeah, hes a Psychopath. he looks and sounds nice at first. but is evil inside.
@@giasaleen2 it was such a good video
One of the most interesting characters in the game also though in my opinion
Psychopaths play on manipulation. By making Fausten look completely unhinged he seemed sane and logical
I love the driving, you just got to be gentle with her, no rough stuff. Less is more.
Just a gentle tap every now and again will get you around that corner.
or, on controller. just slightly accelerate and steer
It gets fun when u get the sultan rs from albany
That's what she said.
*ba dum chhhh*
@@smokemidigofoolish5797I get so hyped whenever I find a banshee too
That and keep back when chasing someone. You won't be able to attack them until the game lets you, so keep your distance. It'll give you more time to react.
This game wants you to take your time.
About Michelle, if you take her to dates and pay attention to the conversations you have with Michelle, I think there is one point where Niko implies he likes her if I remember correctly. But during the dates every time, especially if you go drinking and you're drunk) she's trying to ask you about you illegal activities, so she is all the time searching for useful info. I found it particularly interesting that she asks you more if you're drunk.
Honesty the amount of detail in rockstsr games is crazy
I went on one date and she was asking me where to score some coke for her "cousin"
Hey Niko what's one of your crime instead of taking a federal agent out for drinks and try to take a home to have sex with so just drinking and driving and possible rape edit I guess you could take a cab and say no
Wasn't she a undercover cop? I remember something about Michelle returning in gtaV
@@ToldYouSo18 yeah, she was
Kate only feels shallow if you don't interact with her. When you go on dates, you see how she is trying to steer Niko on a good road. One that doesn't involve him being a criminal. She tells how she doesn't want to see Niko end up as one of her dead brothers. The game choices on the other hand also play the same part. When you spare all of the people you are given the choice for, Niko's character develops from a person blinded by revenge to someone better.
Or you can be a psychopath and flip a coin Two-Face from batman
2005-2011 were arguably the greatest years in gaming history in my opinion. The PS3 and XBOX 360 were really hitting their stride at the time. We got Bioshock, Halo 3, GTA IV, Assassin’s Creed 2, The Orange Box, Call of Duty 4, Gears of War, Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption, Oblivion, Minecraft, Skyrim, Fallout 3, etc. This was all in the span of 5-6 years. Simply unbelievable. I feel blessed that these games coincided with my high school and college years. What a time……
There were much more games to mention in that era, almost a perfect period of gaming.
You forgot GOW
Batman arkham asylum and city
Madden 07-08
Now those same game devs are either out of the industry or fractured amongst the new companies which is why the quality of games has gone wayyy down besides corporate meddling
You know, I never thought Niko and Kate’s relationship was hollow I just thought it was platonic and didn’t really have the space to grow until after her Brother’s funeral which ultimately led to the end of the relationship.
Yeah cuz you got since buddy is a robot..lol
It was platonic. I think on one of their dates Kate did straight out say she doesn’t want to date a wanted man. Niko might have feelings for her, but Kate sees nothing beyond platonic (though after the Deal Ending she said she can’t bring children to a world without a father).
I'd call it reluctantly platonic. Both were afraid of the consequences of the criminal life Niko leads, and maybe with time both would have settled down for something more civil.
always seemed like a friends with benefits situation
@@fortytwo4-2 I’d agree with that if they actually had relations.
Fun fact: The Chinese tattoos on Brucie's waist actually means "I love Kathoey(Thai transgender women)"
I figured he was bi
@TimDavisThaTycoon im almost certain that was confirmed, but I'm too tired to look up the source.
@PaulRudd1941 technically he did try pulling moves on Luis towards the end of tbogt then went into full straight damage control when Luis pushed him away. This dude is definitely gay. All that stuff about him and these billions of women he keeps talking about and seen with is all just a bs ploy. Closeted as f*ck
The appears to be a rise in people's appreciation for this game.
Learn to hit the breaks when making turns
Exactly, I swear cause ppl didn't read the prompt on the top left, which said along the lines of to brake when cornering lol
@@soulindenial5001 That's... just how you drive cars too lol, it's not forbidden knowledge. Like when we were kids you **might not** know that but it's second nature eventually.
most people can't drive in GTA4. it's not for everyone but once you learn how to use the mechanics, it's really great 👍
Though the handbrake feels awful as well. Also, enemies don't seem to lose much momentum when making tight turns, while you are forced to nearly come to a halt.
@@Elite7555 that's because sometimes the AI get the cars they drive with better handling. you can see this mostly with cops. you can steal the car they drive with the handling increase and keep it. that's why enemies seem to keep up without breaking a sweat during a turn. im still trying to figure out when exactly the handling increase is activated when they chase you. it seems like it's when they get right behind you
You should absolutely do a follow up with the episodes, both have enough substance that deserve it. You did a stellar job here, I want more !
Thanks Roman! Let's go bowling!
COUSIN
S**t Roman I can't talk now!
(YOU SPOOKED THE DEALER)
I personally love the driving in GTA IV. It just takes some getting used to and playing around with it. It can be kinda annoying but once you nearly master it, it's a dope experience.
It's not the best driving mechanics, I acknowledge the criticism and I get it. I feel like it's an acquired taste. A lot of people love it but a lot of people hate it. I just had a lot of fun with it back in the day and even replaying it now, I still have a lot of fun with it.
Also, Dimitri's betrayal has nothing to do with him going crazy over Faustin's death. The channel "TheProfessional" made an excellent in depth video about the reasons why Dimitri did what he did. Highly, highly recommend it. He is quite possibly one of the best written and evil antagonists that Rockstar has ever made. I didn't despise a Rockstar antagonist more than him until Micah Bell in RDR 2, they both come pretty close.
Great video!
The driving in GTA IV was pretty realistic. Acceleration took a bit of time, particularly with older cars. You couldn't just fly through corners like in GTA V; you had to plan ahead and hit the brakes before going in, just like in real life. And the damage modeling is still unsurpassed in any game that I know of.
@@vulpesinculta3238 Yep, the guy in this video was driving too fast.
@@vulpesinculta3238 totally agree
@@vulpesinculta3238 Exactly. Feel like people who hate the driving physics either never drove a car, or want some unrealistic game. You can’t go 160mph and expect a turn by just braking
I can't disagree, even though i can get why some people dislike the driving, to me the thing about it is that it mostly takes a bit more skill than the other GTA games, which i don't think there's not much wrong with, i love the driving in 4, then if we're comparing it with the driving in GTA 5? They screwed the driving up in that a bit for me, it literally feels like a am arcade game and all the cars are basically the same speed, maybe they were trying to stray a bit too much from the driving from 4 with that, but honestly it's a bit too arcadey for me, give me 4s' style of driving all day
The revenge ending has been confirmed to be canon. In GTA V both niko and Roman have life invader pages that are active after the events of GTA IV.
That's just an Easter egg. Rockstar has never confirmed it.
@@lefez9015 do you think Nico would stay in Liberty city I mean he got his free friends and it's free optional girlfriends and Kate breaks up with him a deal is done also Roman is dead what does he him he has money to leave you could probably get his apartment sold for some money or rent them out the only argument is if Lester can't find them then he's not in America and that's just an Easter egg too but if you have to go off one of those two things the only thing that can make you confirm on it is if Niko's cousin has a post you can see on his page
@@ddsjgvk bro, you ever heard of punctuation? WTF is this verbal diarrhea
Dimitri has always been a snake. Dimitri basically uses people until he no longer needs them. He transformed Faustin into the irrational person that he is, then acts rationally so Niko believes that Faustin is the problem. TheProfessional has a video on Dimitri's betrayal. It's a very good analysis.
By the way, I also fall into the opinion of loving driving in GTA IV.
Driving in GTA IV, You have to becareful like real life, Just a small hit would scratch your beautiful car that you probably just stole
GTA 4 and then TBOGT are my two top favorite GTA's! For example, GTA 4 has fail calls and cutscenes vs GTA 5, where it just has a "mission failed" screen. I think the shooting mechanics are better than 5's. In 5, you shoot someone twice, cash then just squeezes outta their ass. The fighting was better too. I like the storyline more and it had more colorful and likable characters. In 4, you can go into so many more interiors than in 5. You have a lot of choices to make in 4 compared to 5 which I liked too. Plus it was the first one in HD and the first I played when it came out in 2008, I was 13 haha. Then I loved TBOGT with the storyline too and how colorful everything was. Gave some flare to the GTA 4 world.
I think 5 had less interiors because of the graphical intensity it gave the ps3 and Xbox 360, they traded interiors for a better looking game
Also, interiors didn't offer much. They were mostly empty and meaningless. Shooting mechanics are sorta mediocre in both, but 4 can be brutal at times so that makes it a bit better. The fighting or melee systems in both games were below average. I don't think Rockstar did good melee systems til Red Dead Redemption 2. And, 5's characters are more memorable. 4's characters almost blend together and the graphics didn't help. And 4, like the RUclipsr said, the choices didn't matter but in 5, the few choices you did have actually mattered. And the other choices that weren't plot relevant mattered too, like what to invest in or what businesses to buy.
Plus, 4's fail screen are cool, but, 5's fail screen is just as effective, if not more as it can return the player back to the level quicker. A combination of the two would be good.
@@channel45853 You're trippin if you say GTA V's characters are more memorable than 4's. Maybe give or take side characters, but I could not give a damn about Michael, Trevor, and Franklin like I do Niko(or luis or Jonny even).
Guess its all subjective, but I liked the darker, more serious tone of GTA 4's story way more than the California/michael Bay story from GTA 5.
@@armando1is1great they all blend together. I can attach a name to GTA 5 characters but not 4's.
I think GTA 5 has a few failed mission cutscenes, like the crew being arrested at the jewel store if you don't leave in time, tho they are few and far inbewteen
1:20:20 "He told me to leave it. I left it." Hearing Nico's voice crack is heartbreaking. The entire game he seems either just angry or stoic. Hearing the true sadness in his voice is just wrenching
Phil Bell also knew the deal was a trap. Knowing Phil’s character he would have not done the deal at all. In deal, Phil questions Niko about why do a deal with a someone who betrayed him. In revenge, Phil says that Niko made a great decision which shows that Phil respects Nikos intelligence and decision making.
Replaying GTA 4, I liked Phil's character, he's a homie.
He's also shown as an antithesis to Ray Bocchino who tries too hard to impress Jimmy and move up the food chain, and eventually gets betrayed, whereas Phil just gets things done and stays loyal despite not even being of Italian descent which means he would have never been made a capo/made man.
Even cuts ties with Niko cordially and never betrays him. I liked him as a character.
So there's one thing you didn't include that I think adds much more weight to the revenge ending of the game. The conversation between Niko and Kate on the way to the wedding is incredibly important and adds much more weight to Kate's death. Kate wasn't ever really supposed to be an important character until the end of the game specifically because of her role in being the driving force behind getting Niko to finally escape the criminal world. During this conversation Niko is incredibly unsure about his ability to walk away, and this is because Kate is the only character in the entire game who genuinely does seem to believe he can. Without her, Niko is basically doomed to remain in the criminal world his entire life, as after his one attempt to escape that world (coming to liberty city) every person besides Kate he has interacted with has pulled him further and further down the criminal path. Just before Kate dies, their conversation represents the one and only way for Niko to escape the life he's in. After Kate's death, that's taken away from him. This is why Kate didn't have a big role in the story until the very end; she was never meant to. It wouldn't make sense for the one character who represents Niko's ability to escape his current life to be so involved as the story progresses and Niko devles further down the criminal path. You can argue that their relationship seems so forced and manufactured but I believe that their relationship is far more necessary to Niko's character arc towards the end of the game then the game is showing. That conversation on the way to the wedding establishes what the future could look like for Niko, where because of Kate he learns that it is still possible for him to walk away from the world he's involved with after all. When that one path towards a better life for Niko is almost immediately taken away, her death becomes far more tragic. I think you were looking at Kate from the perspective of her being a much bigger character throughout the entirety of the game than what she actually was, where she really did become important for Niko's story toward its end.
The best story of any GTA... The ending is very realistic, as you don't win regardless of what your choice is. Just a flawless portrayal of a criminal lifestyle.
Realistic but not flawless.
It was more gritty and realistic than other GTA games that paint the criminal lifestyle as idyllic or fairy tale like.
Dimtri in the revenge ending had an oh crap moment once Niko says nothing can change his mind. For the first time, Dimitri is cornered by an enemy who could care less about what he has to say and just wants to end him outright. I always assume he’s used to talking his way out of this but this time he’s in situation that is way out of his element.
Two things...
1. Similar to Michelles betrayal, Kate's death really only has the full impact if you put the time in to fully date her(long enough to hear all the dialogue and do the 'warm coffee')
2. Dimitri isn't conflicted, he's a complete psychopath. Watch TheProfessionals deep analysis.
Killing Darko just hits differently. The cold dialogue that Niko delivers afterwards
Niko uses 12 shots for the 12 friends of niko darko killed
5:34 this dominatrix whipping scene is a reference to GTA3. These are the sorts of things that happen in Liberty City, remember...
Its rockstar saying to other companies that they are back
The ending got me in all the feels. A lot of other games like this would have an ending where nobody gets hurt or killed, but here, someone still dies regardless of your decision.
GTA IV is a Masterpiece
Best game ever made. Absolutely loved the multiplayer back then.
@@lesediramahobo8991 me too
Exactly
Yes it it, but so was almost every main title GTA game. Rockstar knows how to deliver with their games.
@@lesediramahobo8991 it's still great today, I still get on multiplayer on ps3 like at least 3 or 4 times a week, if ur lucky there's even full lobbies
I love how they completely revamped liberty city and basically adding areas around what I seen as pieces of the old version. They really fleshed out the world.
As a New Yorker, it really felt like home
I've watched this whole video, without looking at the channel name or view count and I was 100% sure this was a Whitelight video, with millions of views, but when I heard at the end "I'm Fuzzy Slippers", I was like "wait, what?" and then I looked and I was shocked to see that you have less then 500 subs and less then 1k views on this video... You have done a very good job with this, and I am glad you managed to make me relieve the story of GTA 4.
Thanks that means so much! I don't think I'm quite at his level yet, but I'm working towards getting better when it comes to retrospectives.
I love IV and was happy to see Packy recruitable in V and love that in V's bank job that if you take Packy with you, he will reminisce about IV's bank job while everyone is being shot at
This game was like something out of a fever dream when I first tried it at a cousins house on release, it was almost mesmerizing how next gen this felt.
I didn’t mind the driving in this game. Once I got the hang of it, I found it pretty good.
WTF, why is everybody complaining at the car driving physics?! I was absolutely fantastic in driving cars in gta iv. GTA V for example is way to direct... You always have to adjust the stearing while in GTA IV you can just let you float...
1:36:06 this is why i like gta iv the most personally, the tone being closer to red dead redemption which to me is Rockstar at their absolute best. The question of morality is stronger in Red Dead of course but i appreciate a lot of the little moments they add in IV to make Niko seem conflicted
The driving is fine if you don't mind taking your finger from the accelerator once in a while, I can see in the footage you're trying to do a tight turn in a pickup at full throttle and wondering why it isn't steering.
Yeah I learned that lesson while playing the DLC, so I could have done a better job explaining the driving mechanics. There's a learning curve to it, but it isn't the worst thing in the world either.
Thank you for pointing that out. “The driving sucks” as he’s not trying to adjust his driving style to the type of vehicle.
People who complain about the driving are just lazy. GTA iv driving is good but harder than most games
@@sunnyshinecreation it makes you realize that most cars can't take a 90° turn going 50 which is definitely unlike most cars in the prior games using the old renderware engine
Exactly 💯... Love driving to the core.
I loved gta 4 growing up. I was 8 years old when it first came out and it blew me away. All I had before that was Liberty City Stories and going from that to gta 4 was a huge upgrade. Didn't really care for gta 5. Wish we could get a story like gta 4 with next gen graphics and mechanics.
The Roman death ending felt a lot more impactful. Very dramatic with the rain and thunder, and felt better getting revenge on someone you'd been dealing with for so much of the game. Even we would prefer Roman not die, it still makes for a better ending in my opinion.
Furthermore contrary to people believes, Niko has a reason to go out of his way and work for Dimitri one last time. After finding Darko, Niko understands that revenge will never lead him to letting go of the past, by doing that last deal not only he'd gain a lot of money to comfortably start life over, but also grant him powerful ally in commission that could protect him if ghosts of his former life tries to chase him.
Kate would eventually forgive him and actually appreciate he was capable of letting go of his past instead of making mob boss angry and chase him, he didn't give her a full picture of his situation when he originally spoke with her, so obviously she would advise him to get revenge, but after getting said full picture she couldn't be mad at him.
After "If the price is right" Niko has realistically no loose ends and he can cut ties to his criminal life, Dimitri didn't have resources or allies to chase him with his allies or so it would seem. After "Dish served cold" you immediately know you have to either run or kill Jimmy P because he'd use every opportunity to get revenge on you, you cost him everything so he's desperate unlike Dimitri who has no reason to chase you other than his obsession.
Last thing is Niko never really cared about Dimitri, he made no effort to find him earlier, only when he learned about his location thought of killing him crossed his mind. Given knowledge he'd be in a lot of trouble killing him at that moment, he probably would sacrifice his morals.
@@southweststrangla9591 no you went to Liberty city to go find what's-his-name and because he betrayed you once you know he would betray you again so why take the deal it's not like he got to had a gun to your head before he didn't that time
"boy is it a nightmare to go through"
proceeds to run straight behind faustin without taking cover or killing anyone
Replaying GTA IV just gives me a sad sense of nostalgia. It's the last game i can remember truly of it's kind. Driving through Liberty City just makes me remember of all the great times I would have online, before playing GTA was a chore, before you had to play for a week straight to unlock anything. You just drop into the world and find weapons and cars and do whatever you want with your friends. There was no challenge, no worry about 3 days of work being wasted because of a flying bike, just good times and good friends. Seeing the same sights now as I'm older and without the friends I used to spend time with.... Liberty City just feels empty. Just a memory of a time when things were better, when responsibilities were negligible and friends would always be by your side. Life has changed, and the games with it. They aren't the fun they used to be. Or maybe I'm just getting old.
Ever Since I Played GTA IV, no other game really truly captivated. No to mention the amount of detail they put into this game. And the DLCs, forget it. They're one of the best DLCs ever
Great post. Many games give me these feelings ... Good times that are long gone, with people who have disappeared from your life.
This game has a special place in my heart. Me, my older brother and my little brother all played this game. We each had our own saved slot and would tell each other what time we saved at so we didn’t ruin each others progress or cars lol. We played this game up until GTA 5 came out but I still look back at and takes me back to being a pre teen and damn I kinda miss that feeling.
I started playing it again a month ago, now on PC with a mouse and a keyboard and IT IS SO GREAT.
Drama, action, character development, good graphics, great movement with its RAGE motor... it is the gift that never stops giving.
Such a masterpiece in my experience.
Can't wait to replay it. The driving in GTA IV is amazing and I was shocked when I first played V. I spent countless hours just drifting around corners in GTA IV, perfecting my driving skills. In GTA V it feels like you're on rails and the cars don't really differ that much in handling.
Do you want to reply togheterx xd
Nico is still my favourite protagonist in any GTA game.
He's the most bad-ass protagonist next to Tommy and Toni.CJ just is gangsta yet loyal to his friends and his family with a passion and shows remorse for anyone he killed when was close to which were smoke and ryder Claude is of course the silent protagonist and of course the gta v characters speak for themselves
Mr@@DieHardKellzFan, and you find this attractive? Loyality? Remorse? Those are weak attributes!
Dimitri didn’t go crazy after having Niko kill Mikhail. He was playing Niko from the start. He masquerades as the level-headed one to trick Niko into having no qualms about doing away with the quick-to-anger Faustin. Dimitri’s a snake and would’ve betrayed Niko in one way or another, and the same goes for Faustin. He would’ve found other ways to betray and kill Faustin, because he is not loyal to anyone. Anyone he meets, he’ll stab in the back.
People complain about the driving in GTA IV, and I really wonder if they just don't use the handbrake mechanic. I noticed you never did in your gameplay. It makes handling IMMESURABLY easier around corners, because you can drift pretty easily. It's borderline required for some of the chases in the late game. I remember tearing my hair out as a kid driving in the game until I learned how to use the handbrake. I recently just finished playing through again, and not ONCE did I ever lose someone I was chasing. It's seriously game changing, and they should have made a proper tutorial explaining how to use it.
I feel like you're a little too critical of these games.
Most people don't scrutinize as much as you do.
This was a great game and frankly the mechanics aren't as bad as your driving skills 😉
I'm actually a fan of GTA IV and V. I don't feel one is better than the other, they're just telling different stories in different styles and I'm pleased Rockstar were willing to try different things with their cash cow franchise. Its a lot better than simply turning out cookie cutter sequels every year or two.
👑
Thanks for making me realize this, I dislike V but better that than a clone every year
Precisely. I like both, but IV slightly more so.
What salvaged V for me is the extensive modding ability.
Fixing small things like more traffic and scenario variety. Wooded areas in Alamo, narcotics dealing, bonus robberies, etc.
I agree but they never should have took out the ability to pick up random objects people drop or the ability to push people then jump on a car and then call the cops and have the NPC assault you and then have the cops arrest him and then you hijack the cop car
5 is much better than 4
*Fun Fact:* GTA IV was originally supposed to released in Fall 2007 which is when the game is supposed to take place but was delayed to Spring 2008 due to technical issues mainly with PS3.
Man, I played it at friends house first. I played the others, but I grew up in a bad house and by that time I was a 16 year old minimum wage employee, homeless, in high-school trying to make ends meet . Gta 4 and especially online with my rich friend Robert, made me feel like a gangster. Definitely good memories.
Your friend, Robert is rich, and you, you are poor.
I have work for you Mr friend.
Wow, pretty complete review!
I feel like they wanted to focus more on the story rather than the extra activities like you had on previous titles. That could be good or bad depending on what you were expecting at that time lol.
DLC stories were not that great as the main title, at least to me, but I enjoyed them anyways.
Thanks for the nostalgia ;)
This is without any doubt my favourite GTA game. I completed this game during a difficult time in my life. My family kept moving out and living in different places left and right until we lived with my mom’s cousin who had an Xbox360 with GTA4. So this game will always be special to me.A Masterpiece of his own. A+
Side note : I agree that there should’ve been a few more missions involving Kate. For example they could’ve made the Albanian gangsters kidnapped her as a form of payback for what Gerry did to them.
I remember the first day playing gta 5 with my brother, we wanted to go straight to the mountains to explore it, we thought it was so cool for a open world game to have realistic hills and wildlife
One of the best retrospective videos I’ve watched. The narration bringing me back along the journey if the campaign. Instant subscribe and can’t wait to watch the rest of your videos ❤
If you go on dates with Michelle it’s super easy to tell she’s undercover. Literally all she ever talks about is crime, and gets caught lying or trying to change the subject whenever it’s not about Niko and his “work”. Niko even says stuff like “why are you always asking questions” and “there’s something off about her”. They make it real obvious, from the start. Either way, it’s definitely not “small hints” it’s designed so you suspect something. Her final date, she literally asks if Niko knows where she can buy drugs, in the most nervous unsure way possible, like she knows she’s taking a huge risk. There isn’t one moment spent with Michelle where the game isn’t hinting she has hidden motives for spending time with Niko. You’d have to be so oblivious not to catch on.
I recently learned to handle the physics. If GTA VI does something sorta in between this and V, I think they'll nail it.
But unlike in the PS2 games, you can't just gun it, and you're not expected to, either. Just drive at a modest speed and you'll do fine in all the chases.
Even that race that you do for Brucie went a lot smoother when I slowed down, kept the other drivers in view, and just overtook them when the moment came.
This might sound obvious as all fuck, but in those PS2 games, the best strategy was usually to take off like a bat out of Hell and make a beeline to your target and start blasting.
But with this game... slow down. Savor the ride. Take in the atmosphere.
It made everything so much easier.
Little Jacob is hands down the best character from the entire GTA series.
I've seen Jacob yesterday at the gym :D
16:35 when you’re driving fast, even on a racetrack, you’re supposed to BRAKE before turning. That’s how you drive the cars adequately in this game.
4 is still the best GTA imo, San Andreas is right behind it but the game is still unmatched to me. Even my little 13 year old brain thought 5 was worse generally but I still loved it because it was closer to SA and had pretty graphics. In retrospect? 5 is probably 3rd but it's highly contested imo
I absolutely loved GTA4 when it came out. I vividly remember picking it up at midnight with my brother and staying awake all night, instantly addicted. I really liked the darker tone and story. Niko was a great character and I ended up naming my dog after him. Had to put him down last year and now I get sad when I hear the name.
Amazing video and comprehensive retrospective!
GTA IV is my favourite game in the series, and this did it justice. Going to check out your other content for sure. Watched the GTA III video and that's awesome too.
Keep up the great content man 👏👍
I actually think there is something between Niko and Katie.
Not saying its perfect or flawless, but in the game narrative wise - Niko tells her alot about his former lifestyle during activites, actually taking comfort as she learns about him, and understands. Compared to Michelle (spy), Alex (refuses to acknowledge his terrible life and wants lies), Carmen (dicks ahoy!), Kiki (stockholm syndrome for all criminals) - she's the most real out of them. Not perfect, by any means, but she's the best.
Too bad nothing ever happens with her. You either save Kate and have Roman die, then she says she wants to cut things off with you, or she dies and Roman lives then you lose her completely
@@Gameprojordan Truth, truth. I feel if things did continue it would be one of the most soulless dates afterwards... because it would feel forced for the two of them, and it would just be awful.
Like I said tho, not flawless.
Really good job with the video! It appeared this morning in my recommendations and glad I sat through and watched it between working today! Your content is great 😊 from a fellow small RUclipsr to another: congratulations and well done!
Similarly to how different people have "their James Bond", this was "my GTA". Being 14 when it came out, it was the first GTA I can remember getting close-ish to release and really being engrossed in the hype of it all... Even though IMO San Andreas and GTA V are better and have a more appealing story lines, GTA IV holds a very special place in my heart because I. Was. Fucking. There! 🤣
i'd watch a vid about the DLC. i remember them fondly, but haven't played in ages. awesome longform vid btw, i dig this!
This was the first game of that generation where I was like. Yeah this is the next big step. It also made me infatuated with nyc and the big city look of everything. Maybe even a city life style to a lesser extent
This game is definitely better when you mature. I didn’t appreciate it as a kid like I do know. Definitely one of the best rockstar stories in a game
I love this game. It’s my favorite GTA game. The characters and story are incredible and I always find myself replaying this every so often. A true masterpiece.
I’ve had to of replayed this game 15-20 times , it’s a gem 💎
The driving is fine, we can clearly see that you’re driving all wrong. Let off the gaz and brake before turning. Not all cars are sports cars that can turn on a dime
Sadly I chose the wrong option at the end (the deal), only because of the money and I listened to what Roman had to say, I wanted them to get money and leave their past behind together as family, for good now. Too bad it was the exact opposite I got.
It's the cruel irony of the ending.
The story is what made GTA IV. For its time, Liberty City was a huge step forward for games as well.
I played GTA 4 recently for the first time, and without nostalgia goggles, the story was good, I liked the character development of Nico and Roman, but the missions uh... every mission felt the same I felt such a relief when I had to kidnap grace it was such a change of pace.
Very interesting review. I'm glad I'm not the only one who parks a perfect motor outside the apartment and never uses it in case I ruin it.
This game was superb when released, all the other times I played it afterward in the Ps3 era and during the current playthrough I'm doing on PC. It was grounded but still GTA. The DLC's especially TBOGT remedied the grey, grounded aspect of Liberty City's stories. In regard to the driving, I'm betting everyone who had issues with it was just mashing the accelerator and brake spinning out the tyres and locking the brakes. If you feathered the throttle and brake you would have a much better time of the driving. That being said I am a veteran pad-based driving game player so that probably has a lot to do with it. Also, Likkle Jacob was the real Don Dadda ya seemi!?
I know you later said you were too hard on the driving in this game, but I gotta say, I can see why you didn't like it. I adore it, for some reason I was pretty good at it right off the bat, but watching you trying to drive at some points in this video really highlights how difficult it was for a lot of people to get it down. My friends struggled with it too back in the day. Personally I'm glad it is what it is, but since so many people had trouble with it, I wonder if R* could have done a better job teaching the player in-game. Anyway, just something I was pondering. Great video!
I’m blown away by the quality of this video. I consider myself a huge GTA IV fan, cause this game had a solid impact on my childhood. I have seen countless videos and reviews of this game, and I can tell you this was the best. I loved how you unfolded the storyline in chapters, while commenting about it at the same time, kinda giving your own point of view on it. About the ending, I always felt like the deal was the best option, because it gave me more closure at the end, killing Dimitri. The revenge ending never gave me that same feeling, as pegorino’s arc didn’t have that much buildup as Dimitri’s to become a “final boss”. But I liked your point of view, made me realize that the revenge actually made more sense. It’s cool how a 14 year old game can make you actually stop to think about its lore, and see things from other perspectives. It just shows that it’s a timeless game. Anyway, great video man, with this quality you’re only going upwards.
Thank you! I used to feel the same, it just felt like one ending only works because characters have to act out of character. I think Pegorino would work better as a final boss if we worked with him way earlier or he betrayed us like Dimitri
I'm very disapointed by the skill this guy has. Poor driving, poor shooting, looks like he's a noob at GTA4 xD
That being said, I do like the video as well, but feels like he just didn't play enough this game.
The Driving was my favourite part of this game , it's really realistic. Of course not so Realist as as Project Cars. Still the damage the Handling and it's weight are made fantastic. On Keyboard it's hard cause you control it rough but on a gamepad it's really fun.
My first GTA game that my parents bought me for Christmas when i was like 11 or 12. I loved this game so much and still do. I loved party mode. You could play online but by yourself or with friends. Such a great game and this video fills me with nostalgia. Also, i 110% think this game is a masterpiece. I love GTA V too. 🏴☠️
Great stuff dude. You should really consider making the EFLC retrospective.
I’m so so excited at the cult rebirth of this game. I loved this when I was a kid. I played this as I became a teenager and remember this game being super gritty to me. I’ve been Ty played it thru five times since. Never disappointed. Thank you gta IV
The missions in GTA4 are extremely dynamic and versatile similar to RDR2 except with out the fail walls that you run in to you can approach missions on gta4 from any direction you want now if you don't do it that's on you but if you really like to push games to the limit and see what you can do it is very rewarding stop approaching missions from the most basic of routes
RDR2 has missions like that as well like the Home robbery with Hoesa. There is allot different types of Quest design in RDR2.
@@John-996 yea your are right im guilty of not being creative enough on rdr2 despite the hundreds of hours I put into but you are absolutely right
@@tylercouture216 There is also a one with rains fall were you can use dynamite as I distraction. Also When Arthur Comes back from Gurarma Instead of going to shady you can head straight to Lakey. In the mission with the French Artist if you do not save him there is an alternative scene were he begs for his life. In the side Quest with Charlotte you can kill Her and end her quest line. During the feminist march mission you can stay and fight the cousins which will change there dialogue in the side quest in Chapter 6. Also you can catch the street kid before he gets to you were you can catch the street kid before he gets to his friends. In the Mission were you look for charles there is a badass cutscene if you shot one of them instead of getting in a fist fight. Also In the stage Couch mission with Josiah You can follow his lead or straight up rob them and you get an alternative seen and Josiah gets a bit pissed off with you. In the mission were you get oil Wagon for John If you wait to long John will actually get it himself. So as far as mission design goes RDR2 is really inconsistent.
@@John-996 I knew about John and the oil wagon, the trelawny kidnapping with Charles. Robbery mission with Josiah . And that's about it. I actually found this one cave with nothing in it. But have not seen it mentioned on RUclips it honestly is just a random cave just to add to the world building. Other then that I missed a lot of golden opportunity during missions. But I have beat the living hell out of rdr2 so I find it boring before I get to the end but with all these possibilities it might be worth another play through
@@John-996 RDR1 is better
GtaIV is one of my favourites in the series overall. it was the og next gen era GTA title. I loved the mechanics of the game and the liberty city map. The missions from day one were action packed and immersive. Going on dates and nights out with friends was a fun throw back to SA. Going to comedy shows etc. Being able to pick up random objects off the floor or tables was a great mechanic that was really missed out on in gtaV. The ragdoll physics was both frustrating and also hours of entertainment in itself 😂.
1:25:00 as a Jamaican, feel good to know that theirs a Jamaican in gta 4 🎭
Nice Little Jacob is an awesome character
16:12 I can tell you’re not familiar with cars of the 90s. This was an accurate representation of vehicles of the time period and very realistic. They were alll boats. Now, cars handle like arcade cars (GTA V). Takes the fun out of it.
GTA IV is easily my favourite in the franchise. I like it's more grounded, serious and gritty story, I love the main cast and I love Niko, he's a big reason I like GTA IV so much. It still has quite an unhinged cast of supporting character, like Brucie or Bernie, but they add a lot of flavour, even if they are headache-inducing sometimes.
Being slavic myself, I appreciate the absolute fuck out of the slavic flavour it has going for it, Vladivostock FM being one of several highlights. I don't remotely like the actual music, but it's nonetheless was cool to hear in an foreign AAA project. There are some translation and pronunciation issues, but it's not nearly as bad as it could've been, I can live with that.
And after your descriptions and footage of gunfights, I can appreciate PC version more because more prescise control allow you to play extremely aggresively and constantly push, AI has a hard time dealing with that and it's fairly easy to land headshots, so even more drawn out gunfight usually done with fairly quickly.
One thing I really don't like about it is just how scripted missions feel though, as you point out. Which isn't necesserily a problem by itself, but jesus it's not nearly as tight as Rockstar thought it was, scripted chases are especially frustrating.
Thanks for the video!
Whenever I got into huge gun fights I just use my cheat codes and RPGs to clear out large groups
Honestly same, it's a blast how oddly Eastern Europe the game is considering it's set in NY. My only grip is that Niko's accent isn't anywhere close to a Balkan accent and the fact that Niko's last name is consistently mispronounced even by himself is a bit cringe. Granted, game is great and so is the voice acting but I've always felt like I've missed out on the same immersion as an American (or whoever) playing this since whenever I hear Niko trying to be all dramatic whilst speaking broken Serbian in a somewhat cheesy nasally Russian accent impression makes my immersion break.
FuzzySlippers, amazing video you deserve more subscribers
I've noticed there's more and more youtube content on old school GTA games, 2 years ago there was very few Retrospective and Deep Dive videos about GTA IV and other GTA classic, glad that's happening, I mean GTA IV holds up so well, it's a better game than 99% of games today even, at least to me.
Everyone hates on the Deal option, but after replaying the story 20 times, it kind of makes a lot of sense..
If Niko *did* kill Darko, he quickly realized how empty he felt and how it didnt solve anything. Obviously he would never forgive Dimitri, but it's possible he realized seeking revenge again wouldn't solve anything. Until Roman/Kate's death, Niko was essentially done. He was ready to give up that life and stop 'Dealing in Death'. That chapter in his life, seeking Darko and revenge for his comrades, was over..
And that one final deal for half a million. I saw it less as Niko being stupid or greedy, but doing it so Roman and Mallory could have a fairly comfortable life for awhile, while he himself can leave the life for good.
I was young when this game was popular but damn that driving just felt great. I also liked that you could access the police computer and take out other criminals
I love how when i played it i had no idea who the protagonist is, and being southslavic myself i speak bosnian/serbian/croatian and i could understand what he was saying 😂😂, also if im not mistaken you get an email from his mother that has been written in that language and i just find it so cool, def one of my favorite gta’s
"Never flip flopped more on a game." Yeah man, same. At first I was amazed, then underwhelmed, then amazed again! Then found myself wanting for more, then the expansions were remarkable and made me wanna replay the main game, and I loved it finally!!! But it has it's downers....but it's great! Yeah, contentious title this. All in all I'm glad it exists and that I got to enjoy it.
The first line being “Daddy’s back bitches!” Is, in my opinion, Rockstar literally saying that to the player. It had been a relatively long hiatus since GTA:SA and they’re ready to rock.
Of course since it’s gta they immediately gotta make you question your life choices with the BDSM 🙃
The cars in GTA do feel more realistic as someone who's driven and raced cars for 10 years lmao, try driving the way you do in GTA 4 irl if you don't believe me
Revenge is Canon. Roman is still alive in GTA V.
One thing that always bugged me was how terrible Niko's Serbian is...well, all the Serbian-speaking characters in the game are off. Very odd translations and pronunciation for a language that isn't that difficult to speak. They could have just consulted someone for 5 minutes, it's not like you can't find Serbs in New York.
"I won't let some Russian asswipe use your woman"
"But you did!"
The writing that was completely gone by GTAV.
I remember the first time getting this game I was blown away by how much the city felt alive npcs act like actual people and while stuff like character movements, weapons and mission design were kinda wonky and abit down graded I still appreciate the fact that it was trying to show you a city that had alot of grayness to fit it's real life counter part, you'll see trash filled everywhere homeless people and musicians will ask you to give them money and some people will hold umbrellas when it's raining, driving was abit slippery but became fun once you get the hang of it and story was more about realism and morals than in gta 5 where it's about robbing banks
grand theft auto 4 is excellent and a dark story about people trying to have a better life. it also came out before red redemption
I think the thing I love most about this game is that it has so many accessible interiors. Apartment buildings, safe houses, food chain restaurants and many more
Yeah but most of them will use for missions if you actually think about it. If you take away the fact that you enter them and it's not like the PS2 games with a loading screen the only places you would be able to go into are your safe houses and the fast-food chains. Like that one Penn's house you can enter the lobby while you can fly up to if a helicopter but it was already designed for a mission same with the hospital the only one you can enter
I should be like GTA v the newest places where you can enter without a loading screen all your safehouses but because it's still GTA IV possibly fast food. Give me places with don't involve emission what you can enter or the strip clubs in that Irish pub
38:18 I went on 0 dates besides the mandatory one on my initial playthrough, so that full feeling of betrayl was lost on me.
Anyways nice vid. Love hearing retrospectives.
overrated? it was fucking masterpiece back in the days, there was no sandbox game even close to what Rockstar did with GTA IV in terms of story telling and world building. i specially bought x360 on a IV release day to take my hands on asap and i remember how great it was back in the day. totally no competition.