It’s no doubt that Grand Theft Auto IV by Rockstar is a masterpiece and the whole world is singing praises for it. But one account in particular, GTASixInfo, decided to go ahead and ask for the impossible thing on Twitter. They shared a stunning screenshot of a broody Niko Bellic in the city of Liberty and just said, ‘Name one BAD thing about this game.’ Hah, and believe me, the gamers tried! It’s like when someone is asked to find a flaw in a diamond while being very close to its sparkle. The answers are a hilarious combination of real criticisms, nostalgic memories, and just simple crazy stuff. That’s nothing but the internet in its classic way: fervidly arguing over a game that is already 15 years old.
In case you did not see the tweet, it was one simple question which led to a big discussion. Gamers giving all sorts of technical complaints and even meme-worthy grievances, flooded the chat pointing at the issue of players’ love and frustration with this great title almost in the same breath. The discussion shows that even if GTA IV is more or less worshipped, it has its own peculiarities and downsides too, which have even become more pronounced over time.
The very first thing that a lot of people and the image of a kid shouting into the void mentioned was the current gaming platforms. I mean, so many people. ‘It never got a remaster,’ declared Eddie. ‘No Next Gen Version,’ resonated HenryP. ‘It is not on ps5,’ Matt added. This is the main one, to be honest. Nowadays, gaming companies have the tendency to start with the PS2 classics and then boom–the whole games’ portfolios being re-released basically with skylight, GTA IV, on the other hand, is just… stuck in a time capsule. Sure you can play it via backward compatibility on Xbox, plus it exists on PC, but that fancy 4K, 60fps official version is just non-existent. For a game that set the console generation, it is very strange to be labeled the past. Gamers want to see Liberty City in all its dark, beautiful detail without relying heavily on mods.
Now, when we talk about PC gaming, that was the second largest chorus. ‘You can’t really enjoy the PC version without mods,’ bluntly admitted DoritoFan80. ‘The PC port,’ simply stated GMC_Reviews. This is a recognized sore spot. The port was notoriously bad at launch and even now still requires community patches like the FusionFix and DXVK to be smooth in performance on modern systems. It’s rather amusing that in the year 2024, tech support is being shared in the replies among the players, as they are telling each other how to switch from DX9 to Vulkan just to get a stable frame rate. It’s almost like Rockstar just… left it like that.
Then come the gaming-related issues and nitpicks. The color scheme was the main culprit behind a lot of the negative comments. ‘Color Blind Simulator 2008,’ ridiculed Miaw. ‘It’s brown and boring,’ Hujo seems to be very certain of it. Okay, fair to say, the game has its own very unique, muted, and somewhat sepia-like tone that visually shouts out ‘gritty realism’ of late 2000s. The color storm of Vice City or the sun-drenched spread of Los Santos would be examples of the opposite: Liberty City may feel a tad… grey. Still, that’s actually a point too! It sets the mood! Nevertheless, gamers spotted the color issue.
The driving physics turned into a war front of their own. ‘The physics of the motorcycle,’ said Ifindjewtards. ‘Motorcycles are pure fidget spinners,’ was Beau’s very passionate declaration. Only to find an ensuing heated debate in a sub-thread. One player GTASixJoker seemingly criticized driving skills, and the defenders came in full force. ‘I think it’s the best driving mechanics in the entire series,’ retorted Travis Williams, detailing rain effects, burst tires, and putting on seatbelts. Then someone else, The Fun, shot back: ‘maybe i don’t want realistic handling i want fun handling.’ This is the never-ending GTA IV discussion! The heavy, boat-like cars that you have to learn to control versus the arcade-y feel of GTA V. There is no absolute right answer, but the argument goes on forever.
The smaller and funny complaints also emerged. ‘Lack of customization,’ noted 2Cold, which is indeed the case—you could neither pimp nor change Niko’s clothes. Gun effects. I know it’s old but, come on, said KostaCon. And of course, the classic meme: Hey niko, wanna go bowling, Simakhsi20 shared, bringing in the sometimes too pushy invites from cousin.
