Highlights
- GTA 4's protagonist Niko Bellic is a well-written and at times relatable character, while GTA 5's playable protagonists lack development and growth.
- While GTA 5 may be fun to play initially, its main story lacks depth and meaning, unlike GTA 4's narrative, which explores themes like revenge and the American dream.
- GTA 4's true to life physics provide a more immersive and down-to-earth gameplay experience when compared to GTA 5's exaggerated and less realistic approach.
With more than 185 million copies sold worldwide, Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the best-selling video games of all time. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best GTA game. Far from it, in fact. Despite having a larger map and superior graphics, there are some who see GTA 5 as a bit of a backward step for the long-running franchise, with many of the other elements that make up the blockbuster title lagging behind those found in its predecessor.
As more time has passed, the number of people who subscribe to the idea that GTA 4 is better than GTA 5 has grown substantially, and there are plenty of compelling reasons for this. From its superior physics engine to its more immersive setting, there's a lot to love about Grand Theft Auto 4. Whether or not it could be classed as the best GTA game is debatable, but there are certain areas where it is streets ahead of its successor despite being released more than half a decade earlier.
1 Protagonists
Being able to switch between multiple playable protagonists is certainly an interesting idea, but it's not without its flaws. By forcing them to share the spotlight with one another, it makes it difficult for any one of them to truly shine and for players to become fully invested in their stories. It doesn't help that each of the playable characters in GTA 5 is an over-the-top caricature, and while this does lead to plenty of comical interactions, it does little to paper over the very noticeable lack of depth and character growth displayed by Michael, Franklin, and Trevor throughout the course of the game.
This is an area where GTA 4's protagonist really shines, with Niko's character arc being one of the most memorable ones in gaming. Despite being a hardened criminal, Niko is constantly surprising players with his insightful observations and somehow manages to be relatable even in spite of his heinous crimes. His motivations are clear and understandable, yet it's perhaps his ability to see reason where others may see red that makes controlling Niko Bellic such a joy. He's one of the best video game protagonists of all time, and a big part of that is down to the excellent writing that helped bring him to life.
2 Narrative
While undoubtedly fun during a first or second playthrough, most people probably won't remember too many details about GTA 5's main story within a few months of completing it, let alone a few years. That's because the game doesn't really have a meaningful main story besides bad guys doing bad guy things because reasons. Sure, it's technically a little bit more nuanced than that, but for all intents and purposes, that's probably all that most players will remember about the single-player experience when asked about it somewhere further down the line. Well. That and heists, which were admittedly pretty cool.
Niko Bellic's story is one of revenge, and while this may be a concept that has been done to death in both video games and movies, its execution in GTA 4 is enjoyable nonetheless. The game also explores other important themes like immigration, and how for many, the American dream can quickly become an American nightmare. The observations made by the game and its characters are insightful ones and lead to a gritty realism that hits a thousand times harder than its successor's over-the-top antics, which, like the characters at the heart of them, can often lack depth and meaning. GTA 4 offers single-player DLC too; something that its sequel is severely lacking.
3 Setting
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Although some will point to the fact that it remains true to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, there are a few important things to note about GTA 5's map. Firstly, although the sparsely populated nature of Blaine County tied in well with the narrative of the 2004 title, it serves little to no purpose in GTA 5 other than to slow the player down. Likewise, the sheer size of San Andreas blew players away when it was first released, but by 2013, large open-world maps were a dime a dozen, with players having begun to crave immersive open worlds that are fun to explore; an area in which GTA 5 arguably falls a little short.
By contrast, GTA 4 offers players the definitive version of Liberty City and manages to strike the perfect balance between fun and functional. It does a wonderful job of capturing the hustle and bustle of the city that so famously inspired it, yet is still able to provide more placid and peaceful locales without ever feeling too empty. It's the perfect size for a sandbox game and serves as an excellent reminder that bigger does not always mean better, at least not when it comes to the size of a video game's world, anyway. Granted, had the development team had the tools, time, and resources needed to make it larger then they probably would have, but the fact that they didn't arguably led to a better game.
4 Physics
Consoles and computers have come a long way over the past few decades. Most developers have used this increased processing power to make their games more realistic, yet this is an area where the GTA series has bucked the trend somewhat. To be clear, that's not to say that GTA 5 isn't still incredibly impressive on a technical level, but it definitely falls short when it comes to realism. This appears to have been a conscious decision from the developers, whose focus seems to have been on creating a fun open-world sandbox game rather than a true-to-life one. However, this arguably leads to an inferior gameplay experience for the player.
Comparatively, GTA 4 strives for realism in several key areas, particularly when it comes to physics. Driving actually feels like driving, with cars in the game handling just as one might expect from a real-world vehicle. Ragdoll physics is also significantly better in Grand Theft Auto 4 thanks in large to the game's use of the Euphoria engine. Granted, some people may prefer the exaggerated and excessive nature of GTA 5's physics and the game's narrative and characters in general, but those looking for something a little more down-to-earth will likely come to the conclusion that GTA 4 is better than GTA 5; at least in these key areas.