Most of tje people who complained about the driving were the same people who didnt bother trying to learn it and tried going full throttle every corner
@@LeaveMeAloneFBI The car handling in IV is each to their own like what Badger said. Some people love it and some people hate it. Nobody should shame others for not liking it. Looking at things realistically, GTA IV's driving would have absolutely not worked for a game like V and I think the decision of changing it to feel more arcadey was the right decision to make. V's map and geometry is simply way too big and complex for the car handling of IV to work.
@@LeaveMeAloneFBI Idk man, every car kinda felt like a 70s Cadillac, body roll for days lol, even the “high performance” super cars were sluggish asf. And this is coming from an Assetto Corsa player
@@fredster594 You're right, the physics absoutely wouldnt have worked for 5. Which is a shame because, one of my favorite genre's of video games is racing. I like IV's handling because of the skill ceiling and how engaging it was. The handling in 5 felt too easy to the point I could turn off my brain. It made going from point a to point b a chore for me because of how unengaging it was for me.
@@chrxs61632 It defintely wasnt realistc no doubt. And I do agree they emphazed too much of the "sluggishness" of the handling model. I hope 6 will have a decent middle ground.
@@TheGMan. the game is SO much better than just the story. It’s completely ahead of its time when it comes to attention to detail and the graphics. The game is amazing, even without the story
I struggle with the Cesar vialpando mission and apparently i could do other missions in the meanwhile without cheating, i got a bit bored of it, not that it's bad.But when i play the GTA IV missions they feel easier to grasp and fun.
Really? In my opinion the story is so cheap and bland, Niko is basically a Hitman the whole game and the missions are all the same (drive somewhere, kill him, return back, call that the job is done). Driving and police are also annoying and everything is so slow and tedious to do..
@@ludacorleone8563 it ran much better on the 360 than ps3 so I assume it must have been a better experience first time. I played it completely years later and I still go back and play it from time to time. There has never been a gta world or story that has felt this close to reality in general. Capturing the mid to late 2000s NY perfectly. The post 911 atmosphere and political situations as well. Funny radio and non PC conversations. I just smile because of the good times because I have no hope for gta 6 since it will check all the inclusivity boxer and have political correctness.
@@vergil1155 if we able to enter buildings go to the gym get fit and learn fighting styles like gta sa gta 6 will be a good game mark my words they investing 1 billion in this game i think its gonna be a fun game if its shit they can keep it
@@ludacorleone8563 most of the original staff is gone from rock star games. They left and a few were fired. Dan houser left too. Rdr2 was the last good one. After the trilogy scam I have even less faith. Not to mention their pandering towards sjw propaganda. Gta 6 may very well be woke trash now. It's a far cry from what made the OG games great. The censored jokes in gta 5 and the political correctness rock star is aiming for in gta 6 will flop the game. It does not take the demographic into account at all. They should learn from the saints row disaster. And just because they can invest 1 billion doesn't mean it's gonna be good. That's quantity over quality argument. By that logic indie games should be bad too but that's not the case with all of them. I'm not holding my breath for gta 6. At this point I have no faith in rock star.
@@ludacorleone8563 gta 4 was different and yes the things you could do in SA were more but gta 4 had it's own unique world. It would be good to add those things as well but they didn't. However the game more than made up for it with the story and mechanics.
If people can swear, then I can fucking swear as well. Oh wait, I've always bee swearing my whole fucking life because swearing is the fucking best. Unlike you, I constantly swear in public because men are fucking supposed to swear constantly.
I just wanna say that this game brings me so much nostalgia. This is one of the few games i would wake up before school and play it haha. Im glad this was the last game my dad bought me, thanks dad, RIP
This game aged a bottle of fine wine . I loved how grounded and realistic it was. Grim toned but with some comedic moments sprinkled without , and those physics ?! Ugh . What a treat . I still revisit this game .
Yeah, me too; currently I'm playing the campaign for the 4th time, always like to play TLaD and TBoGT after the main campaign; anything that keep my inside of that grim and depressed Liberty City while driving their cars is always a good excuse
Just remember that you have to play an older version, with all the original songs and stations and not cut out content. Like the modern version of the game.
the suspension physics in gta 4 still amazes me, the detail of cars reacting to potholes and braking hard at intersections it made it so good and immersive
I was playing earlier today and was surprised at the details they put in for the car models and everything in it, like when you take a sharp turn around a corner you can see your character and passengers being shifted to the side from the momentum and then shift back once the steering is corrected great details most people wouldn't even think twice about from a game that came out in 08' lol
I kinda miss the old beater cars you could find in Liberty City. I usually took a beater saber as Nikos first car. The backfiring and random stalls was kinda a fun thing to worry about while in a small scale chase with police
I love the beater Vigero, a cool feature R* should've done was have the ability to restore beater cars when you put it in a Pay N' Spray, I think it would've been neat!
@@CaptainJZH No for me it's pretty much the opposite, mainly with the Rebel, Emperor, and the Tornado, the beater version of those spawn way more often
Stalls? What game did I play? Yea the backfiring was awesome and the package missions where you start in a rust bucket where some of the best side missions ever. But never do I remember random engine stalls to be a thing? Mmm.
@@TheDiner50 iirc it wasn’t exactly stalling with Niko having to restart the engine, but more of an engine cut- the game would cut off throttle response for like a second or two then return to normal
tbh I think they were responding to fans who just couldn't get into the serious story in IV - most people wanna just play a fun carjacking game, not watch a serious crime drama
GTA IV was a crime drama: nuanced, gritty, bound by reality. GTA V was an action movie: Nostalgic, idealized and fulfilling without the weight of reality to nag around you. Also: that outro was amazing!
Yep. The difference is even clear in the characters’ primary crimes. (Almost) Everything that Niko does builds up to some big weighty assassination. In V, (almost) everything the characters do culminates in some heist.
One of my favourite little details is that Niko's speech changes as you're progressing through the story. At the start he relies on his native tongue quite a lot and even curses to himself in his native tongue. By the end of the game Niko is far more confident speaking in English and even his lexicon starts expanding.
something similar can be said with his interactions with little jacob, at the beginning he mostly just agrees with jacob but towards the end their ability to converse has grown a lot with their friendship
It sucked. Late/End game most of Niko's character is gone! Was barely able to understand English and still today do not understand Russia whatever Niko speaks. But that is just me. Found the early game with a more true Niko to be allot more enjoyable then just a gun crazy American that you become in the late game. For someone barely able to understand English GTA4 story was incredible and Niko was just the perfect person to experience America and NY. GTA SA and the games before I had no clue or understanding of English at all. GTA4 had a really interesting story and such a realistic mood that for ones stuff that happened in the game made sense. And one cared to try as hard as possible to get the conversation maybe due to starting to learn English. But also due to how awesome Niko and everything was. Like for real how is anyone happy with Niko learning English so well?? You forgot about YEEEELO CAR!! YEEELO CAR!!!! It is a classic! I want the Niko that barely is able to speak English since it it plays so well off with the rest of the characters and the story having Niko force himself to make himself understood at all times.
The thing is that GTA IV's driving feels natural. It really didn't take me long to get used to as it was just normal to me. Even very early on I could drift Roman's Cab down that downhill stretch of road next to Alejandra's internet cafe, snap it the other way and drift out towards the gun salesman. I still can't pull something like that off in GTA V after a decade because everything is a go kart. That was my biggest and most immediate disappointment in GTA V
IV and the episodes were revolutionary. I remember when they came out. I remember everyone being so amazed since we had never seen anything like it. The online community was the best. Even the music too.
I’ll never forget this game. I was working at GameStop at the time and we did a midnight release. Went home after that with some friends and sat up almost all night playing. Passed out sometime and woke up super late and I had to open the store on launch day. I made it in with a few minutes to spare looking rough as hell but man, it was worth it with all the fun had the night before.
i love everything about this game. the music, the driving, the atmosphere, the graphics, the story, strangers and freaks, the machinima stunts vids, the in game internet pages
This just makes me wanna replay it. I love GTA IV to this day and play it through at least once a year. It’s so nostalgic for me, and amazingly I learn something new each time I play.
GTA IV gunplay and physics are still the best in the series IMO. Even the weakest gun in the game the Glock feels so satisfying to shoot also the the way NPCs react to the bullets is so good it never gets old.
Almost everything about gunplay was great. The sounds are beefy and match the fire rate, you can tap fire easily and the red mist that appears after a headshot shows how deadly guns are. The cover system is pretty crap tho but you can easily get away with not using it
GTA 4 has a special place in my heart. I always remember sneaking into my brother's room as a kid to play the game for hours on end, never getting bored. Both the stories, characters, online mode and music? Big part of my childhood.
I loved the atmosphere at times. Have you ever driven during the night with a heavy fog, while listening to the radio called "The Journey" ? It's just... I can't explain it. It makes me so nostalgic ! I also remember some other radios really fondly, like Vladivostok FM and Electro Choc
What introduced me to this game as a kid was those 2009 RU-vid videos with mods like Hulk and Iron Man, the tsunami mods etc. And the most prominent thing was the video of helicopters back end breaking off and going into a tail spin over the city in the middle of the night and that warning beep. I was fascinated with all the crazy shit you could do. Finally that chime sound when the game instructs you on something is another echo in time for me.
Literally went out and bought the only GTA IV (stories from LC was only available sadly) copy for $11 in my city a couple weeks ago and it's CRAZY how good this game is for 2008, 15 years later and it still holds up SO WELL.
This game is really a time capsule of how life was like in New York City in 2008. I think this is reflected greatly with the radio stations, advertisements, websites, and NPC dialogue and the way they dress. Without the killing and criminal activity, a lot of this game easily reflects the atmosphere in the game that it would possibly influence GTA 6 to have crime-free modes to appreciate the atmosphere more and that's all it takes. Both GTA IV and GTA V parody American life and corporatism in America, and at times I vaguely remember how accurately radio stations in GTA V sounded almost identical to actual radio stations in Los Angeles in 2013, but GTA IV takes it to a level where almost everything feels like an authentic period piece
MY COUSIN IS HERE. i remember getting this in christmas 2009. still playing to this day. it was so revolutionary and still blows most open games worlds out of the water to this day
This game came out during the summer before my sophomore year of high school. The jump from San Andreas to GTA IV was truly insane and was one the true “holy shit” moments of my gaming life. This game managed to stand out during a period (2006-2011) that I consider the best stretch in modern gaming history. Halo 3, COD 4, Modern Warfare 2, Gears of War 1 + 2, Assassin’s Creed 1+ 2, Crysis, Bioshock, The Orange Box, Red Dead Redemption, Forza 2, Skyrim, Mass Effect 2, Dark Souls, Arkham City, and the list goes on. We were truly spoiled.
2008 was such a weird time for me, i was in 7th grade and had my friend buy me this game since my mom said no. so now everytime i hear the sounds of gta 4, it reminds me of 2008 youtube and middle school. i love this game
Lol story reminded me of being denied buying the first Halo game at Walmart because of my age. So I asked this random older guy at Walmart if he would buy it for me. He agreed and I went around the corner. We met up and I thanked him. I ended up telling him to keep the change...Which might of been 11-12 dollars.
The map of GTA IV blows me away to this day. It maybe smaller in scale than San Andreas but it feels like a big metropolis city with diverse locations and landmarks. You can lose yourself in this city
It really demonstrated the evolution in games. In the PS2 era titles, you EXPECTED alleyways to be just a simple space between two buildings, that maybe had a single dumpster if lucky. Your imagination basically filled in the detail, and your immersion was focused on actually having these big cities in the first place. Then, just four years later, you can literally stand in said alleyway, that had thrash, garbage cans, a homeless guy, and they were all physical objects you could push around. What I love in GTA IV is these small, irrelevant spaces that serve no specific function, yet are so full of detail. Same applies to GTA V.
@@tacticalmattress I'm playing through IV again right now. I love it, fuckin brilliant game and way ahead of it's time, but it was basically a tech demo for V. I will admit the physics engine in IV is superior, but nowhere near as much as people like to circlejerk. I get bored of IV much sooner than I do of V because of the lack in variety of environments, weapons, vehicles and extra curicular activities. I do, however, LOVE slapping some cheats on and going full psycho in IV because it feels more like brutal, grounded Paul Verhoeven realism - as opposed to arcadey over the top James Cameron in V.
I remember the time when me and my dad were both amazed by its physics. He had to take a picture when we discovered that you can move sideways hanging on the ledge and he even suggested that we stop running over people because it was too realistic that it's gruesome.
I liked its dating aspect and activities you can do while hanging out with people. Conversations between Niko's friends and girlfriends let you discover Niko's past and viewpoints that makes Liberty city more alive.
This feels so surreal to say it was 15 years ago... I still remember when the online was up on PC and watching stunt videos back in the day when it came out.
I miss Liberty City, it felt so alive and I bet with today’s technology and hardware it would look absolutely INSANE and huge. Just imagine GTA online with an updated LC map. It’s a shame we probably won’t see Rockstar come back to Liberty City in a GTA game for another 20 or 30 years based on the pace for GTA 6.
I remember the day I bought this game. I installed it on my PC and spent the next 5 hours playing it. Seemingly every minute that went by presented a unique feature, an NPC interaction, a physics object, or a graphical element that grabbed my attention and made me feel like the bar for what gaming could achieve had just been raised. Going on a rampage and watching cars catch fire and explode was absolutely jaw dropping, especially considering we were all coming to this pretty much straight from San Andreas. The step up in the depth and fidelity of detail was unbelievable, and the fact that some elements still equal or surpass modern games 15 years later is testament to that. My favourite GTA game and a true masterpiece.
Was listening to gta 4 soundtrack while going for a run around brooklyn/manhattan definitely a game that nailed the ambiance. Also, being introduced to reggaeton definitely helps out in spanish clubs I go to.
Yeah man it makes me suicidal just thinking about it, I shouldn't of smoked all that weed, I shouldn't put more than 40 goddamn hours into this game alone, I shouldn't of dropped out of highschool, actually no, that was one of the few decisions I stand by, you had to be there I guess, But yeah, I'm not in jail, I don't have any kids with random women running around so that's good, But man, I really should be president by now or something 😅 Oh well, I guess I'll just have to settle on my dog and my awesome car 😂
@@gtt8428 I feel you brother. There's plenty I wish I was wise enough to do as little as 4 years ago that would have put me in a much better position today. But we're still breathing which means we haven't lost! Let's continue to find joy in the meaningful things, while we chart a way forward for ourselves that'll have us singing a different song by the 30th anniversary 😃 Also, never regret putting some hours into an activity that relaxes you and gives you an experience (as long as it's not harmful). I'll put 40 hours into this game if I got the chance again 💪🏼
The nostalgia I have for IV is immense. It was 1 of my two first games I bought with my 360 (Halo 3 being the other) and it’s a game I still replay semi regularly and that’s not including the Lost and Damned or the Ballad of Gay Tony. Heck lately I’ve been rewatching Vadim M’s videos about IV for a bit of nostalgia.
Damn 15 years...This game will forever be a classic. I remember being in the 8th grade and going with my dad to pick up my pre-order copy from EB GAMES does anybody remember that place?
15 years, i was 14 when this game came out, and i didn't even play it until i got my ps3 in 2011, and what an expericience this game was, i still have my ps3 copy till this day and i still enjoy playing this game from time to time, even though the story is really dark at times, it is a masterpiece
same, played it online at 15 to 17 until modders ruined it because they cant get a kill without godmod. although normally they would just blow everyone up and spawn a vehicle that freezes the game.
I was born in the same year gta 4 came out and I remember my brother playing it in the 360 and I would play it when he was at school. Got it for my ps3 and could never beat it without cheats until I was in middle school. Went on to play left 4 dead, dead island, and halo in elementary, all thanks to my brothers. my favorite gta followed up by San Andreas
IV still has the best music selection in the series, VCS is a close second, maybe even a tie. I still can't stop but notice how they wrote and gave a little bit of IV to VCS though.
I disagree, I feel like GTA IV's selection of music is one the weakest in the series. Liberty Rock Radio, classic Vladivostok, Vice City FM and The Ballad of Gay Tony's selection for K109 were the only ones I actually liked. The rest were just kinda forgettable in my opinion. Vice City, San Andreas and Vice City Stories are in my opinion the three games with the best selection of songs. Music is however completely subjective so what do I know?
I'mma go ahead and say San Andreas has the best music selection in the series. Every single station in that game had absolute gems and classics, in all genres. I did love TBOGT though!
Only game I've pulled a sickie for and what a great day that was. I remember the first thing I did was just walk to the first mission to take in all in. Still one of my most favourite games to date and I too am a GTA IV driving enjoyer!
I’m doing another play through of these game for the first time in years, since I was in high school. This game is absolutely timeless. It was so far ahead of its time. The graphics still hold up just fine on PC.
The radio stations were also absolutely awesome and made you so much more emerged in the game. For example Vladivostok FM (with the old songs) is great with the Russian background. Love this game ❤
15 years, feels only like yesterday. It really was a new era for GTA, new engine, new physics, new style. Darker, more serious. One of my favorite GTA games
I really like your style of review, it's professional and concise. You're voice and attitude is also soothing and relaxing, the 1812 Overture at the end with the ragdoll compilation was a nice touch. I was 21 in 2008, and it was a great year for me personally. (except for the recession and getting laid off, but I got to experience college) I was impressed with the graphics and phyics, and I found the driving frustratingly satisfying. I loved the story, storyline, and depth and realism of the city. All characters were really fleshed-out with great personalities, I loved when you were with them, the infighting and conversations they would get into amongst themselves, it was funny back then, but impressive now. I liked that it wasn't your typical get ritch and take over. Niko was a PTSD-riddled Serbian war vet, doing his best in a new country trying to survive. It all felt realistic and honest. I liked the side missions, it let you see all the humanity layers of the city. The only other game I played with a mobile armory was Mafia 3. The final mission was exciting and satisfying. I chose to play where you killed Dimitri in the hull of the Platapus, Pegorino kills Kate at Roman's wedding, and you kill Pegorino. Gta 4 was the last good, well-rounded game Rockstar made in the series, I loved it so much, I wrote an epilogue for Niko years later. I still love Pegorino's line to Niko all these years later: "You think I've been scratching my balls with my head up my ass?"
15 years. Wow, just wow! I first played this game on the Christmas morning of 2009 at the same time I got my brand new Xbox 360. A little late to the party considering it came out in 2008, but what an experience it was, and one that I will never forget. I essentially grew into an adult playing this game. I got it at the start of my teenage years and played it all the way through until I started working a full time job. I love this game for so many reasons. Niko Bellic. The fantastic story. The objectively incredible driving physics. The attention to detail. The friends and memories I’ve made in the multiplayer mode. The beautiful map that has made me obsess over New York City and its wonderfully bizarre history ever since. Everything about it holds a special place in my heart. So much so that I still play it to this day, including the multiplayer! It feels like only yesterday I was waiting patiently for Rockstar Games to announce something special, potentially a remaster, for the 10th anniversary of the game back in 2018! And the sinking disappointment I felt when they didn’t even so much as acknowledge the anniversary of the game with a social media post or email. Something they worked so hard on for years with millions spent on every aspect of development to make it almost absolute perfection… but nothing. That’s probably when I began doubting Rockstar Games as a company for their lack of respect for game preservation. But that topic is like a broken record, sadly. I am, unfortunately, yet to find another game that always keeps pulling me back in, and that I enjoy more than Grand Theft Auto IV. And although I’ve always been on the fence about what my favourite game of all time is, I think I can safely say as I type this out on the 15th anniversary, and after watching your fantastic video sharing your personal memories about the game, that this is my favourite game of all time.
It's just like I feel... I understand you in every word that you said. GTA IV is my favorite videogame too, since the first time that I realized that GTA IV will be released. In that time I didn't have a "modern console" as Xbox 360/PS3 used to be... I was 11 yo at that time, so at October of 2009 my parents gift me my last christmas gift (I was a very young teenager and it was an early gift, obviously they didn't give me anything at December) it was a Xbox 360, I think I was 12 almost 13 yo. And wow, finally I could played the game. I fall in love, more than I used to be before played the game, when I watched some trailers on the TV. Was my first online experience, when I discovered the multiplayer mode I couldn't believe it... I used to be a member from a clan back in 2010/2012, I played team deathmatch, races, freemode, bomb the base, etc... I got the level 10 in 2012 and I used to feel so badass, hahaha. The story mode it's simply amazing. The way that EFLC mixes the story with the Niko's life, it's incredible, the environment, the sounds, the physics... I also disapprove when Rockstar didn't do anything in the 10th anniversary back in 2018. I was expecting something, almost something little like you said, like a flyer, a post or something, nothing happened and I started to be away from anything about Rockstar. Til this day, I used to play GTA IV almost 1 time per month, I'm an adult now, but every time that I play GTA IV, I feel like a kid, like a crazy teen growing up again. I'm so happy to know that we share the same feeling about love this game.
What a glorious game. the GTA I spent most time with, without a doubt. Something so special about it. I think the driving in GTA IV was glorious as it brought a level of challenge in something that you end up doing 90% of the time. Sure GTA C had more variety, but IV did the core things (driving and shooting) better.
@@MichaelM28If you didn't like it, that's fine. I loved it. My favourite is still Vice City for the characters and the radio banter, but damn IV is a close second.
I loved the hangout/date mechanics in this game and wished it would have used more in gta 5, the interactions you have really flesh out nico and give a lot of depth to the side characters. I especially like Alexandra and her blog, which you should all check out if you haven't already.
God, I loved this game. Hours just driving around listening to the radio and exploring as well as launching Niko off that swing set in between missions. I adored it.
I used to load into multiplayer at the airport with my buddy and try to make it to Alderney. There was a Sultan RS spawn behind that old castle thing. Our whole mission would be to make it back to the airport and try to race it on the runway. We would never succeed lol and always get caught up up with police or something else. So many great memories on that game it holds a special place in my heart.
hahahaha i remember always seeing people going there to get that car. drive all the way back to the runway only for me to crash my helicopter into it smashing it into the water causing an all out war hahaha
Thank god Badger exists and represents everything I feel for this game. GTA IV is a timeless gem, the best GTA ever and my favorite game of all time. Thank you for this celebration, Badger.
I finished this game like 10 times already(including the episodes from linerty city) and everytime I start a new game, it feels so fresh and nostalgic at the same time.
I think GTA IV is a timeless gem, and such a great period piece of the early 2000's. I recently replayed it in First Person for a video and it's been the most immersive experience I've had with this game. Highly recommend it.
Bought it again recently I just love the nostalgia of playing it again, I really enjoy listening to the radio and all the music that was hot back then, it’s basically a time capsule of the late 00s for me
The story of IV is amazing, and barely any games can make a story as serious and intriguing as it. Weird to think it was all 15 years ago when I booted my ps3 and CRT to play this masterpiece whenever I got home from school. Played a good bit of PSHome back then too lol, miss those times.
Do you still play the game on the PS3? i'm thinking of picking it up on PS3 just for fun since i already own GTA IV on PC but I've always wanted to play and experience it on console.
@@rlfpotatoking9253 Nah, been working on getting a PS3 recently but no luck yet. Might work harder on getting a console and a copy to experience a tiny bit of nostalgia.
Recently completed all achievements on Steam. And yet, there was a lot I was missing about the game itself. What a nostalgia trip it is, takes me back to good times.
I still remember those first images that were released around 2007. I remember the first trailer too, with that orchestra backing sound. Still get goosebumps thinking about that today
Game was so good man. I even returned back to it a couple years ago to replay the story around the all the definitive editions of the older Gtas dropped Well put together as well, I have to say. Bravo 👍🏻
I miss this game, the dark atmosphere and really nuanced character writing really elevates this game above the rest in the series for me, and of many games to this day.
My greatest memories of this game are just driving up and down the airport landing strip and making random cars do barrel rolls with the ramps there in online. It's never as magical as it was in 4.
My favorite character was Little Jacob, him and badman were hilarious with how funny their voice acting and interactions were with Niko. Also, LJ helps Niko in the ending. A real friend.
I’m playing thru GTA4 casually for the first time now and feel like it’s still so far above most other open-world games that have come out since, but couldn’t really articulate why. Thanks for the great video!
Crazy to think that this Masterpiece is going to be in 5 years a 20 year old game it still holds up so well i Remember playing this Game at my Friends House on Release Great Times Great Times.....
Some of my best memories were having my mind blown the first time I played GTA 3, GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas. But GTA IV was a whole other level of immersion. At the time, it seemed so realistic. GTA V went on to blow my mind again. With some games now taking a decade to come out between releases, GTA 6 may very well be the last GTA game I play. It's a sad, sobering thought as an old guy now.
I remember first playing this game and the Episodes on PS3 back in 2010, back then Vice City was the only GTA I've played so a shift to HD was truly an eye-opener, I mean at that time how could a kid imagine a game was THIS real, truly something special
Another cool detail was the dialogue changed each time you failed a mission. I use to repeatedly restart mission until I heard all the different conversations
