Grand Theft Auto 4 remains one of the highest-rated video games of all time, earning high marks for its characters, story, open world, and more. Despite this, Grand Theft Auto 4 remains mostly trapped on older consoles, and while its backward compatible on Xbox, playing it on a Series X has been known to cause some problems. However, it seems as though a remastered version of Grand Theft Auto 4 could be releasing at some point, if a recent rumor is to be believed.
According to a report by Xfire, a Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster is in the works. Unfortunately, the report does not give the Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster a specific release date, only stating that "one is planned, eventually." The report does go on to say that the Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster is going to be bundled with "two other GTA games," though what those games are remain to be seen. However, one obvious possibility springs to mind.
It's possible that the two other GTA games mentioned in the report are the Grand Theft Auto 4 expansions, which also enjoyed a standalone release separate from the base game at one point. Those expansions were Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and the Damned and Grand Theft Auto 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony, both of which were acclaimed by critics and hailed as strong new additions to the GTA 4 experience.
This is far from the first time that a Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster has been mentioned, and considering the game's massive success, a remaster seems like a no-brainer. Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive has made it clear that it plans on pursuing more remakes and remasters in the years ahead, and so it would be more surprising if a Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster never materialized at this point. However, fans should still keep their expectations in check and take this information with a massive grain of salt until an official announcement comes from Rockstar Games or Take-Two.
If a Grand Theft Auto 4 remaster ever does happen, it will be interesting to see how it's handled. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition was panned by fans and critics alike for being shoddy remasters of classic games, and so it would be unfortunate to see GTA 4 suffer a similar fate. However, if the developers are able to simply improve Grand Theft Auto 4's graphics while keeping the gameplay experience mostly intact, it seems like a surefire hit.
Of course, some may want to see changes made to the GTA 4 experience if a remaster is produced as rumored. For example, the driving in Grand Theft Auto 4 has long been criticized as one of the game's weak points, and so it may be best for Rockstar to change it up with a remaster. Something else to keep in mind is the fact that Grand Theft Auto 4 had a multiplayer mode, so it would be interesting to see if that would be given new life in a remaster or set aside.
Grand Theft Auto 4 is available now for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Source: Xfire