When it comes to open-world gaming, there is no franchise as trendsetting as Grand Theft Auto. The series began in 1997, although it is Grand Theft Auto 3, released in 2001, that has made it a household name. Since then, the series has sold over 370 million copies worldwide, and gamers are eagerly anticipating the latest release which Rockstar claims is in development. However, until then, there is a great catalog of Grand Theft Auto games to keep gamers busy.
Although they are both among the bestselling titles in the series, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Grand Theft Auto 4 are quite different games that present different atmospheres and gameplay styles. Consequently, different camps of gamers have favored either game for different reasons. Though both games are great, the factors that make GTA 5 unique may have helped it to be the commercial titan it has been for years.
GTA 5 and 4 Contrast Fun and Realism
An essential aspect of every GTA game is the near-limitless freedom it gives gamers to explore the urban environments presented. Game after game, players are thrown into highly detailed cities where they are allowed to attempt to be law-abiding citizens, following the rules of the road, or they can throw caution to the wind and wreak havoc until police helicopters start circling. This is also the case with GTA 5 and 4, which take place in Los Santos and Liberty City, respectively.
Through clever environmental design and intentional gameplay design choices, the locations of every GTA game feel sufficiently distinct, and this is obvious when one compares GTA 5 and 4. In GTA 4, players take control of Niko Bellic, an Eastern European war veteran who travels to the USA in search of the American Dream. He expects to find his cousin Roman living a life of riches in the land of plenty. Instead, he discovers that Roman is living in squalor, and that life in America is a rat race where only a few unscrupulous lucky folks find wealth.
Niko's story is a sobering, gritty one that reflects the reality of many immigrants who arrive in America. The gameplay reflects this through intense, almost unrelenting realism. After several games with arcade-style vehicular controls, many gamers were shocked to discover that GTA 4 adopts much more realistic vehicular controls. While some complained that it takes some fun out of driving, it does force players to be more deliberate when driving and apply a more realistic mindset when playing the game.
In contrast, GTA 5 follows three protagonists whose lives unexpectedly intertwine in Los Santos, which is inspired by California. All three GTA 5 protagonists are larger-than-life, cartoonish characters who, rather than represent real-world archetypes, seem to align with different styles of GTA players. The game's more Hollywood-inspired plot is mirrored by its gameplay which values fun and maximalist theatrics over realism. Vehicles, once again, have arcade-style handling, allowing players to drift around corners and even roll cars over if they flip upside down.
GTA 5's wackiness may have been a good choice for Rockstar, as it has allowed it to expand in creative ways with Grand Theft Auto: Online which has since introduced a slew of updates that feature amphibious cars, cars with weapons, and cars fitted with rockets. Players can then take these vehicles to stunt races, some of which are so zany that they will have players doing flips and loop-the-loops.
Dark and Gritty versus Colorful and Bubbly
Traditionally, in the GTA series, Liberty City, which is inspired by New York, has been depicted as a dreary, gritty place, and it is notoriously "the worst place to live in America." This depiction is at its most extreme in GTA 4, where the streets are littered with garbage, the pedestrians are rude, and a grainy filter makes the game feel like players have taken control of a late-night crime drama. The grittiness of the city is only increased in The Lost and Damned, which is the game's DLC that centers on Johnny, a member of a biker gang. When riding through the streets of Liberty City with a pack of roaring motorcycles or beating up a crew of opponents with baseball bats, the city does feel like a land of thugs.
Though GTA 4 nails its desired aesthetic quite perfectly, it was not well-received by all critics and gamers, some of whom were put off by the game's moodiness. This may have been part of the reason why, though the game sold well, shipping over 25 million copies, it failed to sell more copies than its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It perhaps should come as no surprise then that GTA 5 goes in a completely different direction with its atmosphere.
When one is walking down the streets of Los Santos, one is likely to see teens taking selfies, people trying to sell a new religion, plenty of colorful cars, and the seaside is never far where a carnival with a Ferris wheel always attracts throngs of beach-goers in bikinis. Players are encouraged to join in the joviality of Los Santos by hitting up a clothing store and getting some colorful clothing, partaking in the many activities such as yoga or golf, or blaring some catchy pop music from the car radio.
GTA 5's approach, which values fun, freedom, and color, may be part of what has allowed the game to achieve its amazing longevity and make it one of the bestselling games of all time. Nevertheless, GTA 4's realism-centric approach can still be appreciated, as it gives the moral choices that players face so much more weight. With Rockstar's next release, the company should find a good middle ground where it can provide a realistic gameplay experience that does not feel oppressively depressing but still lets players feel like the entire world is their playground.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now on PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.