A GTA 4 veteran began talking about a potential remaster but ended up revealing a surprising detail many fans had never noticed. According to designer Obbe Vermeij, Rockstar made a conscious decision not to show too many seasonal shifts in its games.

Even after nearly twenty years, Grand Theft Auto IV still holds a special place in the hearts of Rockstar fans. The buzz surrounding a possible remaster has resurfaced, but the challenges in bringing the game up to modern standards are significant, especially with all the changes Rockstar’s technology has gone through since 2008.

Obbe Vermeij, a veteran designer credited on GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, and GTA IV, recently opened up about why such an update wouldn’t be straightforward. He explained that the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) has been in constant evolution, which makes reviving GTA IV in a modern form far more complex than it might seem.

Since GTA4 was released in 2008, RAGE has changed so much that it would be very hard to make a remaster. The PS3 architecture didn’t help either. The Xbox360 had better tools to work with.

— Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) August 31, 2024

Which season do GTA IV and earlier entries actually take place in?

Alongside his technical comments, Vermeij also shed light on a detail few fans consider: the role of seasons in the games. Contrary to common assumptions, Rockstar’s developers intentionally avoided distinct seasonal settings. Instead, the games were designed to represent an “average” day — not sweltering midsummer, not deep winter — so that the tone remained consistent and the gameplay unaffected by environmental changes.

His reflections underline that, while the desire for a GTA IV remaster is strong among fans, making it happen would demand extensive time, careful planning, and substantial resources. For now, players will need to keep experiencing the classic in its original form.

Source: 3djuegos