The Grand Theft Auto series has always revolved around modern cities, crime, and satire, yet one entry continues to split the fanbase. According to a former developer, GTA IV turned out differently because major compromises were made after San Andreas, especially when it came to gameplay.

Although Grand Theft Auto has consistently focused on contemporary settings, the criminal underworld, and sharp social commentary, Rockstar approached these ideas from different angles with each release. Most entries became massive successes, with GTA V standing as the studio’s biggest triumph. One title, however, remains an outlier: GTA IV, developed in the shadow of the iconic San Andreas.

Former Rockstar developer Obbe Vermeij shed light on the situation. Having worked on GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, and GTA IV, he shared his perspective in an interview, explaining why he felt the fourth installment fell short in terms of gameplay despite its strong narrative foundation.

“When we finished GTA IV, I honestly didn’t like it that much. It had the atmosphere, and I think Niko Bellic is probably the most fully realized character in the GTA universe, but we had to sacrifice too much on the gameplay side,” Vermeij said. In his view, revisiting the game today quickly reveals how limited the mission structure became.

He explained that most missions boil down to a handful of patterns: car chases, clearing compounds, timed pursuits, assassinations, or combinations of these elements. “That’s basically it,” he added, highlighting the lack of variety.

Vermeij contrasted this with GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas, where players could encounter wildly unpredictable tasks. Following trains, flying planes, dropping flyers—those games constantly surprised players. In his opinion, much of that creative freedom disappeared in GTA IV.

According to Vermeij, Rockstar took this feedback to heart. That realization is reflected in GTA V, where characters became more cartoonish and exaggerated, and missions returned with far greater variety.

Vermeij Says GTA VI Won’t Cost $100

The interview also touched on GTA VI, particularly its rumored price. Vermeij does not believe Rockstar or Take-Two will sell the game for $100, suggesting the publisher is more likely focused on long-term revenue, especially through multiplayer.

Even so, he expects the adventures of Lucia and Jason to become the most expensive game ever developed, potentially holding that record for a long time. However, he argues this does not mean development costs will keep rising forever.

In his view, the growing use of artificial intelligence across the industry could eventually lower production costs, opening the door to bolder projects aimed at more niche audiences.

-theGeek-

Source: 3djuegos