SUMMARY
- GTA 4 was release 2008 but still holds the test of time in various ways.
- The first game of the HD universe, GTA 4 had a lot more realism than GTA San Andreas in terms of physics.
Grand Theft Auto 4 was released by Rockstar Games in 2008. After Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in 2004, this is the sixth major installment in the Grand Theft Auto series and the eleventh overall. The single-player scenario, which takes place in Liberty City, which is modeled after New York City, centers on Eastern European war veteran Niko Bellic’s efforts to flee his past despite pressure from prominent criminals.
Players are free to explore Liberty City, which consists of three main islands, as well as the neighboring state of Alderney, which is modeled after New Jersey, thanks to the game’s open-world concept.
Among the Grand Theft Auto games, GTA 4 is one of the most underrated games. The game has a few intriguing elements that other games haven’t really explored. Compared to other games of the present age, its gameplay, artificial intelligence, and other interactive features feel significantly more realistic.
A robust physics engine powers every aspect of Grand Theft Auto 4. This makes it the most realistic, tactile open world that Rockstar has ever created, even surpassing Grand Theft Auto 5, its successor.
What makes GTA 4’s physics better than GTA 5?
Characters that respond realistically to being bumped, ran over, or shot, as well as some incredibly substantial, rewarding vehicle handling, all come together to create a dynamic, reactive sense of interactivity. These physics are present in GTA 5, but they have been significantly simplified to the point that the game’s setting feels more manufactured.
Water physics
GTA 4’s water physics was incredible and way ahead of the games of its time. Players can land on the bottom of the relatively shallow Middle Park lakes thanks to the water physics in Grand Theft Auto 4. The helicopter pushes the water away from the lakes making the landing possible.
[GTA IV] Today I discovered that due to GTA IV’s water physics, a helicopter can push the water in the Middle Park lakes away so you are actually able to land on the bottom of the rather shallow lake.
byu/TwiliciousREEE inGamePhysics
GTA 5 impresses fans by introducing the Los Santos’ open waterways. Underwater activities and scuba diving virtually create a new open world map for players to explore, giving them even more incentive to learn. Seeing this much thought put into a part of the game that is usually overlooked is inspiring. However, compared to GTA 4, the physics are inferior.
In Grand Theft Auto 4, swimming also seems more realistic and the waves feel more practical. This game included a nice feature where players could also push non-playable characters out of the way.
Euphoria physics
GTA 4’s AI felt more realistic because it made use of the Euphoria Physics animation engine. The game has more intricate movements overall, the ragdoll adapts to the surroundings, and NPCs respond when shot at various body areas.
Characters can communicate with the environment in a way that is physically realistic thanks to the introduction of Euphoria. Rather than lying flat, dead characters blend in with their surroundings. Characters also bounce off objects when they jump out of cars or fall off buildings.
Because GTA 5 did not use the same engine, the game is faster-paced and more chaotic yet less realistic. Even though this is entertaining in itself, the game’s physics seem less realistic as a result.
Ragdoll physics
The ragdoll physics in GTA 4 are the greatest in the entire series. Since the inertial impact is much more pronounced and realistic, Niko and other NPCs respond to force in various ways.
It is highly likely that Niko will fly out of the windshield if the player’s character crashes a car into something at a high speed. In this game, hitting poles and other objects, bringing down pedestrians, and free-falling have better visuals.
In reality, players frequently make use of this feature to troll NPCs for fun. While some of these are emulated in GTA 5, Rockstar has reduced their impact and restricted them to only specific activities.
Car handling
Grand Theft Auto 4 has better car physics than Grand Theft Auto 5. Vehicles are heavy, and handling them right requires practice and time. Players usually come to enjoy the game’s driving mechanism once they have mastered that talent.
Winning auto races are more exciting since the vehicles are more difficult to maneuver and require skilled driving to manage them properly.
Unfortunately, quite a few members of the community openly expressed their dissatisfaction with this feature, calling it a “boat-like driving simulation.” Finally, Rockstar modified the driving system, which resulted in significantly lighter and easier-to-control cars in Grand Theft Auto 5.
Weapons physics
Combat and weapons physics in Grand Theft Auto 4 is the most realistic, intricate, dynamic, detailed, variable, and unpredictable that has ever been created.
Fans of military tactical shooter games would agree that GTA 4 came as close to realistic weapons as players have seen yet, and then GTA 5 went backward completely. GTA 4 has a wide variety of weapons. Whereas, all the guns in GTA V feel identical. Furthermore, holding a weapon feels real in GTA 4.
GTA 4 has the most realistic, complex, dynamic, detailed, varied and unpredictable combat physics ever made…how can people not love this? how can people prefer gta 5’s toned down combat over this?
by inGTA
In Grand Theft Auto 4, NPCs likewise stumble and limp, eventually collapsing and bleeding to death when the player fires smoothly and slowly. They even make contact with the bullet-affected body areas. It’s unfortunate that GTA 5 lacks this feature entirely and that they die right away.
GTA Online was first released by Rockstar Games as a part of Grand Theft Auto 5. As a result, the game’s physics were slightly altered to complement its chaotic gameplay. Had they stuck to GTA 4’s physics, GTA Online would not have been playable and would have required standalone development.