The Environment

The GTA world environment includes mostly urban areas with a touch of nature here and there with beaches in Vice City and rural areas in San Andreas. GTAIV has upgraded all the in-game environments with more polygons, higher-resolution graphics, and incredible lighting.

Lights

GTA 4       GTA: San Andreas       GTA: Vice City       GTA 3      

This Times Square-like Star Junction area from GTAIV isn't exactly the 3D "lighting" we're talking about, but we were impressed with how realistic the game looks in comparison to a similar area in GTAIII. Las Venturas has a passable Vegas strip, but it's still not close to the graphics in GTAIV.

Streets

GTA 4       GTA: San Andreas       GTA: Vice City       GTA 3      

Lifelike streets aren't just asphalt roads with concrete sidewalks. The streets in the older GTA games have pedestrians and the odd mailbox or fire hydrant, but GTAIV's streets come to life with all sorts of physics-enabled debris including boxes, garbage bags, dumpsters, newspaper stands, trash cans, and random litter.

Bridges

GTA 4       GTA: San Andreas       GTA: Vice City       GTA 3      

The bridge comparisons show off GTAIV's postprocessing effects and graphical detail levels. As with the other GTA games, GTAIV invents an excuse to prevent you from crossing bridges into advanced areas early in the game. This time it's the threat of terrorism that keeps you out of Staunton Island.

Skyline

GTA 4       GTA: San Andreas       GTA: Vice City       GTA 3      

Sunsets in GTAIV bathe the city in a warm, red light. Sure beats lens flare, the killer graphics effect from the PS2. Cities in some of the past GTA games don't look that great at a distance because there are invisible buildings waiting to pop-in, but you can now see the entire city from a helicopter in GTAIV.

Foliage

GTA 4       GTA: San Andreas       GTA: Vice City       GTA 3      

Grand Theft Auto has always had terrible, cardboardlike trees built with flat, intersecting texture slices. We were surprised to see that the shrubbery hasn't changed much in GTAIV aside from using a higher-resolution texture and more slices to create more complex plant sculptures.

Water

GTA 4       GTA: San Andreas       GTA: Vice City       GTA 3      

GTAIV has beautiful water that throws off great reflections and reacts realistically as you move through it. Water became less deadly in San Andreas, when your character finally learned how to swim. Falling into the water was instant death in GTAIII and Vice City.

718 Comments

  • Tevi

    Posted Aug 29, 2009 4:22 pm GMT

    you unlock alqonqiun pretty early in gta 4 I was stuck in gta 3

  • silentapache25

    Posted Aug 12, 2009 12:00 am GMT

    they remake gta san andreas with the gta IV engine

  • wowwow27

    Posted Jun 20, 2009 10:52 am GMT

    cant wait to see gta5

  • luziorava

    Posted Jun 19, 2009 6:06 am GMT

    "Let's face it: Girls walking the street aren't exactly Emperor's Club VIP material."

    Yeah, especially the one in San Andreas.

  • spy2828

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 11:29 am GMT

    Just look at the realese dates. We still (even once a year) play SA (2004) but in 2014 we won't play IV. In graphics, IV has better than SA had in his age

  • hamoksha0000

    Posted May 7, 2009 5:00 pm GMT

    i Have played all gta series the games are pretty good and have thoughts really the graphics are good according to the period that came off

  • Cois_MACtorch

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 12:59 pm GMT

    All though I love GTA IV I think they could have given us the parachute. It was so fun in GTA SA, That's the only thing i have a prob with in GTA IV. LOVE IT MAN LOVE IT!

  • dorjebodh

    Posted Apr 24, 2009 3:49 pm GMT

    water was better in vice city than in san andreas

  • coolkid93

    Posted Apr 23, 2009 2:19 pm GMT

    It's great that the franchise improved over the years. I think that GTA IV is the best GTA yet.

  • SmashBroChamp94

    Posted Mar 23, 2009 6:51 pm GMT

    OMG the people in part 3 looked WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than all the games.lol

  • SmashBroChamp94

    Posted Mar 23, 2009 6:49 pm GMT

    @AirForce-I gave you a "thumbs up" but i think its a cigarette lol.

  • AirForceGamer

    Posted Mar 19, 2009 9:15 am GMT

    Is it just me does the woman of the night on GTA SA have a nasty left tooth hanging out?

  • soroosh1985

    Posted Mar 5, 2009 8:03 pm GMT

    the best GTA ever ......4th

  • blackmist123

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 11:20 am GMT

    stallion looks kool

  • casket56

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 3:40 am GMT

    lol you should have done a then and now including the original gta's

  • ne0man

    Posted Nov 9, 2008 10:44 am GMT

    "This time it's the threat of terrorism that keeps you out of Staunton Island." This time the second island is actually Algonquin...

  • ZinPhyo

    Posted Nov 3, 2008 2:23 am GMT

    It is interesting to see how much the GTA franchise has evolved in 7 years.

  • ra3ad

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 12:52 pm GMT

    goood game

  • Mehdi-Y

    Posted Sep 6, 2008 2:50 am GMT

    Maybe one day we'll walk like a film in GTA5 or 6.

  • BDL91

    Posted Sep 5, 2008 6:14 am GMT

    Has really come along way since gta3

  • yatatabien

    Posted Aug 21, 2008 8:59 pm GMT

    Caaaaaaaan't wait for the PC release!

  • wapiifurung

    Posted Aug 21, 2008 4:34 am GMT

    GTA IV is the BEST game in the WORLD. PERIOD

  • BoaMo121

    Posted Aug 20, 2008 5:54 pm GMT

    Gta4 uses the physics engine now but in the previous games when you killed someone it was a prerendered animation the bodies would fall with legs and arms spread out. however if u counter attack and kill somone in gta4 in a fist fight they will fall like in the previous games. just i should point it out.

  • DragFire24

    Posted Aug 7, 2008 4:06 pm GMT

    The only competition GTA IV has are the previous GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas. It's awsome to see a game like this. I was a big fan of the old 2D game, got very impressed with the introduction of the 3D one, now I'm mostly amazed with the details GTA IV has.

    Don't want this game on a console, I don't like FPS and these type of games on consoles. Waiting for the PC version, the best thing about the pc versions is that the graphics quality can be modified easily, so who doesn't like that "oil painting" it can be modified.

    GTA is the best of the best for all the gamers Long live to Take Two, 2k Games, Rockstar, Rockstar North and all other subsidiary things!! Hope to see a rating of 10 also for the PC version.

  • boogernator

    Posted Aug 6, 2008 10:38 am GMT

    GTA:SA will be much better than GTA 4 if it has smoother movements and better graphcis

  • SkillGamer

    Posted Jul 16, 2008 2:39 pm GMT

    ALL GTAS ESPECAILLY GTA4 OWNS EVERY GAME!!!

  • 683017CA

    Posted Jul 5, 2008 11:55 pm GMT

    EACH GTA EXEPT IV, WAS SO GOOD FOR ITS TIME.

  • k_robert_m

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 1:21 pm GMT

    this is a pretty basic article; not very impressive

  • y2j826

    Posted Jun 21, 2008 11:33 am GMT

    The game which i like most in GTA series is GTA III, GTA4 has good graphics but the time GTA3 comes into existence there was not any other game which can even comes near it . . . and even in GTA3 the graphics were made perfect according to conditions with some foggy environment and mostly clouds . . . things looks same as it was shown in GTA3 in bad weather . . .

  • Ahiru-San

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 5:21 am GMT

    gta iv is great, so much of in-game detail... but it feels like they used too much of a "oil painting" filtering on its graphics - it's not a blur, and it's not jagged - it's just confusing to look at it... and the shadows are way too grainy... that's my complain about it, which makes the graphic not look all that great...

    but the game is awesome indeed.

  • ash10692

    Posted Jun 14, 2008 6:43 am GMT

    On graphics, GTA IV wins. But on everything else, it loses bigtime.

  • Martin-2-5-9

    Posted Jun 9, 2008 8:32 am GMT

    I am amazed how much the games have changed, I really want GTA IV, But don't have a PS3 or Xbxo360

  • hugoagogo21

    Posted May 24, 2008 3:36 am GMT

    GTA is awesome. the graphics are great and i love to run around and do random things shame GTA4 not on ps2 though

  • george999819

    Posted May 21, 2008 3:02 pm GMT

    Did the person who wrote the captions for the screenshots even play GTA IV? As far as I know there's no Staunton Island in GTA IV and there are taxi missions from Roman.

  • GTA_Godfather

    Posted May 21, 2008 7:45 am GMT

    Wow! I'm actually impressed by how good VC, III, and SA look. Their shots were obviously pulled from the PC version. They have the sharpness and vivid colors IV lacks. Yes, IV has more details, but what good is it when it's covered up by low-res console fuzziness?

    Bring out the PC version already, so we can make a fair comparison. Comparing PC versions with console versions is like comparing apples with oranges. I do think IV on the PC will great and blow away SA, VC, and III. I want REALLY see all those details in IV.

  • ErkiB

    Posted May 21, 2008 1:38 am GMT

    yeah it looks amazing...Really do love the GTA series baby

  • mashom

    Posted May 17, 2008 9:35 pm GMT

    Rockstar really work hard to improve GTA4.

  • aaronobst

    Posted May 17, 2008 1:37 am GMT

    Great article, it complements the phenomenon that is Grand Theft Auto

  • Auronssj3

    Posted May 16, 2008 11:44 pm GMT

    I think this article means Algonquin Isle not Staunton Island.

  • Sparky2002

    Posted May 15, 2008 9:23 pm GMT

    ALSO HAVE TO STATE GTA V.C. HAD THE VERY BEST MONEY CURRENCY SYSTEM TO.

  • Sparky2002

    Posted May 15, 2008 9:16 pm GMT

    VICE CITY ALL THE WAY LOOKS BEST BECAUSE OF IS NOT REALISM & IS CARTOONISH...

  • hiepsitoctrang

    Posted May 15, 2008 7:17 pm GMT

    Creat ! Thinking about it after 10 years , boys . Hah ! I thinks maybe ..... i died .kekeke

  • theminence

    Posted May 15, 2008 5:11 pm GMT

    I WANT a new GTA for pc!!! =( How can they do this to pc gamers :S

  • ShadowOfKratos

    Posted May 15, 2008 3:47 pm GMT

    oh sh... I 4got how the hookers looked like in San Fierro... DARN!!!

  • educationhater

    Posted May 15, 2008 2:58 pm GMT

    Vice city is still my favorite, but I think san andreas is great too. my only problem with san andreas is that I could never get used to it. I still discover a new part of los santos every day, even though I've unlocked the other cities. but that is a good thing at the same time. and gta4? I consider it on the same level as vice city.

  • jessyhonda83

    Posted May 15, 2008 1:54 pm GMT

    RockStar ROCK!!!!!!!!

  • Martin_G_N

    Posted May 15, 2008 10:31 am GMT

    Vice city looks the best out of the old ones, it's mostly because of the colours and the water, but it also looks like it runs at a higher native resolution. A much cleaner image. But the coolest one out of all of them is still GTA SA, I miss all the things you could do and the different places you could go to. The countryside was awesome, it was cool to have when you got tired of the city's. I hope they add most of the things they had in SA to the next GTA.

  • steven141

    Posted May 15, 2008 8:56 am GMT

    Shows how far the game industry has come in 10 years, looks fantastic now. I wonder what the next ten years will bring. I miss ammu-nation and tanks though :/

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