We are all keenly aware of the amazing success that is Rock Star’s Grand Theft Auto series and today that daddy of GTA 5, the game pivotal in bringing us the crazy adventures of Micheal, Trevor and Franklin, spawned an amazing multiplayer experience and gave the media a shiny, new target to rant at.
It has certainly been a ride. 10 years ago today you received a call from your favorite cousin. And what a cousin it was.
GTA has never been a stranger to controversies big and small. The media always liked to use the series specifically as a sacrificial lamb of sorts, a good whipping boy that can be blamed for “everything wrong with today’s gaming culture/violence in the US/literally the entire world”.
But today let’s not focus on that. Today we celebrate a great series of games that offered the players a wealth of freedom, great depth of mechanics, hilarious comedic moments as well as an honestly heartfelt story.
Remember how there was a beating heart inside the Statue of Liberty? Remember how you had to go around the city shooting pigeons with a rocket-launcher? Remember skydiving with a boat? Remember when they’ve put Hilary Clinton’s face on that Statue of Liberty? Um… Ok, that one didn’t pan out as planned. But it was fun! It was all so much fun.
This is somewhat of a somber celebration, however. No news of a remaster or anything of the sort and the only thing happening to GTA 4 right now is removal of some 50 licensed songs. But we can still appreciate GTA 4 for what it was.