Grand Theft Auto 5 has cemented itself as one of the best-selling games of all time with 230 million lifetime sales to date. Part of the success comes from the game being remastered for two new console generations, something that its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 4, has never enjoyed. Considering how older GTA games have often popped up with fresher coats of paint, it’s odd to see GTA 4 stuck in purgatory, and the actor behind the bowling-obsessed character of Roman Bellic is as puzzled about it as you are.
“I would too, I’d love to see it, man. I don’t know why they haven’t done it,” Jason Zumwalt said to Love It Film. Zumwalt suggested that the reason why a GTA 4 remaster has never been produced could be tied to Screen Actors Guild (SAG) contracts and Rockstar possibly being hesitant to revisit the game because of contractual obligations. According to Zumwalt, GTA 4 still has the best storyline in the franchise, as it combined a personal story with grounded storytelling to produce a unique narrative magic that GTA 5 couldn’t recapture. Others might disagree, as to some, GTA 4 is considered to be a relic of a bygone age.
Rumors of a GTA 4 remaster have also periodically shown up over the years, but these have all been quick hits of copium that passed far too quickly. The last big report claimed that a GTA 4 port for current-gen consoles would hit the streets at the end of 2025, but that date came and went without a sign of a spruced-up Niko Bellic chasing down his idea of the American dream.
Fortunately, Grand Theft Auto 6 is still on track for its November 19 release on Xbox and PlayStation, and with preorders opening up recently, you can even start preloading the game closer to its launch. Will its story be as good as GTA 4’s legendary narrative?
That remains to be seen, as Rockstar isn’t spilling any beans on the campaign prior to launch. We do know that GTA 6 follows a modern-day “Bonnie and Clyde” criminal couple, Lucia and Jason Duva, as they aim to find a better life as and navigate the criminal underworld of Vice City.
