Former Rockstar technical director Obbe Vermeij has revealed that he was not particularly fond of Grand Theft Auto 4 when it launched, largely because the development team had to make significant compromises to gameplay.
For many fans, GTA: San Andreas remains the standout entry in the series. Its enormous scope and experimental mission design pushed the classic PS2-era GTA formula to its limits. Following it up with what was, at the time, Rockstar’s first true next-generation GTA was always going to be challenging. That difficulty ultimately led the studio to take a more grounded, realistic, and story-driven approach with GTA 4, a decision that made the game divisive not only among players but also within Rockstar itself.
In an interview with GamesHub, Vermeij explained that while he appreciated GTA 4’s atmosphere and narrative focus, he felt the overall experience suffered. He praised Niko Bellic as one of the most fully developed protagonists in the franchise, but said the cost of that depth was a noticeable reduction in gameplay variety.
According to Vermeij, the mission structure in GTA 4 became overly repetitive. He described most objectives as variations on a small set of tasks, such as tailing vehicles, clearing enemy compounds, racing against time, or assassinating targets. Compared to earlier titles, he felt there were fewer unexpected or creative scenarios to keep players on their toes.
He contrasted this with older GTA games, which featured more unconventional missions, like chasing a train or piloting a plane to drop flyers—activities that often surprised players and broke up the pacing. Vermeij said that sense of unpredictability was something he believed GTA 4 lost too much of.
Vermeij also suggested that Rockstar recognized this issue internally. He noted that GTA 5 shifted toward more exaggerated, cartoon-like characters and introduced a broader range of mission types. In his view, that change helped restore some of the variety and fun that had been scaled back in GTA 4.
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