GTA IV's Original Reception Included Loud Criticism Unlike Today's Praise

Posters quote and reply to claims that GTA IV felt like a backwards step after San Andreas because of gameplay limits and repetitive map areas. One user adds that the radio lacked hit songs, voice actors were amateurs, and dialogue came across as cringe. Others push back that modern praise ignores those early complaints and amounts to revisionism. The thread shows ongoing disagreement over whether the original reception was fair or simply forgotten.