GTA 6 step back, GTA 4 just got a hugely impressive remaster

Not every day I get to write an article that makes me feel young again, because one of the oldest mods I think I’ve ever installed is back… and it’s for Grand Theft Auto IV.

That’s right, forget about Grand Theft Auto VI, because we’re heading back to 2008 with the 4.0 version of the GTA IV mod iCEnhancer.

It is genuinely baffling to wrap my head around a figure like this, but Rockstar Games released GTA IV over 17 years ago now, and perhaps its most famous mod was released not long after.

And somehow, iCEnhancer has returned with a new 4.0 patch, over 10 years since the release of iCEnhancer 3.0.

So, what’s new? And how come a new version update took this long?

Well, I can answer that second question pretty easily.

As detailed in an article covering the release of iCEnhancer 4.0 by PC Gamer’s Andrea Shearon, mod author Hayssam Keilany took a break from the modding scene back in 2014 following the relentless vitriol he received online.

Classic internet. Someone makes something for you for free, and you bully them for it. Some of you dorks need a hug.

Anyway, I have a feeling Keilany’s hiatus from the modding scene isn’t the only reason this took so long, because I cannot imagine they’ve put into iCEnhancer 4.0 was easy.

According to Shearon, the new version features “Improvements to sky colors and glass textures” and “New Shaders for fog rendering and water”, alongside a heap of general lighting improvements.

And, after taking a look through some of the gameplay vids using the mod, I cannot believe this is all layered over a 17-year-old game. This is absolutely phenomenal work, especially for free.

If you want to check it out for yourself, head on over to the download page for the mod (but make sure to double-check the install instructions beforehand, as it requires you to revert GTA VI to an earlier version first).

Rockstar, if you ever do end up remaking or remastering GTA VI, this fella better be your first port of all.