18 Years Later, This Open-World Xbox 360 Era Game With A Near-Perfect Score Has Aged Beautifully

Published Aug 29, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work. Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work. It is surprisingly common for games from the PlayStation 2 era and even before to look rather stunning by today's standards, in large part due to their stylized visuals, but very much uncommon for Xbox 360 games to still hold up. The gunmetal grey era of the 360's third and first-person shooters was prone to attempting photorealistic visuals or at least gritty, high-detail art direction, but consistently falling flat due to the limitations of the hardware. Today, while some titles like Halo 3 and a few Gears of War titles look good, they also tend to look rather indicative of their era, one that I'd argue, at least visually, many aren't too keen on returning to. However, hidden among the many washed-out 360 video games (and PS3 ones, for that matter) is an open-world title that not only still looks phenomenal despite being 18 years old but also plays fantastically. This open-world game may just be one of the best Xbox 360 games of all time and remains a must-play to this very day. This Open-World Xbox 360 Game Looks Incredible Today One of the most iconic Xbox 360 titles (which was also available on other platforms) was Grand Theft Auto 4. It was the pinnacle of both the series at the time and open-world design, and, consequently, a must-have for anyone even remotely interested in both the genre and GTA as a whole. Of course, since then, numerous other urban open-world titles have been released, graphics have improved substantially, and Grand Theft Auto V proved to be one of the most realistic and detailed open-worlds ever devised. You'd imagine, then, that GTA 4 would have aged poorly, but, as aforementioned, there's something timeless about it that, even after 18 years, it continues to look mesmerizingly beautiful. Sure, when scrutinized up close, GTA 4 looks old, its character models, animations, and minute details lacking the high fidelity of more modern titles. However, none of that matters when you're roaming the streets of Liberty City, a space that all these years later continues to astound. It is the handcrafted details adorning every building, signpost, and street corner, the way the contrast between the sun-dappled parks and impossibly high skyscrapers makes the space feel twice as big as it is, the way the sunset seems to burn the once overcast sky as it descends across the gloomy city, the way the busy city soundscape constantly surrounds you as you soak in the very New York-esque atmosphere, that give GTA 4 an atmosphere like no other, a vibe (for lack of a better word) that makes 2008's rendition of Liberty City still look absolutely stunning. Grand Theft Auto 4 Remains One Of The Best In The Series Of course, it wasn't the visuals and atmosphere alone that garnered Grand Theft Auto 4 its incredibly high review scores. GTA 4's grounded narrative, one elevated by its realistic cityscape and intense levels of detail, feels just as meaningful and impactful today as it did back in 2008. Sure, there are moments of classic GTA in there, with it frequently adopting the series' penchant for absurd levels of satire and occasionally crass but often rather witty running jokes. However, much like how the realm of TV was slowly shifting into a golden era by adopting a more mature and nuanced approach to storytelling at the time, with the likes of The Sopranos and The Wire, GTA 4 took itself far more seriously and delivered a far grittier and tonally darker narrative as a result. It is this story, coupled with the aforementioned impressively immersive atmosphere, that allows this 18-year-old game to feel like something released today, even without the need for the somewhat arbitrary and unnecessary Grand Theft Auto 4 remasters circulating online. It is a testament to both Rockstar's approach to game design and the surprising power of the Xbox 360 (lest we forget GTA 5 also launched on the 360) that Grand Theft Auto 4 remains a masterpiece all these years later. It is absolutely a must-play, a game of incredible highs and very infrequent lows, one that is still very much deserving of its impressive review scores, and a much-needed reminder of how consoles like the Xbox 360 proved that atmosphere and story are often far more important than visual fidelity. Systems Released April 29, 2008 ESRB M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol Developer(s) Rockstar Games Publisher(s) Rockstar Games Engine rockstar advanced game engine Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise Grand Theft Auto