The GTA 4 story is “really dark” because Rockstar’s co-founder was “single and miserable” while making it: “We constantly thought we may be shut down”

GTA 4 stands out as significantly darker and more somber compared to previous or subsequent installments in the series, much of which can be traced back to Dan Houser’s experiences at that time.

Thanks to the Lex Fridman podcast, the Rockstar Games co-founder and principal writer for GTA 4 provided a ‘life imitates art’ response when asked why the open-world success exuded such a melancholic tone. “I had resided in New York for a number of years and was uncertain about my happiness,” he reflected on the time during which he crafted Niko Bellic’s narrative.