GTA 4 fan taking on unwise challenge of beating the game with traffic amped up to "warp speed" explains why: "If life is suffering, why not choose more suffering - and more life?"

Grand Theft Auto IV screenshot showing a middle-aged man with short brown hair and dark sunglasses wearing a black suit jacket and white shirt posing with his arms open — (Image credit: Rockstar North)

Comedian and self-proclaimed "crazy streamer" Tom Walker is tackling one of the most wild Grand Theft Auto 4 challenge runs of all - and his reason for doing so is brilliant.

Looking to suffer? Download Rockstar Games' 2008 classic GTA 4 and toss in this mod that pushes all non-player traffic up to "warp speed," creating a full-blown Carmageddon. That's precisely what one brave (or perhaps more accurately, mad) streamer is doing. Tom Walker has been attempting to complete GTA 4 with the mod installed since the turn of the year, and his playthrough clips are as hilarious as they are painful.

Why would he do that to himself, though? Aside from the obvious fact that he's a comedian and GTA fan, Walker explains the actual reason in a recent interview with Aftermath - and it's perfect: "I get the idea in my head that I will defeat stupid challenges that don't matter pretty often. To me, one of the most human things you can do is commit yourself to a challenge that doesn't matter, that only you care about, and that you could stop doing at any time."

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Walker concludes with a sentiment that we could all probably draw from more when it comes to risk-taking: "If life is suffering, why not choose more suffering - and more life?"

He won't stop after he finally finishes his legendary run, either - Walker's need for speed runs too deep. The streamer says that he'll most likely move on to GTA 4's The Lost and the Damned DLC next - but no, not GTA 5.

According to Walker, GTA 4 is too dear to his heart with its car handling that is "ponderous and boatlike" and its areas that are "too big and expansive." As for GTA 5, it's simply "not of much interest" to him despite there being a high-speed mod similar to the one he's now using throughout his GTA 4 run - "basically because it's... I dunno, too 'good'?"

GTA 4 tech lead left Rockstar because he thought the series was getting "too dark, too depressing almost."

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.