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The GTA games have often been technical marvels within their respective eras, and some tricks are still impressive to this day. As fans reminisce over the incredible water physics that Grand Theft Auto 4 gave us back in 2008, even one of the game's original tech leads is shocked at what the game can do.
On Twitter, fan account GTA 6 Countdown shared a clip of a helicopter landing in a shallow lake in GTA 4. As the chopper comes down, the rotors push away the water, creating a dry spot for you to land. When the blades stop spinning, the water rushes back in, only to be blown backwards again when you prepare for takeoff.
"That's cool," Obbe Vermeij, who served as technical director on GTA 4, said in response to the video. "I intended it to be more of a visual thing. Didn't really consider the side effects in shallow water."
That's cool.I intended it to be more of a visual thing. Didn't really consider the side effects in shallow water.February 23, 2026
You've probably seen Vermeij's name come up a lot if you've been looking at GTA trivia recently, as he's been very publicly sharing insights into the development of the series for years now. He worked on everything from GTA 3 to the expansions for GTA 4, so he's got plenty of insights to share.
Notably, Vermeij "didn't like GTA 4 that much." He pointed to the game's lack of mission variety as a major issue, and worried that the team sacrificed too much in terms of gameplay to deliver the impeccable sense of character and atmosphere that GTA 4 is known for. It's tough to say whether the game would be any more beloved than it already is if Rockstar had changed its approach, but one thing's for sure: that water tech looks real good.
GTA 4 ranks pretty high on our list of the best Rockstar games.
