Darren Aronofsky, director of the awesome Pi, the awesomer Requiem for a Dream and the hope-it’s-awesome forthcoming Robocop reboot, has waxed lyrical about his love of GTA IV. Speaking to the New York Times about his media ‘Moments That Mattered’ in 2008, Aronofsky spoke not of a particular film or performance, not of the coverage of Mr Obama becoming President-elect, but of our favourite murder simulator.

“Looking over Niko’s shoulder up at the virtual parachute jump in Grand Theft Auto IV’s version of Coney Island, grabbing a dollar hot dog off the boardwalk to get my health back, then leaping into a bullet-hole-riddled Hummer and smashing through my childhood neighborhood, flying over sand dunes on Manhattan Beach and finally drowning in the sea off Brighton Beach. Thinking, Man, I wish they made this game when I was a teenager.”

Kinda beautiful ain’t it? That’s the joy of videogames right there.