With the release of Grand Theft Auto V just around the corner, we thought we’d take a look back at the franchise’s history. Here are the three GTA games that, in this writer’s opinion, are the best the guys at Rockstar Games have ever released.
3. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The size of this title is absolutely massive – maybe a little too massive for some players, but if you’re looking for a GTA game that’s going to keep you occupied for a while then this is the one for you. Just like in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City where the 1980s was done justice, San Andreas showed the early 1990s to perfection. The main character came from a poor part of town where it was very dangerous to live, just like Ice-Cube, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg who were rapping at the time about growing up in Compton and how hard it was with gangs, drugs and guns on every street corner. San Andreas used a mechanic that wasn’t seen before and hasn’t been used since: the option to beef up your character in the gym. Many probably thought this was a pointless thing to add but couple it with the vast amount of clothing options and no two players had protagonists that looked the same.
2. Grand Theft Auto III
This has to be the most revolutionary instalment in the whole franchise because it’s the one that bought GTA into the 3D world. The countless hours players spent on this game was insane. Back then there wasn’t an open-world title like it and new things like tanks, rocket launchers and doing big jumps cars put smiles on our faces. It was very hard to stick to the story because why would you take part in a restrictive mission when you could drive around the streets aimlessly in a tank shooting people in the face (ok, that was probably me being an immature teenager)? The Grand Theft Auto III map has got to be the best the series has had so far, because it was big enough to get lost in but also small enough to learn off by heart; that’s something that’s near impossible with the later games.
1. Grand Theft Auto IV
Who could deny the loveable Nico the top spot (in fact I’d say he’s the most liked out of all the GTA protagonists hands down)? This version of Liberty City actually feels alive, with every single person you see on the street looking like they have a purpose with somewhere to go. The story is probably the best in the series’ history too with Nico coming to the city on a boat from Eastern Europe and trying to make his way in life (albeit doing some pretty dodgy things). It sounds simple but, handled the way, it was it makes one hell of a game because the he got to do what he wanted to do the most: live the American dream. From the gameplay to the setting to the characters, there isn’t a lot GTA IV does wrong and, no matter how long the series plans to run, this will be the instalment that will be remembered as when GTA really hit its stride.
So there you have it: our top three GTA games of all time, and be sure to take a look at our top five memes for GTA IV here. We can’t wait for the release of Grand Theft Auto V on 17 September 2013. With what has been shown so far – three protagonists, a massive map and total insanity – this instalment looks to be the most epic and will likely top anyone’s list in the future.
