The History Of Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto
The Innovation: Go anywhere, steal anything grafted onto classic top-down racing.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that controversy over the series started with the first 3D game. Take-Two and DMA Design (before they were Rockstar) courted media and judicial attention from the very beginning. The original GTA, with a rather crude top-down perspective and rudimentary violence, was still a shocking thing at the time, since you were awarded points for causing mayhem. (In that respect, the first two games more deserve some of the criticisms leveled at later installments, which saw the point system mooted.) But it was the sense of freedom that attracted us. You could answer a phone to take a mission, steal and sell cars, or just cause wanton destruction. It's true that the game didn't do much to emphasize non-aggressive gameplay, but there was no other game with the same freely adrenaline-fueled system.
Grand Theft Auto 2
The Innovation: Gang rivalries that affect the flow of gameplay, and an interactive populace.
DMA Design didn't waste a lot of time before diving into Grand Theft Auto 2. Much like the pattern we've seen with the second half of the series, GTA2 wasn't a massive jump forward from the first game, though it did introduce a few key new ideas. Most notable was the set of competing gangs; do enough jobs for one and you'd be persona non grata in the turf of another. With a better graphics engine that only highlighted the (for the time) visceral combat, that meant even more reason to get your in-game work done. The living world we know from GTA3 was also born here, as ambulances would retrieve fallen pedestrians, and other thieves roamed the streets at random. There's nothing like getting carjacked the first time - suddenly you know just what everyone else in the game feels like.
Grand Theft Auto 3
The Innovation: A living, breathing game world with more content than any action game before it.
We'd like to say that the hype for GTA 3 wasn't immense, that it snuck onto shelves like the previous games. But that would be a massive lie. For months before this 3D visualization of Liberty City arrived, we were drooling to see what Rockstar's revamped universe would look like. And when it hit, the effect was like a hammer -- literally, the gaming equivalent of Jaws, Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark being released at once. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, since the AI, targeting system, and melee combat were far from perfect. But this was the closest we'd ever been to a living world in an action game. Finally, there was a fast-paced third-person title with the variety and massive story of the great RPGs. Even better, here RPG stood for Rocket Propelled Grenade, with which we racked up hours of rampage kills and filled junkyards aplenty with scrapped cars.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The Innovation: Bikes, waves of in-game nostalgia, and real music.
If it wasn't for the inclusion of motorcycles, Vice City might have been more transparently a retread of GTA3. But Rockstar smartly redressed their game in '80s fashions, tapping into a wave of retro nostalgia at exactly the right moment. So while the slight improvements to the visuals and combat systems were highlights for some, the deep references to '80s culture and movies (Scarface, in particular) were more than enough to keep millions playing. And while the controversy over the series' violent and sexual content only deepened, for fans the biggest point of contention was the move to licensed music. Which camp are you in: one that prefers tongue in cheek homages to rock, or one that wants to jump a motorcycle over a palm tree while rocking Judas Priest?
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The Innovation: The truly massive, customizable world is the real definition of the action RPG.
Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? San Andreas is arguably a masterpiece, but it's one of the most demanding masterworks we've come across. For every player that saw the massive story through to the conclusion, there are a dozen that got bogged down in the massive empty areas between towns, or who couldn't be bothered with the in-game system of physical fitness. There's more to do here than in any other episode of the series, thanks to the customization options, new side missions and, yeah, the bicycles, which provide an awesome route to new stunts. But we'd like a little more focus so that more players would be given a chance to see it all. From what we know of GTA IV so far, it seems like Rockstar has learned that lesson.
The History of Grand Theft Auto by Gamespot
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