Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2
Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2
Grand Theft Auto (1997)
Grand Theft Auto 2
In 1997, DMA Design published the very first game in a long-running series. Full of controversy and complexity, the series would become a critical success over the years, turning into one of the most profitable game series on the market. DMA Design, now Rockstar North, credits it all to this very first game, simply called Grand Theft Auto. This game would soon spawn two expansions (London 1961 and London 1969) and a direct sequel, Grand Theft Auto 2, in 1999.
The very first Grand Theft Auto was very simplistic in its approach. You take on the role of a common criminal who simply wants to make a name for himself in the world. Taking place in a fictionalized world based on our own, the game takes place in three primary cities, Liberty City (New York), Vice City (Miami) and San Andreas (a mixture of California and Nevada cities). All three suffer from rampant crime and exploitation, with constant feuding between the local criminal organizations, gang violence, and unethical city officials and police officers.
For Grand Theft Auto 2, the game takes place in a generic city simply called “Anywhere City”, and takes place in the future (compared to its release date). Like its predecessor, the game has three levels, making up the different districts of the city. Each district has various problems associated with it, but all three have three gangs as in them. The Zaibatsu organization is the game’s main gang, and is in each district, with the other two gangs in each district being unique.
Gameplay is rather simple and easy to understand in these games as well. Both games take place in 2D, and feature a top-down view of the game. The player must complete various missions scattered around each city offered by different organizations and individuals to give you points/money. These missions are started by answering ringing payphones, where you receive your mission objectives. They can range from simple murder to heists or robberies, and all offer points for the player when completed. In Grand Theft Auto 2, the majority of the missions come from the seven gangs scattered in each district of the city, and they affect your relationship with the gangs. Once enough points have been claimed through the missions/side missions, the player is allowed to move on to the next level.
In both games, the player can utilize a variety of vehicles and weapons at their disposal to complete their objective. Due to the 2D nature of these games, both driving and shooting weapons are rather simple. You cannot see very far in terms of distance, so you have to rely on reflexes and good aim when driving or shooting when the action gets heavy and vehicles, objects, or people (when in combat) suddenly appear on screen. Vehicles can become damaged by weapons or collision, and too much damage will result in explosions. Luckily, as the name of the game implies, you are not meant to only live with one vehicle, and it is rather simple to acquire another one. The vehicles vary from large, lumbering ones to fast sports cars, and everything in between.
One aspect that was introduced with the coming of the second game was a system of respect in regards to the gangs. With seven gangs in one city, there are bound to be disputes and conflicts, and the player has the chance to play off these tensions in regards to the missions or even outside of them. When a mission with one gang is completed, the player is reward with money as well respect for that gang. If that mission negatively affected another gang, the player will lose respect with that gang. Each gang has a rival gang that they typically ask the player to target, so it is impossible to be on good terms with all the gangs. Another way to gain or lose respect is to kill gang members, with the rival gang growing to like you more while the victim gang will grow considerably less fond of you. As you gain more respect you will gain access to more missions with that gang, but you will lose possibilities with others, and if you lose too much respect with one gang, they will grow incredibly hostile to you. The path is yours to make, however, and it adds considerable replayability to Grand Theft Auto 2 as there are multiple mission chains.
However, all the murdering and thieving is bound to attract the attention of the local authorities, right? Doing certain things in either of the games will eventually bring various levels of law enforcement down on the player, from simple cops on patrol giving chase (level 1) to eventually getting the Army to chase after the player. Wanted Levels can be lessened or lost by either acquiring cop bribes (scattered as collectibles around the levels) or by visiting the local Pay and Spray shops, which will repaint your vehicle and allow you to lose the attention of the authorities. If arrested or killed, you lose your weapons and armor and some cash and respawn.
That really is pretty much it. There is not much in the way of a story with the two games, just good old fashioned advancing through levels. There are no skills or anything to learn, though you will grow considerably more able with driving and shooting (the shooting does take a bit of time to get used to) with play time. The games do try to make as much of the limited scope as possible, with sounds and soundtracks (getting in and out of cars yield appropriate sounds, radio stations, etc) adding a bit of realism to the games. The side missions and activities can be fun, such as selling vehicles for cash to scrappers/vehicle exporters, or going on bloody kill frenzies to rack up points by killing or destroying property. Overall, both games are pretty fun, and did well in establishing a fan base for the large upgrade to the franchise that was to come with the millennium.
Grand Theft Auto III - San Andreas
Note
Much of the in-game mechanics remain the same between all three games, so I will not discuss them much in each review unless something major changed.
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
In Grand Theft Auto III, the player assumes the role of a character named Claude, a criminal who was betrayed by his girlfriend in the middle of a bank robbery and left for dead. Surviving the wounds, Claude is arrested and blamed completely for the robbery. While being transported across the Callahan Bridge to Portland Island, the police convoy is attacked by members of the Colombian Cartel. Surviving along with another prisoner named 8-Ball, Claude is able to escape along with his new friend and hole up in an apartment on Portland. Wanting revenge and in need of work, Claude is introduced to the Leone family, a branch of the Italian mafia in the city. Claude sets out to make a new name for himself in Liberty City, as well as track down the woman he used to love.
Grand Theft Auto III is the first of a new “era” in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Known as the 3D Universe, the level and detail of the games increase dramatically. This is immediately noticed at the very start of GTA III, and the game makes full use of the advantage in their recreation of Liberty City, a reference to the first level of the original GTA. Based on New York City, the 3D era Liberty City comprises three large islands, all accessible via bridges at various points in the game. The city is quite diverse, with residential neighborhoods, businesses, industrial areas, parks, shorefronts, and more, all reminiscent of its real-life counterpart. Liberty City is often described as the worst city in America, due to its high amounts of crime and violence. The city is also diverse in its people, with pedestrians from all ethnic backgrounds to reflect its counterpart as well as its ethnic-based gangs (e.g. the Triads) or organized crime (the three Italian families). Additionally, the game sees the added bonus of time (represented by a clock with each “hour” being played out in a minute), as well as day/night cycles and even weather patterns. All of this heavily contributes to the newly-established atmosphere for the franchise.
For the third game, Rockstar North (now the developers of the franchise) revamped many of the features of the previous games in order to take advantage of the new engine and the environments and physics possible. Instead of a top-down perspective, the player can now be controlled in a third-person perspective that allows much more versatility and ease in getting around. Carjacking and driving is still an important part of the game, and now the player can see ahead and behind him much more effectively than before, giving the player a greater degree of spatial awareness. The controls for driving are rather simple to learn, and the vehicles now can provide a greater degree of damage to others (running over pedestrians, ramming vehicles) as well as to itself (the cars will catch fire and explode if too much damage is taken or if the vehicle rolls over). Like before, vehicles have a large degree of variety in size, speed, and colors. Picking the right vehicle for missions could be crucial to mission success. The player can also fly a plane, albeit it takes a lot of skill to fly it as Rockstar made it deliberately difficult to do. The player also is able to listen to a variety of things on the radio from music to talk shows, and can hear news based on events in the game.
Combat has been completely revamped, allowing the player a much more exciting degree of possibilities compared to the preceding games. Unlike the previous games where only weapon power and armor affected the outcome of a shootout, the 3D perspective also allows for the possibility of gunshots being more effective based on the location of the impact, just like real life. Wounds to the arms and legs will take much longer to bring down a person, while a single shot to the head will bring down an enemy no matter how armored they are. Weapons themselves are also different in that their power and speed vary considerably, from the slow firing pistol and shotgun to the ultra-fast (and completely unrealistic) M-16 rifle. Magazines and reloading as well as taking cover can be crucial to combat as well, and the AI will make relative use of cover in order to defend themselves. The sniper rifle also makes an appearance, allowing for distanced shots to be accomplished. In addition to all of this, blood and gore finally make an appearance in the game, which people losing limbs (and heads) as a result of gunfire and explosives. Finally, the game allows the player to perform drive by shootings if they have the submachine gun at their disposal.
Gangs make a return to the franchise, but respect does not, at least not overtly. Gangs that you manage to annoy enough will definitely come after you, but this is determined by missions much more rigidly than before. At one point or another you will have a gang that despises you, and will attack you if you are in their territory. Whether with bats, fists, or guns, the player must defend himself against them. Gangs also have their own vehicles, which must be utilized in some missions (such as when you are instructed to start a gang war by performing a drive by in a certain vehicle).
The local authorities also make a return, and once again the level of their response is matched to how much mischief you cause. Whether it’s the local police, SWAT, FBI, or even the Army, the player is capable of surviving these incidents once again by using bribes or Pay and Sprays. However, the military, not surprisingly, is incredibly difficult to survive, as their tanks (yes, they come after you in tanks) can usually ram and destroy a car in one hit, and they have body armor and the ultra-fast firing M-16s to worry about as well.
Additional features of the game are somewhat few, but still worth noting. The missions and side missions have much more variety compared to the previous games, resulting in a lot more to do and a lot less repetition. The city also offers a limited number of easter eggs, as well as a new feature: collectibles. Scattered throughout the city are hidden packages, numbering one hundred. With every ten hidden packages collected, a new weapon will appear at each safe house (where you save you game and can store vehicles), allowing the player to acquire free weapons for use in missions or mayhem. Obviously, the more packages collected, the more powerful the weapons unlocked. Kill Frenzies return, now titled rampages, and reward the player money upon completion (as well as progress towards one-hundred percent completion). New side missions have also been added, involving vehicles such as the police car (and other law enforcement vehicles), fire truck, taxis, and ambulances. Completing the emergency services side missions can reward the player with things such as police bribes at safe houses, unlimited sprint, and a flamethrower delivered to safe houses, while the taxi missions yield a special taxi and cash. The player can also complete various “stunts” around the city in vehicles that will yield cash as a reward. All of these (and other side activities) are required to gain one hundred percent completion of the game.
If one were to comment on what makes this game superior to the first two, it would likely be the addition of a story. Claude (though mute) actually has a purpose in his long fight throughout the city: to get close enough to his former lover, Catalina, who betrayed him. To this end, Claude will do anything from murder to arson to robbery for his various bosses, and will make many enemies and friends along the way. The bosses range from crime bosses to corrupt cops to businessmen, all of whom have personalities unlike the bosses in the previous games. The bosses are also actually seen and physically interacted with, unlike the unseen bosses from 1 and 2, and can betray or be betrayed by Claude in his quest. Though the story is not the greatest of the franchise, it is definitely an improvement over nothing. My only REAL complaint would have to be the fact that Claude cannot swim, and falling into the water is an instant death.
This game was certainly revolutionary when it first came out twelve years ago. It took the good of the previous games and expanded and improved on them in many ways. Everything has been improved in an attempt to make the game as realistic as possible in its representation as the worst city in America, from the characters to the gameplay to the story. There really is nothing major that can be criticized that cannot be explained simply by the limitations of the time, and would really be unfair to note after such a long time. Therefore, I believe that this game deserves a 9/10 for its gameplay, story, atmosphere, and most important of all…how fun it is.
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Grand Theft Auto Vice City (2002)
Tommy Vercetti is a free man, after fifteen long years. Known as the Harwood Butcher, Vercetti killed eleven people in a brutal massacre while in the service of the Forelli Family, one of the branches of the Mafia in Liberty City. Now free, Tommy’s friend Sonny, head of the family, decides that the family needs to get involved in the drug trade down south, and chooses Tommy as the man for the job. Sent down with two others to make the deal, Tommy is ambushed, and the others killed. Without the drugs or the money, Tommy incurs the wrath of Sonny, who orders him to recoup the losses by any means possible. Tommy sets out to discover who set him and the others up for the ambush, as well as establish an empire of his own on the sunny beaches of Vice City.
Set in 1986 and based on Miami (but likely set in the Florida Keys), Vice City is visually and atmospherically distinct from Liberty City in practically every way imaginable. The drug trade is at a high, the people are carefree, and the city is rampant with crime. Vice City is made up of two large islands and six smaller islands, each of them offering different neighborhoods, people (and gangs), and opportunities. The city has many sites and features, from golf courses to shipwrecks to even a military base.
Much of the gameplay from the previous game remains intact, with some key changes. The vehicles, clothing, weapons, and many other features have been changed to reflect the fact that the game takes place in the eighties as opposed to the early millennium of GTA III. The combat and driving remain the same, if only made a little bit easier and more brutal (chainsaws make an appearance, making for especially brutal kills where blood splatters on the “screen” when used on someone. However, though the combat system has been for the most part retained, there are now varying levels of weapons that can be acquired in all classes, such as the submachine gun class, which has several weapons in it. This is helpful in increasing variety in the game as opposed to the single type of each weapon present in GTA III, as well as making enemies more diverse and challenging depending on their weapons. In addition, the weapons are far more realistic in their appearance and performance compared to the preceding game. Gangs and the police level make a similar return, though the gang problems (related mostly to the drug trade as well as the incredible level of ethnic diversity) have grown compared to GTA III.
Additional changes to the game are also worth noting. One of the major changes is the capability of the player to purchase additional safe houses, as well as businesses that will generate cash for the player every day that can be collected. These businesses can be acquired by various means, but are typically unlocked via the storyline or completing tasks. In addition to the returning vehicle missions (which now offer newer rewards), the player can also do others, yielding brand new and valuable rewards for their completion. The player also has access to helicopters, including two that are combat-capable, as well as a sea plane for getting around. Motorcycles are also added to the game, allowing the player to do frontal attacks with submachine guns and weave in and out of traffic, at the cost of no protection against collisions and gunfire. Boats, which were occasionally used in GTA III, now feature much more prominently.
Overall, the game has improved even more over the previous game in leaps and bounds, while still maintaining the good aspects of the predecessor. Vice City does not feel like a clone of Liberty City at all, and the addition of various new features and mission types only serve to make a better game. Tommy’s story is a much better one as well, and though Tommy is a bit of a one-dimensional character, he still provides more emotion and complexity compared to Claude, and his drive and mission is much more compelling than the simple revenge plot of GTA III. Tommy has been given a second chance, and is out to make a name for himself on the sunny shores of Florida. However, Tommy, like Claude, apparently never learned how to swim. I would give it a 9.5/10.
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (2004)
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Set in 1992 in the fictional state of San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas begins with Carl Johnson, five years absent from Los Santos, receiving news that his mother was murdered. Flying out from Liberty City, Carl immediately finds himself in unfamiliar territory as he is practically framed for homicide by a couple corrupt cops, and also discovers that the life he knew in Los Santos was almost gone. His brother Sweet, head of the Grove Street Families gang, now leads a fragmented and weakened gang that is but a shadow of its former self. The streets are filled with drugs, pushed by rival gangs supported by the corrupt cops. Carl, realizing that something must be done, goes on a journey that will span the entire state of San Andreas to drive out the drugs, clean up the streets, and restore the Grove Street Families to its former glory.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas takes place in the state of San Andreas, which is based on portions of California and Nevada. Comprised of three islands, three major cities, five counties, and eight rural towns, the map of San Andreas is currently the largest in the entire franchise, at nearly fourteen square miles. The sheer size of the map as well as its locales offers perhaps the most diverse experience in the franchise. Deserts, mountains, forests, slums, high rises, lakes…you name it, San Andreas has it. A great indicator of the changes compared to the previous game is certainly the diversity of locations, with even the rural towns all looking different to each other, while each of the three islands all offer new and different experiences. Additionally, the location of the state in relation to the real world allows for many cultural or historical references to the real world (e.g., the LA Riots of the early nineties). The three main cities (Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas) are clearly based on real world cities, and it really adds a lot to the gameplay. The rural areas, while not often visited, also add a nice change when driving between cities.
Almost immediately the player will notice some key changes in the new title. First off, CJ is completely customizable. For example, the player can purchase a large variety of clothing and other accessories to change CJ’s outward appearance. The player can also get haircuts/hair styles and tattoos to change the appearance of CJ’s body, along with hitting the gym to make CJ muscular and lean. Alternatively, CJ can pack on the pounds if he visits the fast food joints too often without running, biking, or whatever else to increase his stamina and lose fat.
Speaking of stamina and fat, the player can also increase their abilities in driving, biking, flying, lung capacity (you can swim now!) and weapons. With more driving and flying and diving, Carl becomes more proficient in their respective skills. These aid the player and also introduce a system that naturally progresses the character throughout the game. When it comes to weapons proficiency it depends on the weapon type, though by the end with some classes Carl will be able to dual wield certain weapons.
One other notable addition is the gang warfare and turf. At certain points in the game Carl can assist the Grove Street Families by initiating a battle over a territory with another gang. If Carl succeeds, that territory becomes part of the Grove Street Families. It can be important when continuing the story to have a suitable amount of gang members in territories, due to the fact that players can recruit more and more gang members with each level of respect attained. Yes, respect has returned, only this time you can only get it with Grove Street, and it allows you to recruit members for gang warfare or drive by’s. You can recruit up to eight, but can only take three others along on drive by’s.
Compared to the previous game, San Andreas just adds so much more. Much more diversity in locations, vehicles (including vehicle customization), missions (one particularly memorable one where you have to dive out of an airplane to get on to another airplane) and more make this game superior to others. There is also a plethora of side activities, properties to buy and utilize, collectibles to acquire (each island has different ones, leading to different weapons spawning at the three main safe houses on each island) girlfriends to date (yes, Carl can date now, and you get benefits from some girls), and challenges and other things to enjoy. So much has been added that it really is far superior to either GTA III or Vice City. There's also a lot of references to the other games, and it's always fun to see a familiar face. The story is far and away the best of the series, as Carl must battle gangbangers, corrupt cops, and even those he holds close in the quest to bring his family and gang to the top. The characters and their personalities only add to the increased depth and emotion of the game, pushing it far ahead of the others.
With all this in mind, it can only be said that this game deserves a perfect 10/10.
Grand Theft Auto IV - ?
Grand Theft Auto IV
Note
Does not cover Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
Grand Theft Auto IV was seen as a reboot to the franchise, and as such we see a movement into what is known as the HD Universe. Taking advantage of the new engines possible with the current generation of consoles and higher-end PCs, Rockstar completely re-did the look and feel of the franchise. Returning once more to Liberty City, the franchise sees its first non-American protagonist: Niko Bellic.
Niko Bellic arrives in Liberty City, intent on starting a brand new life for himself. A former soldier that has seen and done terrible things, Niko believes the stories of his cousin, Roman, that life in America could not be better. When he arrives, however, Niko discovers that his cousin had been deceiving him: Roman, who claimed to be living a life of luxury, with beautiful women, sports cars and lots of money, instead lives in squalor, with a failing taxi business and mounting debts from all sorts of undesirable people. Disappointed and understandably irritated, Niko sets out to turn Roman’s deception into reality, and using his violent and shady past as a means for giving himself a new life in a foreign land.
Grand Theft Auto IV sees the return of Liberty City, and Rockstar really went all out in creating the world in which Niko must assimilate with. Though considerably smaller in size than San Andreas, Liberty City is absolutely packed with an astounding level of detail. The city feels like an actual living, breathing city, complete with accurate weather and its effects on the environment (things swinging in the wind, people using umbrellas, etc), people from all walks of life (including crazy preachers and buskers), construction and road work, older cars polluting more than real cars, and many more things that offer the most realistic portrayal of a city. The map has three main islands, one of them being Alderney (based on New Jersey), and many of New York’s famous locations can be sought out, albeit with different names.
With the new engine come changes as well. Driving has received a significant change, with Rockstar attempting to be much more realistic when it comes to driving, particularly at high speeds, and what can happen while driving. No longer will a vehicle burst into flames when overturned or heavily damaged. Instead, the car will become increasingly more difficult to operate when damaged. An example of such would be wheels becoming jammed or damaged, or bullets flattening them and the tires, but not the rims, eventually coming off. You can still drive as long as the car will run (which it won’t with too much damage), but it will be more difficult. Additionally, collisions can harm Niko: crashing headlong into something could cause Niko to go flying through the windshield or over the handlebars, harming and potentially killing Niko. This makes car chases particularly more difficult compared to previous games. Additionally, the player can now set waypoints that, when driven to in compatible vehicles, come with GPS telling you what to do. Niko can also fly helicopters, but planes have been taken out of the game. The damage also affects helicopters, making it more difficult to fly. The tail of helicopters can even come off with too much damage, making it nearly impossible to land safely much less fly. Finally, stealing vehicles is much more realistic, with unoccupied vehicles needing to be broken into and hot wired.
Combat has also received a significant overhaul. Completely free aim now, Niko can precisely aim where he intends to shoot, which can assist greatly with the addition of a cover system. Niko can use the precision free aim to shoot at exposed limbs or heads. Wounding now also does accomplish more than just whitling health. Wounding a person in the legs will cause them to limp (away, sometimes, when it comes to the police), and wounding them in the arms will cause them to temporarily drop their weapons. There are also a fairly significant amount of weapons that Niko can use in his quest, all of them with varying capabilities. In addition, the cover system allows for blind shooting and protection. It is still a third person shooter, and should be seen as such, but the game really does try to make the combat as realistic as possible.
A completely changed feature is the cell phone, making a return appearance from the previous game but with more uses and features. Niko can use the phone to call acquaintances and friends, and call emergency services or taxi services. The phone is vital in some missions as well as maintaining friendships (which is where Roman can become quite annoying as he calls Niko to hang out when you are busy). Cell phones are also utilized by pedestrians, who can use them to call the police to report crimes they witness. This frustrating bit of realism can hurt the player as he shoots or steals and then leaves the area, only to have the police be called on him. Which leads into the next changed feature: wanted levels.
In GTA IV, the wanted levels were changed to a different system to make it more difficult yet also a bit easier in getting away. In the past, the only way to get of a wanted level was police bribes or a Pay and Spray. In this game, when a crime is reported and the police get a lock on you, a blue radius appears on your minimap that you, the player, must evade. If you are spotted by the police while trying to get out of the radius, the radius will move and the player will have to drive or run farther to get out. With every star accrued, the radius gets larger, making it more and more difficult to get away. In addition, the military has been removed, being replaced with a branch of government known as NOOSE, based on Homeland Security. Armed with fast cars, assault rifles, and even attack helicopters, NOOSE is quite challenging to escape. Bribes have also been removed, but Pay and Sprays remain. Getting out of the radius or a Pay and Spray isn’t automatic walking away though...your wanted stars will flash briefly, or dim in the case of escaping the radius, indicating that you can be spotted again if you commit another crime or if you manage to attract attention to yourself. Finally, Niko can escape arrest if he is still at one star and cornered and ordered to get down, but by doing so you get an automatic two stars. So, it is a different system than before, but it is in essence the same.
There is much more to go over, but I feel as if to go over everything would be dull. Overall, much of the gameplay has been changed in exchange for realism. Rockstar chose to focus on making the game far more realistic, eliminating much of the customization and other features from previous games. Some decry those changes, stating that’s what made the games so much more interesting. I personally like both systems, though some of the customization and other features are missed. But in any case, the story must be mentioned: Niko’s story is one of the more interesting out of the franchise. Without spoiling much, Niko has the opportunity to make several choices throughout the game, namely who lives and who dies. These choices affect the story all the way until the end. While not a huge part of the story, it certainly does make it more fresh than the others. And while many consider the sacrifices made for the story and the realism to be not worth it, I consider it a nice change.
Overall, I would say GTA IV to be one of the best out of the franchise. I would not call it on the same level as GTA San Andreas in terms of fun and replayability, but it certainly is a worthy addition to the franchise. The new engine, physics, combat, and more certainly expanded the capabilities of gameplay, and provided a new way of playing the game. It is a beautiful game to look at and a lot of fun to play. I'd give it a 9.5 out of 10.
Grand Theft Auto V
Though it cannot be said with absolute certainty, I believe that Grand Theft Auto V will be the pinnacle of the current generation, and quite possibly one of the best games of all time. Grand Theft Auto has come a long way, through PC, console, and even handhelds (not covered in this review). From what we can see of GTA V, it seems as though Rockstar took the great things about GTA IV and brought it back to the location most players seem to love: Los Santos. Though it will only cover that city and the surrounding countryside, it could quite easily become the most diverse and fun games in the franchise.
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I hope you enjoyed reading this. It did not cover all games in the franchise, but I believe it hit what matters most.