Pixel Sundays: The Evolution from GTA to GTA 6
Today we want to talk about the evolution of the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series, focusing on how the games have evolved and changed the entire genre.
From the first version of Grand Theft Auto to today
As mentioned earlier, we want to talk about GTA today. We won’t be covering every game in the series, but rather focusing on the ones that brought significant changes, and we’ll discuss those in detail. We’ll talk about how GTA III revolutionized the open-world genre with its technical innovations, and how Vice City and San Andreas transformed storytelling with their unique narrative techniques.
However, we won’t just focus on the past but will also talk about current titles like GTA 5 and GTA Online, which still captivate thousands of fans daily. And of course, we’ll touch on the future of the franchise, specifically the highly anticipated GTA 6, which is expected to release next year.
|
Title |
Release Date |
|
Grand Theft Auto |
November 1997 |
|
Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 |
April 1999 |
|
Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 |
June 1999 |
|
Grand Theft Auto II |
October 1999 |
|
Grand Theft Auto III |
October 2001 |
|
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City |
October 2002 |
|
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
October 2004 |
|
Grand Theft Auto IV |
April 2008 |
|
Grand Theft Auto V |
September 2013 |
The legacy of GTA III: Revolutionizing the Open-World genre
GTA III
- PS2: October 22, 2001
- PC: May 21, 2002
- Xbox: November 2003
- iOS & Android: October 22, 2011
- PS3: September 26, 2012
- PS4: December 5, 2015
Let’s start at the beginning of the history of Grand Theft Auto. In GTA 1 and GTA 2, you had a top-down view of the entire game, with the focus often on the road. You could move freely around the cities in both games and carry out tasks for various gang leaders. You earned points for completing missions and causing chaos, and you could compete with your friends or replay missions to improve your score.
Committing crimes would attract the police, who tried to stop you. This feature was greatly enhanced in GTA 2, where more police officers would show up as you committed more crimes.
However, things changed significantly with GTA III, not only for the series but for open-world gaming in general. Released in 2001, GTA III is often considered one of the most revolutionary video games in history. It came out on the PlayStation 2 and PC, offering a massive leap in graphics and gameplay compared to its predecessors. Many features introduced in GTA III have since become standard and indispensable in modern gaming. The first major change from the previous games was the 3D world in GTA III. This game was no longer played from a top-down perspective but rather in third-person, similar to today’s games. It also introduced a dynamic camera that players could freely control, allowing them to view the world from different angles.
Another significant feature was the large, open, and free world of GTA III. Set in the fictional city of Liberty City, the game presented a huge, seamless environment with no loading screens between areas. You could roam freely, steal cars, start gunfights, complete missions, and more.
The freedom extended to missions as well. Instead of the usual linear mission structure, GTA introduced open-ended missions. You could choose which missions to take on and experience the story your way. There were also plenty of side missions, such as working as an ambulance driver or taxi driver.
Rockstar Games, the developers of GTA III, also made sure that the game world felt alive. People in the city went about their daily activities, drove cars, and reacted to your actions, such as running away when shots were fired. The game also featured a day-night cycle and weather effects, making the world feel even more realistic.
Another groundbreaking feature introduced in GTA III was the variety of radio stations. For the first time, players could choose from a selection of radio stations while driving. Everyone remembers the feeling of getting into a car in GTA for the first time and hearing a familiar song on the radio. Each station offered different genres, so there was something for everyone. Since November 11, 2021, the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition has been available, featuring GTA III, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas.
Vice City and San Andreas: Expanding the world and storytelling
|
GTA Vice City
|
GTA San Andreas
|
Both GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas improved the gameplay and graphics compared to GTA III, using the same game engine. However, the focus in these games was on even more detailed and refined storytelling. Let’s start with the gameplay changes. Vice City introduced motorcycles, boats, and helicopters for the first time, while San Andreas added bicycles and airplanes.
In San Andreas, you could customize your character through fitness, eating, and clothing, giving them more personality. Another important feature was property ownership, which allowed you to generate income and unlock new missions. The variety of weapons also expanded in both games, with San Andreas introducing melee combat techniques. Lastly, San Andreas included a variety of mini-games, such as dancing competitions, gambling, and basketball.
Now let’s talk about the stories of these two games and what made them so special. GTA Vice City transports you to a neon-lit city inspired by 1980s Miami. The game offers a cinematic narrative heavily influenced by gangster films of that era. Fun fact: satirical commercials were introduced on the radio for the first time in this game. In both Vice City and San Andreas, the storytelling felt more like a movie in which you were the protagonist, compared to the previous games.
San Andreas took this even further, especially with its larger game world. The game is set in a fictional state that includes three major cities (Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas), all of which you can visit and explore. These cities are modeled after Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. In addition to the cities, you could explore rural areas like deserts, forests, and mountains.
Character customization was further refined, allowing you to choose your character’s hairstyle, clothing, and fitness level. The game also featured a complex wanted system. But the most notable aspect of this game was its storytelling. It tackled social issues like racism, gang culture, and corruption, setting a new milestone for narrative depth in video games.
The switch to HD with GTA IV: Realism and emotional depth
GTA IV
- PS3: April 29, 2008
- Xbox 360: April 29, 2008
- PC: December 3, 2008
- Xbox One: February 9, 2017
Next, we have GTA IV, which introduced HD graphics, made possible by the new generation of consoles. GTA IV is set in Liberty City, a fictional version of New York, and in this game, you can explore Liberty City in HD for the first time. The city offers a lot to explore with its various districts, and it is much more realistic than previous games. Liberty City has a dark and lively atmosphere, perfectly matching the serious and emotional storyline. Rockstar Games paid great attention to detail, such as playing Russian music in certain parts of the city.
The game also runs on the new Euphoria engine, bringing much more realistic character animations. Movements, vehicle physics, and environmental effects are more detailed, creating a more realistic feel. You can even notice the sluggishness of your character, especially when they’re drunk. Vehicle damage is also more realistically depicted.
Rockstar Games once again surpassed themselves with the depth of the story. You play as Niko Bellic, who tells his emotional story. However, his journey is filled with moral conflicts and the pursuit of a better life, setting it apart from previous games. While earlier titles addressed serious themes, they often added satire. In GTA IV, the focus is on themes like loneliness, guilt, and the failure of the American Dream.
Rockstar Games also added a feature to make the city feel even more alive. In GTA IV, you can form friendships with some NPCs, which offer certain benefits. Some friends might give you free taxi rides or help you get access to weapons. This feature not only made the city feel more immersive but also added an extra layer of realism.
GTA V and GTA Online: The era of multiple protagonists
GTA V
- PS3: September 17, 2013
- Xbox 360: April 29, 2013
- PS4: November 18, 2014
- Xbox One: November 18, 2014
- PC: April 14, 2015
- PS5: March 15, 2022
- Xbox Series: March 15, 2022
Now, let’s talk about the latest released GTA game, GTA V. Even though this game is more than 10 years old, it still captivates fans with its story and, especially, GTA Online. Due to frequent updates, the game is still technically up to date, and the graphics look great even by today’s standards. Let’s start with the story mode of GTA V. The first major difference, shown right in the prologue, is that you can switch between multiple protagonists. To be precise, there are three protagonists who lead very different lives but are brought together by chance.
The characters are Michael De Santa, a former bank robber with a lot of money who is in witness protection and struggling with family problems. Then there’s Franklin Clinton, a young street gangster looking for bigger opportunities to escape the gang life. Finally, we have Trevor Philips, an unpredictable and psychotic ex-military pilot who lives in the desert and runs illegal businesses. After getting to know each character, you can seamlessly switch between them during gameplay, regardless of what they are doing, be it taking a shower or driving a car.
With three perspectives, the story can be told in a unique way. You know the thoughts of all the characters, each with their own point of view. This gives you the best overview of the story, but you still don’t know everything. Each character has different useful abilities. For example, Franklin can slow down time while driving, Michael can do the same in combat, and Trevor can enter berserker mode.
The game world in GTA V and GTA Online is the largest in the series so far. It includes the city of Los Santos, stretching all the way to the desert in the north, where there is a smaller town. There is a lot to discover on the map, with various terrains. You can also participate in different activities, such as playing golf, competing in triathlons, trading stocks, buying properties, and much more. The game world is also dynamic, with random events occurring throughout, adding to the immersion.
Now, let’s move on to the even more popular online mode of GTA, GTA Online. In this mode, you can join lobbies with up to 30 players and engage in a variety of activities. At the beginning, you can create your own character, choosing their appearance and outfits. Your main goal is to earn money and, of course, have a lot of fun. There are different ways to achieve this. You can race against other players online or compete with them in PvP modes. But that’s not all. You can team up with up to four players to carry out heists. There are several different heists in the game, and they’re definitely worth it.
In these heists, you can rob banks, empty out the casino, or steal money from a gangster boss’s island. All of these missions require preparation missions, adding extra depth to the gameplay, as you must work for everything you do. You can also set up passive income sources, like a cocaine lab or nightclub, but these require constant supplies to keep running. Eventually, you’ll need to manage your own small empire. With the money you earn, you can buy various cars, planes, and apartments.
Expectations for GTA 6: What we know so far
GTA 6
- PS5: TBA 2025
Since the last GTA game was released over 10 years ago, many fans are eagerly anticipating the next installment, GTA 6. Expectations are high, especially given how successful GTA V was. A trailer has already been released, which you can watch above. Here’s what we know about GTA 6 so far. It is confirmed that the new GTA will take place in Vice City, a city resembling Miami, but it has been significantly expanded and filled with many details. The surrounding swamps will also be explorable.
GTA 6 will also feature multiple playable characters, including Lucia, the first female character in the GTA series, and her partner Jason. In the trailer, we’ve already seen the two robbing a supermarket together.
From what we’ve seen so far, the game will introduce many new technologies to make GTA 6 even more realistic. AI-driven animations will make movements and interactions smoother, vehicle physics are likely to be even more realistic, and you will still have a lot of freedom in the game.
Of course, the big question is when GTA 6 will finally be released. From the trailer, we know for sure that the game will be released sometime in 2025. However, there have been several GTA 6 leaks about the release date, with many speculating that the game won’t arrive until October 2025.
Hey, I’m Kilian, but online you’ll probably know me as “Tux1243.” I've been part of the team for almost two years now, always trying to keep you in the loop with the latest and coolest gaming news. I also have a huge passion for doing deep dives and detailed analyses of entire game series and franchises. I love getting to the bottom of things and exploring the little details and backstories that make game worlds so fascinating.
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