The history of Grand Theft Auto
How... topical.
GTA 3 - 2001
It's rare for an established series to manage to change itself into something practically unrecognisable from what has come before while at the same time remaining true to both its origins and the fans. GTA 3 was one such title. Many thought that the move to 3D was far too ambitious, that the simple mission structure of the previous GTA games wouldn't lend itself to a compelling or even enjoyable game in 3D. There were also concerns over the quality of the new-born PS2 hardware, specifically the difficulty in programming for its convoluted architecture. Rockstar North were not only able to prove all the naysayers wrong, they absolutely decimated them. GTA 3 was a technological triumph. For the first time ever gamers could drive, walk and run their way through an entire city, all rendered in atmospheric 3D. Although technically the game was a total re-invention the gameplay once again remained the same. Nicking cars, smashing heads in, doing dodgy deals and running criminal missions were still the order of the day. The move to 3D did allow these gameplay elements to take on an entirely new lease of life and the developers weren't daft enough not to introduce something new. Mini-games were a welcome addition to the mix as were the third person shooting thrills and rich narrative thread. The production quality also got a serious shot in the arm with proper voice talent from Hollywood actors like Joe Pantoliano and Kyle McLachlan helping to bring the grimy world of Liberty City to life.
The shift from two to three dimensions also made the whole experience a lot more visceral, a lot more believable. As such the moral crusaders unsheathed their weapons once more and set to work on GTA 3. By now age-restrictions were an accepted part of the industry but still GTA's impressive graphics and controversial subject material seemed designed to appeal to youngsters. The fact that you could pick up hookers and get a health boost from them for a few bucks before blasting them in the back of the head with an Uzi did not go down well. For a while Rockstar looked like they may have gone too far. But the sun of good fortune that had been shining on the company was not about to set as GTA 3 went on to become one of the biggest selling games of all time, with over eight million units shifted world wide.
GTA: Vice City
Lightening never strikes twice is an old and incorrect saying. Rockstar North had struck it rich twice, first with Grand Theft Auto and then with GTA 3. But that was nothing in comparison to the veritable lightening storm that heralded the arrival of GTA: Vice City. Using the same engine and central character as number three, Vice City took the crime model and went on a rampaging spree. The cityscape became more then just a backdrop for an arcade game; it became a real place with real inhabitants. Players could now buy themselves property; from luxurious mansions to a string of business concerns. The gangs now went on turf wars and the pedestrians were so garishly dressed they were just begging to be run over. The production values doubled once more. Bigger Hollywood names, such as Ray Liota and the tache himself, Burt Reynolds, lent their skills and names to the voice credits. For a game that got so much inspiration from Hollywood movies and TV shows, (obviously Miami Vice in this case) to hear the lines being spoken by such legends as Dennis Hopper and Gary Busey added an extra air of authenticity to the proceedings.
But not as much as the utterly superb soundtrack. Eschewing home-grown tracks for dozens of licensed tracks from the decade that taste forgot was a masterstroke on Rockstar's part. The soundtrack not only made the 80's setting it gave the game a boost of positive publicity which helped propel its sales beyond that of any of its predecessors. Who could resist a game that allowed you to play a crime lord while cruising around the neon kissed streets of southern Florida while listening to Motley Crue, Hall & Oates, Michael Jackson, Rick James, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Mantronix? Certainly not the millions of gamers who handed over their cash. Critically the game was a massive success, with the simultaneous tightening up of the mission structures and expansion of the freeform elements ensuring that both critical and casual gamers alike often rate Vice City as the best game ever made. The Grand Theft Auto series had started off as a rather innocuous arcade game which grew and grew to eventually become a technological showpiece, an exemplar of modern gameplay and probably the best title to merge gaming and popular media. The question on many gamer's lips is whether or not the next instalment in the series, GTA: San Andreas, will be able to continue the upward curve.
