Before Grand Theft Auto revolutionized gaming with its signature open worlds full of dark humor and chaotic freedom, it began in 1995 as a much different game called Race‘n‘Chase. Developed by DMA Design (which later became Rockstar North), Race‘n‘Chase was envisioned as a fairly straightforward cops-and-robbers game with racing elements. However, during development, a bug caused police cars to violently ram into the player and knock them off the road. Playtesters found the behavior hilarious, so DMA transformed the game to focus on these hostile police chases.
Eventually rebranded as Grand Theft Auto (or GTA), the first game released in 1997 for MS-DOS, ported a year later to PlayStation and Windows. Still using a top-down 2D perspective inspired by classic arcade titles, GTA delivered open-ended gameplay full of irreverent humor as players completed missions to progress through the story. The ability to attack anyone and steal any car cemented GTA‘s iconic sandbox formula centered on a life of crime.
Welcome to Liberty City – GTA Goes 3D in Groundbreaking Sequel
While innovative for its time, it was GTA III in 2001 that redefined open world games and singlehandedly established most sandbox design tropes still used today. Propelling the franchise into 3D graphics was no easy feat – series creator Sam Houser said adapting their top-down formula into a fully 3D living world was “one of the biggest technological challenges of all time”.
Developed for the technologically advanced PlayStation 2, GTA III immersed players in Liberty City with fully 3D graphics, physics-based driving mechanics, a day-night cycle, diverse pedestrian AI routines, and unprecedented freedom to explore at will.
Assignments from various unsavory underworld figures move the story as protagonist Claude rises up the ranks of organized crime. However, players could choose to go on chaotic rampages for hours ignoring the narrative. Its living, breathing world full of emergent gameplay cemented GTA‘s signature style. Environment artist Gary Mcadam perfectly encapsulated Rockstar‘s approach: “The mission is not always about getting from A to B; it‘s what happens along the way.”
Upon release, GTA III achieved near universal critical acclaim for revolutionizing gaming with its open world design and darkly comedic tone. Let‘s see how reviewers and players received this breakthrough title:
| Publication | Score | Reviewer Quote |
|---|---|---|
| IGN | 10/10 | "After playing Grand Theft Auto III, we can safely say that life as we know it has changed" |
| Gamespot | 9.6/10 | "It‘s hard to think of a game that offers more than Grand Theft Auto III" |
| Edge Magazine | 10/10 | "A luscious, sprawling epic…the pinnacle of DMA Design‘s considerable powers" |
| Metacritic | 97/100 | "GTA III is, quite simply, an incredible experience that shouldn‘t be missed by anyone mature enough to handle its violent, destructive world and themes" |
It also ignited controversy that would follow the series when moral guardians objected to glorifying crime and violence. But with over 17.5 million copies sold to date, GTA III stands as one of the most important and successful games ever made.
Vice City and San Andreas Raise the Bar for Open Worlds
Riding sky-high sales and acclaim for GTA III, Rockstar delivered two mindblowing successors that still stand among the best open world games ever made.
Vice City (2002) brought the GTA formula to a Miami-inspired setting in the 1980s overflowing with neon, cocaine, and Scarface inspiration. Fixes Trading Claude for wisecracking mobster Tommy Vercetti, the game delivered an engaging narrative equal to its free-roaming action.
The phenomenal soundtrack featuring Licensed ‘80s hits like Billie Jean and Too Late for Goodbyes perfectly complemented the flashy coke-fueled atmosphere.
Later in 2004, GTA San Andreas transported players to the sprawling state of San Andreas with its cities of Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas inspired by LA, San Francisco and Las Vegas respectively.
Voiced protagonist Carl “CJ” Johnson returns home only to get wrapped up in his former gang activities. The RPG-inspired gameplay let CJ customize vehicles, clothes, tattoos and even haircuts and bulk up physiques with gyms. The massive map filled with forests, small towns, deserts and landmarks remains breathtaking even today for its sheer scope and attention to detail that makes it feel alive.
Developer Leslie Benzies described the team‘s aspirations: "We wanted to have a game that would offer many hours of play for all sorts of different people…something for people who enjoy getting to the end, but also a sandbox for those who want to spend their time hitting pedestrians, driving cars and flying planes.”
With gameplay enhancements, compelling stories, unforgettable characters and worlds pushing hardware limitations, Vice City and San Andreas simply offered unprecedented immersion and freedom cementing themselves as not just beloved GTA titles but some of the greatest games ever made.
GTA IV Brings Liberty City to Next-Gen Consoles
By 2008, the seventh console generation brought heightened expectations for realism and detail to open world games. GTA IV met these challenges head-on to deliver the most accurate representation of urban life in the franchise so far.
Longtime fans returned to Liberty City, this time modeled closely after New York City across four of its boroughs. Niko Bellic is a Eastern European veteran hoping for a fresh start, only to get manipulated by his wealthy Libertonian cousin into criminal activity. Shooting mechanics improved with cover usage and aiming precision while advanced physics governed everything from environmental damage to the crumple zone deformation of cars. Pedestrian dialogue expanded dramatically and public transport like subways were fully usable to increase immersion. A complex morality system kept track of the often difficult player choices.
At over $100 million including marketing, GTA IV was the most expensive game ever developed at that point. Upon launch, it received universal acclaim as a technical masterpiece advancing open world design with unparalleled player freedom and attention to detail paired with a complex, serious narrative representing an evolution from earlier GTA storylines. It stands not just as one of the best entries in the franchise, but one of the greatest games of all time.
Among critics and fans, GTA IV is revered as a landmark open world game of its era:
| Publication | Score | Reviewer Quote |
|---|---|---|
| IGN | 10/10 | "You really can‘t ask for much more than this" |
| Gamespot | 10/10 | "Liberty City is an astounding achievement" |
| Destructoid | 10/10 | "An absolute masterpiece" |
| Eurogamer | 10/10 | "It is the cluttered, intoxicating, occasionally maddening NYC that provides GTA IV‘s backdrop that is the real star" |
GTA V Smashes Records with Largest Open World Yet
As of today, 2013‘s GTA V is the latest and most sophisticated entry in the legendary franchise. It swapped single playable protagonists for three intertwined perspectives – Michael, a retired bank robber in witness protection; Franklin, an ambitious gang member seeking status and wealth; and most controversially, Trevor, a violent career criminal and drug addict representing GTA’s signature depraved chaos in maximum overdrive.
The sprawling world depicting Los Santos and its countryside remains Rockstar’s largest open world creation. Lavish attention to detail fills the expansive map representing the pinnacle of urban simulation in games. Players experience Los Santos through the lens of its amusingly vapid celebrity-obsessed culture. Customization returned even stronger with multiple options for weapons, cars, clothes and more for all three characters.
GTA V stretches gameplay possibilities to their limits with ambitious multi-stage heist missions involving careful preparations like getting security plans, choice of crew and escape routes that transform standard missions into engaging narratives. Seamless multiplayer integration makes playing with friends easy and fun rather than cumbersome as in past games.
Upon release, GTA V received unanimous perfect review scores with praise centered on its technical achievements, gameplay diversity and immense scale. Within three days, it smashed seven Guinness World Records including fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion and highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours.
Over five years later, GTA V continues to receive free updates leading to record sales crossing 170 million copies worldwide –cementing its status as the most financially successful single media product ever released.
In the eyes of reviewers and fans, GTA V represents the current pinnacle of open world gaming:
| Publication | Score | Reviewer Quote |
|---|---|---|
| IGN | 10/10 | "GTA V is not only a preposterously enjoyable video game, but also scintillating satire and formidable cultural criticism" |
| Gamespot | 10/10 | "No other world in video games comes close to this in size or scope" |
| Polygon | 10/10 | "One of the most amazing feats of game design and technical wizardry ever accomplished" |
| Destructoid | 10/10 | "A crowning achievement in the sandbox genre" |
Controversies and Influence Through the Years
Beyond commercial success, the GTA series has garnered controversy and discussion around violence and explicit content. As gritty crime dramas, the games naturally depict adult themes like drugs, gang wars, heists, profanity and sex while allowing antagonistic choices.
Moral guardians have criticized glorifying illegal behaviors, depicting violence against women and racial stereotyping. GTA is no stranger to publicized criticism from attorney Jack Thompson to organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
In 2005, attorney Jack Thompson targeted Take Two and Rockstar games with a $246 million lawsuit on behalf of two shooting victims families alleging the games caused the violence. Of course, his case was eventually dismissed and disbarred for misconduct.
In 2003, there was so much outrage over perceived cop-killing in Vice City that Rockstar removed the feature. Of course, Rockstar never backed down from their commitment to creative freedom. Co-founder and GTA creator Sam Houser said, “We’ve always tried to be authentic, as opposed to being deliberately controversial. We try to make what we think is cool.”
Beyond public outcries, GTA’s tremendous legacy resides in evolving open world design across the entire industry. Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser explained their design approach:
"With each new title, we saw more opportunity to create living worlds with boundaries that expanded beyond what we had previously done…we all share the belief that making a game as immersive and as fun as possible should always sit above any debate about games as art or entertainment."
Secrets, Speedruns and Modding Galore
With such a rabid cult following behind Grand Theft Auto spanning over 20 years, fans have poured insane amounts of time investigating, breaking and enhancing these iconic games in fascinating ways.
Myths and Legends: All GTA games contain intriguing mysteries, myths and Easter eggs hidden across their maps. Dedicated communities have extensively hunted curiosities like the ghost ship ufo of GTA V, the ratman of GTA 4, or the serial killer mystery in GTA San Andreas. Strange occurrences, creepy sounds and clues of supernatural occurrences persist in these games thanks to clever work from mischievous developers.
Speedrunning: Players compete to complete GTA games as fast as humanly possible, pulling off ridiculous feats of skill and optimization. Thanks to exploitable glitches, all main GTA titles have been beaten in under 30 minutes! The current world records for fastest completion stands at an incredible 24 minutes for GTA 3, 14 minutes for Vice City and 26 minutes for San Andreas.
Mods: PC releases of Grand Theft Auto have exploded with mods enhancing every aspect – from graphics/textures to new weapons, custom cars, missions, gameplay logic changes and even entirely new cities! Popular mods like Multi Theft Auto created fully customizable online multiplayer experiences pre-dating GTA Online.
Scintillating Satire That Resonates Through Generations
Few franchises can boast the cultural footprint of Grand Theft Auto across its 25-year reign atop the gaming world. As the pioneering behemoth of open worlds and complex interactive storytelling paired with signature satirical humor, GTA will undoubtedly remain an iconic high watermark for gaming blockbusters.
