Grand Theft Auto Retrospective

UGO has provided for us a brilliant look at the Grand Theft Auto series and how it changed the gaming industry.

They look at the aspirations of the series - from the original top down version and how it moved forward with the PS2 hit GTA3. The article also looks at the controversy of the series, even the portable versions such as the GBC Grand Theft Auto. There's a brief look at what's coming next, but nothing too speculative!

Reading the section on GTA 2 reminded me that it was of course released on the Dreamcast as well as the PC. This led me to think - what if GTA3 would have been released on the Dreamcast first? Yes the machine was categorically dead by this point - but if times were different and the game had hit the DC before its dying days, (say around the time of Shenmue and MSR) would we be in a completely different world now? If the game had NOT come out on the PS2 AT ALL would Sony have had its bullish success, and even more would we be playing on a new Sega console right now? Speculation is fun, but unfortunately the real world beckons.

Vice City would have to be my fave of the series. Being a great lover of the 80's probably influences this choice, but the game took a step in the right direction with the addictive style of gameplay becoming more advanced and more missions that continued the interest of the story. Looking back, the game also represents a certain time in my life and also reminds me of the incredible success a young kevin and I had selling pre orders to every single man in Bournemouth, we broke records and flooded our basement.

I had more difficulty getting into San Andreas, and have no massive interest in Liberty City Stories at the moment at least. Hopefully a Vice City stories is in development and we shall be back in the safety of the 80's wonderland very soon.