Grand Theft Auto (GTA) revolutionized gaming when the controversial yet groundbreaking first title launched in 1997. Over 25 years later, the boundary-pushing open world series stands tall as one of the most successful franchises ever. Join me on a journey through GTA history spanning nearly two decades of technical innovation, envelope-pushing controversy and unmatched cultural influence.
Grand Theft Auto (1997) – Laying the Foundation
GTA erupted onto the scene at a pivotal time when 3D graphics and open world concepts were just emerging. The original game was developed by DMA Design and published by BMG Interactive for MS-DOS.
Key Features:
- 2D bird‘s eye view
- Open world set across 3 fictionalized cities
- Mix of driving and on-foot action
- Non-linear gameplay with freedom to explore
- Controversial adult content
This modest-looking but shockingly transgressive game allowed players to freely roam cities, hijack cars and unleash chaos while completing open-ended missions. It was a revelation at the time, even if its visuals look outdated now.
Selling over 1 million copies, GTA set the template for future games with its gritty crime storylines and unprecedented freedom. However, it also kickstarted lasting controversy around violence and ethics that persists today.
GTA London 1969 & GTA London 1961 (1999)
These expansion packs built on the original GTA foundation, immersing players in 60‘s London to experience its unique criminal underworld.
Highlights:
- New setting based on London gangster culture
- 30 new vehicles
- New weapons like petrol bombs
- Multiplayer support
While not vastly different from the first GTA, these Mission Packs added flavor by characterization British organized crime. Despite recycled graphics, fans ate up the chance to explore a new city with atypical weapons like bricks!
GTA 2 (1999) – Steps Toward 3D
The last GTA built strictly for PC, this sequel enhanced visuals but retained the classic top-down style before the series pivoted to 3D worlds.
Upgrades:
- Slightly improved 2D graphics
- Expanded arsenal of melee weapons
- Gang-themed missions
- Enhanced driving physics
GTA 2 doubled down on outrageous content, from its unabashed violence to letting players mercilessly mow down Hare Krishna followers. While divisive, it suggested the potential for GTA to impact culture.
GTA III (2001) – Entering the 3D Era
Selling over 17 million copies, GTA III stands as one of the most influential titles ever made. It single-handedly defined and popularized the "sandbox game" by unleashing players into its fully 3D city.
Revolutionary Leaps:
- First fully 3D GTA world
- Immersive open world design
- Wide critical acclaim
- Mainstream breakout
This was a watershed moment as GTA pivoted from niche 2D gameplay to almost photorealistic 3D worlds. It wasn‘t just technically pioneering – GTA III let people freely live out fantasies in a morally bankrupt city, forging an emotional connection through dark humor and anarchic fun.
Demand sparked ports to PlayStation 2 and Xbox, exposing new generations to this boundary-pushing revolution.
GTA: Vice City (2002) – Finding its Voice
Capitalizing on III‘s formula, Vice City transported players into the neon-bathed 80‘s underworld of Vice City – GTA‘s take on Miami.
Headlining Features:
- Faithful 1980s aesthetic from music to fashion
- All-star celebrity voice cast
- Intricate plotline with movie references
- Massive success making over $20 million in one day!
Vice City demonstrated Rockstar‘s ambition through meticulously constructed period worlds filled with nuance. Its stylistic excess coupled with an audacious cocaine-fueled tale fused with Scarface references showcased GTA‘s potential as interactive art.
Having now charmed both players and critics, GTA‘s controversy transformed into cultural cachet.
GTA Advance (2004) – Handheld Debut
This oft-forgotten entry brought GTA to Game Boy Advance, squeezing the expansive experience onto portable hardware.
Highlights:
- Custom top-down perspective tailored to GBA
- Liberty City setting from GTA III
- 60 story-driven missions
- Designed for shorter gameplay bursts
Lure was understandably limited compared to console offerings, but it was an admirable effort that preserved surprisingly much given technical constraints. GTA proved itself flexible across platforms.
GTA: San Andreas (2004) – Scaling New Heights
Bursting at the seams with content and customization, San Andreas took the series stratospheric becoming the best-selling PS2 game ever with over 27 million copies sold.
Key Ingredients Behind its Triumph:
- Sprawling state with 3 massive cities
- RPG-inspired character customization
- Far deeper gameplay than predecessors
- Celebrity voice talent like Samuel L. Jackson
- Controversy over adult content that fueled its notoriety
San Andreas let people exist within this world to an unprecedented degree, whether customizing CJ‘s clothes or beefing up his muscles and skills. Its sheer scale and packed gameplay variety made the term "sandbox" feel inadequate.
Topping charts for years proved GTA had seized mainstream attention despite lingering controversy.
GTA Liberty City Stories (2005) & Vice City Stories (2006)
These portable prequels built on rich GTA lore by spotlighting existing fan-favorite cities with interlinking narratives for PSP.
Packing Punch for PSP:
- Liberty City from GTA III
- Vice City from its eponymous game
- 3D open worlds that retained fidelity
- Interweaving plots with personalities from the core series
Fans ate up chances to revisit their beloved cities. These entries maintained impressive technical benchmarks given the PSP‘s limitations compared to PS2. Most importantly, they continued building GTA‘s lore between major releases.
GTA IV (2008) – A CryEngine Powered Comeback
After a 4-year gap, GTA roared back onto consoles with this Xbox 360/PS3 smash hit. Lauded as a technical masterpiece, it sold an astonishing 25 million copies fast.
Jaw-Dropping Leap Forward:
- Powered by new CryEngine technology
- Tallest skyscrapers and longest draw distance in any open world game
- Euphoria engine enabling lifelike character animations
- Multi-faceted protagonist Niko Bellic
- Compelling story weaving themes of the American Dream
GTA IV showcased undisputed graphical supremacy with unprecedented scale and detail paired with sophisticated new A.I. systems. This imagining of life in fictional Liberty City reached new emotional heights for the franchise, securing its place in the artistic conversation.
GTA Episodes from Liberty City (2009)
These Liberty City expansions added texture rather than scope by offering fresh perspectives from other criminals.
Approach:
- Standalone episodes not requiring GTA IV
- Foreground additional personalities like biker Johnny Klebitz
- Integrate Liberty City‘s world with new multiplayer modes
Rather than always controlling GTA‘s main protagonists, these entries developed Liberty City further by shifting focus onto supporting characters within its shared universe.
GTA Chinatown Wars (2009) – Retooling PSP Vision
Bringing GTA back to Nintendo platforms for the first time since Game Boy Advance, Chinatown Wars tailored its City to the DS while delighting critics.
Highlights:
- Liberty City with graphics reimagined for DS
- Touchscreen minigames utilizing DS features
- Drug-dealing side activities
- High scores for its inventiveness
Chinatown Wars proved once again that GTA could translate to any platform by completely revamping its visual style and integrating oft-forgotten DS functionality like the touchscreen and microphone.
GTA V (2013) & Online – Setting New Benchmarks
At this point, GTA‘s stature had swelled larger than life coming off a restless 4-year hiatus. Grand Theft Auto V exceeded stratospheric expectations, smashing 7 industry records to become entertainment‘s biggest ever launch.
By the Numbers:
- $800 million in 24 hours
- 115 million copies shipped
- $6 billion revenue
- Metascore of 97 tying GTA IV
GTA V eclipsed practically all media launches in history, second only to blockbusters like Harry Potter or Star Wars films. Its masterful single-player campaign delivers taut thrills while slyly coverin societal woes.
However, its defining achievement is Online – a constantly evolving platform that‘s welcomed over a billion players to live out virtual fantasies while propelling GTA‘s profits towards $10 billion total and counting!
Analyzing GTA‘s exhaustive library reveals a franchise continuously redefining itself through unparalleled ambition. Leveraging cutting-edge technology paired with fearless creative vision, GTA has birthed expansive worlds housing endless emergent experiences.
Its secret sauce mixes polish with deliberate controversy, irreverent humor masking incisive cultural commentary, and most importantly – pure chaotic interactive fun with no limits.
25 years since hijacking gamers and zeitgeists worldwide, GTA‘s audacity and influence shows no signs of stopping thanks to the bulletproof blueprint laid by these exceptional early entries.
