Almost seven years after the release of GTA V, there is still no trace of the sixth installment. Judging by its sales, it is normal for Rockstar Games to want to further maximize its profits. The figures, of course, do not leave anyone indifferent: since 2013, the video game has sold a whopping 130 million copies. And to everyone's surprise, the Epic Games Store gave away the Grand Theft Auto V Premium Editon . The result? The store fell in the first hours and a whole long line of people wanting to claim their free video game. To this day, the work of the also creators of the Red Dead Redemption saga (whose first installment turns 10 years old) continues to work at the top of its lungs, much helped by GTA Online.
But a saga with more than five main installments behind it has a good story behind it. GTA was born before being under the Rockstar Games umbrella, at a time when the studio was a developer named DMA Design Limited . Although later known as Rockstar North, those responsible for the Lemmings operated with that original name from the second half of the 1980s until 2001, when Grand Theft Auto III was released and the studio was renamed within the Rockstar Games label. Back in the past, this bestselling franchise was hatched as a two-dimensional game for the first PlayStation. David Jones is its original creator alongside Mike Dailly, although brothers Sam and Dan Houser have been the architects of evolving the series over the years.
Since its first installment, GTA has not only been synonymous with quality, but also with controversy. The funny thing is that Mike Dailly acknowledged in an interview with The Sunday Times that part of the campaign was built by the study itself to generate controversy. They hired Max Clifford, a PR who knew how to create a story around the product. "Max Clifford made it happen," he reveals in the interview. “He designed all that noise, which ensured that MPs came to the fore. He did anything to keep the profile high. " As confirmed, he told them the plan and even how the people who were targeted by the campaign would react. "All the words he said came true." In any case, he says, they did not execute their plan merely because it caused controversy: “We did everything from the perspective of what would be the most fun. It naturally pushed us in the darkest direction. ”
The editorial staff of MeriStation and many of its collaborators have gathered their votes to determine which are the best titles in the franchise. Although there has been some division of opinions, the vote count has certified the Top 10. The platforms in brackets indicate the original systems (or those that received it a few months later). Other additional machines are marked on the body.
10. GTA II (PSX, PC, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color)
MeriStation Analysis
Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, was in charge of the script for Grand Thef Auto II, a DMA Design production that continued under the baton of David Jones . It was released in 1999 for PlayStation and PC, while a year later it was published on Dreamcast and Game Boy Color. It should be noted that the version for the Nintendo laptop showed significant changes compared to the other versions and was developed by another study, Tarantula (now known as Rockstar Lincoln). It was precisely this that took the worst criticism, despite the fact that neither version received the laurels of the press in general.
It is a video game that continues to delve into the original formula. That is to say, we handle a young criminal throughout the city. However, the study implemented some important new features, such as the possibility of saving the game during the levels (in the church, and with the requirement of having to pay with a specific number of points). Furthermore, they added union quests, allowing players to gain the respect of gangster leaders. The fictional city transports us this time to a futuristic metropolis full of dangers, something that has never been lacking in Grand Theft Auto.
9. GTA (PSX, PC, Game Boy Color)
MeriStation Analysis
The city from above. This is what the original Grand Theft Auto looked like, a video game designed for PlayStation, Game Boy Color and PC. It was released in 1997 (the Nintendo console version took two more years to arrive). Its particularity is the zenith view , an aspect that changed from GTA III, when the saga moved to three dimensions. In an article published by Gamasutra, Dave Jones states that it took about 30 months to complete production, although they had initially planned to complete development in 18 months. "It was a difficult game to develop as it had an incredible depth of compound interactions." According to Jones, all the mechanics they introduced had to be tested in case they affected another part of the game. Testing was also a nightmare, as there were many ways for the player to complete missions and create chaos within the world. ”
Katy, Nikki, Ulrika, Bubba, Divine, Kivlov, Troy and Travis are the main characters that the user can select at the beginning of the adventure. However, regardless of the character chosen, its appearance is the same (it is even possible to change the name). The GTA bases were established from this original project, that is, the freedom of action and the possibility of driving a vehicle through the city and participating in shootings and other criminal acts. The three cities in which it takes place are Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas, all of which are well known to fans of the franchise.
8. GTA: London 1969 (PSX, PC)
MeriStation Analysis
More than a new video game, it was an expansion of the original title, so it used the same graphics engine and the same bases as the first installment. It was developed by Rockstar Canada, with the participation of Dan Houser as writer and producer. It went on sale in 1999 for PlayStation and PC, and while it did not receive critical acclaim, it did earn a prestigious BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award . An unusual peculiarity in these times, is that the developer published a mission pack in digital format just a few months after its launch. It was Grand Theft Auto: London 1961.
As the title suggests, the narrative of the video game is set in 1969. Unlike the rest of the titles, the adventure takes place in London, so players can enjoy some iconic locations in the British city. We embody one of the 8 criminals who will conquer the city with its 30 new vehicles over 36 missions.
7. GTA: Chinatown Wars (Nintendo DS, PSP, iOS, and Android)
MeriStation Analysis
Since the time of DMA Design, the Scottish studio has worked with portable versions of its video games. In the case of GTA: Chinatown Wars, the idea was to return to the zenith plane of the first games, although with a graphic style in Cell-Shading. Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North focused their attention on the portable platforms of the moment. Thus, between 2009 and 2010, the title was released on systems such as Nintendo DS, PSP or iOS and Android mobile terminals.
The history of Chinatown Wars begins, for a change, with a murder, that of Huang Lee's father. The new protagonist is up to his neck in the triad war , the Chinese mafia. Your task will be to bring an old relic to Uncle Kenny. This sword is a precious commodity for gangsters, so you will need to fulfill its mission if you want your family to continue to function as the catalyst that unites all Chinese criminal gangs. However, nothing is simple in the world of crime. After being robbed and left for dead, he will travel to Liberty City with revenge and the desire for wealth as a flag
6. GTA Liberty City Stories
MeriStation Analysis
PSP was a console that strayed from the philosophy of its direct competitor, Nintendo DS. The machine was conceived as a laptop with video games in the style of its older sister, PlayStation 2. For this reason, many of the great sagas of the Sony desktop system saw the light in PlayStation Portable: God of War, Final Fantasy, Resistance and Grand Theft Auto, among many others, were called to race on the console circuits. While Chinatown Wars offered a more classic approach, with Liberty City Stories the concept of desktop to portable video games was transferred . And it was done with great success, to the point that it has sneaked into our Top 10. Rockstar North and Rockstar Leeds were responsible for this project, published in October 2005. Later it was adapted to PlayStation 2 and mobile devices.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories works as a story prequel to Grand Theft Auto III. Thus, the protagonist of the adventure is an old acquaintance from the third installment, Toni Cipriani. After a few years of absence, the gangster returns to the city of Liberty City to regain his position and respect within the Leone Family. It will not be easy, since the patriarch has placed Vincenzo Cilli in the most trustworthy position.
5. GTA III (PlayStation 2, Xbox)
MeriStation Analysis
Grand Theft Auto III was a turning point for the series and for the study. DMA Design was in the process of being reconverted after the departure of David Jones and several financial operations, which culminated in the purchase of the company by Rockstar Games (Take-Two Interactive subsidiary). At the time, the studio was also physically relocated, renamed Rockstar North, to Edinburgh. In an interview with GameSpot, Houser himself explains that it was a difficult moment , because some developers thought that the project would never work. In fact, the resounding success caught them by surprise: "You never expect that level of success," he confesses in the interview with GameSpot. The truth is that Grand Theft Auto III was a revolution within the sandbox genre. Although his move to three dimensions did not remove the bases of his formula (cars, shots, freedom), it did redefine the way in which all those elements fit in the renewed gameplay. It was released in 2001 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Now it can also be played on mobile devices, PC, etc.
The sordid world of crime is always present in the underworld of Liberty City. This alternative version of New York is the place where Claude Speed, protagonist of the video game, operates. At no time was it directly named, as the title chose a silent main character . It all starts with a bank robbery: Claude, Miguel and Catalina strike, but while fleeing the crime scene, the latter betrays our protagonist and shoots him without remorse. However, what Catherine is unaware of is that her assassination attempt has failed ...
4. GTA IV (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
MeriStation Analysis
Another great success for Rockstar Games. With more than 25 million units sold, the fourth installment of the saga premiered on the new consoles of the time, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was in 2008 when Rockstar North published the title, which months later was also marketed in compatible . In addition to the main storyline, which was expanded with two major single- player expansions - The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony - the studio introduced a multiplayer mode, now defunct in the Definitive Edition of Steam.
America, the land of opportunity, the country of the American dream, where anyone can supposedly forge their luck in freedom. And for freedom, Liberty City, one of the most common cities in the franchise. Niko Bellic thinks of new opportunities and travels to this impressive metropolis. Things, of course, do not go as planned, especially since his life intersects with that of characters like Johnny, who has a hard fight with other criminal gangs. Luis, gangster and assistant to Gay Tony, participates in an extremely delicate, almost crystal, balance of loyalties. Once the three roads meet, the results will be unpredictable, but all of them marked by violence and vice in a city that never sleeps.
3. GTA V (PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PC)
MeriStation Analysis
The generation of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was fortunate to enjoy two main video games in the saga, the fourth and fifth installment. All in all, GTA V went on sale just as the new consoles were about to be released. Often, intergenerational products suffer sales problems, but in the case of the Rockstar Games video game, nothing is further from reality. The company waited a full year to publish a version on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while the PC had to wait until April 2015. Since then, the product has not stopped selling , something that also has GTA Online to thank, the multiplayer aspect. Despite not starting off on the right foot, Rockstar managed to hit the key and built a mode so solvent and profitable that it made them forget about the history DLC for GTA V.
In Grand Theft Auto V, three very disparate characters come together : Franklin Clinton is a 25-year-old who "earns a living" as a street swindler. The profile of Trevor Phillips is that of a psychopathic drug addict with numerous criminal records. And if that were not enough, the third pillar of this motley tandem is completed by Michael de Santa, a former bank robber who is part of the IBF witness protection program. Due to a series of circumstances, the trio will carry out extremely risky blows in order to survive.
2. GTA: Vice City (PlayStation 2, Xbox One, PC)
MeriStation Analysis
In October 2022, the twentieth anniversary of another one of those installments will be celebrated, which left its mark on the rest of the series' productions. This is recalled by the art director of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in an interview published on the official website of Rockstar Games. In the words of Aaron Garbut, "in Vice City, there were many moments that just clicked." He cites several examples and remembers that they introduced helicopters and made them fly through the city sky [he refers to how they could be driven, because this type of vehicle had appeared before]. In addition, he was the first GTA to enable the change of clothes of the main character. The PlayStaton 2 version came first, but users of other systems were also able to play it, since both Xbox and PC received the game a year later. Today, it can be found on contemporary platforms, including mobile devices.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, by Rockstar North and Rockstar Vienna, is set in the 1980s. Its protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, worked until the early 1970s for the Forelli family. All in all, one of those days, the patriarch sends him to kill a man, but he is ambushed by 11 others, so he is forced to shoot them to death. That will mean a long sentence in prison. Once released from his sentence (15 years later), the man returns to Vice City with the intention of offering his services to Don Sonny Forelli and to regain his position in the mafia.
1. GTA: San Andreas (PlayStation 2)
MeriStation Analysis
The MeriStation newsroom has spoken. With a difference of about 20 votes with respect to the second classified, GTA: San Andreas is the title that rises to the first place in the Top 10 of the magazine. The game, developed by Rockstar North, was successful in both criticism and sales. It was also one more step in the saga, with very notable news. "We were tired of people saying, 'We can't swim,'" says Dan Houser in an old interview with Eurogamer. "If you fall off a bridge you will not drown, but this is not a swimming game," he stresses. Like other chapters of the series, at first it only came to PlayStation 2, although later it came out for many other systems, such as the PC and the most current machines.
No one said that life in Los Santos was easy. Carl Johnson knows this well, having fled that city (alternative version of Los Angeles) five years ago. He did so because the city was torn apart by gang rivalry, violence and incessant corruption. In its streets, drugs circulate at high speed and tragedy is chewed on every corner. It is precisely tragedy that forces Carl to return to his home. We are in the early 90s, the year in which the protagonist's mother was murdered. To make matters worse, both his friends and family have been reduced to nothing. But everything will get worse when two corrupt police officers frame him for a murder he did not commit. From then on, he will tour the state of San Andreas to help his family.
