The current logo used since GTA3.
Grand Theft Auto, or GTA, is a long-running series of videogames, published by Rockstar Games and developed by subsidiary companies owned by them. There are currently seven games in the series, with a further two expansion packs for the original, and two more games due for release in 2006 and 2007 respectively.
There has been a massive amount of controversy over this series, which peaked with the discovery of some removed sex scenes in San Andreas. The Hot Coffee mod and subsequent uproar gave Rockstar Games a huge amount of press attention.
The Games
Individual games in the series can be categorised into different 'eras', depending on the number after Grand Theft Auto and/or the graphics engine used.
Grand Theft Auto era
In this era we see the original game, and the subsequent two expansion packs featuring missions in 1960's London.
- Grand Theft Auto (1997), available for the PlayStation, PC and Game Boy Color. Features the cities of Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas.
- Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (1999), an expansion pack, available for the PlayStation and PC.
- Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 (1999), a further exapansion to London 1969, available only as a free download for the PC.
Grand Theft Auto 2 era
This era contained just GTA2, which featured an improved graphics engine and a different style of gameplay.
- Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999), available for the PlayStation, PC, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Color. The game is set in completely fictional Anywhere City in the near future around the year 2013.
Grand Theft Auto III era
This era featured the first blockbuster GTA title, Grand Theft Auto III, and brought with a new third person perespective.
- Grand Theft Auto III (2001), set in a fictional Liberty City, based upon the real life New York City. Multiplayer game mode was lost, but other areas were much improved, namely the graphics, voice acting, storyline with non-linear gameplay.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), set in Vice City, a city based on real life Miami. This sequel to GTA3 is technically a prequel (set in 1986) to the game, and to GTA: San Andreas, which was released after Vice City.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), set in the state of San Andreas, featured three cities, Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas, based on Los Angeles, San Fransisco and Las Vegas respectively. The game is set in 1992, making it a sequel to GTA: Vice City, and prequel to GTA3. The game featured a lot more customisation options, for both player and vehicles, and caused controversy when sex games were revealed in the games code on both the console and PC versions (see Hot Coffee).
- Grand Theft Auto Advance (2004), what was originally supposed to be a cut-down port of GTAIII for the Game Boy Advance, turned out to be a completely original game, set a year before GTAIII, in a slightly changed Liberty City.
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005), a prequel set in Liberty City, 1998. Originally for the PlayStation Portable, a PS2 port was released in June 2006.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006), announced on May 10th during E3, is based in Vice City, 1984, two years before the original, featuring Lance Vance's brother Vic as the protagonist. It will be released in October 2006 for the PSP.
Grand Theft Auto IV era
Announced during E3 2006, nothing is known about GTA IV or any further sequels, except that it will feature Rockstar's new RAGE engine, recently used in Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis.
- Grand Theft Auto IV - No details other than the game engine have been released at this time.
See also: Modifications, Fan Fiction
External Links
Official sites
- Grand Theft Auto official site
- Free download of GTA and GTA2 at Rockstar Classics
- GTA1
- GTA: London
- GTA2
- GTA III
- GTA: Vice City
- GTA: San Andreas
- GTA Advance
- GTA: Liberty City Stories
- GTA: Vice City Stories
- GTA4