Grand Theft Auto Trilogy

[hitandmiss]

I have a couple of questions relating to the main GTA III series of game, namely Vice City, San Andreas and III. Now I love Vice City, primarily because of the wide array of 80s music as I play out a sandbox version of Miami Vice. On the surface the graphical engines the 3 games are nearly identical. Here are my questions: How does III or San Andreas measure up against Vice City? Will I be doing the same things for the most part or will I be treated to a really unique experiences in the other 2 games? Can someone who has say, done 80-100% of all 3 games give me some insights on the similarities and discrepancies across these 3 games?

 

I realize this is more a compare and contrast type of discussion I've just proposed but I do not really know which of the forum sections this should go because well, I cannot find a "GTA cross series discussion" segment. Kindly feel free to move this to a more appropriate location if applicable.

Edited February 21, 2007 by hitandmiss

[fareed]

The hidden package thing is same in the 3 gta's except it got more complicated and a bit modified in GTASA.

 

The missions in most of gta have similar base like racing stealing killing etc.

 

GTASA has got biggest map and VC is on second and last is GTA3.

 

These three games are co related with each other like the appearance of Claude(GTA3 guy) in GTASA and of don salvatore too, also Ken Rosenberg and kent paul from GTAVC are in SA too and in one mission Ken calls carl Tommy.

The story of every Game starts from Liberty City

GTA3: The game occurs in LC

GTAVC: Tommy COmes from LC to VC

GTASA: Carl comes after five years from LC

and was working with Joey(Don Salvatore's son who owns a garage and in GTA3 we get missions from him)

2 types of taxis(cabbie and taxi) are in all the three GTA's

 

Some vehicles are same in all the three.

 

side missions like Vigilant(cops) Medic, and taxi common in all the three GTA's

 

swimming is aonly possible in GTASA and not VC and GTA3.

 

Save houses are also common in The Three GTA's except that get better as the GTA advances for eg, in gta3 savehouses are fixed and we cant even see 2 of thems interiors.

In VC we can buy and can access the interiors of few and in GTASA we can access all of the save houses and it has many of them for us to buy.

 

Thats all i remember atm.

[hitandmiss]

In that case would it fair to say Vice City and San Andreas are basically larger and better expansion packs of GTA III? Is it also acceptable to recommend to a new player to just play San Andreas since it is the definitive version of GTA to date?

[omega_c]

Possibly, but I really recommend getting VC... It totally rocks.

[Spuds725]

I played VC first and loved it... about 6 months before SA came out, I bought III and played it to 100%--- I loved it too although I missed not having motorcycles and helis in III-- the radio wasn't as good also...but the mission play was the same (great just different)..

 

I may have had my hopes up too high, but SA was a bit of a disapointment-- the mission play was excellent though (except for "Lifes a beach"-- you will see why if you play)--the story was kind of weak-- although the side missions in SA were good-- I never understood CJ's motivation and why he just didn't take care of the "Ten Penny" problem at the start of the game--- I did love some of SA's features but some irritated... like being able to mod cars, but not use them in street races (other then the 2 mission races)

 

If I were you I would play all the GTA IIIs (including Liberty city stories and vice city stories) before playing SA---only because you will get a bit spoiled being able to swim in SA and the game features sort of progress up to SA--

 

In short... all the GTAs have good and bad parts... each is unique in and of itself--- the mission variance is different in each game although you will see some similarities here and there... they do contribute to each games story and have the trademark Rockstar "humor"-- IMO you will find each entertaining in its own way -- although I cannot comment on VCS as its not out on PS2 for another 2 weeks...

 

I played in the following order...

 

VC, III, SA, LCS, and VCS next month and still enjoyed each game-- I'm sure I will like VCS....

[soydog2]

hey dude from what spuds said u should play gtaIII,lcs,VC,vcs,sa beacuse in vcs you can swim but u cant dive .Aluthough in sa u can swim and dive

 

[Vito Leone]

I actually followed the gta order.

 

I bought gta1 and gta2 together. Then bought GTA3 in july 02. Then Vice in October 29th 02, then SA. I've yet to get LCS, or VCS tho.

 

Vice is still my love. Check my GFX.

 

[paperclip]

yes you must play gta 3 its the best one in my opinion.and vice city is awsome too.

[brucewayne909]

My personal favorite is San Andreas for obvious reasons. However, no video game has ever gave me that amazing feeling that Vice City gives me when I play it.

 

 

[MattyDienhoff]

 

Here are my questions: How does III or San Andreas measure up against Vice City? Will I be doing the same things for the most part or will I be treated to a really unique experiences in the other 2 games? Can someone who has say, done 80-100% of all 3 games give me some insights on the similarities and discrepancies across these 3 games?

 

I realize this is more a compare and contrast type of discussion I've just proposed but I do not really know which of the forum sections this should go because well, I cannot find a "GTA cross series discussion" segment. Kindly feel free to move this to a more appropriate location if applicable.

Hmm. I'll do my best. I'll start with GTA3.

 

GTA3

 

In GTA3, you play Claude Speed. There is no character development or customisation, and Claude wears the same outfit (black jacket and khaki pants) throughout the whole game. He's just your avatar. The story is very straightforward, but nonetheless pretty compelling. You're betrayed and left for dead, you make your way back up until you're strong enough to get your revenge. Playing GTA3's missions is a pretty unique experience, even after having played Vice City. (And I should know, I played Vice City then 3)

 

Many of the GTA3 Trilogy's mainstays are introduced here. Cars like the Manana, Sentinel, Banshee... The basic sub-missions. Ambulance, Vigilante, Taxi Driver and Firefighter.

 

Money is much less important than in the later games. It's very easy to obtain (you get $1500 for completing your first mission, which simply involves driving to a hospital, picking up a prostitute and driving her back to a club), and once you've accumulated your fortune, there's very little to do with it besides buying guns and ammo, respraying cars and paying hospital bills and police bribes (to get out of hospital and jail respectively).

 

Overall, the mechanics of the gameplay in GTA3 are very similar to Vice City, just a bit simpler, it's the atmosphere that makes it very different. Liberty City is a very hard and cold city where the weather is mostly rain and fog. With petty crime and seedy neighbourhoods filled with brothels and back alleys. In my opinion, the atmosphere in Portland Island alone makes GTA3 worth playing.

 

GTA Vice City

 

I think Vice City is best described as GTA3, but bigger and brighter with more of just about everything. All the mainstay gameplay elements of GTA3 are there, but with additions. More cars, more weapons, more side missions, more stuff to do and things to buy with your money. If you're the lowly thug tearing the city up in his quest for revenge in GTA3, you're the seasoned criminal who wants it all in Vice City. In GTA3 you controlled Claude who was just your vehicle for destruction. But in Vice City your character actually has character. Tommy Vercetti, the Mafia man with a bad attitude, just out of prison. Vice City was where the series picked up much of it's cinematic style and well-known music for it's soundtracks. Vice City is where GTA started making heavy use of real-life music. In GTA3 a sizeable chunk of the music was original.

 

The main gameplay additions in Vice City were...

-More kinds of vehicles. Specifically motorbikes, helicopters and the seaplane. Boats also play a larger part than in GTA3, where they're only really used occaisionally.

-Buyable assets and safehouses. (In GTA3, a safehouse is simply provided for you in each borough of the city as you unlock it.)

-More side missions.

 

GTA San Andreas

 

Personally, I think San Andreas works wonderfully to finish up the trilogy. From the start to the end, you go from lowly-thug Claude Speed getting revenge in the cold dark Liberty City, to determined criminal Tommy Vercetti building his empire in the sunny decadence of Vice City, to gang-banger turned jack-of-all-trades Carl Johnson rebuilding his family and gang and making a lot of money while he's at it in the huge state of San Andreas.

 

There are a lot of differences between GTA:SA and the other two games. The health and armor displays change from numbers to horizontal bars that extend as your stats change. The traditional rampages are gone, in their place are two-player "pony farms" (absent in the PC version). The hidden packages idea is taken a step further. With four types of hidden packages. Gang tags in Los Santos, photo opportunities in San Fierro, horseshoes in Las Venturas, and oysters in the waterways around the state. The melee fighting system is a bit different and more sophisticated. With block and combo moves. You can learn new methods of fighting from instructors at gyms. The game adds many athletic abilities. CJ can swim, climb obstacles, skydive, and take part in challenges and events of every kind.

 

GTA:SA adds a massive area, with three cities and countryside instead of just one city, and piled on the features. More guns, more vehicles, more side-missions... But, even with all the new additions (or perhaps because of them), I think GTA:SA is a little less... focused than the other games in the series. The story is well written but it tends to take back stage to the sheer volume of stuff to do. At least, that's how I see it.

 

Nevertheless, SA is a great game. And it certainly feels like the ultimate. You can fight a gang war, have a game of pool at the bar and dinner at Clucking Bell, and when you're done, go for a swim in the ocean. All in a days work.