GTA III is a much better game than GTA V

[Nappy]

aint you a genius ronald. we’re also telling the facts, such as what Gta was before V and Online

[AlexGRFan97]

On 2/9/2020 at 6:12 PM, iiCriminnaaL 49 said:

Despite the fact that the topic compares GTA III with GTA V, I wasn't doing so in my reply. I was simply replying to your point by saying that people don't bash GTA V only for being the last title in the series, but they actually have valid complaints in which not all of them can be considered subjective.

 

About cops A.I., I can see that there're a few threads which were created by people who thought that GTA IV's cops are overly aggressive, but I've seen far more people saying that they're less aggressive than in the predecessors, and I agree. An example of being less aggressive than in GTA V as well is that their main priority is to arrest criminals (whether NPCs or the player with one wanted level star), and not to shoot at them. Not to mention that they shoot less accurately than in GTA V, whereas they hardly miss a shot in the latter.

 

As for humor, every GTA title got its fair share of "colorful" set of characters, but that's not my point. GTA V, just like The Ballad of Gay Tony, and Vice City Stories to some extent, feels like it tries too hard to a mix the crime game it's supposed to be with a comedy show of its own, where every character throws some cheesy jokes here and there just to appear funny. Even the potentially most serious moments in the story were ruined by the over exaggerated humor, such as Trevor finding out the truth about Brad in Bury The Hatchet, where the Triads suddenly get involved and think that the former is sexually "really close" to Micheal, or Micheal being almost defeated by a Merryweaher goon in his house in Meltdown, before Jimmy "bludgeons" the latter to save Micheal.

I was linking it back in to the OP's argument that III > V. During that time I thought of another thing that III did undeniably do better; efficiency. 915 MB gives you the full game. Another gig or 2 on top of that nets you a total HD conversion. Whereas V, even at launch, came with a hideously large 65 GB hard drive tax which has since ballooned well into the triple digits with each consecutive update and the godawful RGL. With just a handful of mods V can easily surpass 200 GB, which is insane for any game. You can download the first eleven seasons of Simpsons in lossless, uncompressed DVD quality for around the same storage space. That's 90 hours of quality entertainment.

 

The police have grown more aggressive and omniscient since IV, I don't think it's possible to deny that since you'll get a star even when it's plainly obvious there is not even an insect for the next square mile, and you can get killed with a laser-precision headshot seconds after stealing a getaway ride. But a flawed contraption requires a flawed design, and what R* did was take the worst aspects of IV's police AI and amplify them. On their own they're harmless, but once you were blocked in they were like a group of vicious monkeys in a confined space. You'd be shot to pieces in microseconds. And then there's the obnoxious "we know where you are but let's pretend the AI doesn't" behavior where no matter how out of your way you go to try and escape, there will always be a cop car heading your way. At least in the 3D games the cops would always spawn near you whenever you had a star rating.

Regardless, many of the problems in V were merely pre-existing problems from IV which were exacerbated. IV has many flaws, as does SA, but time has been kind and less people tend to talk about them. That, and the well-established modding communities for the pair of them have fixed many of these flaws. It will be a while before the same can be said for V.

 

I think the problem with the game's seriousness can be attributed to the increasing cinema-esque style that GTA employs. The 3D era definitely felt more like a television series as I've stated in the past. There would be arcs, but they wouldn't interrupt the story as much as they do in V. You'd get tossed into the countryside following Smoke/Ryder's betrayal, but you can always go back to Grove Street as though nothing ever happened. You could take a vacation from the story and check out some other things in the meantime until you were ready to take on the next part of the storyline. Only the missions keep you in the country, yet you are free to return to LS and roam whenever you please. Whereas in V, there are arbitrary points in the game where it becomes impossible to do something, and from having finally mustered up the effort to beat V last year, it was almost impossible to tell when this would happen. Certain missions where you commit several egregious acts would have little consequence, whereas others completely disabled the ability to play as a particular character for a short while. It became a game of timing the assassinations throughout the story to net me enough millions that I could max out the (very limited) garage facilities of each character, obtain every weapon I desired and to buy a couple of businesses, all the while making sure each character could collect their earnings. Worst aspect of character switching was the lack of control over the situation they'd be in. Launching Trevor into a 2-star pursuit, over which you had no bearing, meant you couldn't switch back, and you had to ditch the cops quickly else your profit would fall. And since reloading would reset the stock value, it had to be done in one attempt.

 

As for the change in style, there is one game franchise you can pin the blame on; Saint's Row. Whilst IV took the GTA franchise in a grittier, darker direction, people wanted the less realistic conventions of the 3D era to continue, and Saint's Row was there ready and waiting for disappointed fans to give their game a try. There was a point where many people acknowledged SR as a better successor to the 3D era of GTA games than IV. And then SR disappeared off the face of the Earth, so R* started to cater to the audience who otherwise had nothing to play. So now we have bullsh*t cannons that kill everyone in a server, military broomsticks and a crapload of mini-stories which would do much better compiled into a James Bond-style spinoff. And it is largely SR's fault. Firstly for existing and secondly for disappearing. Without SR, R* would never have felt the need to regress from the evolution they made with IV, and V would have followed the earlier game a lot more closely as a result.

 

On 2/9/2020 at 9:17 PM, Payne said:

aint you a genius ronald. we’re also telling the facts, such as what Gta was before V and Online

 

"Facts"

You like to use that word a lot. I do not think it means what you think it means. It means concrete, objective evidence that proves something over an opposing stance. That a Bugatti Veyron is better than a Range Rover in a straight line, and that a Range Rover is immeasurably better off-road than a Veyron. That Jamón ibérico is superior quality ham to the processed meats you find in a corner store delicatessen. Matter of fact I could create a whole essay on all of IV's faults, come to the conclusion that it's somehow a bad game, and state these issues as "facts", and I wouldn't be any more correct than you are.

 

Not that I'd blame you; there are very few metrics in which you can objectively measure if something is better than something else:

• Review scores are so tightly knit that you really can't make an argument for any title in the franchise being better than any other.
• Commercially, the later titles eclipse previous efforts by several-fold. But then people spend billions on the Avengers franchise every year, and that isn't exactly high cinema.
• Awards? You can make up an award for anything, doesn't mean your product is any good. Take Chevrolet and JD Power for example.

Now if we were talking about content, V has everything beat by a galaxy. For every feature they took out, they added 5 more. But that again does not mean every addition is equal value to every subtraction. The radio stations go on for much longer, but doesn't mean they play "better" music. The characters and their vehicles can be fully customized down to the last centimetre, doesn't negate the awful handling flags and the one-dimensional portrayals of many of those characters.

[Nappy]

On 2/9/2020 at 6:49 PM, Payne said:

An example in V is “The Paleto Score”. That mission tells you to get in the bank...you’re in the bank...You hear the character wheel sound which means you can switch to trevor in the rest of the gameplay...But as soon as you do it the game tells you to switch back to Mike then there is a stupid cutscene that starts before you even move another step...It’s like game saying “You heard The character wheel’s sound which means you’ll be able play as whoever you want in this robbery, but actually you won’t because there is no gameplay. You just gotta switch back to Mike and watch our well made Cutscenes with super amazing Graphics. Yes this is our new design choise with our super well designed open world action crime game.”

This is a fact, you can’t use character wheel in that part of the game other than what the game tells you to use it for. And due to this fact, something else that i’ll dislike exists. This was what i was trying to say. Not like im saying “Trevor is a bad gta character and it’s a fact”. You asked how we think III had advantages over V, then i answered with both facts and my opinions.

[jaylen pizarro]

yes

Edited April 9, 2020 by jaylen pizarro

[Lioshenka]

 

On 2/9/2020 at 4:46 PM, AlexGRFan97 said:

That Franklin is, but Claude is the definition of underdeveloped. We don't know who he is, we don't know what he sounds like, we don't know his interests, we don't even know his motives other than revenge over a scorned lover.

I remember a while ago in the general chat section of these forums people talked about how happy they are, and whether wealth will buy happiness. And a forum member from Mexico said the following, which made quite a big impression on me: "Here in Mexico we may not earn as much as people in New York. We may work as builders, farmers, drivers. But at the end of the day we all go back to our houses, we see our families, we go to see the neighbours, we meet up and have meals together, sing songs and celebrate. We are happy and blessed to have this style of life, and I wouldn't exchange it for any amount of money".

 

Why did I bring this up? Well, because just like that, modern graphics and a well-written background story don't necessary mean the game is better. Yes, Claude may be a mute person with no backstory, but ask anyone whether they enojyed GTA3 and have fond memories of playing it - and the chances are the vast majority of people will say yes. Ask them the same about GTA 5, and the majority will say "Meh".

 

Claude may be undeveloped by the GTA 5 standards, but it made for a better gaming experience, compared to an elaborate 1000-page story of Michael, Trevor and Franklin.

[ChengizVlad09]

@AlexGRFan97

 

Even though I disagree with you in the premise " GTA III vs. GTA V " and which one is better, mainly because it is based on technical superiority, I have to say that your analogies are not only well thought, but there is a significant amount of truth to them. It might be really hard to find an objective, measurable reasons, factors and proofs that suggest some game is better than the other, but despite its technical inferiority according to audio-visual, animation, game engine, creative and all sorts of other reliable criteria, I think there are at least semi-objective reasons that could suggest at least, that GTA III is ultimately a better game indeed. As a matter of fact, technical superiority can be misleading in that sense.

 

Let me try to picture the situation. I seriously think that 3DU games are the peak and golden age of Grand Theft Auto franchise and I don't mean that in any 'nostalgic' way. What is the specific merit, the quantifiable way that makes GTA III better than GTA V, freed out of any nostalgic, biased, subjective appendices? It is undoubtedly the " fun factor ".  Sadly, to regard something as 'fun' could be a matter of taste, it often times is, but I will try to break it down as contrary to that, as more objective factor with with a flexible example. Let's take the Wanted System and Police/Fib/Army chasing and compare them head to head. That has to be one of the most important parts of any GTA game, it's the free-roam gameplay mode that's hardwired to the nature and very core of the franchise. Sure, sometimes it seems like secondary, but even then, its significance doesn't get depleted, it just waiting to be harnessed. I could add more than one example, but I don't want to bother too much with reading and above all else, I really want to be on point with this stuff.

 

GTA V:

(Pros)

Tons of different cop peds, better animations, great details in their appearance makeing them life-like, more sophisticated method of searching for the player with logic and rules behind locked regions of pursuit. These are obvious advantages that will every next GTA have at their disposal and more or less, every next iteration will be like that. Ability to see where the authorities are on the map.

(Cons)

Sadly, just like any GTA, after almost 23 years of existence, it suffers from the same negligence of its creator in this regard. For example, spawning police in the middle of nowhere as soon as we trigger it by doing crime, or in the case of V even simply by standing next to a cop - which is a sort of downgrade compared to every previous GTA. Automatic Aim. Their ability to constantly make perfect shots no matter how far you are, or how well you are hidden, or despite that you are zigzagging in a car going 100 kmph. They connect regardless. Maybe just to add, when we hide, in the region they are searching for us, they will inevitably know where we are and are always coming straight at us, despite looking like they are clueless.

 

GTA III:

(Pros)

Of course, none of the above ones in GTA V.

(Cons)

Some of the same ones compared to V. Like the most boring thing of them knowing we committed a crime in the middle of nowhere. Cancer of the gameplay department of any GTA, that metastasized on RDR as well.

 

I think for now, everything said above is pretty much going hand to hand with what you said and the analogies you used to accurately describe the situation if I understood it well.

Now comes the 'fun factor' I was talking about and why I think GTA III is overall a better game, looking through the lenses of this one example which for me at least, connects to other parts of the game in the same fashion and follows the same logic and path. Put it simply, thrill of the chase. GTA III converted its shortcomings - like that one where the police is spawning randomly around you when the chase is initiated - tad bit different from the one they know where you are at at all times. Ramming your car without any delay or pardon, coming mindlessly from all sides and angles just to f' you up and send you flying. Vigorously attempting to incapacitate you or flatten you out in most simplistic, but ruthless manners. Seeing 3 or 4 FIB cars behind you is the most adrenaline inducing action, only seen in 3DU games. Their speed is unmatched. Once you see those 12 agents slamming their doors behind them, taking nearest cover, you literally have couple of seconds to vacant the nearest premise since they will give you that much after which they will mercilessly open fire whipping you from the face of the earth. It is still a balanced move and a nice touch not to give them auto-aim, I mean you don't stand that much chance in the open anyways, but it isn't demeaning like in V and it looks so awesome and cinematic. Hearing their gun fire, seeing all those bullets hitting everything around you, is heart pumping action every single time, as if you are seeing it for the very first. Maybe it doesn't seem like much - sure as hell it doesn't last long - but that right there, should be the heart and soul of the franchise. The starting point when creating the gameplay elements. Thrill, surprises, action, a bit of challenge, simply put, fun and with tons of replayability. Comparing that to the chases in V, they always seem like something you don't want to experience, some sort of a grind, or tedious task or a chore of sorts.

 

If I may use one analogy myself, GTA V, just like GTA IV more or less, is a million dollar super car with 600 horse power beneath the hood. Once you see that car you think it's the greatest car ever. But, once you take a ride, you almost instantly realize it cannot go beyond 200 kmph. All the gadgets, all the technology all those HP, are wasted somewhere. It always falls short. Once you enter not so impressive old timer muscle car with roughly 200 horse power, such as GTA III you don't expect too much out of it. But it starts to roar and off you go to to hit 250. That's the difference I think. It is quite subtle, but it's there. It's like finding your 4 speed ratio car has an additional gear. There is always a bit more than it initially meets the eye, at the first glance with 3DU games. That's what makes it a bit more fun, surprising and interesting than HDU, that's what makes it better.

 

Just a glimpse of how awesome FIB is in GTA III.

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by ChengizVlad09

[El Penguin Bobo]

I'll have to kindly disagree. While GTA III is a very great game, it really hasn't aged well....at all. 

[Nappy]

Well, even i say this. Gta III’s gameplay is currently not so good. Altho i’ll take it over V’s because i won’t fail the mission for changing my way to the safehouse.

[Algonquin Assassin]

4 hours ago, El Penguin Bobo said:

I'll have to kindly disagree. While GTA III is a very great game, it really hasn't aged well....at all. 

I have GTA III above GTA V in my favourite GTA list mostly because I like the setting, atmosphere, tone etc a bit more than GTA V and its simplicity is charming.

 

However GTA V is easier to pick up and play and get into. I guess another way of putting it I like them both for different reasons.

[Earthbound]

For me, GTA3 is my favourite simply because of nostalgia. If I hadn't played it back on '01 I probably wouldn't be so fond of it. GTA5 is, from a technical point of view, far superior.

If I fire up GTA3 though, it's the sights and sounds that transport me to 2001. Simpler times and all that, and that's why it's my favourite.

[pariah87]

You can't compare the two. Different times and different games.

GTA III is a timeless classic in my eyes. I can't play it today, but my feeling towards it are very high and fond.

[iiCriminnaaL]

1 hour ago, SonOfLiberty said:

I have GTA III above GTA V in my favourite GTA list mostly because I like the setting, atmosphere, tone etc a bit more than GTA V and its simplicity is charming.

 

However GTA V is easier to pick up and play and get into. I guess another way of putting it I like them both for different reasons.

Replacing GTA V with San Andreas - exactly my thoughts.

[Sombra]

On 4/3/2020 at 1:27 AM, Lioshenka said:

 

I remember a while ago in the general chat section of these forums people talked about how happy they are, and whether wealth will buy happiness. And a forum member from Mexico said the following, which made quite a big impression on me: "Here in Mexico we may not earn as much as people in New York. We may work as builders, farmers, drivers. But at the end of the day we all go back to our houses, we see our families, we go to see the neighbours, we meet up and have meals together, sing songs and celebrate. We are happy and blessed to have this style of life, and I wouldn't exchange it for any amount of money".

 

Why did I bring this up? Well, because just like that, modern graphics and a well-written background story don't necessary mean the game is better. Yes, Claude may be a mute person with no backstory, but ask anyone whether they enojyed GTA3 and have fond memories of playing it - and the chances are the vast majority of people will say yes. Ask them the same about GTA 5, and the majority will say "Meh".

 

Claude may be undeveloped by the GTA 5 standards, but it made for a better gaming experience, compared to an elaborate 1000-page story of Michael, Trevor and Franklin.

 

I'll play devils advocate and say could those fond memories not be partly attributed to sheer nostalgia? Bit of an apples to oranges scenario comparing fond memories of a game from 2001 to one from 2013. For reference, I was playing GTA3 around 03/04 so I would've been around 8/9 years old, and at 24 I have fond memories of it. I'm sure if in a few years you asked the kids who grew up on V if they have fond memories of it chances are they will say yes to that.

[Americana]

Grand Theft Auto III is a game more realistic when it comes to location, characters, vehicles and plot... so... yeah. Grand Theft Auto III is much better than Grand Theft Auto V. 

 

Damn, I would say Grand Theft Auto 1 is much better than Grand Theft Auto V, when it comes to these aspects.

 

Quote

I remember a while ago in the general chat section of these forums people talked about how happy they are, and whether wealth will buy happiness. And a forum member from Mexico said the following, which made quite a big impression on me: "Here in Mexico we may not earn as much as people in New York. We may work as builders, farmers, drivers. But at the end of the day we all go back to our houses, we see our families, we go to see the neighbours, we meet up and have meals together, sing songs and celebrate. We are happy and blessed to have this style of life, and I wouldn't exchange it for any amount of money".

 

Damn, it's easy to say such crap when you live in a country run by drug lords.

 

---

Edited April 4, 2020 by Ronald Reagan

[gtafaninwest]

GTA III has that vibe that's more tense, less satirical, and straight forward. That's what I like about the game. It beats V any day.

[eyeballs]

GTA 3 is a classic game but i think you guys are blinded by nostalgia...

[Niobium]

if i had to choose between playing III and V, i would rather play V. III feels a bit dated for me...

 

however, one good thing i can say about III is that it's not nearly as restricted as V. in GTA V you cannot pull out a gun in your own house, and you insta-fail missions for doing something slightly different. III has none of that

[Lioshenka]

On 4/4/2020 at 10:28 AM, Blaze said:

I'll play devils advocate and say could those fond memories not be partly attributed to sheer nostalgia? Bit of an apples to oranges scenario comparing fond memories of a game from 2001 to one from 2013. For reference, I was playing GTA3 around 03/04 so I would've been around 8/9 years old, and at 24 I have fond memories of it. I'm sure if in a few years you asked the kids who grew up on V if they have fond memories of it chances are they will say yes to that.

Don't know. It'll be interesting to come back to this thread once/if GTA 6 is released to see how opinions have changed.

 

On topic: I've been playing GTA 3 for the past 2 weeks, and I instantly remembered what a great game it is. As much as I am a GTA SA fan, I can't understand why so many great features were cut from the follow up games. Steam rising from the manholes, 3d vents and shop fronts, extraction fans blowing steam, people listening to walkmen, music blasting from the flats etc.

 

Anyway, GTA 3 is a game I can just pop in and play. It's captivating, it offers a surprisingly huge amount of content, it's not overly complicated or difficult. And then there is GTA 5. I have a genuine need to play GTA 5 because I want to pass it 100%, I can't however bring myself to launching it because not only it is boring empty shell offering little choice of fun activities, but it will also probably ask you to log in twice, then verify the integrity of the game, then pull a 4.5Gb up-date before even letting you load a save.

 

I mean, I see people who like GTA 5, and I can even to some extend see why they do it, but I so envy them for being able to do it - something which I can't fathom to do.

[Nappy]

I’m not bothered by Gta III’s missions tbh. They feel original and great. Even more free than Gta IV’s maybe.

[god speed]

I love the mission freedom in GTA III, there are so many ways you can kill Salvatore for example. GTA V is just mostly following the same routine I did the last time.

GTA III also had better bike physics.

[iiCriminnaaL]

47 minutes ago, perennial said:

GTA III also had better bike physics.

Still the best bike physics in the series, as well as the helicopter handling. Swimming was also adorable.

[Algonquin Assassin]

2 hours ago, iiCriminnaaL 49 said:

Still the best bike physics in the series, as well as the helicopter handling. Swimming was also adorable.

How about the bailing out physics or the ability to move the camera 360 degrees in a car? Amazing.

 

[Limefong]

Eh, I don't think you can compare 2 games that are 12 years apart, GTA III hasn't aged that well but whatever, I agree. III is 100 times better than V. infact every GTA game is. let alone Online.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Limefong

[TheSantader25]

You can't objectively compare two games that are 12 years apart but judging the games based on their release dates I'd say yes, III was the better game. However I had more fun playing V myself but that's another story. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by TheSantader25
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