Things GTA-Like games did better than actual GTA.

[KingAJ032304]

Hopefully the title screen is common sense

 

Saints Row (1 and 2):

-Ragdolls in cars and PROPER car solids that matches the interior well

-Storing food and drugs in your inventory

-Different animation for aiming to running and gunning

-Homies getting their own car and driving to follow you

-NPCs picking up guns of the ground

-Picking up stuff in general

- Cruise Control

-Homies using melee weapons when brawling and using guns when shooting

-Safecracking and better robberies

-Gun safe

-Keeping vehicles

-Drive thrues

-Better restaurant diversity/interiors

 

Mafia (1-3):

-Stealth system ACTUALLY being usefull

 

Watch Dogs (1 and 2):

-Police enforcers coming with HEAVY armor

-A proper taser

-Laser Sniper during high wanted levels

-NPCs using grenades and molotovs during high wanted/gang notoriety 

-better restaurants and stores

 

I'll try coming up with some later but I wanna here y'all!

Edited December 3, 2019 by KingAJ032304

[DOUGL4S1]

I really loved how in Saints Row: The Third, when you ran a car over with a tank, the car wouldn't immediatelly explode, you would actually flatten the car or part of it. Tank rampages were so satisfying because of it.

 

Also, Driver Parallel Lines had a pretty great damage model, better than the 3D era GTA games (granted it came out in the end of that era, but still).

[KingAJ032304]

2 hours ago, DOUGL4S1 said:

I really loved how in Saints Row: The Third, when you ran a car over with a tank, the car wouldn't immediatelly explode, you would actually flatten the car or part of it. Tank rampages were so satisfying because of it.

 

Also, Driver Parallel Lines had a pretty great damage model, better than the 3D era GTA games (granted it came out in the end of that era, but still).

Oh YEAH! I forgot in saints row 1 and 2 the bulldozers and semi trucks ACTUALLY flatten cars and I remember seeing a video in real life of a bulldozer flattening a car then compared it to GTA 5 where it just went over it or exploded and I was like "Come on! Even Saints Row 1 had that!"

[god speed]

Mafia 1:
-Cars that you steal and leave somewhere will never despawn during that gameplay session.
-Weapons that are dropped will not be despawned either by time.
-Object that can be broken in the open world like fire hydrants and lamp posts will not be restored to previous state if you leave the area and return it later.

Mafia had an impressive car deformation model for its time as well, and this was a 2002 title.

[universetwisters]

Both Watch dogs games did a great job scaling down cities while still making them fun to play in. Chicago & San Francisco look a lot more

realistically laid out than Liberty City and Los Santos in the HD eras, quite possibly more alive even.

 

Also while not technically a gta competitor, LA Noire did a good job at giving the player the option if they wanted to do their own driving or if they wanted their partner to drive for them 

[Standard Deluxe 59]

The ps2 era Driver games did crash damage modelling miles better than the GTAs of that same era. 

[.Ryan.]

Scarface: The World Is Yours.

 

-Toni could customise the inside of his mansion. Actually this cold be applied to the Saints Row games too. I'm surprised that we're this far into the series and despite an array of customisation options we haven't been able to stylise our own safehouses.. In Scarface it was mostly cosmetic things, but it was still a nice way to spend the in game money and to make it feel more personal. Way ahead of Vice City and San Andreas.

 

-Being able to launder money.

 

-Cop heat and gang heat. I thought this was a neat idea. Cop heat affected the interest rates at banks and gang heat affected the price of cocaine distribution. 

 

God I wish this game would get remastered. It's one of my favourite movie tie in games of all time and as much as I love Vice City this game bettered it in so many ways. 

[Evil empire]

Total overdose:

 

The fighting mechanics largely overcome all those I've ever seen in the GTA's and all the other games as well.

You can pick up a car, bail out of it with while rolling, make a complete turn on yourself and shoot an enemy in the head at touching range.

You can jump against a wall beside of you and while the wall remains on your side shoot up to 6 enemies in the head before your feet touch the ground.

You can have an enemy running behind you with a melee weapon, jump against the wall in front of you, make a complete turn on yourself and shoot the attacker in the head.

 

These are just examples.

 

Total overdose also allows to explode the enemies corpses using Molotov cocktails or explosives, you can also do it when you hit someone using a vehicle.

 

Saints Row 2 has a lot of advantages compared to 3 VC & SA, I don't have the complete list:

-you can pick up your territories and business income through a safechest in every crib, which is more credible than an official bank account

-you can become immune to the falls through a parachute mini-game

-instead of these boring and repetitive back-and-forth rides to the hospital you play the paramedic job by saving people in the streets through heart massaging and electroshock minigames which is largely more enjoyable

-you don't need to be beside of your target to make a drive-by shooting, instead you just need to aim the target using the crosshair even if it's totally behind you

-you don't need to toggle to the subjective view and rely on a very imprecise and crappy square crosshair to shoot warheads using a helicopter, like with the drive-bys all you need to do is use the normal crosshair to lock your target no matter its position compared to you

-you can grab people, use them as human shields and throw them away

-you can replay all of the scenario missions, like in Total overdose

Edited December 4, 2019 by Evil empire

[LowTierDude]

i liked how the there were opening and closing times in the stores in saints row 1, and how sales for certain stores were actually advertised in the in game radio stations. it made the game feel very dynamic and alive.the store hold-ups and break-ins were also very fun, much more fun than GTA V's mediocre system

 

the customisation in the first two saints row games were also very good, with different layers of clothing and different ways of wearing said clothing. i dont know why it wasnt adapted in future instalments. imagine a system like that for your protagonist in gta online, there would be less griefers and more photobombers

 

and yeah, the ability to buy music for your mp3 player in game.

Edited December 4, 2019 by DownInTheHole

[El Penguin Bobo]

Sleeping Dogs: Melee combat in general. Rockstar never really ACTUALLY nailed it until RDR2. IV and VCS was good but Sleeping Dogs took it to a whole another level. You throw people into objects, pick up environmental stuff as weapons, and you can even learn new moves.

[Lioshenka]

Mafia 2: unbeatable the best and most realistic atmosphere. Not sure if it could be achieved in a GTA due to the demand on human and computing resources, but it completely blew me off my feet the moment I saw the trailer. Up to this moment I don't think I ever was feeling more gay (in the proper, era-fitting meaning of this word) and giddy while playing a computer game. There was one moment when you helped a lady start her car, the feeling of a cold nippy morning was done absolutely marvelously there.

 

Just look at this festive awesomeness:

 

 

[KingAJ032304]

I liked

3 hours ago, DownInTheHole said:

i liked how the there were opening and closing times in the stores in saints row 1, and how sales for certain stores were actually advertised in the in game radio stations. it made the game feel very dynamic and alive.the store hold-ups and break-ins were also very fun, much more fun than GTA V's mediocre system

 

the customisation in the first two saints row games were also very good, with different layers of clothing and different ways of wearing said clothing. i dont know why it wasnt adapted in future instalments. imagine a system like that for your protagonist in gta online, there would be less griefers and more photobombers

 

and yeah, the ability to buy music for your mp3 player in game.

Oh yeah and I forgot that you could actually call the numbers on the side of taxis and even call different taxi companies 

In terms of atmosphere, immersion, and world interaction I always felt like Saints Row 1 did it better than any other gta like game (and better than any other Saints Row till date) until GTA IV. (I also feel Saints Row 1 has EASILY the best characters, story, and background compared to any other Saints Row game)

[universetwisters]

4 hours ago, Lioshenka said:

Just look at this festive awesomeness:

 

 

 

It's a real shame you cherrypicked prerelease renders because comparing those to the actual winter ingame make the ingame winter look dead af

[Americana]

Yeah, even though Mafia II looks very good.

 

When it comes to Mafia... Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven did everything better than any 3D Grand Theft Auto game. Mafia II would be amazing had it not been rushed, or whatever happened in the development process. They ruined their game. Only Grand Theft Auto IV beats that game in my book.

 

I don't know what Mafia III is, but it's most certainly poo.

 

---

Edited December 4, 2019 by Ronald Reagan

[KingAJ032304]

Saints Row:

The ability to pick up one time of gun and replace it BUT STILL BE ABLE TO REPLACE THAT NEW ONE WITH YOUR PREVIOUS GUN! Why was that so hard to implement Rockstar?

Edited December 4, 2019 by KingAJ032304

[Lioshenka]

6 hours ago, universetwisters said:

It's a real shame you cherrypicked prerelease renders because comparing those to the actual winter ingame make the ingame winter look dead af

Nah, the real game was still miles better than GTA in terms of the atmosphere.

[universetwisters]

2 minutes ago, Lioshenka said:

Nah, the real game was still miles better than GTA in terms of the atmosphere.

 

I dunno man, if you’re crazy about the 50s then yea I can see what you come from but to the average Joe, it’s on par, if not more bland than gta 

[god speed]

Mafia 1 had a manual gearbox option as well. I don't recall seeing that feature in many other games of the genre.

[.Ryan.]

10 hours ago, Lioshenka said:

Mafia 2: unbeatable the best and most realistic atmosphere. Not sure if it could be achieved in a GTA due to the demand on human and computing resources, but it completely blew me off my feet the moment I saw the trailer. Up to this moment I don't think I ever was feeling more gay (in the proper, era-fitting meaning of this word) and giddy while playing a computer game. There was one moment when you helped a lady start her car, the feeling of a cold nippy morning was done absolutely marvelously there.

 

Just look at this festive awesomeness:

 

 

Hey look I finally agree with you on something for once.

 

Although these are renders I agree that even in game Mafia II has a wonderful atmosphere. I love at the start when Vito comes backs and it's snowing and when he goes back to his momma's house you can hear "Mr Sandman" being played and see people doing different things like sweeping and such. And also WW2 bombers flying overhead. It captures the 1940s/1950s meticulously.

 

I don't know why it ever got average reviews. I know the game had a bunch of cut content, but that doesn't mean the game itself is bad. I prefer it to its mediocre sequel personally.

[Evil empire]

You can save anytime anywhere as long as you're not doing a scripted activity in Saints row 2.

Saints row 2 offers a lot of original and funny side-activities you don't find in the GTA's like Septic avenger, Train Blazing, Crowd control or Mayhem https://saintsrow.fandom.com/wiki/Activities_and_Diversions_in_Saints_Row_2

 

You can replay all the missions and side-missions through the options menu in Total overdose.

In Total overdose you aren't always stuck in the city. Most part of the scenario missions take you outside like in a desert ranch, a luxurious mansion surrounded by the sea, a jungle military base or the DEA's building for example.

[god speed]

17 minutes ago, Evil empire said:

You can save anytime anywhere as long as you're not doing a scripted activity in Saints row 2.

You can do that in GTA V as well, and you are not teleported to the nearest safehouse when you load the save. You can also replay missions.

Yeah, I know from earlier posts that you haven't played HD era games, but I'd suggest you to play them if you have the chance. If you're on PC, you can bring the 3D era fun back with the right mods while keeping the refined HD era game mechanics.

Sorry for going off-topic.

Edited December 6, 2019 by perennial

[Evil empire]

5 hours ago, perennial said:

Sorry for going off-topic.

Don't be sorry, you don't have any reason to.

 

In Saints row 2 when you're in the water you can teleport on the ground just by pressing a button.

In Saints row 2 you just need to press a button to flip your vehicle on its wheels, as long as you're not in a scripted activity.

[KingAJ032304]

20 minutes ago, Evil empire said:

Don't be sorry, you don't have any reason to.

 

In Saints row 2 when you're in the water you can teleport on the ground just by pressing a button.

In Saints row 2 you just need to press a button to flip your vehicle on its wheels, as long as you're not in a scripted activity.

Honestly these are two features I don't ever want in GTA.

[Lock n' Stock]

Driver: Multiple cities, more realistic driving, and the ability to edit and save replays many years before IV on PC introduced it.

 

Saints Row: Where do I start? The ability to create and heavily customise your own character, different storylines for different gangs, phoning up friends for backup, using people as human shields, saving as many vehicles as you want, and a bunch of other stuff that's too much to mention. Saints Row 2 is the king of GTA clones in my personal view, that even outdoes GTA in some ways.

 

Scarface: The World is Yours: The empire-building system was nicely done, and the shooting mechanics were better than GTA games were at the time. The ability to travel to islands and play a mixtape of tracks is welcome additon as well.

 

Sleeping Dogs: Advanced fighting system, including the ability to throw people into deadly traps and put them in the trunk of your car. I was very pissed off that GTA V didn't have the latter, especially when Trevor himself refers to doing it several times.

 

Good idea for a topic. 

Edited December 30, 2019 by Lock n' Stock

[Zello]

Saints Row 1-2

 

Drive thru

MP3 player that you could listen to music anywhere even on foot

Customization beats any GTA game

Human Shields

Garage system while unrealistic I liked that I could keep any car in there

 

Watch Dogs 1-2

 

Aiden putting his hands in his pockets was a small nice touch in WD1

Interiors for restaurants since they were missing in V

NPCs are more alive especially in WD2

[Copcaller]

Saints row

You can go to the record shop and buy songs for a custom radio station

Discounts being advertised on radio plus opening and closing times with a fence minigame

Mp3 so you can play music on foot gta has smartphones and we still can't do this 

Human shields

 Best car customization

Cruise control

 

Scarface the word is yours

The wanted level system which is why gta 4 uses it

The ability to store weapons in the trunk of your car

Ability to dismember individual parts with the chainsaw

Ped interaction Tony has a conversation with each type of ped even rival gangsters. You could also hit o and Tony will think out loud

 

Mafia series

Wanted level response cops will respond quick in white areas but slow in poor black areas in mafia 3

Story

Driving 

Environment and map

[Evil empire]

You can access your garage in Saints row 2 from every crib. You can store up to 64 vehicles inside and when you take a vehicle you don't need to bring it back so you can use it again.

 

Saints row 2's garage is 1000 times better than in the GTA's.

Edited December 8, 2019 by Evil empire

[Kalashnikov1947]

True Crime series:

• You can shoot-dodge and the game will go into slow-motion, à la Max Payne. (Hold down Jump in SOLA, press Jump twice in NYC) In New York City, the slow motion is an upgrade you need to buy.
• You can use enemies as human shields.
• In Streets of LA, you can continue if you fail a mission. The intro cutscenes for the next mission will play out differently and sometimes it can lead you to alternative missions or routes.
• In Streets of LA, you can dual wield weapons, not just pistols and SMGs but also assault rifles and shotguns.
• You could do drive-by shootings from the front and back, as opposed to having to shoot sideways, pre-dating GTA 4 and 5's drive-by shooting mechanic.
• The hand-to-hand combat system, especially with the combos in SOLA.
• In New York City you can choose any music you want to play while in a vehicle.
• New York City has the ability to store weapons in the trunk of your car.

Edited May 7 by Kalashnikov1947

[Hellion]

The police in Driver: Parallel Lines blows away any GTA game's police

[Exsanguination]

9 hours ago, Panzermann11 said:

True Crime series:

• You can shoot-dodge in both games and the game will go into slow-motion, à la Max Payne. In New York City, the slow motion is an upgrade you need to buy.
• You can use enemies as human shields.
• In Streets of LA, you can dual wield any firearm, including assault rifles and shotguns.
• In Streets of LA, you can mostly continue if you fail a mission. The intro cutscenes will play out differently and sometime it can lead you to alternative missions or routes.
• The fighting system, especially with the combos in SOLA. NYC has various fighting styles you can choose such as taekwondo and karate.
• In New York City you can choose any music you want to play.
• New York City has the ability to store weapons in the trunk of your car.

The True Crime games are very underrated IMO, wish the series would’ve continued on.