Dragos142 Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 Which GTA games have the best writing or just badly written in general? Liberty City Executioner and Starbeth 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
String Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 (edited) I don't mean this in a rude way but your starting posts in your topics make me laugh for some reason. Best- GTA IV. A poignant story of betrayal, revenge and trying to fit in a foreign land, trying to make it big. Also very commendable how they weaved in the diamonds subplot and the connections made with TLaD and TBoGT, the IV era story as a while feels 'epic'. Not just the story but even things like the dialogue in friends/dates was great, the way Niko expands about life and such alongside his partner in such hangouts was always interesting to witness. The combination of humour and seriousness in and out of the story felt well balanced. Worst- GTA Vice City. Purely considering the story I think GTA III is the worst, not that III story is bad but i think others just improved. But GTA IIIs satire in the radio and ped dialogue felt funny whereas Vice City had it's moments (I liked VCPR a lot)but compared to the rest of the series the writing felt sort of bland in my opinion. Edited October 16, 2021 by Wayne Kerr olzhas1one, H-G, MrBreak16 and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071672875 Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowTierDude Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 Best: IV and its two DLCs. Worst: A tie between LCS and V. Lioness30, NightmanCometh96, H-G and 4 others 7 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071672894 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragos142 Posted October 16, 2021 Author Share Posted October 16, 2021 Best: GTA 4. Worst Advance, LCS and V. NightmanCometh96 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071672901 Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyGta Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 (edited) Best: IV Worst: V Edited October 16, 2021 by HeyGta .Ryan., Starbeth, Liberty City Executioner and 3 others 6 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071673369 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabaFamilias Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 From worst to best: GTA 3 - Very basic story: You got betrayed, work yourself from the bottom to the top, take revenge. The End. All the characters are one dimensional and cliché. Claude doesn't say anything, never feels anything and has no expressions. He doesn't really have backstory and feels more like your avatar than a character in a story. It baffles me, how many people don't rate this as the worst. I guess these basic disposable revenge stories stimulate the right senses of boys, that is why there are sooo many of them. GTA Vice City - Again basic revenge story, but now the protagonist actually talks and is more than just an avatar. Oh, and your best friend betrays you - adding some spice to the story. Yay. GTA San Andreas - Best one of the 3D era. Again a revenge story, but this time with multiple story lines and an actual surprising plot twist. CJ has more expressions than just being angry and putting a constant meany face (Vercetti). Most side characters have a back story and their characterization is more detailed than the previous two. GTA V - Best cinematography, character visualization and acting of all of them. My only problem with the story is that it gets rushed towards the second half (when you meet Steve Haines). The antagonist are forgettable and it feels to me that they couldn't finish the story in time or had to change some things because something happened behind the scenes. I would have ranked it as the best, if they had ended it better. GTA IV with all DLCs - The Draco subplot and especially the diamond subplot with its intertwining storyline of the DLCs is what really sold it for me and why I rank this as the best. Without these two, it's another revenge/betrayal story. None of them come even close to RDR 1 and 2. H-G, The Tracker, billiejoearmstrong8 and 4 others 7 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071673440 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwartzxz Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 I like when people criticize Vice City for having a poor story. shows you how much everything else is more important than the story itself. simple story is all you need. Starbeth, DJ Arrt, BilalKurd and 1 other 4 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071673500 Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Ryan. Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 (edited) Best: GTA IV. There’s a reason GTA IV always dominates the discussion when it comes to being the “best” at anything when it comes to the story. It’s sharp, sophisticated and confident with its ability like no other GTA came before or since. First story in a GTA game that felt like it could be meaningful without sacrificing that trademark R* touch. Worst: GTA V. Considering the high bar GTA IV set it just makes it worse IMO. There are glimpses here and there of potential greatness, but it’s consistently let down by poor pacing, poor character development and lack of a clear and concise direction. Granted there are stories like GTA III’s that are fairly simple, but since the 2D era barely had stories to tell GTA III looked/looks like The Godfather. With GTA V it already had elite company even outside of the GTA series and failed. That’s what I judge it by personally. Edited October 17, 2021 by MiamiViceCity1986 Lord Criminal, suicidehummer, Liberty City Executioner and 3 others 6 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071673878 Share on other sites More sharing options...
String Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 12 hours ago, Schwartzxz said: I like when people criticize Vice City for having a poor story. shows you how much everything else is more important than the story itself. simple story is all you need. Vice City may not have the best story but it's perhaps the best power fantasy in GTA, the way you take down Diaz and build your empire acquiring all those assets all over the city, and having the feeling of ruling the VC underworld by the end, only Vice City Stories provided a similar feeling. As an aside is interesting how the Vice City based GTAs both focused on building your criminal empire, whereas other GTAs were generally about gang/mob related stories, revenge stories and such. suicidehummer, H-G, Super Shizuku and 1 other 4 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071673918 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty City Executioner Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 Best: A tie between IV, EFLC, VC, and III. All of these games were organized crime revenge stories at their absolute finest. They also all had very great and memorable characters as well. Worst: A tie between V, Advance, and Online. Advance was literally the GTA that nobody asked for and its storyline was pretty dull. V made poor decision after poor decision. Online just shows the downfall of R* as a whole. Each heist has a terrible storyline that makes V’s look good by comparison. Bob Loblaw_, suicidehummer, H-G and 1 other 4 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071673984 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeansowaty Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Best: GTA IV Worst: GTA LCS The Tracker, Lord Criminal, NightmanCometh96 and 3 others 6 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071676481 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweepy0 Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 V is the most lazily written story IMO. I really didn't care about the characters. H-G, Liberty City Executioner, suicidehummer and 2 others 5 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071677945 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Muffins Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Best is between IV and SA. Worst is probably III. Sure, VC takes a ton of influence from Scarface but that's one of the coolest things about the game IMO. The whole empire aspect, taking VC piece by piece and protecting what you have worked so hard to obtain. 5 doesn't get enough credit for its story. IMO Michael is one of their best-written characters and I enjoyed the whole "past coming back to haunt you" thing they had going on. The weakest part was Franklin's gangbanger missions that had nothing to do with the main story and were just there as a bit of SA fanservice. I thought the rest of the story was decent. Not mind blowing or anything but certainly not bad. III has it's moments but it's incredibly simple and although I don't mind Claude being an emotionless, mute killer I would be lying if I said I didn't think he was the weakest protagonist in the modern games. The villains weren't that interesting either. Especially compared to those in SA and IV. Lioness30 and suicidehummer 1 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071736311 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BananaSpud666 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 (edited) Best: GTA IV, III, and TLAD Worst: GTA V, Online, and the whole 2D Era Edited November 28, 2021 by BananaSpud666 NightmanCometh96 and suicidehummer 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071736439 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafrocks Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 (edited) On 10/17/2021 at 2:14 AM, BabaFamilias said: From worst to best: GTA 3 - Very basic story: You got betrayed, work yourself from the bottom to the top, take revenge. The End. All the characters are one dimensional and cliché. Claude doesn't say anything, never feels anything and has no expressions. He doesn't really have backstory and feels more like your avatar than a character in a story. It baffles me, how many people don't rate this as the worst. I guess these basic disposable revenge stories stimulate the right senses of boys, that is why there are sooo many of them. GTA Vice City - Again basic revenge story, but now the protagonist actually talks and is more than just an avatar. Oh, and your best friend betrays you - adding some spice to the story. Yay. GTA San Andreas - Best one of the 3D era. Again a revenge story, but this time with multiple story lines and an actual surprising plot twist. CJ has more expressions than just being angry and putting a constant meany face (Vercetti). Most side characters have a back story and their characterization is more detailed than the previous two. GTA V - Best cinematography, character visualization and acting of all of them. My only problem with the story is that it gets rushed towards the second half (when you meet Steve Haines). The antagonist are forgettable and it feels to me that they couldn't finish the story in time or had to change some things because something happened behind the scenes. I would have ranked it as the best, if they had ended it better. GTA IV with all DLCs - The Draco subplot and especially the diamond subplot with its intertwining storyline of the DLCs is what really sold it for me and why I rank this as the best. And the music and the atmosphere of the holiday enhances everything, I have an essay as in examples from https://writix.com/essay-examples/a-christmas-carol about one of those occasions. Without these two, it's another revenge/betrayal story. None of them come even close to RDR 1 and 2. It's as if you wrote my opinion. The only thing I probably like is the way the storyline in part 5 goes and I would put it on par with part 4, but otherwise I completely agree with you. Edited August 31, 2022 by Cafrocks Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071938142 Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadrazo Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 Best: IV & The Lost & Dammed Worst: V & The Ballad of Gay Tony I don't think the 3D era games have good writing either but they fit with their gameplay so it's easy to overlook. Overall the games world lore is what makes gta special for me, the story it's just an extra. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071938232 Share on other sites More sharing options...
olzhas1one Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 I think Chinatown Wars has some geniunely bad writing, more so the dialogues. Some of it is so bad and honestly overly juvenile it feels just barely above Kojima's "exposition dump" writing. I struggle to believe that Dan and Rupert actually wrote those. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071938354 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeansowaty Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 (edited) bruh what I commented here already lol. removed. Edited August 31, 2022 by Jeansowaty Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071938706 Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacky woohoo pizza man Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 On 8/31/2022 at 2:28 AM, olzhas1one said: I think Chinatown Wars has some geniunely bad writing, more so the dialogues. Some of it is so bad and honestly overly juvenile it feels just barely above Kojima's "exposition dump" writing. I struggle to believe that Dan and Rupert actually wrote those. Rupert actually wasn't the co-writer. That was David Bland, who also co-wrote LCS and VCS. H-G 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071939293 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cutter De Blanc Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 Best was GTAIV without a doubt Worst was probably Liberty City Stories, honestly extremely forgettable except for Donald Love who wasn't nearly as badass as he was in III MrPikmin16, NightmanCometh96 and H-G 3 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071939389 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comrade Monke Posted September 17, 2022 Share Posted September 17, 2022 Best: Vice City, LCS, IV Worst: i wouldn't say any of them has bad writing but I think the least good one was 5 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1071949547 Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrey387 Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 (edited) 1. GTA IV + EFLC 2. GTA SA 3. GTA VCS 4. GTA V 5. GTA VC 6. GTA LCS 7. GTA III https://livepaperhelp.org/programming/ Edited October 28, 2022 by dgrey387 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072007209 Share on other sites More sharing options...
cant remember Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 Worst writing to me is V because it has no flavor. Old games have a specific theme and setting with radio music going with the theme. VC themes on Miami Vice/Scarface, SA on 90's LA hoods, IV on eastern european/russian criminals. But what is V exactly? It's just present day LA, but none of the characters or activities are really typical LA stuff, except maybe some of the goofy celebrity-related missions. Everything and even the music is generic. IV had Vladivostok FM and indie bands from NYC to fit the setting. suicidehummer and NightmanCometh96 2 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072007534 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akaviri Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 Best: IV Honorable Mention: San Andreas Worst: V Dishonorable Mention: Chinatown Wars suicidehummer, H-G and Ivan1997GTA 3 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072007624 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kioto Medalight Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 Best: IV & V Worst: LCS Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072028219 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Arrt Posted November 26, 2022 Share Posted November 26, 2022 On 10/16/2021 at 5:44 PM, Schwartzxz said: I like when people criticize Vice City for having a poor story. shows you how much everything else is more important than the story itself. simple story is all you need. The story was poor, but the execution of plot was great. The Tracker 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072028960 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krymefull Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 (edited) IV always takes the cake whenever it comes to the writing & storytelling with SA & VCS being a close second. If I am being fair, some parts of the stories haven't aged all that well as time telled and there are some parts that left a lot to be desired, but the writing is still good and the stories still holds up remarkablely well IMHO. Edited September 10, 2023 by DubiousThiny 44Orca 1 Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072116779 Share on other sites More sharing options...
44Orca Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 Same for me has to be San Andreas with second IV. Seems like a lot agree that GTA V's story had a few issues..hm. Well it wasn't THAT bad at least compared to many other games even newer ones, but it could've been better sure with the story. The Online mode in terms of story in a way you create it, it's your character, something like that, isn't it? I really like that about GTA Online but should give us a bit more freedom. Maybe with the next Online mode they are planning to do that. I don't know where I'd rank it. As for worst story? Well that's a bit difficult..maybe LCS? but I don't really remember it. By the way, wasn't there a similar thread? Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072116783 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lioness30 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I know it’s late but…… Best: IV ofc Worst: III & V Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072487442 Share on other sites More sharing options...
suicidehummer Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 V's writing is so predictable that I literally got deja vu on my first playthrough. I'm not even kidding. It was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced. Link to comment https://gtaforums.com/topic/976407-which-gta-games-have-the-best-and-worst-writing/#findComment-1072487461 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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