As far as the most remarkable gaming dynasties of all time are concerned, Grand Theft Auto sits in a bracket with gaming royalty. Very few prestige, longstanding franchises have transcended the test of time and multiple consoles. The ones that immediately spring to mind are Final Fantasy, Super Mario, and Call Of Duty, but Grand Theft Auto is right in the mix with these gaming legacies.
You could make the case that Rockstar’s quintessential and most formidable game is more significant than all of its competitors due to the unbelievably high output levels. While Super Mario and Final Fantasy are etched into gamers’ brains and have legions of millions of adoring followers, not every single installment of their franchises has been monumentally well received in the same way Grand Theft Auto has been.
The Legacy Of Grand Theft Auto
In the early stages of GTA, the game operated with a birds-eye view; it wasn’t until the pioneering GTA 3, released in 2001, that the game spectacularly entered the three-dimensional realm. Over two decades since the release of GTA 3, it is still widely considered one of the greatest video games ever made, and the seismic leap from the previous GTA chapter garnered immense critical acclaim. GTA 3 gave us the first glimpse of the incredibly well-designed and sometimes infuriatingly finicky missions.
Some of the most demanding missions in the game focussed around Kenji, one of the main characters, and the casino he owns. Although you couldn’t go into the casino and play a game of roulette like you can on San Andreas or GTA V, the grand design of the casino and the way it was expertly crafted in the virtual realm was a sight to behold. If you want to play online slots yourself, the process is a lot more laid-back than some of Kenji’s missions on GTA 3, that’s for sure. However, the immersive gameplay and the fact the game wasn’t a simple case of breezing through basic levels explain why the game is still so revered. Fortunately, online slots are much easier to grasp your head around than some of these classic missions, which sometimes take 40 or 50 attempts.
Grand Theft Auto 5
When Rockstar released the last chapter of Grand Theft Auto in 2013, many fans would have imagined it wouldn’t take over a decade to release the next one. However, while some gamers have accused Rockstar of dragging their heels, the fact is that the game was so successful, with a whole range of incredibly lucrative online games, that there was no need to make another installment yet.
Within six years, the game had sold over 100 million copies, and with millions of hardcore fans who would play it online for hours at a time, Rockstar seemed to have cornered a considerable section of the market; in total, the game has generated billions of dollars of profit. If the missions in GTA 6 are as engaging and inventive as GTA 5, the anticipation will be more than justified.
The New Generation Of GTA
Rockstar has been working on GTA 6 for quite some time, and the leak of the gameplay features captured global headlines and set the developer back considerably. However, while it took the wind out of the sails for some fans and Take-Two and Rockstar, of course, the brains behind the monumental project, it appears the whole affair hasn’t disheartened them.
Despite the leak, very few details have emerged about the game. Rockstar and Take-Two will keep the information within a circle of highly classified and confidential trusted team members to keep any significant developments or dates under wraps. Vice City, the 2002 chapter of GTA, was modeled heavily on Miami. However, if initial reports are accurate, this game will be set in Florida’s second most populated city.
Final Thoughts
The anticipation for this game is so enormous that even the confirmation of the release year, which isn’t for another two years, has caught the attention of publications worldwide. Few games, if any, generate such hysteria amongst the broad spectrum of gamers, whether hardcore or casual. GTA is a game that crosses over and grabs the imagination of the worldwide press.
Once the GTA trailer hits the screens, we will better understand whether this game has created the same hysteria that all of its predecessors managed to. It’s been that long since the last release that the whole landscape of trailers and how games are marketed has changed. GTA 4 went through an extensive television campaign emphasizing social media. However, in 2023, you’d imagine the advertising strategy will focus mainly on social media and YouTube and veer away from traditional advertising methods.
Once we get a bigger picture of the characters, gameplay, map and storyline, and new features or improved features following GTA 5, we should be able to build a picture of whether it’s the most anticipated game of all time, but the early signs look promising.