Evolution of Grand Theft Auto [1997-2025] (NEW)

In 1997, Grand Theft Auto made its debut, setting the stage for one of the gaming world's most legendary franchises. After a decade-long wait since Grand Theft Auto V, the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer has rekindled excitement like never before. With 100 million views in just over 1 day after it's launch, It's clear that fans are more hyped than ever. Now, as we eagerly await one of the most anticipated games of all time, it's the perfect moment to look back at how the series became an enormous ph

enomenon. Well look who's back. This is the evolution of Grand Theft Auto. In 1997, the first Grand Theft Auto game was released for PC, PlayStation, and two years later also for the Game Boy Color. The first GTA must look archaic to fans of the more modern entries in the series. Its top-down perspective and rough polygonal graphics are a far cry from the expansive, detailed city spaces we've eventually come to. The gameplay was also far more linear, with players having to gather a certain numbe

r of points through missions and other actions to get to the next level. Ironically, the game first started development as a game about a police officer chasing criminals called “Race and Chase.” The developers figured out that this concept would be too boring, so they chose to go with the exact opposite perspective of a criminal in GTA. I, for one, am very thankful that they figured that out. The game was made up of six levels split between three fictional cities, which were based on real-life

cities in the United States, including Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City. We will be seeing a lot more of these cities throughout the GTA series. In 1999, an expansion pack was released, known as Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969. As the name suggests, it took place in London during the late 1960s. This included aesthetic elements from this time, including vehicles, but also British slang. Both the original GTA and the expansion pack received mixed reviews. It was praised for its freedom, bu

t the graphics were seen as unimpressive. Nonetheless, the game became a success, and over 3 million copies were sold. Fun Fact: Grand Theft Auto created a great deal of controversy due to its violent content. The House of Lords was considering banning sales in the United Kingdom. However, it was luckily never banned, and Rockstar Games cleverly used the controversy as free promotion for their game. GTA 2 In 1999, Grand Theft Auto 2 was released for PC, PlayStation, Dreamcast, and the Game Boy C

olor. The second installment in the video game franchise marked a significant advancement building upon and enhancing the foundation laid by its predecessor. Its most significant evolution was in its mission design. Players have far more freedom than in the first game. The point collection system is almost the same, but players can nowchoose to work for different crime syndicates to achieve their goals. Completing tasks for one syndicate earns you respect, which opens up tougher missions, but al

so makes other syndicates hostile towards you. The overall world is much more alive in this game. Local gangs engage in shootouts with the police, and pedestrians actually interact with the world around them. Players can also take on jobs on the side, like driving a taxi or a bus. Interestingly, instead of in-game footage, the game featured a live-action short film as an introductory sequence for the game. Yet again, the game was criticized for its graphics and received mixed reviews. However, s

ales were once again incredible with over 2 million copies sold. Finally, the GTA series was ready for the next revolutionary step, moving into a third-person perspective in a large 3D open world called Liberty City. A new perspective also meant new possibilities. Players now had access to even more side activities, like being a vigilante or operating a fire truck. These games even included some nice rewards, like being able to bribe the police. The game also focused more on its story, giving th

e player control of Claude, a small-time criminal who is shot and captured during a heist. He escapes from custody and joins a cartel. The game included some impressive voice actors; however, the protagonist was still mute and had little personality. Grand Theft Auto III also generated a lot of controversy. Game Spy awarded the game with “Most Offensive Game of the Year.” They thought it was disgraceful that players were awarded for causing mayhem and killing innocent people by the dozen. Despit

e its controversies, Grand Theft Auto III became a massive success. Many reviewers found the 3D graphics to be a significant improvement over the 2D graphics in previous games. The official PlayStation magazine named it “the most innovative, outlandish, brilliant video game.” On Metacritic, the game even scored a 97 out of 100 and became one of the highest scoring games of all time. In total, a whopping 14.5 million copies of Grand Theft Auto III were sold. Fun Fact: Players could use cheat code

s to get an unfair advantage or just to have fun. These included cheats for being able to fly your car, getting all weapons, or spawning a tank. In 2002, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It first became a PlayStation 2 exclusive, but one year later it also became available for PC and the Xbox. We return to the fictional Vice City, with a lot more detail and areas to discover. The game was inspired by Miami Vice and Scarface. Okay say he

llo to my little friend. The game follows the story of Tommy Vercetti as he goes from a small town mobster to the leader of a criminal empire. Finally, we were given a protagonist with character and a voice. Vice City was initially meant to be an expansion for GTA 3, but the developers decided to make it a standalone game instead. The game included new vehicles like motorcycles and even allowed players to purchase property to increase their income as they slowly take control of the city away fro

m the other gangs. Just like Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City was also released to critical acclaim. Players and reviewers loved the open world, sound and music, story, and open-ended gameplay. It only scored slightly less than its predecessor on Metacritic's with a score of 95, but it did sell more copies with 17.5 million copies sold. Fun Fact: Like its predecessor, Vice City was also accused of turning people into criminals. This even led to two 600 million-dollar lawsuits. One in which 18-yea

r-old Devin Moore shot two police officers, after which he made statements like “Life is like a video game. Everybody’s got to die sometime.” The other case was that of 14-year-old Posey, who killed his father, stepmother, and stepsister. Both suspects played Vice City regularly; however, the cases were both dismissed by the respective courts. In 2004, another great Grand Theft Auto game was released, known as San Andreas. At release, only players with a PlayStation 2 could enjoy the game, and i

n 2005, owners of a PC or Xbox could also play San Andreas. The game was built on the previous two games while taking players to another radically different setting. San Andreas was enormous! It became the largest game in the series, consisting of three main cities: Los Santos, based on Los Angeles; San Fiero, based on San Francisco; and Las Venturas, based on Las Vegas. San Andreas added a massive amount of new vehicles, from cars to boats to helicopters and even tanks. We went from 60 vehicles

in GTA III to a massive 212 and San Andreas. On foot, players could get around by running, climbing, and swimming. There was even the option of two-player multiplayer, although the main story was still single-player, The story focuses on Carl “CJ” Johnson, who returns to San Andreas after the murder of his mother. He is quickly swept up in the local gang culture as he and his friends try to rebuild their gang's influence. Carl's appearance could be impacted by the player's actions; if you go to

the gym, he'll become more muscular and increase his strength; if you spend your day devouring fast food at the Cluckin’Bell, CJ will get fatter and lose his stamina. Overall, the game featured a marked shift towards focusing on West Coast street gangs and was heavily influenced by 90's hip-hop culture. San Andreas became a legendary game and was met with critical acclaim. It received an average review score of 95. San Andreas also won multiple awards, including “PlayStation 2 Game of the Year”

by IGN and “Best PlayStation 2 Game” by GameSpot. It even became the most-sold PlayStation 2 game. In total, over 21.5 million copies of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas were sold! Fun Fact: San Andreas was at the center of controversy when they released a software patch dubbed “Hot Coffee.” It involved a fully clothed sexual intercourse mini-game. The fallout from the controversy even led high-ranking politicians in the United States to have the game re-released with the mini game removed complet

ely. It also led to the ESRB changing its rating from M for mature to AO for adults only. Besides the main series, there were also some other GTA titles, including Grand Theft Auto Advance, which was released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. The game had to be adapted to the Game boy Advance's hardware limitations. This resulted in a top down perspective game which does not have animated cutscenes like the original game. Overall, the game wasn't that well received compared to other GTA games.

In 2005, Liberty City Stories was released as a PlayStation Portable exclusive. One year later, the game also became available for the PlayStation 2. Liberty City Stories was the first 3D GTA game released on a handheld. The game takes place in Liberty City, which is a fictional parody of New York City. The PSP version of the game also had a multiplayer mode, allowing up to six players to engage in several game modes. Liberty City stories was generally well-received and had commercial success. I

n total, 11 million copies of the game were sold. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was also released as a PlayStation Portable exclusive in 2006. One year later, a PlayStation 2 version was also released. The only significant new feature was “Empire Building,", which allows players to operate various businesses with their own unique missions. The game did make improvements in regards to graphics and loading times. In the game, There were also 99 red balloons scattered around the city, which w

as a reference to the 1984 hit song “99 Luftballons” by Nena. Just like its predecessor Vice City Stories was also well-received, but it wasn't a successful. In total, 6 million copies were sold, compared to 11 million copies of Liberty City Stories In 2008, a very important game in the series was released, Grand Theft Auto IV. The game could be played on the PC, the PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360. GTA 4 is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto Series, following Grand Theft Auto: San And

reas. It started the beginning of what's known as the “HD universe,” allowing for much better graphics. The game is set in Liberty City, which is shaped after New York City. Over 100,000 photographs were used to create the landscape. The map is smaller but much more detailed than the one in San Andreas. The story features a darker narrative. It introduces Niko Bellic as the protagonist, who is an ex-soldier from Eastern Europe wanting to pursue the American Dream and search for the man who betra

yed his unit in a war ten years prior. To add to the narrative, players now had to make decisions that would impact the story, like choosing whether a character dies. One of the greatest new features was online multiplayer. Allowing players to freely explore the map with up to 32 players, either working together or against each other. Weapon pickups were set at specific locations, and there were no real missions to play. Grand Theft Auto IV instantly became a massive success and broke industry r

ecords. The first week, Rockstar Games earned 500 million dollars! In 2009, there were also two expansion packs released for the game. The Lost and Damned introduced a storyline and protagonist named Johnny Klebitz, who is a member of The Lost Motorcycle Club. The second DLC was the Ballad of Gay Tony. Which introduces yet another protagonist, Luis Fernando Lopez. Grand Theft Auto and their DLC's became a massive success! Most critics and players loved the game and praised the open world, narrat

ive, in combat. IGN even felt that “it set a benchmark for open-world games.” with a score of 98, it became the second highest rated game on Metacritic. Over 25 million copies of Grand Theft Auto IV were sold, even surpassing the sales of GTA San Andreas. Fun Fact: Niko Bellic was based on Sasha, the main character of the movie Behind Enemy Lines. In 2009, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was released for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. It featured the classic top down perspective of

early GTA games. However, the camera angle was much improved and it had a more stylized comic-book art style. Players now had the option of dealing drugs to make money, which once again caused some controversy. Darren Gold of the charity Drugsline said, “Anything using drug dealing as entertainment is sending out the wrong message.” “Glamorization doesn't help our work trying to educate kids” “of the dangers of substance misuse.” While the game received mostly very positive reviews, it became th

e worst selling GTA game, with just 1.2 million copies sold. Fun Fact: The police, an everywhere threat to players in GTA, were no longer something to hide from. Instead, the game encouraged you to smash into police cars! This led to a reduction in your wanted level. In 2013, Grand Theft Auto V was released for PC, XBox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, but also for the next generation, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. The game can be played from either a third-person or first-

person perspective. The story involves not just one protagonist, but three, which are Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and, of course, Trevor Philips. As a player, you can freely switch between these characters and complete many engaging missions. GTA V immediately became a huge success; within just 24 hours of its release, Grand Theft Auto V generated more than 815 million dollars in revenue! The biggest success, however, might be GTA Online. Giving players the opportunity to roam Los Santos

freely with up to 30 people. The game mode has been regularly updated throughout its lifespan. Including new weapons, cars, clothing, missions called Heists and other activities. GTA Online is still thriving to this day. Grand Theft Auto V was very well received, it received a score of 97, becoming one of the highest-rated games on Metacritic’s website. IGN even gave the game a score of 10 out of 10 and called it "one of the very best video games ever made.” GTA V also won many awards, includin

g “Game of the Year” multiple times by Spike, Game Developers Choice Awards, and D.I.C.E. Awards. The game became a massive success and the fastest video game ever to gross 1 billion dollars. Fun fact: Grand Theft Auto V became the second-best-selling game ever. In total, Rockstar Games managed to sell... wait for it... 190 million copies of the game! If we combined all the sales of the previous GTA games, we wouldn't even reach close to that many copies. The release of "Grand Theft Auto: The Tr

ilogy" in November 2021, intended to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Grand Theft Auto III," included remastered versions of GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. This collection, available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S into Nintendo Switch. Featured upgrades like new lighting, environmental improvements, high-resolution textures, increased draw distances, and updated gameplay. However, the trilogy faced significant criticism due to technical glitches and a

lterations that didn't resonate well with many fans. The car is on fire! This dissatisfaction was clearly reflected in its Metacritic scores, where it received a mere 54 out of 100, and an exceptionally low user score of just 1.0. These ratings are particularly noteworthy because they contrasts sharply with the typically high scores and critical acclaim that GTA games usually receive. The low scores for the Trilogy marked an unprecedented moment in the franchise's history, highlighting the exten

t of disappointment among the gaming community. After a decade since the release of GTA V, the gaming world has been captivated by the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI. This concise 1.5-minute trailer, released in December 2023, has quickly become a sensation, revealing intriguing details about the highly anticipated game. Set in the fictional state of Leonida, inspired by Florida, the game revives Vice City. The trailer showcases Vice City with dramatically enhanced graphics, promising a v

ibrant and activity-rich environment. Players will have numerous opportunities to explore and engage in this densely populated city. A significant highlight of Grand Theft Auto VI is the introduction of Lucia, the first female protagonist in the series. The narrative centers around Lucia and her male partner, offering a fresh and dynamic perspective in the game's storytelling. The trailer gives a glimpse of Lucia's compelling journey, beginning as a prison inmate and subsequently evading custody

with her partner. The excitement around Grand Theft Auto VI is further evidenced by the staggering viewership of the trailer. With just over 24 hours of its release, the trailer amassed an extraordinary 100 million views, showcasing the immense anticipation and enthusiasm for the game. Scheduled for release in 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, Grand Theft Auto VI is set to be a groundbreaking addition to the iconic series. Well look who's back. If you're like me, then you can hardl

y wait for Grand Theft Auto VI to finally be released. However, we will still have to wait for a while, as the release date will be somewhere in 2025. That's going to be a tough 2024. If you enjoyed this video, then be sure to check out my other videos on videogame franchises like God of War or the Harry Potter Games. Subscribe for more Evolution videos!