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There are bugs aplenty straight out of the gate in all three titles.
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So it’s sad to see them so carelessly handled. The series got bigger and better with every step, and the all-conquering GTA V owes a major debt to its predecessors. You can trace a growing sophistication as you go from the prototype GTA 3 through the ’80s- action-movie neon fever dream of Vice City, complete with licensed music hits from the likes of Blondie and voice acting by Ray Liotta, on to the engaging story, gang warfare, character development, and depth of San Andreas. Pushing beyond the first flush of nostalgic joy as I burn rubber and flick through the radio stations, I’m struck by how crude everything is-the humor, of course, but also the mission design, the threadbare setups, and the remastered art. You play as the silent Claude in GTA 3, the intro to a trilogy that includes Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and San Andreas. Sadly, Rockstar handed the task off to Grove Street Games, and it seems they weren’t given the time or resources to do it justice.īack on the mean streets of Liberty City (loosely based on New York), I feel instantly at home in cargo pants and leather jacket as I boost a Banshee and go to work for the Leone family. To bring this classic up to date and produce a remaster worthy of the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy-The Definitive Edition label would take patience, care, and skill. It would be hard to overstate its influence, but two decades is a long time in gaming, and its age shows. The game featured a 3D view of the action and a refreshing freedom that ushered in a new era of open-world games.
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I’m old enough to remember playing the original 2D top-down game on my first PC, but it was GTA 3 on the PlayStation 2 that shifted the series into top gear. I can’t believe it’s been more than 20 years since Grand Theft Auto III was released.
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