After the success of Vice City and the third part of the series, many developers decided to release their own version of Grand Theft Auto. Among such projects, there were both failures and very successful games that left a mark in history. However, none of them surpassed the creations of Rockstar. In this article, we will analyze the main advantages of GTA over its competitors.
In a nutshell about GTA clones
GTA clones are open-world games that combine third-person action with the ability to drive cars and other vehicles. The name may seem offensive, but in fact, it does not aim to offend anyone. This is how a separate genre of video games with its own characteristics is distinguished.
We should note right away that imitators have an advantage — they see not only the pros, but also the cons of individual parts of GTA, so they can fix them. But at the same time, Rockstar itself does not sit still, but moves forward. For example, Volition competently developed the concept of San Andreas in Saints Row 2, but by that time Grand Theft Auto 4 was released, in which the physics of cars and shooting mechanics turned out to be on a qualitatively new level.
Below, we will analyze the main advantages of the Grand Theft Auto series and compare them with competitors.
Characters
A good plot is found in many games that are similar to GTA. For example, a high-quality, well-presented story was in the third Driver. However, years later you will hardly remember what it was about. But the characters in Rockstar video games can be remembered forever. And in this regard, the studio remains unrivaled.
And we are not only talking about the main characters. Traitors Lance and Big Smoke, Niko's cousin Roman, Franklin's friend Lamar — they are etched in the memory immediately and forever. We can also note Donald Love from the third GTA and Liberty City Stories, who was an evil parody of Donald Trump, the current President of the United States.
It is important to note that the first two parts of the Mafia series also had colorful characters. In the original — Tommy Angelo, Don Salieri, Polly and Sam, in the sequel — Vito Scaletta, Joe Barbaro and Leo Galante.
Open worlds
The cities and the surrounding areas in GTA are designed in such a way that they are interesting to explore. In each part of the series, we are waiting for many secrets, additional tasks and unusual tests. And due to the realistic behavior of pedestrians and drivers, the illusion of a believable metropolis that lives its own life was created.
In other GTA-like games, the open world is just a big backdrop, where there is nothing to do outside the main storyline.
Various transport
Starting with Vice City, the main character has access to cars, motorcycles, buses, boats, helicopters and planes. Later, bicycles, submarines, trains and much more were added. No other game series with similar mechanics has such a variety of vehicles.
Balance between action and racing
In GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas, shootings and driving are implemented at an acceptable level. In addition, there is no clear emphasis on one component to the detriment of the other. A fragile balance is maintained between them.
Let's see how things are in other projects. Driver 3 has good vehicle physics, but frankly unsuccessful action. The Getaway has a good action component, but it is boring to drive along the streets. The Godfather: The Game and L.A. Noire have a similar problem. Sleeping Dogs is fine with this, and hand-to-hand fights are even better than in any GTA. But the shooting is mediocre.
Difficulty
The GTA series games have a well-built difficulty curve. The first missions are easy and serve as a kind of training. Over time, the tasks become more complex, new mechanics are added and we are often put in non-standard situations. For example, they put you behind a machine gun mounted on a helicopter, or take away all the weapons and offer to clear out an entire ship in stealth mode. At the same time, the game does not turn into an impassable hardcore. Really difficult missions are rather an exception to the rule.
An opposite example is the already mentioned Driver 3. There, almost every task is a test of nerves for the player. The slightest mistake — and you have to replay. Moreover, sometimes the passage depends not on you, but on the accuracy of your partner, who shoots surprisingly crookedly.
Chases with the participation ofpolice
The implementation of police chases is a separate topic for discussion. Such an important component of any open-world game about modern times is rarely implemented interestingly. Most often, developers go to two extremes — it is implemented either too simply or unbearably difficult. Sometimes we just see a timer, after which you will be arrested.
In GTA, playing cat and mouse with the police is really interesting. For example, in the early parts, you know that you can get rid of the pursuit with the help of found stars or a workshop where cars are repainted. You have to think through tactics on how to get there as quickly as possible. As the wanted level increases, helicopters fly in and well-armed FBI agents arrive, and spikes appear on the roads that disable your car. But even at the maximum wanted level, when tanks drive onto the roads, you still have a chance to escape.
Online mode
Here we are talking about the fifth part. It was the high-quality multiplayer mode that provided GTA 5 with record sales. Moreover, attempts to implement something similar were made before. For example, back in 2010, APB: All Points Bulletin was released. Despite the lack of direct competitors, it failed to become successful, because each of its components was poorly implemented. Just a month and a half after the release, the developer studio Realtime Worlds declared itself bankrupt.
The Main Reason Why GTA Remains Unrivaled
Individual components of competitors can be executed at the level of Rockstar games or even better. However, the advantage of the Grand Theft Auto series is that all its advantages are collected in one place. For example, in Vice City we simultaneously see high-quality gameplay with races and shootouts, a variety of vehicles, colorful characters, as well as a large open world that is interesting to explore.
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What alternatives to GTA do you remember? Share your opinions in the comments!