Unrealized ideas in GTA games

During the development of any game, various proposals and even full-fledged mechanics arise that do not make it into the release version of the project. In this article we will talk about interesting ideas for different parts of Grand Theft Auto that Rockstar considered, but were not implemented in practice.

Missions for Darkel in GTA 3

Darkel is a character from the third Grand Theft Auto, who was supposed to give the most insane and brutal missions. For a long time there were rumors that he was removed from the game due to the events of September 11, 2001, and among the tasks he offered was the destruction of a school bus with children. However, Rockstar representatives denied this information. According to them, Darkel simply did not fit into the atmosphere of the game and its dynamics. Most likely, he was associated with a gang of homeless people who threw Molotov cocktails at people.

Network play in GTA 3

Officially, multiplayer in the games of the Grand Theft Auto series appeared only in the fourth part. However, they planned to add it to GTA 3. It was supposed to support online battles for four players. There were deathmatches, team battles, capture the flag, pursuits and much more.

The possibility of multiplayer was also considered for San Andreas. It was added to the game many years later using mods.

Land mines in GTA 3

Claude, Tommy Vercetti and CJ may have mines in their arsenal that explode if a car drives over them. However, for some reason this type of explosive was abandoned every time. Perhaps it ruined the balance or made some missions too easy to complete. Landmines can only be triggered using cheats in Vice City Stories.

Third island in GTA: Vice City

The deleted dialogue between Tommy Vercetti and Avery Carrington mentioned an area called Gator Keys, where expensive real estate is sold. This is a reference to the Florida Keys, real islands located near Miami. Most likely, we are talking about another area near Vice City, which was originally supposed to be in the game itself, but was removed from the final version. Or it was not created.

A pistol with a silencer and a shocker in GTA: Vice City

Among the cut weapons for Vice City in the game files are a light grenade launcher, a Steyr AUG assault rifle with a telescopic sight, a stapler and a nail gun. However, we were more interested in the stun gun and the pistol with a silencer. This weapon seems completely unnecessary for a game that doesn't feature a single stealth mission. But perhaps they were planned at an early stage of development? Unfortunately, there is no specific information.

Tasks for Pastor Richards from GTA: Vice City

This preacher is remembered for his strange ideas and desire to solve all issues with the help of firearms. Initially, the developers planned to make him one of the employers for Tommy Vercetti. However, in the final version of the game he was only seen in the video for the mission “Party”, where we met the most authoritative people in the city. Perhaps, like Darkel from GTA 3, the pastor turned out to be too crazy for the atmosphere of Vice City. We talked more about Richards in our article about characters with untapped potential.

Zombie game based on GTA: Vice City

According to former Rockstar North employee Obbe Vermeij, in 2002 there were plans to make a zombie game based on the mechanics of Vice City. Its action was supposed to unfold on a separate island, and to fight the living dead it was supposed to use both firearms and vehicles. However, it was decided to abandon the idea in order to work on GTA: San Andreas.

Note that in 2005 a mod for Vice City called Long Night was released. It replaced passers-by with wandering corpses and offered a new storyline. And in 2010, Rockstar itself addressed this topic and released the Undead Nightmare add-on for Red Dead Redemption with zombie cowboys as enemies.

Additional missions for GTA: San Andreas

In the San Andreas code, gamers found a utility that allows you to add new tasks to the game. Most likely, the developers planned to release small DLC for this part of GTA. For unknown reasons, this idea was abandoned. However, Rockstar's developments formed the basis for an unofficial mission editor called DYOM (Design your own Mission).

Hacking car locks in GTA 4

The fourth part of the Grand Theft Auto series took a step towards realism. But many interesting ideas did not make it into the final version of the game. For example, it was planned to show exactly how car theft occurs, with locks being picked and an attempt to pick up wires to start the engine. In GTA 4, all this happens automatically, without the participation of the player. Most likely, the developers decided that such elements would stand out from the dynamic gameplay of chases and shootouts. And we saw the use of a master key to open a car door a couple of years later in the second “Mafia”.

Time slowdown during shooting and ricochets in GTA 4

In the fourth GTA we were offered the then modern mechanics of firefights using cover. At first, Rockstar planned to add time dilation to it, like in Max Payne. But we saw full-fledged slo-mo only in the fifth part of the series. The developers also stated that bullets and missiles would be able to ricochet off walls. Something similar sometimes happens in first-person shooters. But in the end it was decided that this mechanic would make shooting too unpredictable.

Plot additions for GTA 5

Initially, several major DLCs were planned for the fifth Grand Theft Auto story mode. The closest analogue is the Episodes from Liberty City duology for GTA 4. There is information about Trevor’s tasks as an FBI agent, an extended prologue with the ill-fated robbery from the beginning of the game, as well as a visit to Liberty City. In addition, a zombie mode and even an alien invasion were considered. But additional content for the single was abandoned for the sake of GTA Online.

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What cut features of GTA games did you like? Share your opinion in the comments!