The Ultimate Guide on the Best Order to Play GTA Trilogy
As an avid gamer and content creator who loves dissecting iconic video game franchises, I could not pass up the opportunity to dive headfirst into the newly remastered Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: Definitive Edition.
For newcomers jumping into these open world classics for the first time, let’s analyze the ideal play order across the titles along with key insights into what makes each one special. 🕹️
The Recommended GTA Trilogy Play Order:
- Grand Theft Auto III (2001) 🏙️
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) 🏖️
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) 🏜️
Releasing over the course of 3 years, this compiled trilogy allows you to experience the rapid evolution of mechanics, storytelling, scope and technical capabilities across the series.
So let‘s explore them one-by-one:
Grand Theft Auto III (2001) – Laying the Foundation
GTA 3 ushered in the transition to fully 3D open world environments and positioning GTA as a landmark franchise.
Why It Was Revolutionary
Unlike the fixed top-down angles of earlier GTA 1 and 2D titles, the camera could now be freely rotated giving players full control. The vibrant city of Liberty inspired endless possibilities for chaotic fun.
Paired with a captivating crime story filled with colorful characters, GTA 3 balanced narrative and free-roaming gameplay for an unprecedented package in 2001.
It received universal acclaim, recording over $1 billion in sales and winning numerous Game of the Year awards.
Key Gameplay Innovations
- 3D open world – Seamless interiors and expansive cityscape
- Physics-based gameplay – Vehicle handling, character movement
- 30+ vehicles – Cars, trucks, tanks, helicopters
- Weapon/Health HUD – Innovative combat/shooting
- Radio stations – Eclectic music while driving
Overview of Story and Characters
You play as Claude who is left for dead after a bank heist gone wrong. As you rebuild your street cred to claw your way to the top of Liberty‘s criminal underworld, you interact with an eclectic cast of unsavory individuals:
Catalina – Claude‘s wildcard ex-girlfriend
Salvatore Leone – Ruthless mob boss
Donald Love – Shady businessman
Asuka Kasen – Deadly assassin
With its dense urban landscape, weather effects and day-night cycle, GTA 3 was a true trailblazer that reversed expectations of what was possible in gaming.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) – Turning Up Heat 🌴
Building on the strong foundation of GTA 3‘s mechanics, Vice City delivered an over-the-top encapsulation of 1980‘s aesthetics and culture paired with exciting new features.
Crucial Improvements Over GTA 3
- Bold 80‘s pop art style – Pastel skylines, neon lights
- Expanded map – Liberty is dwarfed by the sheer size
- Property empire – Buy assets to generate revenue
- 30+ new vehicles – Now including helicopters, boats
- Licensed 80‘s soundtrack – 100+ hit songs from the decade
By embellishing core elements like combat, customization and physics, Vice City cemented GTA‘s place as THE open world franchise trendsetter.
Key Story Moments
The hotheaded Tommy Vercetti‘s quest for power after getting caught in an ambushed drug deal leads you through many twists and turns filled with grandiose action sequences and intrigue.
While building your criminal network across Vice City‘s most corrupt sectors, you interact with fan favorites like:
- Ken Rosenberg – Neurotic lawyer
- Lance Vance – Tommy‘s ambitious partner
- Sonny Forelli – Ruthless mafia overlord
For many fans, Vice City captures GTA‘s charm and personality at its absolute peak.
GTA: San Andreas (2004) – A New Dimension 🏙️🏖️🏜️
Just when it seemed the series reached its zenith with Vice City, Rockstar Games shocked the industry again by revealing San Andreas – complete with 3 dense cities surrounded by vast countryside and wilderness.
But it was not just map size that makes San Andreas so monumental…
A Leap to Next Generation
- 30-40 hour storyline – Massive scope exceeding most RPGs
- Customizable CJ – Gym, skills, haircuts, clothes🥋
- Gang wars – Territory tussles, Grove Street vs Ballas
- RPG elements – Relationship levels, stats growth
- 2 player mode – Cooperative chaos! 👭
I still remember that first drive from Grove Street into the sprawling horizon as N.W.A played on the radio…it was simply jaw-dropping and taps into that pure sense of freedom only great open world games deliver!
Carl Johnson‘s Quest for Truth
After his mother dies in a drive-by shooting, former gang member Carl returns to his home neighborhood of Grove Street seeking answers. Alongside characters like Cesar, Wu Zi Mu and Catalina, your choices shape your journey through worlds within worlds in San Andreas.
From stealthily infiltrating secret government facilities at Area 69 to dancing in underground raves to mastering street racing circuits to taking over casinos to surfing dynamic waves at multiple beaches…no GTA game has achieved this level of attention to detail paired with riveting gameplay. The staggering level of secrets and Easter eggs hidden across the vast map constantly surprise even after multiple playthroughs all these years later.
And with recent mod support on PC allowing upscaled textures/ graphics, San Andreas continues to awe despite being a decade old game at its core foundation.
In summary, my top tips for new players are:
- Start with GTA 3 (2001) to experience core systems
- Dive into Vice City (2002) to see evolution
- Finish San Andreas (2004) and its unprecedented scale
This allows you to witness firsthand how rapidly game design iterated on innovations between major GTA releases every subsequent year. Small touches went a long towards enriching gameplay and outpacing other developers of the era not afraid to take risks and experiment in the open world genre.
Each title showcases MASTERFUL environmental design – Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas feel completely cohesive with an incredible density of detail. Combined with eclectic casts of lovable anti-heroes and engaging narrative arcs, you grow genuinely attached to these worlds during your stay.
I cannot recommend the GTA Trilogy more as the defining titles that cemented Grand Theft Auto‘s unique style of irreverent humor mixed with blockbuster gameplay built on unprecedented technical capabilities in their era. Each one represents a clear step up that brought deeper immersion.
Whether you enjoy rampaging with cheat codes or carefully planning your crime sprees or just sightseeing while cruising down the block with a blaring 80s soundtrack, the GTA Trilogy offers hundreds of hours of endless urban mayhem fun alone or with friends.
Let me know which entry in the iconic trilogy you enjoy most or if you have any other questions on embarking on these remastered open world masterpieces!
