Poll: Best of GTA 3 series

[Angry Camel]

San Andreas for me. I really liked the map size; it was big without going overkill (I'm looking at you, Just Cause 2). The story was much more engrossing for me than I thought it would be. The missions were great fun. WCTR was hilarious to listen to. If you look past the bad flying controls (a lot harder than it sounds), it's just a totally solid game.

e (I LOVE!! the bicycles)

Yeah, there's nothing quite like riding up a vertical cliff face on a BMX.

 

[Quesa]

SA was clearly superior in terms of the improvements to the core gameplay, but I preferred Vice City; its story was less annoying.

 

[Plinglebob]

Yeah, there's nothing quite like riding up a vertical cliff face on a BMX.

And you've just reminded me the most fun I got out of GTA:SA. Friend and I spent an afternoon seeing how far we could travel after going off the top of the massive mountain on a bike/car/campervan and whether the vehicle would survive it.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

GTA 3 while I respect it for being the major change that ignited the firestorm that is GTA. (or perhaps it wasn't? I'm too young to know for certain.) I prefer GTA: SA. I loved the content, I liked the story (it had Samuel Jackson), and it was nice to be able to have a few decent flying missions.

racist comment

Spoiler

though I did find it ironic that the first main character in the series that knew how to swim ended up being black.

Racist or not, its just funny especially after the years of complaints Rockstar got for 3 and VC not being able to swim. I mean come on, guy lives in Florida. Gotta know how to swim if you live in Florida.

 

[Squilookle]

GTA3 is my favourite, but San Andreas is the best made *game* of the three.

The way I see it, 3 has the best driving, chat radio, and redone graphics on the xbox, it has the best main character and the best music for running pedestrians down with. It's also the closest to the feel of the 2D GTAs, and has the best atmosphere when the weather changes it up. It has the least variety and content, however, and the worst overall music because, much like IV, setting it in the present day forced them to guess what current songs would be good.

Vice has the best music, best use of helicopters, Best character arc twist, and by far the best swimming pool design . Worst Driving physics, and yet best driving minigames. The sexual innuendo was really cranked up to 11 and hadn't got old yet, like when Andreas rolled around. Funniest character animations too, though if that's a pro or con is up to you.

San Andreas, ironically, has the worst drive-by controls, and many of the vehicles don't get a chance to shine in missions (though most do). Outside that, it's pretty much the best of everything remaining, though I suppose you'd have to say that it's got the worst sized cities, since there's three. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought San Fierro was a bit on the tiny side. Best game overall though.

 

[Vigilante 989]

Here are just a few of the missions that stand out in San Andreas:

Sneak in to a rappers manson to steal som rap lyrics. The first half of the mission was like playing Splinter Cell.

Sneak aborad an aircraft carrier to steal a fighter jet. Then get into a dog fight with two other jets trying to shoot you down.

Shoot your way through an underground miltary base to steal a prototype jetback and fly out of there.

A mission where you get in a private jet and fly to Liberty City to take out a resturant full of mafia guys. It would've been nice to actually drive around the city and maybe do one or two more missions there, but oh well.

The missions and gameplay were so varried, and combined with RPG elements easily made San Andreas the BEST GTA game ever.

Also, hoping in a plane, flying as high as can, bailing out, and seeing how far you can fall to the ground before you pull out your parachute will never ever get old. Never!

 

[Derelict Frog]

Definitely Vice City. I'd buy an HD port of that immediately!

The gameplay wasn't as over-the-top as San Andreas (a gangbanger from South-Central LA ends up piloting fighter jets to blow up spy-ships...), and yet it was just crazy enough to fit in with the 80s vibe it nailed down perfectly. It was as cheesy and glorious as Miami Vice and Scarface. And the soundtrack is in my opinion in the top 3 game soundtracks ever.

 

[TomLikesGuitar]

racist comment

Spoiler

though I did find it ironic that the first main character in the series that knew how to swim ended up being black.

Racist or not, its just funny especially after the years of complaints Rockstar got for 3 and VC not being able to swim. I mean come on, guy lives in Florida. Gotta know how to swim if you live in Florida.

Lol never thought about that

That's not really racist as all seeing as how you didn't actually imply that any race was superior or inferior to any other. You just referred to a common stereotype.

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

San Andreas gets my vote. It was my first GTA game and my first M rated game, now that I think about it. What others are saying only solidifies its spot on the poll: there was just so much to do. Lift weights, bicycle, tattoos, go get fat, where only your underwear, sport a pink afro, whatever you wanted.

It was probably the first game I played that allowed me to have that kind of freedom. It was and still is, an amazing game.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

racist comment

Spoiler

though I did find it ironic that the first main character in the series that knew how to swim ended up being black.

Racist or not, its just funny especially after the years of complaints Rockstar got for 3 and VC not being able to swim. I mean come on, guy lives in Florida. Gotta know how to swim if you live in Florida.

Lol never thought about that

That's not really racist as all seeing as how you didn't actually imply that any race was superior or inferior to any other. You just referred to a common stereotype.

The moderators scare me...

 

[fix-the-spade]

For me it was Vice City because of the story and the fluidity of the game. It never got boring like GTA 3 and San Andreas sometimes did.

San Andreas had bicycles, swimming, base jumping and jetpacks.

I think Vive City had a better story with it's send up of Scarface, but it had a lot of little gameplay niggles that really bugged as the game went on (aiming, swimming, loading interruptions).

San Andreas fixed all the little problems and added a seamless (and MASSIVE) world at the same time. The ridiculous amount of stuff strewn about the game world didn't hurt either.

Also, I liked CJ a lot more than Tommy or nameless guy, who were both pure evil, CJ was at least trying to help his family rather than being purely out for himself.

 

[Paladin2905]

I think San Andreas was the superior of the three games, with all the engine polishing and wide open spaces available. I was never a big fan of the city, so I loved the desert and hills you could run around in; and the planes to fly.

I just wish the main character had been worth it- guy takes over half the state and is in a bunch of multimillion dollar industries but still acts like a cowed pet in front of his brother, who wants him to go save a place that threw him out on his ass multiple times. I'll take the Vercetti approach any day.

 

[5-0]

Yes, I mean th

I voted for San Andreas cause of the sheer scale of the world and how much there is to do. I own the other two, but couldn't get as much into them as I did with SA. Progress has come to a halt however, as I'm stuck on those GODDAMN FLYING MISSIONS!

The flying school missions? I think have a few saves backed up right after I finished those.

Yes, I mean the Flying School. I even turned on a cheat to slow down the game and still couldn't pass the circle round the airstrip challenge.

 

[Durgiun]

The flying school missions? I think have a few saves backed up right after I finished those.

Yes, I mean the Flying School. I even turned on a cheat to slow down the game and still couldn't pass the circle round the airstrip challenge.

I feel your pain. I had to do it all with a joypad, and even then I was close to a full nervous breakdown.

I can send you the save files, if you want. Is Filefactory alright?

 

[5-0]

The flying school missions? I think have a few saves backed up right after I finished those.

Yes, I mean the Flying School. I even turned on a cheat to slow down the game and still couldn't pass the circle round the airstrip challenge.

I feel your pain. I had to do it all with a joypad, and even then I was close to a full nervous breakdown.

I can send you the save files, if you want. Is Filefactory alright?

Oh, thank you so much man.

 

[StBishop]

There is no question. The 80's were lame and so are Hawaiian shirts.

Gangster rap is awesome.

San Andreas wins.

 

[Dr Pussymagnet]

San Andreas

 

[TomLikesGuitar]

Also, I liked CJ a lot more than Tommy or nameless guy, who were both pure evil, CJ was at least trying to help his family rather than being purely out for himself.

Claude and Tommy aren't necessarily evil per se... well, at least Tommy isn't. Sure, they are both selfish and greedy at times, but that just makes them human.

The moderators scare me...

I can't blame you. They can be kind of strict.

 

[Syphous]

Vice City. The setting, the era, and the main character were all far more interesting than GTA3 or SA. Though I do concede that SA had a lot more content.

 

[The Rascal King]

San Andreas by a landslide. It was ambitious, engaging, and fun. GTA 3 and Vice city laid an awesome foundation for this game to build on. By the way, do you know how much content they took OUT of the game just so they could finally complete it?

http://gta.wikia.com/Beta_Releases