Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series has changed greatly since the franchise first arrived in 1997 as an urban-themed action game with an overhead camera. The first game did well enough to merit a couple of expansion packs and a sequel, but GTA didn't transform into the game we know today until the franchise made its way to the PlayStation 2 with Grand Theft Auto III, which took the 2D game into a 3D world filled with interactive elements. GTAIII immediately dominated what we now recognize as the open-ended sandbox gameplay style, which lets players interact and experiment with the people, places, and modes of transportation present in the game's world simulation.
We decided to compare GTAIII, GTA: Vice City, GTA: San Andreas, and GTAIV for this graphics comparison. All four games have a 3D world and follow the open-ended gameplay now standard in the series. The graphics only improved incrementally over the first three games, which were largely bound by the PlayStation 2's graphics capabilities, but they made a dramatic leap in GTAIV, which uses a new game engine to take advantage of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360's graphics power. Note that some of the GTAIV shots will appear slightly fuzzy due to the game's daylight postprocessing effects.
The People
Your character and people on the street comprise the bulk of the character models you encounter in each game. The graphics quality didn't improve much over the first three games, but Rockstar made up for it by adding more character models and giving the main character more customization options in each sequel. Characters became much more lifelike in GTAIV thanks to the advanced game engine and the new consoles.
Main Character
The main character evolved from a nameless protagonist in GTAIII to Tommy Vercetti in Vice City, C.J. in San Andreas, and, finally, Niko Bellic in GTAIV. You don't have the ability to turn around the character to face the camera until San Andreas, so we sneaked in a cutscene image for Tommy and a side-view shot for the GTAIII protagonist.
Citizens
The citizen graphics don't change that much between GTAIII and Vice City before getting photo-textured faces in San Andreas. The GTAIV characters all have defined facial features and perfectly modeled clothing. The pedestrians have also become much more talkative and emotive in the new game. You'll find yourself stopping to eavesdrop on them while completing missions throughout the city.
Vagrants
Vagrants, much like other random pedestrians, often function as driving targets in GTA. However, seeing characters like this poor guy trying to keep warm in front of a drum barrel really humanizes them, making us all the more uncomfortable when we have to run them over if and when they get in the way.
Women of the Night
It's no secret that the general GTA population includes its fair share of streetwalkers. The prostitutes in the older games were pretty easy to spot, but they didn't really reflect their real-world analogs until the later games. Let's face it: Girls walking the street aren't exactly Emperor's Club VIP material.
The Cities
The GTA games have all had draw distance limitations and an abrupt level of detail transitions, but pop-in has become less of a problem over time, and gone are the days when incoming vehicles first appear as smudged boxes only to sharpen up as they get closer. Textures look great near and far. We were particularly impressed with how detailed Staunton Island looks when viewed from Portland Island.
639 Comments
ya we lost the bike and a few other things but this is basically GTA3 for the ps3, it'll be back and besides how often did we ride it?! i think the dialouge has been much improved though i think the radio in vice city and in san andreas better even though there were less stations. and the commercials in vice city are mega funny..."but im not married..you are now..to america". not even the republicans in space tv show can top that! and yep, ray liotta voice tommy. dont know much bout the racism in sa tho
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
San Andreas is still the best title in the series!
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
hey dude listn if tht racist thng wud hav been thr thn vice city stories wud neva had a blck as a main charactr and i dn thnk there has been any discrimination to gta san anderas i mean what makes u thnk so
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
why do sooooo many people dislike GTA SAN ANDREAS? Are people still so racist that just because a video game main character in black, they look for lame excuses to not like a game?
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
Was Tommy Vercetti played Ray Liotta?
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
Honestly, I would love to see RockStar do a Squeenix and offer all the previous GTA material from III onwards on the new engine. Loved GTA 3s story, hated the UI.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
I think that GTA IV is by far the best... its an evolution, and we're just seeing the begining of what they have to offer. Remember in GTAIII you couldn't drive tanks or fly planes and you managed. In Vice city you couldn't customize your ride and you managed. San Andreas was a fantastic game,I felt it was very flat with a lot of dead area (ya know those ares where there was no one just empty field) it was also the last GTA to come out for PS2. We're just getting started with NextGen GTA, its going to get better.. and hell for what it is, its awesome.. the graphics, AMAZING! the sound is top notch and Rock star has given you yet another terrific story with a another criminal veiwpoint. I think the Game spot score was high but hey its the best they have seen, its the best I have played and we still have the future to look forward to.. COOL!
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
of all the characters, claude speed is my least favorite. he has no personality! in my opinion, tommy vercetti is the best.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
For all you people ranting and raving about the last gta titles go back and play those and stop **** about whats not in gta 4. Yeah the planes and tanks were cool but from my stand point i would rather give up those few things for all the new and better features.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
Waviglighter, you are not that bright when credit is due. You are trying to say that vice city looked better that san andreas. True that the story line was good as always but after making that comment nobody will ever take your comments in a positive way. I am really not trying to bash you just thought I would be honnest.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
Wow...big improvements!
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
Anyone else think that some of those Vice City screenshots looked better than the San Andreas screenshots?
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
to the person below me. Why the hell would thery make a gta that takes place in 2091
might as well call the game Terminator
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
speaking of gta in future development, i dont thinnk they'll make another one with the vice city theme.... i think it'll be future setting.. like year 2091 or something, and in 6 years from now when that game is out ... we'll all say good and bad things about that one too. so just have fun with the sh*t
Login to rate this comment
/ (-4)
Im sick of hearing the ghey "sand box gameplay" gimme a fkin break, leave it at home yanks.
The game is good, but single player is way to easy, and the online combat isnt very stable, you can shoot someone in the head and it not do anything because the other persons connection is slow or lagging out.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
i agree with freak-a-leak i never noticed that the graphics were that bad
gta IV is amazing
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
Wow, Back then I didn't even notice the graphics were so bad!! I was too busy killing hookers Iguess....
Login to rate this comment
/ (+4)
Its obvious that u dont get everything u want in Gta4 to get it in next series
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
By far this is not only the best GTA created, it's one of the best games ever created. The combination of the physic engine, the huge massive world, the f*cking fantastic combat system gives it that title. It is so much better than San andreas because its quality over quantity, they've really fleshed out the vehicle mechanics and handles much better. The story-line appeal to a different audience namely me, San Andreas bored me to tears. Niko is well hard character.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
I honestly haven't been able to play GTA IV due to my red ring problem but I still cant see why everyone is so upset about GTA IV compared with San Andreas. I don't see why everyone has to complain "Oh! There's no planes in GTA IV. This game is useless!" Honestly, if you want planes, get Flight Simulator 98 or something. I do, however, feel with you about the thanks. They definitely should have put some in but I think online free-roaming matches makes up for it.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
You guys have to admit san andreas was the best GTA so far gta 4 is freeking boring besides the good graphics
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
Oh come on guys and think a bit further GTA 4 sucks! Come on no planes no bikes no tanks no customization no big cities no military no apache no farms no mountains no this no that come on guys its not worth it there are so many things left behind know that after a while you will get bored of the **** i mean at least an apache helicopter! i want to blow cars with criminals from the air!
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
vice city was horrible! san andreas was so much better try that then try going back to vc
Login to rate this comment
/ (-3)
Vice City is till the best, however gta 4 is still good.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
GTA1 and 2 can be downloaded free off of Rockstars site for those interested. You just have to fill out a form to do them. If you haven't played them they were pretty tough because the top down perspective limited how far you could see in front of you making hard as hell to make turns and avoid oncoming traffic. They did however lay the groundwork for the 3D games as they premise is still basically the same.
Oh and yeah thats why they don't have those things huh? when one speaks its always best to be sure you know what your talking about. Both Vice City and San Andreas came out post 9/11 and had those things so your theory on why some things are absent in this one is clearly wrong. I am not sure why they didn't put they stuff in myself, maybe just to move away from some of the old conventions. Or maybe because they didn't want to put a military base in the middle of what is basically NYC.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
No Planes, No Tanks, No Military...All because of 9/11.
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
I agree with rulo........... CJ was the greatest. The supporting characters like Cesar and Ryder were killer...........
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
GTA has come a long way but how soon we forget about GTA1 and 2! Where are those games now...
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
the best
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
i dont like the new character
cj was the man
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
gta 4 looks amazin, oh daym!!
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
Liberty & Vice City Stories ... Where Art Thou ? ...
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
This game is so great that it is already doing better then Halo 3.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
Cool
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
i want to play gta 4 so bad
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
They all rock... However, GTA IV is the new S***!
Login to rate this comment
/ (+2)
Grand Theft Auto series has always one of the best series till date... In Grand Theft Auto III, The series changed completely into a 3D game with sandbox style gameplay. The missions were brilliant and so were the graphics- for its time at least. Vice City introduced more freedom and better missions and everything. But the graphics were basically the same. Grand Thft Auto San Andreas was the best GTA game to have ever been released. It had better gameplay. It allowed more freedom and it was more life like with brilliant graphics. GTA games were terrific.
In GTA IV, more freedom, almost as if it isnt a game but real life, better gameplay, better missions and everything, and the stunning movie-like graphics... this game seems to be so brilliant and perfect, that it outmatches and overshadows even the previous GTA games which is quiet a tough ask. I mean, their graphics, their gameplay mechanics! GTA IV simply rocks! It has to be one of the best games till date. It should outsell Halo 3, looking at how good the game is! I cant wait to get it!
Login to rate this comment
/ (+5)
spot on!
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
kl
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
I HOPE THAT GTA IV WILL COME TO PC!!!
Login to rate this comment
/ (-2)
Wow you never really notice the terrible graphics untill you compare them to the greatest game ever GTA IV
Login to rate this comment
/ (-3)
were the older games really that bad graphically?! I dont remember ever noticing...
Login to rate this comment
/ (-4)
Blimey.
The difference between GTA III and Vice city is invisible, then San Andreas looks a bit better, but GTA 4 is leaps and bounds ahead.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
What can I say ?! just awesome. I also have a point, the past 3 GTA games have approximately the same graphics , I discovered that recently , because I thought GTA :SA had improved much more than the previous one's , but I was wrong.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
I'm really looking forward to the vehicle damage feature in the game. And playing a white guy now is kinda wierd. And there is no mention about who gives the voice-over acting in the agme.... San Andreas had a lot of celebrities.
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
GTA IV until GTA IV: Vice City.......... Maybe
Login to rate this comment
/ (+1)
GTA4 FOR EVER
Login to rate this comment
/ (-1)
Awesome! Great work guys!
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)
is it just me or does san andreas have the best cities
Login to rate this comment
/ (+3)
guyz.. true is gta4 has been flopped in gamers.. very boring.. gta san andreas still rocks... wht we ll do for these graphics if our car cant turn fairly on liberty city roads??
Login to rate this comment
/ (-4)