The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) franchise holds a significant place in the gaming world. Over the past two decades, the series has not only been lauded for its compelling storylines and diverse characters but also for its gameplay mechanics, including combat. Though combat is not always the primary focus in GTA games, it plays a crucial role, especially as the story progresses and the stakes rise. This article ranks the top 6 GTA games based on their combat systems.
Grand Theft Auto 3
The release of Grand Theft Auto 3 was a watershed moment for the series. It introduced an open-world environment coupled with a rich narrative. Claude, the protagonist, finds himself entangled in a myriad of missions after being betrayed by his girlfriend, Catalina. For the first time, the game put a considerable emphasis on combat.
Even though shooting was challenging due to Rockstar's initial experiments with combat mechanics, players found the combat system unique and rewarding. The influence of GTA 3's approach to combat is undeniable; it has set a standard for future open-world games to follow.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Vice City Stories serves as a prequel to Vice City and features Vic Vance who aims to build a criminal empire. Unlike other entries, this game excels in hand-to-hand combat, instead of shooting mechanics, offering players a fresh experience.
While gunplay has often been the Achilles heel of the GTA series, Vice City Stories took a different approach. It focused on grappling and hand-to-hand combat, adding an unexpected but welcome layer to the overall combat system. This innovation didn't carry over to subsequent games but did influence later titles to improve their hand-to-hand combat.