7 things that made GTA series stand out from the rest

The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series kicked into action over two decades ago in 1997. Since then, this Rockstar Games franchise has been setting benchmarks in the gaming industry that have been really hard to match. Its games are synonymous with high quality, and the anticipation for new entries is mostly off the charts, the latest example of which is its upcoming installment, Grand Theft Auto 6.

The franchise is expected to set new standards with the sequel in 2025, evolving further and adding on to its accolades. While we wait for it to come out, let's look at seven things that made Grand Theft Auto series stand out from the rest.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the views of the writer.

---

Alive in-game worlds and six other things that made GTA series stand out from the rest

1) Near unlimited player freedom

Among the GTA series' best features is the amount of freedom it gives to players. They can do almost anything the mind can think of, like driving fast cars, pulling off high-octane heists, flying jets, trying out various weapons, and more.

Although there are some other open-world games that give players freedom as well, the quality offered by Grand Theft Auto games is incredibly hard to match.

---

2) Faithful recreations of real-life cities

Grand Theft Auto titles are set in fictionalized iterations of real-life cities. The most prominent locations in the series are Liberty City, Los Santos, and Vice City (set to return in GTA 6 map), based on New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, respectively.

The amount of detail Rockstar puts into rendering them as close as possible to their real-life counterparts is staggering. There are many videos on the internet comparing in-game landmarks to actual locations that testify to this.

---

3) Alive in-game worlds

GTA maps not only offer detailed virtual worlds, but they are brimming with life and feel quite immersive. Possibly the best example in the series so far is its 2004 installment, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, which featured three major locations, each full of lively streets, enterable buildings, and many things to do.

Even though Grand Theft Auto 5 lacks in this department quite a bit, it still offers a much more immersive setting than most other modern open-world games.

---

4) Realistic NPCs

Besides populating the streets and formulating vehicular traffic, Grand Theft Auto's NPCs also display realistic behavior and reactions to things happening around them. A great example of this is Liberty City's residents in Grand Theft Auto 4.

Additionally, players can even talk with NPCs in GTA San Andreas, which helps them be perceived as actual living beings rather than just a few lines of code.

---

5) Relevance over the years

While Grand Theft Auto 5 is the franchise's best-selling game, even the older titles like Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas are beloved among gamers to this day and continue to be relevant in the industry.

This is one reason why the GTA series has sold over 420 million units collectively as of this writing and is expected to do well in the future as well.

---

6) Unmatched level of hype

As stated earlier, the excitement around new Grand Theft Auto games is off the charts. Grand Theft Auto 5 made approximately $800 million within 24 hours of launch, and its sequel is possibly the most anticipated game of all time.

Fans have been bombarding Rockstar for details on the upcoming title since years before its official announcement. The sequel's debut trailer took social media by storm, and many are now eagerly awaiting GTA 6 trailer 2 and the game's eventual release in 2025.

---

7) Connection with characters

Besides all the impressive sales statistics and innovative gameplay features, one of the biggest things that set the GTA series apart from its peers is how easily players can connect with its characters and feel deeply affected by their stories.

Although there are many other games with interesting characters, the GTA franchise implements them like no other, making its characters almost relatable in unique ways.