5 biggest features that GTA series introduced so far

The GTA series is one of the pioneers of the gaming industry that pushed video game limits to new horizons. Rockstar Games always tries to provide a new experience through their projects, forcing the competition to level up their game. As such, there are many features that the series has either introduced or mastered.

Those following Rockstar Games since its early days know what the studio can do at its full potential. With that being said, this article lists five of the biggest features that the GTA franchise has pioneered so far.

Note: This article is subjective and only reflects the writer's opinions. The listings are not in any order.

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5 remarkable features introduced by the GTA series so far

1) Open-world design

The Grand Theft Auto series games were among the first to introduce an open-world sandbox in its gameplay. While Rockstar Games started the series with GTA 1 in 1997, Grand Theft Auto 3 took things to another level in 2001 by introducing a 3D open world that felt more realistic.

Grand Theft Auto 3’s realistic open-world brought players from the helicopter view (top-down perspective) to the ground (third-person perspective), allowing them to immerse themselves in the game even more. This also forced other video game developers to try and test 3D sandbox worlds, which eventually became the standard in the gaming industry.

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2) Multiplayer mode

The introduction of multiplayer mode was one of the most bold and heroic moments in the GTA series. Having a multiplayer mode has become the new standard in the contemporary gaming world. However, Rockstar Games has been testing multiplayer gaming since 1997.

Many players may not know this, but the first Grand Theft Auto game also had a multiplayer mode. This was introduced when most other studios were occupied with developing arcade-style video games. Since then, many other GTA games, such as San Andreas and Chinatown Wars, also had a multiplayer mode.

Currently, Grand Theft Auto 5 Online is one of the most popular multiplayer games despite being over a decade old.

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3) Multiple endings

One of the most fascinating things about GTA 4 is that it has multiple endings. Rockstar Games was one of the first studios to implement this feature, and fans reallt appreciated it. Before this, most other video games had linear storylines that ended with a predefined climax.

However, in games since Grand Theft Auto 4, first-time players have no idea which direction they are heading in and what will happen in the climax. Rockstar Games keeps the stories open-ended, allowing fans to continue speculating on the lore even after they have completed the game.

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4) Multiple protagonists

The introduction of multiple main characters in the GTA franchise was one of the ground-breaking features that Rockstar Games introduced in Grand Theft Auto 5. While the studio originally intended to implement this idea in San Andreas in 2004, it had to take a few steps back due to technological limitations.

However, Rockstar Games came back with a banger in 2013 and introduced three protagonists in a single game that players can switch to at any time. It is also one of the main reasons GTA 5 is still a popular game even 10 years after its release.

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5) Car customization

Car customization has become a major gameplay aspect in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, especially after the release of Grand Theft Auto 5 and its multiplayer variant. However, a similar but scaled-down version of the feature is also available in 2004’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Although vehicle customization is not as extravagant as some other car-centric video games, the franchise still has a sizable motorhead community that constantly tests vehicle modifications. The first trailer of the upcoming game showed some major customization improvements, and fans are awaiting the GTA 6 trailer 2 to see what more Rockstar has to offer.