5 facts about the GTA franchise that fans might not know

Modified Feb 28, 2021 05:43 GMT

GTA is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. Since GTA III was released, it's become one of the highest-rate video game franchises as well, making it always on the mind of any gamer. Even casuals love GTA for what the series does right, making some facts about the series common knowledge.

Predictably, this article is more about the lesser-known facts that often escape the public mind. Casuals are highly unlikely to know these facts, and even some passionate GTA fans might not be aware that these facts are true. Of course, some walking encyclopedias of GTA knowledge might know all of these facts, making it a trivial read.

Five facts about GTA some fans might not know

#5 - GTA San Andreas wasn't the first game with a short movie

The Introduction was a short movie released to explain some of the events in GTA San Andreas. It's technically a prequel, and it's over 20 minutes long in case GTA San Andreas fans are looking to watch something fairly interesting. However, it wasn't the first GTA game to have a short movie made to hype it up.

The above video shows how GTA 2 once had a short (about eight minutes) movie to hype up the GTA experience. The movie's events are different from what actually happens in GTA 2, but it does help set the tone, making it a fact often overlooked by most GTA fans. As a bonus fact, GTA 2 is also the only game in the series with no cutscenes.

#4 - Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas were all in GTA 1

This sounds like a dream come true for fans of the 3D Universe era of games. Imagine combining the maps of GTA Vice City with GTA San Andreas and GTA Liberty City Stories. Given the popularity of the idea, some mods simulate this experience.

Unfortunately, GTA 1 wasn't fancy to make it seem as good as it sounds. Players weren't able to freely explore the maps whenever they wanted. The forced top-down perspective meant that the maps didn't look as different as they do in the 3D era of games.

#3 - GTA III can be played from a top-down perspective

Like in GTA 1 and 2, GTA III players could change the camera angle to play from a top-down perspective. Considering one of GTA III's main selling points is that it's a 3D game, most players aren't aware of this fact unless they specifically watch top-down speedruns. The game doesn't make it a default option, but it is possible to play GTA III in this classic format.

This fact does technically apply to GTA Chinatown Wars too, but that's more common knowledge. GTA IV can also be briefly done, but it isn't as efficient as GTA III's method (GTA IV requires the player to rotate the camera manually). The PC version of GTA IV also features a video editor that allows players to see the game similarly.

#2 - GTA Liberty City Stories' main antagonist

GTA Liberty City Stories' main antagonist, Massimo Torini, is the only main antagonist in a GTA title that never speaks directly to the main protagonist. Likewise, he has the lowest number of appearances for a main antagonist in the GTA series. He only appears in two missions (Calm Before the Storm and The Sicilian Gambit).

As a bonus fact, his appearance does resemble Joseph Stalin. He isn't Russian, but it's just a minor fact that most players should be able to discern given the obvious resemblance. Aside from that, he isn't antagonistic towards Toni Cipriani like other past main antagonists. All of this, plus the fact that Liberty City Stories is one of the lesser-known titles, makes this fact one of the few most fans wouldn't know about.

#1 - GTA IV doesn't feature Wasted or Busted text

Most GTA games have an iconic moment when the player gets Wasted or Busted. The relevant text will show up in all caps. However, that isn't the case in GTA IV. Of course, Niko Bellic isn't invincible. He can still die or get arrested. The screen fades to black with no text showing up.

This scene is something most players of GTA IV see. However, nobody thinks about GTA IV's oddity to maintain players' ability to get Wasted and Busted without the iconic text. GTA V retains the text, so GTA IV is the only mainline GTA game not to have it.

Note: This list is subjective and reflects only the writer's opinions.

Edited by Srijan Sen