Who is the most underrated GTA protagonist?

For every memorable GTA protagonist, there are a few forgotten to history.

The GTA series has been around for over two decades, and there are so many games to follow. Hence, some protagonists have carved their names into history. Every player knows who Michael De Santa is.

For every Michael in GTA 5, however, there is a Mike from GTA Advance.

Not every GTA protagonist carries the same legacy as Carl Johnson or Niko Bellic, though it's not always their fault. Sometimes, it's because of poor sales.

Even if the games were good, not many players got the chance to try it out. This article will look over the overlooked protagonists.

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Which GTA protagonist is the most underrated?

There are three reasons why a GTA protagonist may be forgotten:

1. It's from the earliest games.
2. The games might not have sold well.
3. Popular contemporaries overshadowed these characters.

Here are the most underrated GTA protagonists.

1) Huang Lee (GTA Chinatown Wars)

Chinatown Wars was originally sold on the Nintendo DS, making great use of the touchscreen. However, it didn't meet Rockstar Games' sales expectations, eventually getting ported to multiple platforms.

What held it back was the concept. Most GTA players want a 3D experience on a bigger screen. Chinatown Wars made great use of its technology. However, it wasn't the same experience as GTA 4.

Huang Lee tends to be ignored as a result.

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2) Victor Vance (GTA Vice City Stories)

Toni Cipriani could also be included on this underrated GTA protagonist list. However, he is a prominent figure in GTA 3. Victor Vance is not as lucky in GTA Vice City. He gets taken out a few minutes into the game.

Both prequel games sold a decent amount of copies. It just so happens that Liberty City Stories was slightly more successful than Vice City Stories. Modern gamers have largely forgotten about Victor and his place in history.

At the very least, Toni has missions to give in GTA 3. Victor only has a brief appearance when he bites the dust. In the context of his protagonist role, Victor gets the short end of the stick.

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3) The original cast (GTA 1-2)

The original games allowed gamers to select avatars. None of them had definable personalities, instead simply representing the player. Due to their nature as blank slates, most users forget about them.

Another issue is the age of these games. They were made over two decades ago. It really shows with technological limitations and frustrating difficulty. Most players are better off not going back to these titles.

GTA 3 changed the direction of the series forever. Its success meant that Rockstar would leave the 2D games behind.

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4) Mike (GTA Advance)

GTA Advance, unfortunately, was not a commercial or critical hit. It's arguably the worst-selling game in the series. What doesn't help is that it came out on the same day as GTA San Andreas, meaning it was doomed to fail.

Fans can argue that Mike is the most underrated GTA protagonist, as he wasn't just a blank template for players. He had a personality.

It's understandable if they can't remember all the GTA 1 protagonists, meaning there was no excuse for Mike. He's the only GTA protagonist in his game.

GTA Advance introduced several interesting concepts, including player choices and automatic saves. Sadly, not many bother to remember Mike, whose game sold very poorly. As a result, he is often forgotten.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.