In a now-deleted tweet, PlayStation officially announced the Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed noting the game will come to PS5. A trailer was also shared in the tweet as well but mentioned no release date. The end of the trailer also notes that THQ and Black Forest Games are tied to the remake; the latter also developed the remake for the original Destroy All Humans!
The tweet has since been deleted ahead of a planned THQ Nordic 10th-anniversary livestream set for later this week.
Destroy All Humans! 2 was originally released back in 2006 on PS2 and Xbox. Set 10 years after the original game’s events, players control Crypto-138, a clone of the first game’s protagonist, Crypto-137. A remake for the game was originally teased earlier this year, but not much info was shared other than Destroy All Humans! senior producer Martin Kreuch saying that there may be more details shared “soon.”
A modder has put the Super Mario 64 engine inside of Minecraft, creating a playable version of Mario in the game.
@pdxdylan posted on Twitter, showing off his work to get the polygonal plumber inside the blocky world of Minecraft. You can see Mario running around multiple biomes, showing off his triple jump, long jump, swimming, climbing, and more moves straight from the classic N64 title.
I’m working on a #Minecraft mod that runs the Super Mario 64 engine! It’s very WIP right now but here’s some highlights pic.twitter.com/QCfzl10ip0
IGN spoke to Dylan, who says he was inspired to make this project, simply because he knew it was possible, and that it would look a bit funny.
“I’ve done other work with Super Mario 64 before on other engines, but the thought of Mario in a completely different game intrigued me, so I decided to do it as a fun project,” Dylan said. “I’ve always been into tinkering with games, figuring out how they work, and making mods for them.”
“I really do wish I could release it to the community. There’s a lot of potential for this mod, especially ideas like players being able to build their own courses for Mario to run around in, or speedrunners trying to beat Minecraft as Mario in the quickest time,” Dylan said. “However, due to Nintendo’s strict enforcement on fan games and mods, I don’t believe it will ever reach that point.”
Dylan says his personal end goal is to make Minecraft playable from start to finish as Mario. In a follow-up tweet, he also said he’ll continue posting videos of the project online, to keep giving the community glimpses of this fun mod.
Didn’t expect this to gain traction so quickly so I should prob. clarify: Due to how Nintendo deals w/ Fan projects (DMCAing em) I sadly can’t promise a download, either now or in the future. The most I can do now is post silly videos of what I do in-game with it
Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed has been announced for PlayStation 5. Revealed in a now-deleted tweet by PlayStation, Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed appears to be a remake of the original Destroy All Humans 2, a follow-up to the remake of Destroy All Humans released last year.
The trailer shows off some gameplay of the 1969-based game, including psychedelic hippies and Cold War-era Russian spies. It also shows off a new weapon and a set of goggles that set off a colorful blast around Crypto, forcing people to dance.
The now-deleted PlayStation tweet announcing Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed
The trailer did not include a release window for Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed and the only platform announced was PlayStation 5. THQ Nordic teased the possibility of the remaster earlier this year in a video, where Crypto-137, the protagonist of Destroy All Humans, is interrupted by a clone of himself which fans believed to be Crypto-138, the protagonist of Destroy All Humans 2.
The reveal of Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed comes only a few days before THQ Nordic’s digital showcase, celebrating its 10th anniversary. The showcase will be hosted by The Game Awards Geoff Keighley and will feature six game announcements.
In GameSpot’s review of Destroy All Humans, I gave it a 6/10, writing, “The stealth missions are rudimentary, the boss fights are tedious, and some poor audio work won’t let you forget that this is a game from 15 years ago. However, its core loop of causing destruction and mayhem, laying waste to humans and cities, still feels satisfying. Destroy All Humans often feels like the PS2 game it is, but a fresh coat of paint and updated controls definitely make this remake enjoyable to play through today.”
A sequel to the 1988 comedy Twins is officially a go, with Tracy Morgan set to join Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as the pair’s third brother, per Deadline. Triplets is currently being shopped in the Toronto Film Festival market, with the production sending out a reel of the three actors to potential buyers. The production is aiming to begin filming in January 2022, with director Ivan Reitman also set to return to the director’s chair.
“I haven’t directed in a couple years, but Arnold kept saying, ‘C’mon, we had such a great time,'” Reitman said. “I had a great time doing the first one, and this is going to be fun.”
Triplets will reportedly follow Schwarzenegger and DeVito’s Benedict brothers as they come into contact with a long lost brother played by Morgan.
The original Twins was an impressive commercial success for Universal when it released in theaters in 1988. The film grossed $216 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $18 million. A sequel has been in the works for nearly a decade, with reports of Eddie Murphy’s attachment to the project emerging in 2012.
Reitman confirmed that Murphy was a large factor in the sequel’s conception, though the director assured that Morgan will be a fantastic replacement.
“This whole thing started with Arnold meeting Eddie Murphy, and the suggestion came from one of them,” Reitman said. “We started a script with Eddie, and after the success he had with Amazon Prime on Coming 2 America, he got himself booked up heavily. And we knew we were going to make it at the beginning of next year. I’d been good friends with Tracy Morgan for a long time and always thought he was one of the funniest men in the world. I thought he would make a terrific triplet, and we rewrote the whole script for him.”
Congrats! You’ve made it to the end of Life is Strange: True Colors. There aren’t many major choices to make in Chapter 5: “Side B” as this chapter delivers on the consequences of your actions. There is, however, one missable choice you’ll need to make in order to determine what ending Alex gets. There’s an escape room puzzle you have to beat too.
True Colors can end in several different ways and most of those endings are dependent on decisions you made in Chapters 1-4. So if you’re unsatisfied with how Alex’s journey ends, you’ll need to go back and replay the game. Thankfully, True Colors isn’t all that long–you can knock out the game in one or two sittings if you want to. You can also replay certain chapters without affecting Alex’s story if you want to go back and nab any Achievements/Trophies that you missed.
More Life Is Strange: True Colors Guides
Chapter 5: “Side B” Walkthrough
Alex’s Dream Puzzle [Mandatory]
After falling down the mineshaft, Alex has a dream of being locked in the office where she started the game–this is a dream-based escape room, so you’ll need to use clues in the environment in order to find your way out.
If you’re having trouble, follow these steps to get out of the room.
Try the door, only for the doorknob to not work
Inspect the guitar case, which will reveal that the case doesn’t recognize you and needs your “true” identity
Inspect the file on the desk, revealing that Alex perceives herself as a patient with mental and emotional baggage, and her patient number is 53322
Inspect the number lock on the guitar case and enter Alex’s “true” identity–since you’re Patient 53322, the combination needed is 53322
Take out the guitar–Alex will notice she can’t play it since it’s not correctly tuned
Inspect the photos on the wall, Alex will take note that one is of a tuning peg for a guitar–removing the photo from the wall causes a real tuning peg to fall into your hand
Go back to the guitar–Alex can now play it, which allows you to get out of the room
What Alex Wants [Mandatory]
After going through Alex’s backstory, the memory of Gabe has some words of wisdom for Alex. He also asks Alex what she wants for her future, with your choices boiling down to wanting to play music, wanting to belong somewhere, or wanting to help people.
This may seem like it’s locking you down a specific path but it’s not. It will inform the dialogue in following conversations but this choice will not fundamentally alter the ending to Alex’s journey. So pick whichever choice speaks to you and the Alex that you’re playing.
Confronting Jed [Mandatory]
Time to confront Jed over what he did to you in the final moments of Chapter 4. How your confrontation with him plays out will highly depend on what choices you’ve made in the game thus far. If you’ve been following our guides, you should get the “good” outcome. But that leaves the lingering question: Do you condemn Jed for his actions or forgive him?
Neither option has major consequences on the outcome of the story, so it really depends on just how much you want to twist the metaphorical knife that Alex stabs into Jed’s heart during this confrontation. As far as we can tell, True Colors never outright states whether Alex’s forgiveness in this moment is sincere, so you could argue that forgiving Jed can be read as either the “good” or “bad” choice. Maybe she’s being sincere or maybe she’s saying the one thing that she knows will show how much of a monster Jed is.
Forgiving Ryan [Missable]
This choice will only pop up if you romanced Ryan. Following the vote, he will show up at Alex’s door. If he sided with Alex and her accusations against his father, then he will hug Alex and everything is fine. However, if he doesn’t (which is highly possible as you need to do a lot of things right to get him to side with you), he will show up at your door, begging for forgiveness. You then get to decide whether Alex forgives him or not.
This choice does have an impact on the ending of True Colors. There are six possible endings to the game, and the biggest influence to what ending you get is whether Alex is dating someone. So it’s up to you: Do you want Ryan in Alex’s life or would you prefer she face her future solo?
Alex’s Future [Mandatory]
This is the last choice you make in True Colors. You must decide whether Alex stays in Haven or pursues a life of adventure. There is no bad choice here–just decide how you want the game to end. Depending on who you romanced, as well as who left Haven and who stayed, the ending of True Colors can play out in a few different ways. But there’s nothing you can do to change that now. You’ve made all the choices you could–time to see how Alex’s story plays out.
Activision Blizzard has announced it has hired Julie Hodges from The Walt Disney Company to become the new Chief People Officer and help “build a more inclusive workplace.” Hodges hiring comes as Activision Blizzard continues to confront the fallout of an ongoing gender discrimination lawsuit from the state of California.
Hodges was previously senior vice president of corporate HR, compensation, benefits, and talent acquisition at The Walt Disney Company. According to a press release provided by Activision Blizzard, Hodges was responsible for helping shape corporate culture at Disney.
Hodges will oversee all aspects of human resources “including diversity, equity and inclusion, talent acquisition, employee experience, learning and development, compensation, and benefits and workplace planning,” at Activision Blizzard.
Hodges was hired alongside Delta Airlines’ Sandeep Dube who will serve as the new Chief Commercial Officer, a revenue role.
Hodges will replace Claudine Naughton who is the former Chief People Officer.
The company’s former HR executive, Jesse Meschuk also left in August 2021alongside president J. Allen Brack. Meschuk left following a lawsuit by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing which accused the video game developer of systemically discriminating against women employees in regards to salaries and promotions. Furthermore, Activision Blizzard was accused of fostering a work environment where female employees were sexually harassed.
The lawsuit claims Activision Blizzard’s human resources department was complicit in this workplace and employees were discouraged from reporting to human resources as they “were known to be close to alleged harassers.” An HR employee at Blizzard was pictured in the “Cosby Suite,” photograph.
In a statement, Activision Blizzard’s incoming chief people officer says, “I share the company’s belief that a work environment should welcome all perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds.”
“A workforce where everyone feels valued is critical to the success of our business, as is a trusting, engaging, and safe environment that encourages creativity and innovation and in which all employees can thrive,” says Hodges. “It takes a collective effort to do this, and I’m looking forward to ensuring that we support the diversity of our talent to bring our people together and continue creating amazing entertainment.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story suggested Hodges replaced HR executive Jesse Meschuk. Hodges will be replacing Activision Blizzard’s former Chief People Officer Claudine Naughton who is leaving the company. The story has been edited to reflec this.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
At a glance, Deathloop, Arkane’s newest game, might seem like its past work on Dishonored and Prey, but Deathloop also introduces new wrinkles to familiar roguelite and first-person shooter elements that might initially be challenging to wrap your head around. Here are the 9 tips we wish we knew before diving into the Groundhog Days of Blackreef.
At a glance, Deathloop, the newest game from Dishonored and Prey developer Arkane, might seem like its past work on Dishonored and Prey. You get an array of varied weapons, a handful of creative powers, and the ability to use them in experimentative and inventive ways to progress. And that’s true, but Deathloop also introduces new wrinkles to familiar roguelite and first-person shooter elements that might initially be challenging to wrap your head around. Fret not, though, as we’ve collected some of the lessons we wish we knew before diving into the Groundhog Days of Blackreef.
From the best early game abilities, to how to navigate Blackreef thoroughly and efficiently, as well as why you should be taking on Julianna at every chance you get, the above video walks you through 9 essential tips to help you survive the island of Blackreef, and take out any Visionary or Eternalist who stands in your way.
Deathloop is available now for PlayStation 5 and PC. GameSpot awarded it a 10/10, with reviewer Tamoor Hussain writing that “it delivers bombastic thrills and wince-inducing kills with intelligence and elegance in equal measure.” Check out the full review on GameSpot.com, or watch it on YouTube.com/GameSpot.
The last-gen versions of Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One have been delayed, with the Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC versions all still set to launch this fall. Developer Frogwares said the decision to delay the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One came from extensive QA testing of the last-gen versions.
“We understand some players will be upset about this news, but we made the decision with you first in mind. Rest assured, we are not canceling these versions,” Frogwares communications manager Sergey Oganesyan said. “We only need more time and a little breathing room for our team to wrap these up properly. We are talking a few weeks at most, but this is still to be seen.”
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Frogwares plans to reveal the release date for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC versions of Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One on Thursday along with a new gameplay deep dive. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One takes place on the fictional island of Cordona, where Sherlock and his friend Jon grew up. They must return to solve the mysterious death of Sherlock’s mother.
The gameplay reveal trailer for Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One showed off the combat system of the game, with Sherlock using tricks and deception alongside guns. It also showed the investigations system, allowing players to connect different pieces of evidence and don disguises to stealthily uncover more.
The Kingpin has a decades-long history making life miserable for Daredevil and Spider-Man. But what happens when Wilson Fisk sets his sights higher? Can this ruthless crime boss take on the combined might of Spidey, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and two Daredevils? That’s what we’re about to find out in the upcoming limited series Devil’s Reign.
IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of Devil’s Reign #1, which features writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Marco Checchetto building on the backbone of their ongoing Daredevil series. Check out the new images in the slideshow gallery below, and read on to see Zdarsky tease what’s coming and why Devil’s Reign isn’t really a Daredevil story at all.
Zdarsky has made waves with his Daredevil run several times already. For example, in issue #1, a weary Matt Murdock committed manslaughter, and later in issue #26, Elektra took up the mantle of Daredevil after Matt turned himself over to the police. In Devil’s Reign, Matt is now free again and sharing the mantle with Elektra. But with Wilson Fisk more powerful than ever, both devils will need a lot of friends to survive the coming days.
Zdarksy revealed that Devil’s Reign isn’t a Daredevil story so much as it is the culmination of Fisk’s recent journey in the Marvel Universe. Since becoming the duly elected mayor of New York City, Fisk has been quietly amassing both political power and an underground army of supervillains. Now, he’s ready to use both in order to rid the city of its costumed vigilante problem.
“From the beginning I had Fisk’s catalyst figured out, the thing that propels him to, well, lose it,” Zdarsky told IGN. “But the fallout and what it meant for New York was something I worked on in the background as the series went along.”
Zdarsky continued, “Part of what shaped the story is the fact that, when I pitched the Daredevil storyline to the Marvel editors and writers, the feedback kept making it bigger. Like, originally it was a big Daredevil story, and then it was suggested we make it a mini event and then when I submitted the first outline it became clear this is much bigger than Daredevil and the street-level heroes, so it got the green light as a big ol’ event!”
Devil’s Reign features a wide cast of New York-based heroes, including the Ben Reilly version of Spider-Man and members of both the Fantastic Four and Avengers. That might seem like an impossible force for a non-superhuman like Fisk, but Zdarsky teases the Kingpin has more than a few aces up his oversized sleeve. For one thing, he’ll be spearheading the newest incarnation of the Thunderbolts as a source of added muscle. For another, he’ll be fighting the heroes in the court of public opinion, bringing to mind Marvel’s more politically topical crossovers like Civil War and Dark Reign.
“He’s trying to sway the public using cherry-picked examples of various incidents, Matt’s recent troubles being one of them,” Zdarsky said. “He’s a politician and he’s actually pretty good at it, which is a problem for our heroes. But, beyond that, he has some aces up his sleeves that are definitely not about politics.”
Zdarsky continued, “What makes Fisk an elevated threat is his mind, not his fists. That’s always been the case. Sure, Thor could turn him into paste, but Fisk knows that and has planned for it. And Marvel superheroes aren’t about to overthrow democracy.”
Naturally, with so many heroes and villains involved in this conflict, Devil’s Reign is being treated as a full-fledged crossover event with tie-in issues and companion books. To date, December’s Spider-Woman #18 is the only confirmed tie-in issue, but it’s safe to expect plenty more Devil’s Reign content in early 2022. Though Zdarsky reassured fans the scope of the crossover won’t grow too large.
“There are tie-ins—it’s an event after all—but we’ve kept it tight. One of the things that’s been stressed in my calls with Marvel is that we want to make sure there are stories to tell here that really spring out of the event and what Fisk does. I’ve seen scripts for a couple of them so far and they’re fantastic.”
As the preview art reveals, Fisk’s real motive is his desire to finally uncover Daredevil’s secret identity. For those who might not have been following the monthly Daredevil series lately, Matt managed to make the entire Marvel Universe forget his secret. That includes Fisk, a man who once used that information to drive Daredevil over the edge in the iconic 1986 storyline Daredevil: Born Again.
Whether or not Fisk recovers his lost knowledge, Zdarsky stressed Devil’s Reign won’t be the end of his ongoing Daredevil saga.
“I have a much bigger story for Elektra and Matt on the other end of this! We now live in a world with two Daredevils, and they have plans,” he said. “And weirdly, they’re not the focus of Devil’s Reign. It’s Fisk’s story and Matt and Elektra are doing their best to save the city from him. They’ve made mistakes and those mistakes have caused this calamity. So, you know, classic Matt Murdock guilt.”
Devil’s Reign #1 will hit stores on December 1, with issue #2 following two weeks later on December 15.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series is one of most well known and controversial across the gaming landscape. Known for its over-the-top violence and commentary on politics and pop culture, the series has grown and evolved over the years from a top-down 2D game to one of the biggest and most robust experiences that gaming has to offer. With Grand Theft Auto V set for release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in March 2022–following a recent delay out of 2021– and rumors of Grand Theft Auto 6 after that, we’re taking a look back at the series by highlighting the best GTA games. Below, we’ve ranked the Grand Theft Auto series from worst to best. Let’s dig in.
10. Grand Theft Auto
GTA
The game that started it all. Grand Theft Auto, which was developed by DMA Design before Rockstar was formed, was released in 1998 for PC. The gameplay involved hijacking cars and zipping around the city, causing as much mayhem as possible and then attempting to escape the law. The game was presented in a top-down perspective, something the series would move away from in later entries. While not exactly fondly remembered by critics, it sold well and its core ideas–being a criminal in an open world with the ability to go anywhere and do anything–proved to be popular with fans.
2005’s Liberty City Stories is a prequel to GTA III that was originally released for PSP, and it’s remembered for being the first 3D entry in the series for a portable console. Also set in Liberty City, Liberty City Stories was designed to take advantage of the PSP’s hardware. And in our review at the time, we said the game succeeded in factoring in “what made the ‘big’ GTA games so memorable.” The story follows a mobster named Tony Cipriani, who is trying to make a name for himself in the criminal underworld. The game continued the franchise’s tradition of non-linear, open-ended gameplay–and of course the prime directive being to shoot first and ask questions later. Overall, we said in our review that Liberty City Stories was a technical marvel for being able to include so much of the GTA console experience into a handheld package.
The long-awaited follow-up to GTA: San Andreas, 2008’s Grand Theft Auto IV is beloved by many upon its release for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It ushered in a new, more realistic presentation of Liberty City, which was modeled after New York City. The size and scale of the world was stunning, giving players even more freedom to explore on a bigger stage. The story followed the immigrant Nico Bellic and his troubles making his new life in America. Here at GameSpot, we scored GTA 4 a 10/10 and one of the best of 2008. In addition to its compelling campaign, GTA 4 laid the groundwork for GTA Online with its own multiplayer mode, letting players duke it out or work together in an online environment. This would go on to pay dividends with GTA Online enjoying runaway success years later. GTA 4 also introduced cover-based mechanics, another feature that Rockstar would employ again in Red Dead Redemption years later and GTA 5 after that. What’s more, GTA 4 moved the franchise forward by introducing new systems like allowing players to make choices that affected the story.
And who could forget the constant phone calls to go bowling. GTA 4 is also remembered fondly for its expansion packs, The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned, which were much loved. They were also representative of a bygone era, as the Rockstar of today tends to put a lot of its focus in online modes like GTA Online and Red Dead Online instead of opting for traditional expansion packs, much to the chagrin of some fans of the series.
2009’s GTA: Chinatown Wars represented a departure of sorts for Rockstar, as the Nintendo DS and later PSP game was the first since Vice City Stories designed specifically for portable devices. And with the DS specifically, the game made use of the system’s touchscreen and second screen to offer a presentation style and setup no previous game could. The game takes place once again in Liberty City, and puts you into the shoes of Huang Lee, a Triad gang member. The game also broke from tradition with its cel-shaded art style and its top-down perspective that harken back to the original days of GTA. Here at GameSpot we loved Chinatown Wars and praised it specifically for how it didn’t feel like a scaled-down portable version of GTA, but instead a game that felt meaningful and worthy, pushing the franchise forward with new features.
A prequel to Vice City, Vice City Stories debuted in 2006 for PSP before coming to PlayStation 2 the following year. Set in the year 1984 (two years before Vice City), the game follows the story of Victor “Vic” Vance and his efforts to develop a criminal empire in Vice City. Vice City Stories definitely improved upon some elements of Vice City–notably, it infused more personality, many critics said–and it offered players another fun romp with the freedom to cause mayhem. We said in our review at the time that Vice City Stories didn’t exactly take the GTA series into new territory, but it translated the trademark GTA experience nicely into a portable experience.
1999’s GTA II followed up the 1997 original and once again plopped players into a fictional city with the aim of causing the most havoc and mayhem possible. Presented from a top-down perspective, GTA II followed the same format as the original. Rockstar’s big focus on storytelling in modern times was not the same back then, and instead players were called on to live out the relatively basic fantasy of being a budding young criminal who wants nothing more than to commit wanton acts of violence and destruction. The visuals were improved in GTA II, making cars and other elements look better. The camera system was improved, too, and GTA II added a multiplayer mode that allowed up to six people to compete on maps designed specifically for multiplayer. GTA II would mark the end of an era of sorts for the franchise, with the series moving into a 3D open world with its subsequent releases.
2001’s Grand Theft Auto III represented a major shift for the series, which was still under development at DMA Design at the time. GTA III moved the series into a 3D world for the first time, following the 2D top-down perspectives of the earlier games. Set in a fictional version of New York City called Liberty City, GTA III was praised for pushing the series into an exciting new direction with its more ambitious open-world with non-linear gameplay. The game was massively influential and helped propel the gaming industry at large toward embracing non-linear open-ended sandbox games that have since become ubiquitous. In GTA 3, there was an astounding (for the time) variety and volume of activities to partake in, it had an excellent soundtrack including an original comedy channel called Chatterbox, and it marked the franchise’s first foray into using Hollywood talent for voice roles (Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Madsen are two of the stars that appeared in the game in voice parts).
Rockstar delayed the game by a few weeks due to the September 11 terrorist attacks and made some slight changes like changing the flight path of a plane so it didn’t look like it could crash into a building. One mission that referenced terrorism was also removed. We said in our original review that “GTA III reinvents the series, updates it for a new generation of consoles, and manages to keep every single positive aspect from the two previous games.”
Released just a year after GTA III, 2002’s Vice City took players back in time to 1986. Set in Vice City, which was modeled after Miami, the story focused on the misadventures of Tommy Verceitti, with its narrative making obvious nods to Scarface and the TV series Miami Vice. Rockstar Games improved upon the open-world, non-linear structure of GTA III in Vice City, expanding on features and systems in the earlier releases and introducing new abilities, items, and mechanics. We said at the time that Vice City was one of “most stylish and most enjoyable games ever released.” It remains one of only a few GTA games to set its story in the past, and many are wondering when Rockstar may return to a period setting for a new GTA game.
2004’s GTA: San Andreas ranks highly on our list because it was a groundbreaking open-world experience when it was released on PS2 and Xbox. Set in a massive open-world based on Los Angeles and other areas, the game puts you into the role of Carl “CJ” Johnson. GTA San Andreas improved upon earlier entries by doing away with loading screens between locations, introducing swimming to the mix, an RPG system of sorts where you put on weight when you eat and need to exercise to stay trim and for offering what was, at the time, a gorgeous world to explore filled with all manner of activities. In our review at the time, we said when a game tries to do many different things, it can become stretched thin, but San Andreas moves from strength to strength to create an especially powerful package overall. The characters and dialogue are smart and well-delivered, and the sound design was praised, too. Not everyone loved GTA San Andreas, though, as many may recall the discovery of the Hot Coffee mod that caused a stir with politicians like Hillary Clinton who pushed for an inquiry. San Andreas’ legacy would live on, with Rockstar electing to use the same setting for its most popular game in the series so far, GTA V.
Grand Theft Auto V makes the top of the list because it is the pinnacle of the series from a design, storytelling, and technical perspective. Released in 2013, the game has stood the test of time and remains immensely popular to this day, thanks in part to its GTA Online mode. The game’s narrative took a unique approach for the series by featuring three playable protagonists. Michael, Trevor, and Franklin each came from distinct backgrounds and offered their own unique perspectives and gameplay opportunities, which kept the experience fresh. And the stories tied together in what felt like a satisfying way in the end. Set in a fictional version of Los Angeles called Los Santos and the surrounding area known as Blaine County, GTA V dropped players into an expansive world teeming with life and things to do, places to explore, and people to meet.
The GTA Online mode is a treasure unto itself, offering a virtual playground with all manner of quests and activities to take part in such as heists, races, PvP, and countless other challenges. The phenomenon that is GTA V is set to continue in March 2022 on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, where players can expect better visuals and an improved experience overall. When it’s released on those new platforms, it will be the third generation of consoles that the game has been released on, which is highly unusual but not surprising given the game remains a top-seller every month and has sold an astonishing 150 million copies to date.
