Topic: GTA games - overrated?

I just recently bought Grand Theft Auto III, after having played it and its successors for many years at my brother's, and many of my friends' houses. ...But after finally buying that game, I realize the GTA series (after GTAIII) it's not all it's hyped up to be. Gamespot and IGN both give it a 9.6, which is ridiculous, in my opinion. Well, here's my opinion, on this, and the later games in the series as a whole. clicky! This isn't meant to be another "user review" thread, I just wonder what other people think of the series. Do you think GTAIV deserves a 100/100, because I think VERY few games do, and GTA is definitely not one of them.

I was right there with you on this one about it being over rated. GTA 3 today is NOT what it was when it released. Remember when it released it was to the same apeal of Mario 64. It was absolutely groundbreaking for its time. Do remeber that. GTA 4 I actually picked up on a blow out sale at a used video store for $5 USD and said what the heck its got to be worth that. GTA 4 is worth every single penny of the $60 USD sale price. Its phenominal. Instead of the go here shoot this guy. It has a full scale racing game built in. Criminals to caputre thru police computers. Some missions are very very big and basically play out as well as any Top Notch AAA 3rd Person Shooters (If you turn off Auto Aim). There is just so much to do and see. The Online modes are very many and well designed, graphics are pretty dang good and all the little things added to make it feel more real such as flying thru window of car in head on crashes, flying off motorcycles in crashes, etc just seem to pull you into the game really deep. I was a GTA hater for a LONG Time but GTA4 has changed that.

@slapshot82
Well, that makes GTAIV sound really good. I've never played it, but I just can't imagine a GTA game being worthy of 100/100. Even Ocarina of time, which is my favorite game, doesn't deserve 100. I give it a 98. Anyway, I've just never found much appeal in the mission-based gameplay. It feels boring to me. It's worse than Mario 64's often criticized fetch-questingness. But...the free-roaming aspect is so freaking fun that I still love the game. It's just unfortunate that I'll probably never finish it because it feels like a chore to me. And it's doubly disappointing because I can't explore the whole world since I haven't done most of the missions.

I would prob give it a 95 for graphics being a little blurry on the edges and character custimizations not being as good as I want. But the missions are actually the highlight of the game in 4 wich is just crazy cause I couldnt finish 3 or San Andreas cause the missions were boring so I just ran around and blew up randon stuff and jumped off buildings I have barely free roamed in 4 because there is soooo many really fun side quest/jobs to do. Like call 911 on your phone and when the cops show up jump in their car and loose your wanted level. Then access the cars computer and search the fugitive files and start busting fugitives. It cracks me up everytime the cops come rolling around to the call and I jack the car. They act so dumbfounded when It happens and its hilarious.

These days I like a bit of a mess around on the very 1st GTA now n' then and also san andreas (and will proberbly get china town wars if I ever see cheap enough) but the reason I didnt rush out n' buy it is - YES gta games can be a bit of a laugh but yeah they are over rated and certainly not must buy titles to me.

That's exactly the reason it took me so long before I bought GTAIII, but then, it's only $5, so why not?

The Jack of all trades specialist in none series, never liked them to begin with, I just get so bored playing them, not liking driving type games doesn't help either since that is a huge part of the games.

I personally love GTA IV, it fixed a lot of older issues (covering and shooting got MUCH better ) and the storylines were great and it had a fantastically strong set of characters. The only slight problem was that it did lose some of the humour from the missions in older games, but I didn't think it really harmed the game very much.
I also completed The Lost and Damned which was fantastic, and I can't wait for the Ballad of Gay Tony, which looks likely to add a lot more of the random fun into the series (paragliding w00t!)
Oh, and it has Ricky Gervais in it, and TLaD has Frankie Boyle and Omid Djalili plays a character in the BoGT! ROFL

I've only played GTA: San Andreas.
But i've played GTA: Vice City too, but not so much.
And they're both great, you should try them!

I loved GTA 1&2. Completely lost interest when it went 3D as it did not translate well at all. I don't like the realism of GTAIV and the likelihood more people under 18 have played it than those above.

yes, got bored before started!

I've never been drawn to the GTA series so I've never played a single one. Just no appeal for me.

Yeah GTAIV is definately NOT for anyone under 18. Its a very mature game. I feel like with older GTA games it was more about pushing the limits with what the game could get away with with language/sex/etc but GTAIV has the gameplay to back up all the mature aspects of the game. The online aspects of the game are great as well wich was also a first for the series.

Boring games to me. most stupid concept in my opinion. I dont feel like going into it more for now. Ill explain later if any contradictions with this post occur sigh

I still find it overrated extremely having played it at a friends house. Sure everytime you find a new way to kill yourself, you smile a little inside knowing you've mastered that. Sure its fun the first couple of times you go on a killing spree, but overall it gets very old quickly and you began to focus more towards living an actual life or just the old classic infinite suicides or in GTA3 getting a tank! My point is that nobody plays GTA for story that I know and not many gamers in general play the GTA games for story, they play it for violence!

GTA San Andreas is the Best one because it has Samuel L Jackson in it.

(I can't beat GTA 3 because I wrecked the indestructible jeep)

GTAIV has a great story and the character are great. Saying its NOT means you havent played them and/or just the first few wich are actually training missions. Until you start opening up the other islands you havent scratched the surface of the story.

I've played a few games of the series, but I believe the series is seriously overrated, even more so then the Halo franchise.

I have owned 3, Vice City and San Andreas. Only one left in my collection is San Andreas. I am just not big on open world sandbox games. I think its overrated in my opinion but at the same time other people are going to think the games I enjoy are overrated. So really its just all preference.

I don't like the games at all