Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy is a 2005 compilation pack of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The game also serves as the revised package for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which had to be pulled from shelves due to the controversial "Hot Coffee" modification unintentionally accessible with cheat devices.

Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III takes place in Liberty City, a fictional city on the East Coast which is loosely based on New York City. The timeline of Grand Theft Auto III' is set at around the autumn of 2001. Grand Theft Auto III takes the gameplay elements of Body Harvest and combines them with the Grand Theft Auto series' open-ended game design to create a level of freedom and detail that was unprecedented in 2001. A common trait Grand Theft Auto III shares with the rest of the Grand Theft Auto series is the considerably non-linear gameplay within the open world environment of Liberty City. Missions that are offered to the player primarily fall into two categories: storyline-based and side missions. While the game's linear set of storyline-based missions are required to advance the plot and unlock certain areas of the map, the player can choose to complete them at his or her own leisure. Additionally, many of them are not mandatory. Alternatively, it is possible to ignore the main missions and only play side missions. The selection of weapons provided in the game consists of firearms and explosives, with the addition of two forms of mêlée attacks (hand to hand combat and baseball bat).

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City draws much of its inspiration from 1980s American culture. Set in 1986 in Vice City, a fictional city modelled on Miami, the story revolves around Mafia member Tommy Vercetti; recently released from prison. After being involved in a drug deal that goes wrong, Tommy seeks those responsible while building a criminal empire and seizing power from other criminal organisations in the city. The gameplay is open-ended, a characteristic of the Grand Theft Auto franchise; although missions must be completed to complete the storyline and unlock new areas of the city, the player is able to drive around and visit different parts of the city at his/her leisure and otherwise, do whatever they wish if not currently in the middle of a mission. Various items such as hidden weapons and packages are also scattered throughout the landscape, as it has been with previous Grand Theft Auto titles. A new addition in this game is the ability of the player to purchase a number of properties distributed across the city. Some of these are additional hideouts (essentially locations where weapons can be collected and the game saved). There are also a variety of businesses called "assets" which the player can buy. The weapons system used in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is derivative of those from its predecessors, but has been significantly expanded. Compared to 12 forms of weapons from Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City features a total of 35 weapons divided into 10 classes (classified by portability, firepower or function), with the player allowed to carry only one weapon from each class.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is set in the fictional state of San Andreas, comprising three metropolitan cities, Los Santos, based on Los Angeles, San Fierro, based on San Francisco and Las Venturas, based on Las Vegas, with deserts, rivers, forests and even a mountain separating the cities. Set in late 1992, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas revolves around gang member Carl "CJ" Johnson returning home from Liberty City to Los Santos, San Andreas, after learning of his mother's murder. The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain cities and content, they are not required as players can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam around the cities, or cause havoc by attacking people and causing destruction. However, creating havoc can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities. The more chaos caused, the stronger the response: police will handle "minor" infractions (attacking people, pointing guns at people, stealing cars, killing a few people, etc.), whereas SWAT teams, the FBI, and the military respond to higher wanted levels.There are RPG features in character development. Rockstar has emphasised the personalization of the main protagonist by adding many RPG features. Clothing, accessories, haircuts, jewellery, and tattoos are now available for purchase by CJ, and have more of an effect on non-player characters' reactions than the clothing in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. CJ's level of respect among his fellow recruits and street friends varies according to his appearance and actions, as do his relationships with his girlfriends. Players must also ensure CJ eats to stay healthy and also exercises properly. The balance of food and physical activity has an effect on his appearance and physical attributes.