Grand Theft Auto clone

A Grand Theft Auto clone is a video game that falls within the genre popularized by the 2001 title Grand Theft Auto III,Sources that refer to Grand Theft Auto popularizing or inventing a genre include:
i. {{cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/ps2/f/battle-of-the-gta-clones/a-2007032712758324075/g-2005120719070657885742 |title=Battle of the GTA clones |date=2007-03-27 |author=Reparaz, Mikel |publisher=GamesRadar |access-date=2008-07-21 |archive-date=2011-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616024315/http://www.gamesradar.com/ps2/f/battle-of-the-gta-clones/a-2007032712758324075/g-2005120719070657885742 |url-status=live}};
ii. {{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/analysts-fps-most-attractive-genre-for-publishers |publisher=Gamasutra |title=Analysts: FPS 'Most Attractive' Genre for Publishers |author=Cifaldi, Frank |date=2006-02-21 |access-date=2008-08-21 |archive-date=2008-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922155925/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8241 |url-status=live}};
iii. {{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3762350.stm |publisher=BBC News |title=Hunt for Grand Theft Auto pirates |date=2004-10-21 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2009-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429070441/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3762350.stm |url-status=live}} where players are given the ability to drive any vehicle or fire any weapon as they explore an open world.{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=74595 |title=Crackdown Community Q&A |author=Bramwell, Tom |publisher=Eurogamer |date=2007-03-27 |access-date=2008-07-25 |archive-date=2007-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014432/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=74595 |url-status=dead}} These games are sometimes treated as a 3D action-adventure game,Sources that refer to games similar to Grand Theft Auto as action-adventure games include:
i. {{cite web |url=http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/software/2154224/godfather |title=Review: The Godfather 3D action game |author=Parkyn, Jonathan |publisher=Personal Computer World |date=2006-04-18 |access-date=2008-07-25 |archive-date=2008-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922191244/http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/software/2154224/godfather |url-status=dead}}
ii. {{cite web |url=http://wham.canoe.ca/wii/2007/03/30/3871537-torsun.html |author=Steve Tilley |publisher=CANOE |title=Wii 'Godfather' for newbies only |date=2007-04-01 |access-date=2008-07-25 |archive-date=2007-06-23 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070623032604/http://wham.canoe.ca/wii/2007/03/30/3871537-torsun.html |url-status=usurped}};
iii. {{cite web |url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/403/403367p1.html |title=E3 2003: True Crime: Streets of L.A. Update |author=Bishop, Sam |date=2003-05-16 |publisher=IGN |access-date=2008-07-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201141421/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/403/403367p1.html |archive-date=2009-02-01}}
iv. {{cite web |url=http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/saints-row/729563p1.html |title=GameSpy Review – Saints Row |publisher=GameSpy |author=Will Tuttle |date=2006-08-30 |access-date=2008-07-25 |archive-date=2008-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517072022/http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/saints-row/729563p1.html |url-status=live}};
v. {{cite web |url=http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=158948 |publisher=GamePro |title=Just Cause 2 announced for Xbox 360, PS3, PC |author=Snow, Blake |date=2008-01-30 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201011432/http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=158948 |archive-date=2008-02-01 |url-status=dead}} or third-person shooter. They are noted for frequently bearing strong violent or criminal themes, though exceptions like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and American McGee Presents: Scrapland have copied its gameplay and structure with a Teen rating.Navarro, Alex (2004-11-11). {{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/scrapland/review.html |title=Scrapland Review |access-date=2009-05-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010023540/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/scrapland/review.html |archive-date=2011-10-10}} Scrapland Review], GameSpot, Retrieved on 2009-6-17 The game Lego City Undercover was released the same year as GTA V and drew similar comparisons, albeit generally positive, and was given an E10+ rating by the ESRB.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thereviewgeek.com/8games-grandtheftauto/|title=8 Games Like Grand Theft Auto | TheReviewGeek Recommends|date=11 September 2022 }}

Calling a game a "Grand Theft Auto clone" is sometimes considered unfair or insulting. This is because reviewers sometimes use this term to suggest that the "clone" is a mere imitation, which commonly occurs in the video game industry, designed for the sole purpose of capitalizing on the success of the Grand Theft Auto series.{{cite web|url=http://www.360-gamer.com/preview.asp?id=547 |title=Saints Row – Preview |publisher=360 Gamer |author=Filmer, Jay |date=2006-08-03 |access-date=2008-11-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007103939/http://www.360-gamer.com/preview.asp?id=547 |archive-date=October 7, 2007}} However, this term can also be used as a neutral description of a game,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesquad.com/index.php?option=com_articles&id=8&aid=118&index=1 |title=Bully – Review |author=Chick,Tom |publisher=gamesquad.com |date=2006-10-17 |access-date=2008-11-07 |archive-date=2019-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125020424/http://www.gamesquad.com/index.php?option=com_articles&id=8&aid=118&index=1 |url-status=live}} which can range from good to bad.{{cite web |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=2213 |title=Crackdown: Review |publisher=GameTrailers |date=2007-02-20 |access-date=2008-11-07 |archive-date=2011-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606041530/http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=2213 |url-status=live}} Reviewers have used "Grand Theft Auto clone" to describe games that rest on their own merits,{{cite web|url=http://gameslikefinder.com/games-like-gta/|title=Games Like Grand Theft Auto|date=2014-02-09|website=Games Finder|access-date=2016-11-23|archive-date=2016-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127122949/http://gameslikefinder.com/games-like-gta|url-status=live}} and do not necessarily dismiss the entire class of games as mere imitators.{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18061407 |title=Top 5 'Grand Theft Auto' clones |publisher=NBC News |date=2007-04-12 |access-date=2008-11-07 |author=Smith, Ken |archive-date=2014-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528233002/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18061407/ |url-status=live}}

Games of this type are sometimes defined under the broader terminology "open world games" or "sandbox games", but many games that predate Grand Theft Auto III, such as Metroid from 1986, are also called open world games.i. {{cite web |author=Harris, John |title=Game Design Essentials: 20 Open World Games |publisher=Gamasutra |date=September 26, 2007 |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1902/game_design_essentials_20_open_.php |access-date=2008-07-25 |archive-date=2020-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111210554/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1902/game_design_essentials_20_open_.php |url-status=dead}}
ii. {{cite web |author=Whitehead, Dan |title=Born Free: the History of the Openworld Game |publisher=Eurogamer |date=February 4, 2008 |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=91968 |access-date=2008-07-25 |archive-date=2022-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610084617/https://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=91968 |url-status=dead}} Conflictingly, games such as Grand Theft Auto III and Body Harvest are credited with inventing this genre more than a decade later.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2229241.htm |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |title=Backwards Compatible – Rockstar North |date=2008-04-28 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2013-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528215032/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2229241.htm |url-status=live}}i. {{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/commentary/games/2008/05/gamesfrontiers_0502 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Delivers Deft Satire of Street Life |author=Thompson, Clive |publisher=Wired News |date=2008-05-02 |access-date=2008-07-21 |archive-date=2011-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908023420/http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/commentary/games/2008/05/gamesfrontiers_0502 |url-status=live}}
ii. {{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6171873/index.html |title=Greatest Games of All Time – Grand Theft Auto III |publisher=GameSpot |date=2007-06-01 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2007-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605020830/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6171873/index.html |url-status=live}} Furthermore, reviewers have stated that this genre does not include every game with a freely explorable world and that this genre is much more specific, thus excluding the free-roaming titles Spider-Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction from this class of games.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/ps2/f/battle-of-the-gta-clones/a-2007032712758324075/g-2005120719070657885742 |title=Battle of the GTA clones |date=2007-03-27 |author=Reparaz, Mikel |publisher=GamesRadar |access-date=2008-07-21 |archive-date=2011-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616024315/http://www.gamesradar.com/ps2/f/battle-of-the-gta-clones/a-2007032712758324075/g-2005120719070657885742 |url-status=live}} The terminology is inconsistent, sometimes including any game with open level design, while other times focusing on a specific genre created at the turn of the century.{{cite web |url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/tips/noviceguides/sandbox.htm |title=Xbox Novice Guide – Sandbox |publisher=Xbox.com |author= Treit, Ryan |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080618031401/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/tips/noviceguides/sandbox.htm |archive-date = 2008-06-18}}

Without clear classifications to describe the genre popularized by Grand Theft Auto, reviewers have created a number of alternate names for this genre. Some reviewers have focused on the pervasive criminal themes and mature content in the genre, using terminology such as "crime games", "crime-based action games",{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/analysts-fps-most-attractive-genre-for-publishers |publisher=Gamasutra |title=Analysts: FPS 'Most Attractive' Genre for Publishers |author=Cifaldi, Frank |date=2006-02-21 |access-date=2008-08-21 |archive-date=2008-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922155925/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8241 |url-status=live}} and what CNN called the "gangsta genre".{{cite news |author=Morris, Chris |title=At E3, crime pays a lot less |url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/05/11/technology/personaltech/e3_gangsta/ |work=CNN Money |date=2006-05-11 |access-date=2008-10-20 |archive-date=2021-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019014505/https://money.cnn.com/2006/05/11/technology/personaltech/e3_gangsta/ |url-status=live}} Other journalists have emphasized gameplay by describing the genre as "free roaming action adventure games",{{cite web |url=http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/software/2154224/godfather |title=Review: The Godfather 3D action game |author=Parkyn, Jonathan |publisher=Personal Computer World |date=2006-04-18 |access-date=2008-07-25 |archive-date=2008-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922191244/http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/software/2154224/godfather |url-status=dead}} "driving-and-shooting games",{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3762350.stm |publisher=BBC News |title=Hunt for Grand Theft Auto pirates |date=2004-10-21 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2009-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429070441/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3762350.stm |url-status=live}} and "driving action hybrids".{{cite news |author=Polak, Steve |title=Mafia fun for all the 'family' |publisher=The Daily Telegraph |date=2004-04-22}}

Grand Theft Auto clones offer players the ability to steal and drive a number of vehicles. Games have included all kinds of vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, helicopters, boats, fixed-wing aircraft, and military vehicles. Reviewers have compared these games based on the number of vehicles they offer, with greater choice resulting in better reviews. Players can also use vehicles as weapons, either by driving into enemies, or by damaging the vehicle until it explodes. Some games allow vehicles to perform stunts. Games in the genre thus incorporate elements of driving simulation games.{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/commentary/games/2008/05/gamesfrontiers_0502 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Delivers Deft Satire of Street Life |author=Thompson, Clive |publisher=Wired News |date=2008-05-02 |access-date=2008-07-21 |archive-date=2011-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908023420/http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/commentary/games/2008/05/gamesfrontiers_0502 |url-status=live}} Some games even allow players to customize their vehicles.

Players can engage in combat using a range of weapons depending on the game setting, such as firearms, explosives, close-range melee weapons, or even exaggerated fictional weapons (e.g. laser weapons or a hand-held minigun). As such, several reviewers have stated that games in this genre are partially third-person shooters.For examples of reviewers who have called these kinds of games third-person shooters, see:
i. {{cite web |url=http://wham.canoe.ca/ps2/reviews/2005/01/23/908787-sun.html |author=Tilly, Steve |date=2005-01-23 |publisher=Canadian Online Explorer |title=Mercenaries |access-date=2008-08-26 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070623032604/http://wham.canoe.ca/ps2/reviews/2005/01/23/908787-sun.html |archive-date=2007-06-23}}
ii. {{cite web |url=http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-games/driver-parallel-lines-xbox/4505-9582_7-31484665.html |title=Driver: Parallel Lines |author=Gerstmann, Jeff |date=2006-03-14 |publisher=CNET Networks |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2012-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004141305/http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-games/driver-parallel-lines-xbox/4505-9582_7-31484665.html |url-status=live}} Players can find weapons scattered throughout the game world, and may buy weapons in shops or take them from dead enemies. Virtually anyone in the game world can be attacked by the player. In many games, excessive violent behavior will provoke a reaction by police authorities, who the player may then choose to fight or evade.{{cite web |author=Gerstmann, Jeff |publisher=GameSpot |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/scarface/review.html?page=2 |title=Review – Scarface: The World Is Yours |date=2006-10-10 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2009-04-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426002908/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/scarface/review.html?page=2 |url-status=live}} Players must also keep track of their health and ammunition in order to succeed in combat.

These games have employed a variety of aiming mechanisms, such as free look aiming or a "lock-on" button. Several games have been criticized for difficult or burdensome controls when it comes to shooting,{{cite web |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/763/763635p1.html |title=Crackdown Review |author=Perry, Douglass |publisher=IGN |date=2007-02-12 |access-date=2008-02-22 |archive-date=2012-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314084338/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/763/763635p1.html |url-status=live}} and thus video game designers have tried to refine the aiming and shooting controls in these games.

Grand Theft Auto clones allow players to freely explore the game world, which is typically on the scale of an entire city. Some games base their level design on real world cities, such as London, New York City, and Los Angeles. Players are usually able to navigate by vehicle or on foot.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051100569.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |author=Gaudiosi, John |title='Parallel Lines': Put It in Drive |date=2006-05-12 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2018-10-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022212022/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051100569.html |url-status=live}} Some games put greater emphasis on leaping, climbing, and even swimming.{{cite web |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/just-cause/618203p1.html |title=GameSpy: Just Cause Review |publisher=GameSpy |author=Leeper, Justin |date=2005-05-23 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2018-10-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022212203/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/just-cause/618203p1.html |url-status=live}} Exploring the world is not just necessary to complete objectives, but also to gain valuable items, weapons, and vehicles. Different parts of the game world may be controlled by different enemy factions, who will attempt to stop the player in a variety of ways. More recent games in this genre allow players to acquire their own territory.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-complete-history-of-grand-theft-auto/a-2008042314506193050/p-5 |title=The complete history of Grand Theft Auto |author=CVG UK |publisher=GamesRadar |date=2008-04-24 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2011-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616050812/http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-complete-history-of-grand-theft-auto/a-2008042314506193050/p-5 |url-status=live}} The freedom of navigating a huge game world may be overwhelming or confusing for new players. Game designers have come up with a variety of navigational aids to solve this problem. A mini-map feature is common,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/simpsonshitandrun/review.html |title=Review – Simpsons Hit and Run |publisher=GameSpot |author=Navarro, Alex |date=2003-09-15 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2009-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111211217/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/simpsonshitandrun/review.html |url-status=live}} while Saints Row and Grand Theft Auto IV go so far as to offer a GPS service. Games without these navigation tools are sometimes criticized as confusing.

The player's freedom to explore may be limited until they complete certain objectives and advance the game plot. Players must visit specific locations and complete specific missions in order to win the game,i. {{cite web |url=http://www.australiangamer.com/preview/134/saints_row.html |title=Australian Gamer Preview – Saints Row |publisher=Australian Gamer |author=Downie, Alan |date=2006-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720194001/http://www.australiangamer.com/preview/134/saints_row.html |archive-date=July 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=2008-07-24}}
ii. {{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/feature/we-visit-volition-to-talk-saints-row-196953.php |title=We Visit Volition to Talk Saints Row |publisher=Kotaku |author=Wilson, Mark |date=2006-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312085701/http://kotaku.com/gaming/feature/we-visit-volition-to-talk-saints-row-196953.php |archive-date=2008-03-12 |url-status=dead |access-date=2008-07-24}}
iii. {{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/simpsonshitandrun/review.html |title=Review – Simpsons Hit and Run |publisher=GameSpot |author=Navarro, Alex |date=2003-09-15 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2009-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111211217/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/simpsonshitandrun/review.html |url-status=live}} such as racing, tailing, couriering, robbing,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/outlawchopper/review.html?sid=6154700 |title=GameSpot Review – Outlaw Chopper |publisher=GameSpot |author=Navarro, Alex |date=2006-07-26 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2022-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610084618/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/outlaw-chopper-review/1900-6154700/ |url-status=live}} stealing,{{cite web |url=http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/gta-retrospective.php?page=3 |title=Grand Theft Auto: A Retrospective |publisher=Something Awful |author=Mikal, Hassan |date=2008-04-17 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2012-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527121008/http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/gta-retrospective.php?page=3 |url-status=live}} shooting, assassinating, and driving to specific checkpoints.{{cite web |url=http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/overdose/664438p1.html |title=GameSpy Review – Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico (PS2) |publisher=GameSpy |author=Guzman, Hector |date=2005-11-04 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2006-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427165340/http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/overdose/664438p1.html |url-status=live}} There may be multiple ways to complete these missions as the game environment is designed to facilitate shortcuts, experimentation, and creative ways to kill enemies. Completing a core mission will unlock further missions and advance the storyline,{{cite web |url=http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1893/Saints-Row-2/p1/ |title=Saints Row 2 Preview (Xbox 360) |author=Price, Tom |publisher=TeamXbox |date=2008-03-04 |access-date=2008-07-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928200628/http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1893/Saints-Row-2/p1/ |archive-date=2008-09-28}} and if the player fails a mission they will be able to resume the game from before the mission began. In addition, these games usually offer optional side missions, which allow players to gain other rewards. These side missions improve the game's replay value. These games are also known for incorporating numerous minigames into the game world, such as circuit races.{{cite news |author=Gaudiosi, John |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051100569.html |title='Parallel Lines': Put It in Drive |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2006-05-12 |access-date=2008-10-20 |archive-date=2018-10-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022212022/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051100569.html |url-status=live}} Ultimately, this allows the player to follow or ignore the game's storyline as they see fit.{{cite news |author= Tilley, Steven |title=Clone Stars; these saints march to the beat of a familiar drum, but they get it right |work=The Toronto Sun |date=2006-09-10}}

Open world, 3D action-adventure games existed for years prior to the release of any similar game from the Scottish developer DMA Design.Whitehead, Dan (February 4, 2008). [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/born-free-the-history-of-the-openworld-game-article?page=1 "Born Free: the History of the Openworld Game"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926074738/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/born-free-the-history-of-the-openworld-game-article?page=1 |date=September 26, 2009}}. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-07-25. Mercenary (1985) has been described as a major ancestor to the Grand Theft Auto series, because it featured an open world which the player could explore freely. Turbo Esprit, the first free-roaming driving game,{{cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-driving-game-to-feature-an-open-world-environment|title=First open-world driving videogame|publisher=|access-date=24 June 2018|archive-date=25 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625001337/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-driving-game-to-feature-an-open-world-environment|url-status=live}} featured an explorable city with traffic, pedestrians and working traffic lights and has been cited as a major influence on the Grand Theft Auto series.Retrorevival: Turbo Esprit, Retro Gamer issue 20, page 48. Imagine Publishing, 2006.Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe, BBC Television, 2009. "Grand Theft Auto ... directly inspired by the pioneering Spectrum game Turbo Esprit"The making of... Turbo Esprit, Retro Gamer issue 36, page 84-87. Imagine Publishing, 2007. The Terminator, released in 1991, was a free-form, open world game that set its action in a modern-day city that extended for miles, and included the ability to fire at civilians and steal cars. This game was also among the first American-developed games to feature these elements.Fahs, Travis (2009-05-20). [http://retro.ign.com/articles/984/984921p1.html IGN Presents the History of Terminator] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502001901/http://retro.ign.com/articles/984/984921p1.html |date=May 2, 2012}}, IGN, Retrieved on 2009-06-17

Hunter (1991) has been described as the first sandbox game featuring full 3D, third-person graphics, thus making it an important precursor to the Grand Theft Auto series.Fahs, Travis (2008-03-24). [http://retro.ign.com/articles/861/861550p3.html The Leif Ericson Awards] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308195357/http://retro.ign.com/articles/861/861550p3.html |date=March 8, 2012}}, IGN, Retrieved on 2009-07-16 The game consisted of a large, open world in which there were numerous possibilities to complete different missions. The character could travel on foot, or steal different vehicles such as cars, tanks, or even bicycles, boats, helicopters and hovercraft. Moreover, Hunter also had many unique features such as day and night lighting, fuel modelling, a log book, aerial observation units, tank traps, land mines and computer-controlled rocket batteries and tracer guns.Patterson, Mark (August 1991). [http://amigareviews.classicgaming.gamespy.com/hunter.htm Amiga Reviews: Hunter], CU Amiga, Retrieved on 2009-07-16 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702163141/http://amigareviews.classicgaming.gamespy.com/hunter.htm |date=July 2, 2008}} It was also possible to ride a bicycle, swim, windsurf or even make a parachute jump from a helicopter.

DMA Design began pursuing open world game design with the first Grand Theft Auto, which allowed players to commandeer various automobiles and shoot various weapons within a mission-based structure.{{cite web | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/adventure/grandtheftauto/review.html | title = GTA: Grand Theft Auto: European Version Review | publisher = GameSpot | author = Mac Donald, Ryan | date = 1998-05-06 | access-date = 2009-04-04 | archive-date = 2009-04-25 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090425225657/http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/adventure/grandtheftauto/review.html | url-status = dead}} Unlike later games in the series, and indeed many earlier influences, the first two GTA games were 2D, using a top-down perspective. In 1998, DMA moved many of these design concepts into a 3D world, with Body Harvest, a Nintendo 64 game developed by DMA Design. This title featured an open world with nonlinear missions and side-quests, as well as the ability to commandeer and drive a variety of vehicles. As such, it has been retroactively called "GTA in space" (despite the fact that most of the game takes place in various settings on Earth), and is credited with making Grand Theft Auto III possible.{{cite web |url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/759/759931p1.html |title=Top 10 Tuesday: Underrated and Underappreciated Games |publisher=IGN |author=Casamassina, Matt |date=2007-01-30 |access-date=2008-11-08 |archive-date=2009-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425205130/http://cube.ign.com/articles/759/759931p1.html |url-status=live}} Dan Houser has also cited the 3D Mario and Zelda games on the Nintendo 64 as major influences.{{cite web |last1=Suellentrop |first1=Chris |title=Q. and A.: Rockstar's Dan Houser on Grand Theft Auto V |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/arts/video-games/q-and-a-rockstars-dan-houser-on-grand-theft-auto-v.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=7 August 2016 |date=9 November 2012 |archive-date=10 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110091527/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/arts/video-games/q-and-a-rockstars-dan-houser-on-grand-theft-auto-v.html |url-status=live}}

In 1999, Midtown Madness was released by Angel Studios. This driving game was 3D and featured an open world in an urban environment like Grand Theft Auto. It was however not a sandbox game, as the player could only choose one of the pre-defined gameplay modes. Travelling on foot or switching cars during gameplay was not possible. Rockstar Games approached Angel Studios with a long-term partnership in 1999, which resulted in the creation of video game series Midnight Club (another open world 3D race game) and Smuggler's Run. In November 2000, almost a year before Grand Theft Auto III, Driver 2 by Reflections came out. Set in a 3D open world in an urban environment with the ability to traverse on foot and commandeer other vehicles, Driver 2 featured many aspects of what would later become known as a Grand Theft Auto clone, though violence was restricted to cutscenes.

Grand Theft Auto III took the gameplay foundation of the first two Grand Theft Auto games and expanded it into a 3D world, and offered an unprecedented variety of minigames and side-missions. The title was a much greater commercial success than its direct precursors, and its influence was profound.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6171873/index.html |title=Greatest Games of All Time – Grand Theft Auto III |publisher=GameSpot |date=2007-06-01 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2007-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605020830/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6171873/index.html |url-status=live}} As such, Grand Theft Auto III is credited with popularizing this genre, let alone inventing it. Its release is sometimes treated as a revolutionary event in the history of video games, much like the release of Doom nearly a decade earlier.{{cite magazine |title= The game treated as much like the release of Doom nearly a decade earlier.|magazine=Game Informer |volume=1 |issue=138 |pages=73}} GamePro called it the most important game of all time, and claimed that every genre was influenced to rethink their conventional level design.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/110088/the-52-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-page-8-of-8/ |title=The 52 Most Important Video Games of All Time (page 8 of 8) |author1=Boba Fatt |author2=the GamePros |date=2007-04-25 |access-date=2008-10-01 |publisher=GamePro|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905175401/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/110088/the-52-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-page-8-of-8/|archive-date=2008-09-05}} IGN similarly praised it as one of the top ten most influential games of all time.{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/11/igns-top-10-most-influential-games |title=IGN's Top 10 Most Influential Games |author1=Geddes, Ryan |author2=Daemon Hatfield |publisher=IGN |date=2007-12-10 |access-date=2008-10-01 |archive-date=2021-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228100148/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/11/igns-top-10-most-influential-games |url-status=live}} Subsequent games that follow this formula of driving and shooting in a free-roaming level have been called Grand Theft Auto clones.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/driver4/review.html |title=Driver: Parallel Lines Review |publisher=GameSpot |author=Gerstmann, Jeff |date=2006-03-14 |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2008-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201083937/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/driver4/review.html |url-status=dead}}

Other critics, however, likened Grand Theft Auto III to The Legend of Zelda and Metroid, as well as Shenmue in particular,Brendan Main, [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_285/8455-Lost-in-Yokosuka Lost in Yokosuka] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022094537/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_285/8455-Lost-in-Yokosuka |date=October 22, 2013}}, The Escapist[http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1148/interview-with-shenmue-creator-yu-suzuki Shenmue: Creator Yu Suzuki Speaks Out] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102193343/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1148/interview-with-shenmue-creator-yu-suzuki |date=January 2, 2011}}, GamesTM[http://uk.games.ign.com/top-100-game-creators/9.html Yu Suzuki] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204162343/http://uk.games.ign.com/top-100-game-creators/9.html |date=February 4, 2012}}, IGN[https://archive.today/20121206045152/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=3&cId=3182648 The Disappearance of Yu Suzuki: Part 1], 1UP and noted how GTA III had combined elements from previous games and fused them together into a new immersive experience. For instance, radio stations had been implemented earlier in games such as Sega's Out Run (1986){{cite web|author=Brian Gazza|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/outrun/outrun.htm|title=Outrun|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=2011-03-17|archive-date=2010-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126185633/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/outrun/outrun.htm|url-status=dead}} and Maxis' SimCopter (1996), open-ended missions based on operating a taxi cab in a sandbox environment were the basis for Sega's Crazy Taxi (1999),{{cite web|title=Top 25 Racing Games... Ever! Part 1|work=Retro Gamer|date=16 September 2009|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/423/top-25-racing-games-ever-part-1?o=1|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160523152201/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/423/top-25-racing-games-ever-part-1?o=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 May 2016|access-date=2011-03-17}} the ability to kill non-player characters dated back to action role-playing games like Hydlide II (1985),Kurt Kalata & Robert Greene, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide/hydlide.htm Hydlide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522205308/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide/hydlide.htm |date=May 22, 2016}}, Hardcore Gaming 101 and Final Fantasy Adventure (1991),{{cite web|author=Andrew Vestal|title=Other Game Boy RPGs|publisher=GameSpot|date=1998-11-02|url=http://gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/gameboy3.html|access-date=2009-11-18|archive-date=2009-06-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608191333/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/gameboy3.html|url-status=dead}} and the way in which players run over pedestrians and get chased by police has been compared to Pac-Man (1980).{{cite web|title=Grand Theft Auto And Pac-Man? "The Same"|author=Brian Ashcraft|date=July 16, 2009|url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/07/grand-theft-auto-and-pac-man-the-same/|access-date=2011-03-08|archive-date=2011-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706105956/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/07/grand-theft-auto-and-pac-man-the-same/|url-status=dead}}

One of the first games to be compared to Grand Theft Auto's foray into the 3D video game landscape was Mafia. Its development during the same time and release a year later in 2002 had a few review websites draw comparisons, notably comparing the open world city and driving.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mafia-review/1900-2879254/|title=Mafia Review|last=Wolpaw|first=Erik|date=September 4, 2002|website=GameSpot|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=September 26, 2020|quote=Arriving without much prerelease hype, Mafia is a highly engaging combination of the driving and living-city elements of Grand Theft Auto III and the story-driven third-person shooting action of Max Payne.|archive-date=June 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608181657/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mafia-review/1900-2879254/|url-status=live}} These comparisons were mostly positive, with Game Informer writing "This is a lot like GTA III. Awesome!" and "There's no shame in taking a proven gameplay formula and changing it a little bit" in its review.{{cite magazine|author=Kristian Brogger |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200211/R03.0807.1226.41802.htm |title=Mafia (PC) |magazine=Game Informer |issue=115 |date=November 2002 |page=147 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050225162341/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200211/R03.0807.1226.41802.htm |archive-date=25 February 2005 |url-status=dead |access-date=11 April 2010 |quote= When I started playing this game, I thought, "Okay, this is kind of like GTA III". Then I started getting into it, and I thought, "Holy crap! This is a lot like GTA III. Awesome!" There's no shame in taking a proven gameplay formula and changing it a little bit to fit a scheme of your own.}}

Rockstar North finished development of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City later that year, which expanded on the open world concept by letting players explore the interior of more than sixty buildings. The game featured an expanded soundtrack and the voice talent of several Hollywood actors, including Ray Liotta. This set a new standard for the genre, making studio talent a pre-requisite for success.{{cite news |author=Snider, Mike |title=Video games: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City |work=USA Today |date=2002-12-27}} Other game developers entered the field that year, with releases such as The Getaway. The Simpsons: Hit & Run in 2003 applied the concept to a cartoon world, while True Crime: Streets of LA reversed the Grand Theft Auto formula by putting the player in the role of a police officer.{{cite web |url=http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/true-crime-streets-of-la/6377p1.html |title=Review – True Crime: Streets of LA |publisher=GameSpy |author=Fischer, Russ |date=2003-11-14 |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-date=2021-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306102559/http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/true-crime-streets-of-la/6377p1.html |url-status=live}} Some reviewers began warning parents of the growing number of games in this genre, due to the violent themes intended for mature audiences. The Driver series, which itself was an influence on Grand Theft Auto III,{{Cite news |author1=Jeremy Peel |date=2021-07-13 |title=How Reflections progressed from GTA rival to Ubisoft's in-house car collision specialists |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-reflections-went-from-gta-rival-to-ubisofts-in-house-car-collision-specialists/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}{{Cite web |first=James |last=Batchelor |date=2021-11-11 |title=The legacy of Grand Theft Auto 3: Grown-up video games and a template for the open world |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/grown-up-video-games-and-a-template-for-the-open-world-the-legacy-of-grand-theft-auto-3 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}} also borrowed elements from the Grand Theft Auto series thereafter such as gun combat, leading to Driver 3 in 2004 and Driver: Parallel Lines in 2006 also having been referred to as GTA clones.{{Cite web |title=Driver: Parallel Lines Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/driver-parallel-lines-review/1900-6145962/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}

Ultimately, rival developers were unable to match the reception of the Grand Theft Auto series. Rockstar North released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in 2004, which featured an open world on the scale of three distinct cities. The game also allowed players to customize the player-character and vehicles, as well as compete for turf by fighting with rival gangs. The continued success of the Grand Theft Auto series led to successful spin-offs, including Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories in 2005, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories in 2006, and the 2D Grand Theft Auto Advance for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. A market analysis in early 2006 found that new games in this genre would have more difficulty than new first-person shooters or racing games, and noted that overall revenue for this genre declines during periods without a new Grand Theft Auto game. By 2006, developers were producing fewer games in this space, estimated at half the number seen in 2005. Grand Theft Auto clones for mobile phones were also released by a number of developers, most notably those from Gameloft's Gangstar series, the first being Gangstar: Crime City in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Mobile/Gangstar%3A+Crime+City/review.asp?c=1866|title=Gangstar: Crime City review|last=French|first=Michael|date=14 November 2006|access-date=30 July 2016|archive-date=7 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807042846/http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Mobile/Gangstar%3A+Crime+City/review.asp?c=1866|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/12/30/gangstar-crime-city-review|title=Gangstar: Crime City Review|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|date=30 December 2006|work=IGN|access-date=30 July 2016|archive-date=29 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129153341/https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/12/30/gangstar-crime-city-review|url-status=live}}

With the arrival of the seventh generation of video game consoles, the first "next-gen" Grand Theft Auto clones were released in 2006. Beginning with Saints Row from 2006 and Crackdown from 2007 both introduced online multiplayer to the genre, a feature that had been requested by many fans. Crackdown attracted attention for being created by David Jones, the developer of the original Grand Theft Auto,{{cite web | url = http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/report-crackdown-developer-gets-50m-in-funding/?biz=1 | date = 2008-03-31 | title = Report: Crackdown Developer Gets $50M in Funding | publisher = GameDaily | author = Brightman, James | access-date = 2009-04-04 | archive-date = 2019-09-07 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190907191629/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/report-crackdown-developer-gets-50m-in-funding/?biz=1 | url-status = live}} and featured the ability to develop the player character's superpowers in a semi-futuristic setting. Meanwhile, The Godfather: The Game and Scarface: The World Is Yours entered the market in 2006, and attempted to apply the Grand Theft Auto formula to popular film franchises. Still, reviewers continued to measure these games against the standard set by the Grand Theft Auto series. Grand Theft Auto IV was released in April 2008 and featured a large, detailed environment, redefining gameplay{{cite web | url = http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/869/869381p1.html | title = Grand Theft Auto IV Review | author = Goldstein, Hillary | publisher = IGN | date = 2008-04-25 | access-date = 2009-04-30 | archive-date = 2012-02-23 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120223114950/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/869/869381p1.html | url-status = live}} and even adopted the GPS navigation system seen in Saints Row. The game broke numerous sales records, including the record for the fastest selling game in its first 24 hours.{{cite web|url=http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/130508_GTA_IV_break_record.aspx |title=Confirmed: Grand Theft Auto IV Breaks Guinness World Records With Biggest Entertainment Release Of All-Time |access-date=2008-05-13 |date=2008-05-13 |publisher=Guinness World Records |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223211049/http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/130508_GTA_IV_break_record.aspx |archive-date=2010-12-23}} Since its inception, this genre has evolved to include larger settings, more missions, and a wider range of vehicles. In 2010, Rockstar Games published Red Dead Redemption, an open world Western themed game.{{cite web|url=http://ie.xbox360.ign.com/articles/109/1090125p1.html|title=Red Dead Redemption Review|date=17 May 2010|publisher=IGN|access-date=31 December 2011|archive-date=26 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426082542/http://ie.xbox360.ign.com/articles/109/1090125p1.html|url-status=live}} Later that year, the second entry in the Mafia series, Mafia II, was released by 2K Games and met with a few comparisons to Grand Theft Auto as well.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/jul/20/mafia-2-preview |title=Mafia 2 preview |last=Arnott |first=Jack |date=July 20, 2010 |website=The Guardian |access-date=September 26, 2020 |quote=This one problem aside, Mafia 2 has the makings of a blockbuster release, and is a potential must-have for your late summer shopping lists. Who knows, by the time Grand Theft Auto 5 comes out, the comparisons may be the other way around. |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109021918/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/jul/20/mafia-2-preview |url-status=live}} On the day of Grand Theft Auto V{{'}}s release on September 17, 2013, Volition released a free downloadable content pack for Saints Row IV titled "GATV", purposely playing the similarity in the abbreviated titles to promote their game due to the confusion raised on various social networks.{{Cite web | url = http://kotaku.com/gta-v-gets-trolled-hard-1333301293 | title = GTA V Gets Trolled Hard | publisher = Kotaku | date = 2013-09-17 | access-date = 2013-09-18 | first = Jason | last = Schreier | archive-date = 2021-01-27 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210127210403/https://kotaku.com/gta-v-gets-trolled-hard-1333301293 | url-status = live}} The Assassin's Creed media franchise, while centred around historical conspiracy fiction based on a heavily fictionalised centuries-old rivalry between the Order of Assassins and the Knights Templar, also saw comparisons to Grand Theft Auto with the 2015 sequel Assassin's Creed Syndicate, whose turf-based gang warfare mechanic was likened to a similar gameplay feature in San Andreas.{{Cite web |last=Plumb |first=Ali |date=2015-09-24 |title=Assassin's Creed Syndicate goes 'full GTA' |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/assassins-creed/a670223/assassins-creed-syndicate-hands-on-grand-theft-auto-meets-charles-dickens-in-ubisofts-period-romp-round-london/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB}}

Variations of the Grand Theft Auto formula have also been applied to games aimed at children and younger audiences, most notably with Lego City Undercover, first released in 2013 for the Wii U with a remastered version for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One released in 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/true-crime-streets-of-la/|title=True Crime: Streets of L.A. - PlayStation 2 - GameSpy|website=ps2.gamespy.com|access-date=2021-08-07|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113623/http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/true-crime-streets-of-la/|url-status=live}} As is with the True Crime and later Sleeping Dogs games, the game is role-reversed with the player taking on the role of a police officer enforcing the law, rather than of a criminal, although the player is required to commit criminal acts on some occasions in order to infiltrate criminal gangs.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/08/sleeping-dogs/|title=Review: Unpolished Sleeping Dogs Tells a Riveting Crime Story|magazine=Wired |via=www.wired.com|last1=Kohler |first1=Chris}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/02/interview_tt_fusion_on_building_lego_city_undercover|title=Interview: TT Fusion On Building LEGO City: Undercover|date=February 26, 2013|website=Nintendo Life|access-date=August 7, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807132426/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/02/interview_tt_fusion_on_building_lego_city_undercover|url-status=live}} Another lesser-known example is the 2011 Wii open world sports game Go Vacation, described by IGN reviewer Audrey Drake as Wii Sports Resort meets Grand Theft Auto, in which players can freely roam four different resorts in a variety of vehicles.{{cite web |last1=Drake |first1=Audrey |title=Go Vacation is Worth the Trip |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/10/12/go-vacation-is-worth-the-trip |website=IGN |access-date=6 January 2024 |date=11 October 2011}}

• Vehicle simulation game

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