Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

As we inch closer to the 10-year anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III this Saturday, we’ve done a lot of reflecting about the era of gaming that it ushered in, and how it changed the way developers look at games. But aside from standardizing open worlds and giving us and a decade of morally ambiguous gaming, GTA as a series has told a lot of fascinating stories. And a big reason those stories were so fascinating was their cast of larger-than-life scumbags, psychos and sociopaths, most of which were not only memorable, but surprisingly complicated underneath their cartoonish exteriors.

With that in mind, we roped together a few of our editors and wouldn’t let them leave until they’d told us, in their own words, which ones were their favorites...

As of this writing, we know absolutely nothing about the next iteration of Grand Theft Auto. Technically, we don’t even know it exists, because publisher Rockstar Games hasn’t announced or even let slip a single scrap of information about it. But we know it’s in the works, because really, how could it not be? Saying there might not be another GTA on the horizon would be like saying EA might pull the plug on Madden.

But while we don’t yet have an idea of what Rockstar’s got up its sleeve, there are a few things that the last game left us wanting. Things that, after careful consideration, we’re convinced the franchise needs. Whether we’ll actually get them is anyone’s guess (and we’ll probably love the game regardless), but the following items are what we’d really like to see from the sequel...

We’ve been driving, shooting and bludgeoning prostitutes to death in Rockstar’s fictional take on American cities for 13 years now. It’s time for a change. With GTA V likely to be unveiled later this month at E3, we thought it was time to put forward an argument for the series heading to farther shores. Inside, we fight cases for a return to London and even a GTA set in the future.

If you have happy memories of listening to the commercial breaks on Wave 103, Master Sounds 98.3 and Vladivostok FM, then you'll be mega-pumped to find out that Rockstar has set up a new site dedicated to the classic radio adverts of Grand Theft Auto.

Grand Theft Auto is synonymous with lurid brutality. The series has courted controversy at every turn with its graphic portrayals of sex and violence. Despite being almost universally reviled by the mainstream media, it remains one of the most popular franchises of all time. How happen? It’s not even that good of a game. Read on to find out why you should hate Grand Theft Auto.

What’s in a name? Only EVERYTHING! That band you and your friends started probably could’ve been the next Three Doors Down, if only you hadn’t creatively imploded during the early stages of the naming process. Games are no different.

Throwing Molotov cocktails through storefront windows, curb-stomping passersby, dealing in illicit narcotics, popping caps from the open window of a speeding vehicle you just jacked, and running over pedestrians for thrills are among the many wicked pursuits that make being a cutthroat gangster in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars a truly badass experience. The good news is iPhone gamers can now get in on the virtual thug action, but is it the definitive version?

Wow, has it been a year already? Yes, just 12 months ago we compiled a list of the most impressive DS games of 2008, to celebrate the games that pushed the envelope on the aging console. And 2009's been another big year for the two-screened behemoth: two new iterations of the hardware, DSi and DSi LL, were launched, so people could pick up their third version of the system.

It's a rare occurrence nowadays, but every once in a while, a game you’ve never even heard of comes along and absolutely blows you away. Sometimes it's a little indie gem that didn't get enough promotion. Other times, what appears to be a quick cash-in turns out to be an awesome game.

There’s a widespread notion in the videogame industry that game reviews can have a profound impact on game sales, and for the most part the evidence bears that out. But as tempting as it is to gloat about the supposed power that we, the videogame press, hold over the livelihoods of publishers and developers, it’s not always true. In fact, history is littered with countless examples of megahit games that had originally been ripped to shreds by reviewers