Twenty years ago this month Grand Theft Auto or better known as GTA was released for the first time. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that action- adventure games have never been the same since then. GTA had the perfect mix of spectacular and simplicity - one of the reasons why the game still remains widely popular. It had all the elements which a gamer looks for into a game: challenging, replayable and, of course, memorable. The latest version of the game - GTA V - has sold more than 80 million copies and remains the number one video game in the UK.
It was first released for PC, PlayStation and GameBoy in October 1997. The first version of the game was set across three fictional cities in the US. Such was the impact that many outlets called for an outright ban of the game as it was percieved to be too violent. As a player you had to choose a mission to progress and GTA had everything - from car chase, racing, underworld characters - that makes a game exciting to play.
Two years after the rip-roaring success of GTA, GTA 2 was released. The game now moved to a single city but retained all the other elements. The first version had three cities: Liberty City (based on New York), Vice City (based on Miami) and San Andreas (based on San Fransisco). GTA was set in a fictional city called "Anywhere City".
By the time the third version - GTA III - rolled out in 2001, the game went into 3D mode and was criticised by a lot of people for glorifying violence. But that didn't affect the popularity of the game. In a 3D universe, the third-person camera, unlimited car-stealing and hidden rewards; and other features made it one of the most popular titles of the franchise.
A year later GTA: Vice City came out and had celebrity appearances in the game. Ray Liotta's voice featured in the game whereas Phil Collins was also a part of the game. In fact, over the years many celebrities including Samuel L Jackson, Dennis Hopper and Guns'n' Roses frontman Axl Rose, all have been a part of the game.
In 2004, GTA: San Andreas was released and was lapped by gamers all over the world. This edition saw BMX backflips and the sighting of mythical Big Foot. The graphics and gameplay kept on getting better and GTA continued to dominate gamers' mindspace.