Missing the surprising success. For many years, the GTA franchise has been one of the most well-known and successful open-world game series in history, garnering Rockstar Games widespread acclaim. However, achieving this level took many years of constant work. The Grand Theft Auto series consists of several action games set in an open world, focusing on the criminal underworld.
Many other studios attempted to create similar open-world titles, but only a few of them found success. These games were often referred to as “GTA clones,” but not all of them imitated Rockstar’s model. Some of these series, which initially found success, eventually disappeared from the market for various reasons.
In this article, we will take a look at several GTA rivals that didn’t survive the test of time.
1) Saints Row
The Saints Row series was often considered the closest rival to Grand Theft Auto due to the similarities between these two series. The games in this series often pushed the boundaries of GTA with deep character customization options, wild but entertaining side missions, excellent storylines, and even outstanding soundtracks.
Saints Row 3 took a less serious approach to attract a wider audience. While veterans did not appreciate the new direction, many players enjoyed the fresh game, which became the most successful title in the series. However, Saints Row 4 was too wacky, and the game felt unfinished. It was basically SR3 with a new coat of paint as it used the same map and engine.
So when the series had a reboot, everyone was naturally excited, but from there, the situation worsened. The new Saints Row turned out to be completely different from the original. This alienated a large group of fans, and the game was too buggy and dull to attract new players. Unfortunately, now that Volition has shuttered, there is not much hope for a new Saints Row title.
2) True Crime
The True Crime series was created by Activision after the success of the GTA trilogy but fizzled out after only two games. The first one, True Crime: Streets of LA, achieved significant success, but its sequel, True Crime: New York City, was deemed a commercial failure.
This series successfully differentiated itself from Grand Theft Auto in many aspects, but the main difference was that the main character is a cop in both games. The gameplay diversity is achieved through four types of missions: shooting, fighting, sneaking, and driving. Especially the shooting is much better than in GTA games from the 3D Universe.
The second game turned out rushed, full of bugs, and had an uninteresting storyline, which contributed to its failure. Sleeping Dogs, the spiritual successor initially titled True Crime: Hong Kong, achieved much greater success and is often considered one of the best GTA rivals. Despite the game’s popularity, it did not meet sales expectations, and a sequel was canceled.
3) The Godfather
The Godfather is an interesting title set in the cinematic universe of the 1972 film. In reality, the game’s storyline accompanies the events portrayed in the film and unfolds as a fun open-world action game. It sold over two million copies and achieved commercial success.
The gameplay is quite dynamic, and the story is not too long, though it can sometimes become a bit monotonous. The second installment did not find success like the first game. It was criticized for numerous errors and glitches and being too easy. Due to the failure of The Godfather II, the third title was canceled.
4) Driver
The Driver series started as a racing game with open-world exploration elements, and the first installment garnered significant success. It was later compared to the GTA series, so the games started to resemble it. In Driver 3 (written as DRIV3R), the series completely transformed into a GTA clone, even parodying the character Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist of GTA Vice City. However, most players found the game lackluster. It was also heavily criticized for various bugs and strange difficulty spikes.
Driver: San Francisco, however, found success by changing the direction of the series and returning to its roots, eliminating GTA cloning elements. The game even exceeded sales expectations. Despite this, there hasn’t been any new game in the Driver series since San Francisco, and Ubisoft has likely abandoned the franchise.
5) Watch Dogs
Although it is the newest series on this list, Watch Dogs achieved tremendous success and has sold over 20 million copies to date. However, this series also had its ups and downs. The first game was criticized for not meeting visual expectations but still achieved commercial success.
Watch Dogs 2 also found significant success and even surpassed the popularity of its predecessor. However, when the series shifted to Watch Dogs: Legion, it did not receive the same glory and did not achieve the same sales success as the previous titles. The game is often deemed monotonous, and the lack of a main protagonist makes it dull. Many believe that Ubisoft has abandoned the series as there is no information about an upcoming title. Despite its immense potential, players feel that the series ultimately disappointed.
Definitions
– Franchise: It refers to access to a license, trademark, or business method that is granted by the owner of that franchise to allow others to open and operate a similar type of business.
– Cloning: It means creating copies or imitations of something existing in an attempt to replicate the success of the original.
– Direction: It means the path or course taken in the development or progression of something.
The source of the article is from the blog anexartiti.gr