Grand Theft Auto has become one of the greatest game franchises in all history. With several era-defining games that are considered beloved by fans even now, when a new game in the franchise hasn’t been released in over a decade, the games are historic in their contributions to pop culture.
As such, the Grand Theft Auto games hardly need any extra hype upon release to help due to the legendary status of the franchise among gamers. However, there have still been some great trailers down through the years that have helped sell the games to an eagerly waiting public, despite Rockstar Games initially not believing in the franchise.
6 GTA V Reveal Trailer
From the beginning, Grand Theft Auto V looked incredible. The beautiful graphical shots showed a new leap forward in that department for the franchise. The voice narration by Michael which told a piece of his story, attempting to be a father and living the Los Santos lifestyle while engaging in criminal activities, was a big part of the selling point for the new game.
As well as that, the shots of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles, looked incredible. The diversity of locations was impressive and the shots of driving and engaging in crime made the game look like every inch the upgraded form of previous great games in the franchise. The Grand Theft Auto games leaped bounds forward in GTA V and made it look like that’s exactly what was happening from the start.
5 GTA III 10th Anniversary Trailer
GTA III wasn’t as relevant by the time it turned ten years old because of the huge leap graphics in video games had taken over that time. However, it managed to get the trailer it always deserved in the 10th anniversary one, with a showcase for the beautiful story it told and all the memorable things that make it great even to playback today.
GTA III was the biggest jump between games the series has had, even today. The first two games in the franchise were nothing compared to this, and in every way, it was a massive leap for an already established franchise to make. GTA III is the first game that had the true Grand Theft Auto feel to it, and it is a huge part of the reason why the franchise has remained on top of the industry for twenty years. The classical music and reminiscence over Claude’s story remain a beautiful moment of remembrance for the first truly great game in this franchise.
4 GTA IV Reveal Trailer
The initial shots of Niko Bellic arriving in America with one goal, revenge, played just as well as the first shots of GTA V five years apart. It was a graphical leap for the series, and the tagline “things will be different” spoke to fans as they saw that this game would be taking a different story and some bold leaps away from previous games in the series.
It was difficult to imagine Grand Theft Auto getting even bigger and better from the heights of GTA III and San Andreas in the years prior to Grand Theft Auto IV, but the first shots showed that the graphic improvements and the vengeance storyline could lead to some amazing new things. It was also known for having some of the best female GTA characters.
3 GTA: San Andreas Trailer
The difference between Vice City and San Andreas is a fairly large one, and while fans of the Grand Theft Auto games love Vice City, they prefer San Andreas. One of the biggest things San Andreas has going for it is the variation in landscapes, as the widespread story lets players travel between fictional versions of California and Nevada.
Getting the different cities is a big part of the appeal to San Andreas, as was the incredible writing, and these aspects were shown off well in a rap-themed trailer that showcased the three cities, and the ability to fly around and engage in crime. The additions to the world of GTA were shown fabulously, and the teasing shots of the franchise’s foray into recreating Las Vegas were a huge plus.
2 GTA: Vice City Trailer 2
Possibly the best out of all the game trailers that had been released by 2002, GTA: Vice City’s second trailer showcased a lot of revving engines and gunfire with the ingenious backdrop of “I Ran” by Flock of Seagulls. Not only did this fit the vibe of the game, being set in 1986 in a fictionalized version of Miami.
This simple style allowed the trailer to do exactly what it needed to, which was generating a final speck of hype for gamers who had already seen what the actual gameplay of the franchise had evolved to in GTA III the year before. Now all Vice City needed to sell itself in huge numbers was a general air of excitement, which was perfectly delivered here.
1 GTA V Gameplay Trailer
It is difficult to make the feel of a gameplay trailer as cinematic and grand as that of a reveal trailer. Grand Theft Auto V did everything right about the gameplay trailer though. From the simple narration, the beautiful shots interspersed with the actual gameplay, and the promise of so many capabilities never before seen in the franchise.
What made it so easy to produce such a great gameplay trailer was the fact that Grand Theft Auto V really just was that good. It had so much possibility, there were so many great shots. Car customization, sports being played, being able to fly in planes and dive into oceans. Hunting, both animals, and people engaging in dozens of types of crimes, and seeing how the graphical upgrades translated directly to the gameplay. All of this was available and looked beautiful for players already at frenzy pitches of hype.