The Grand Theft Auto series needs no introduction, as its one of the biggest IP's in the entire industry with Grand Theft Auto 5 in particular remaining a juggernaut nearly a decade after release. Each installment is packed with outlandish characters, gripping crime narratives, biting satire and a tons of freedom to cause open world lunacy. Ever since Grand Theft Auto 3 launched the series into mainstream popularity back in 2001, each new installment has brought something new to the table, whether it was a gameplay mechanic or just expanding the overall scale of the experience.
One of the most impressive feats the series has achieved thus far was managing to shrink its open world experience down to fit on a tiny handheld device. Sony was hyping up the PSP prior to its release, touting that it would be able to deliver games and graphics that would be on par with the PS2. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories released on the PSP in 2005 and 2006 respectively, and despite being critically acclaimed, have somewhat fallen to the wayside compared to other entries in the franchise. As Grand Theft Auto fans hotly anticipate news on the potential sixth game, it would be a welcome surprise for Rockstar to bring these classic games back to the spotlight.
Portable, But Not Inferior
As stated, the PSP was marketed for being able to deliver the console quality experience while on the go. Prior to this, handheld gaming was always a few steps behind the console counterpart, with multiplatform releases receiving a Game Boy version typically being simpler in design and mechanics. Because of this, there may have been some doubt that it was near impossible to fit the open world mayhem of Grand Theft Auto onto a portable device. Despite the odds, Rockstar pulled off some technical wizardry to create not one, but two massive open world action games on the PSP, without having to make any obvious sacrifices.
Both games featured robust campaign modes, an assortment of side activities and a first for the series at that point: multiplayer (several years before Grand Theft Auto Online). Now fans of the series and action enthusiasts alike could get a proper Grand Theft Auto fix while on a bus, on break at work or just generally anywhere while on the go. Considering the series had just broken new ground with open world gameplay only a few years prior, it was very impressive for it to translate it onto a handheld by the mid 2000's. This pre-dated the shock and awe of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's portability on Switch by a decade, standing as a stunning feat for its era while still being solid video games even today. These games are the full Grand Theft Auto experience, the only issue is the means in which gamers can enjoy them.
Remaster/Remake Treatment
Aside from ports to the PlayStation 2 for both games (which sadly remove the aforementioned multiplayer modes) these Grand Theft Auto games have remained associated with the PSP over the years. With the rise of phones and tablets over the years, not to mention the Nintendo Switch, interest in older handheld technology has faded away for anyone but fans of classic gaming. While still great in many ways, both of the PSP Grand Theft Auto titles have aged in many ways that may be difficult for modern players to go back to, especially after playing the pinnacle of the series, Grand Theft Auto 5.
Still, for any player that has enjoyed other games in the series (or Rockstar titles in general), there is plenty to see and love about these underrated entries in the franchise. With rumors swirling of remakes for older Grand Theft Auto games, it would be nice for Rockstar to not forget these two PSP games, that are just as worthy of this treatment as the console counterparts. Whether it is in the form of a full blown remake or just a visual remaster, it would be highly beneficial to the experience and make it easier for players to enjoy. With the core fundamentals like the story and characters already fine as they are, simple improvements to graphics and updating the gameplay would only help to better the games as a whole.
While tracking down either the PSP or PS2 versions of the games isn't too expensive and dusting off the consoles themselves not that difficult, it would be nice for an upgraded option as well. Video game remakes are all the rage nowadays and with a vast library of beloved games like Rockstar has, it would be wise for the developer to begin bringing these titles back to the forefront. Even though released on a long outdated portable device, these Grand Theft Auto games boast enough charm and class to be ranked alongside the mainline console installments.