Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition includes three series-defining games that each have their strengths and weaknesses. However, when comparing the three, it's clear that one comes out on top. Factors like the story, setting, side activities, and overall gameplay diversity make Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas the best game in the GTA Trilogy.

There are valid counterarguments for GTA III or Vice City being the best GTA Trilogy game, but a lot of the support for these titles comes from a place of nostalgia. Although Vice City has a unique setting that sets it apart, and GTA III helped to define the series' design and gameplay, San Andreas is a groundbreaking game with better features and a larger variety of activities. It also offers the most modern gameplay, which makes San Andreas the best choice for VR remastering.

Related: GTA Trilogy Cast: Every Famous Voice In GTA 3

Each game in the GTA Trilogy has a loyal fanbase and reasons that make it great. Analyzing the three games shows that each of them holds up nearly two decades or more after their initial releases. GTA III and Vice City are important titles in the series that made large contributions to the entries that followed, but San Andreas is, overall, the better game between the three.

GTA Trilogy's San Andreas Has The Best Story

New GTA Trilogy Screenshots Appear On Xbox Store - San Andreas

Story missions in GTA help to develop the playable character, but not every game in the series has a good, immersive story. GTA 3 had a fun and expectedly violent story as players progress from working for the mafia to cutting ties and doing business with the Yakuza. The story is full of death and betrayal, but it lacks any deeper meaning, and the characters are easily forgotten.

Vice City's story is about Tommy Vercetti's rise to power from a recently released prisoner to the kingpin of Vice City. Tommy's story is dark, violent, and littered with betrayal, similar to GTA 3. However, the characters in Vice City are much more memorable, and the story feels more fluid than that of its predecessor. Even though Vice City includes a classic mob story, it falls short in originality and diversity.

The story in San Andreas starts with the murder of the main character's mother, and his forced cooperation with a police agency. CJ is a relatable character with many hardships and a strong sense of family and community. The betrayals in San Andreas' story feel much more personal than in previous titles, and the rise to power is less linear. CJ's success also comes at a steeper emotional price because of how close his gang is to each other. San Andreas includes characters from both GTA 3 and Vice City, which connects the games in a way that was previously (aside from a few brief cameos in Vice City) unexplored. There is a more immersive, well-rounded story for players to enjoy in San Andreas.

San Andreas Has The Best GTA Game Map

GTA Trilogy Settings

The maps in each GTA game get progressively bigger, giving players more to explore and different settings to experience. In GTA 3, the entire map can be traversed fairly quickly. The only feature that makes the playable area more interesting is the inclusion of unlockable areas. Players need to progress in the story in order to reach new places, like Staunton Island. Other than having to open up certain places, the setting for GTA 3 is somewhat static.

Related: Are GTA Trilogy Remasters Why There's No GTA 6?

Vice City's setting is one of the more unique settings in a GTA game. The Miami-style city has heavy influences from classic 80s movies and television shows, and it's full of vibrant colors. The map for Vice City is only slightly larger than the playable area in GTA 3, and, once the novelty of the setting wears off, there's not a lot of diversity to experience.

The map in San Andreas is one of the largest in the GTA series, second only to GTA 5's expansive map, which happens to be set in the same area. There is an abundance of places to explore and discover, and the areas in San Andreas have more variety, making it feel more dynamic in its execution than the previous titles. Out of the three games, San Andreas is the most recent, so it's expected that the game would have a larger playable area, but the setting is also more diverse and overall more enjoyable to play in.

GTA Side Missions Peaked In San Andreas

GTA Trilogy Side Activities

GTA 3 includes phone missions and a few different side activities that are vehicle-based. Players can drive a taxi or ambulance in GTA 3 as well as complete import/export missions and stunt jumps. For a game with a smaller map, there are a lot of activities to complete. However, the side missions in GTA 3 start to blend together after a while, as there isn't as much variety in these activities as there is in the other titles.

Unlike GTA 3, there are a few significant reasons to work towards completing every side activity in Vice City. The missions in Vice City reward players with increased health and armor, as well as a few other perks. There is also a bit more diversity in mission types and difficultly in the challenges for players to attempt. Although the side activities in Vice City are a big step up from GTA 3, they are still second to large number of available missions in San Andreas.

Related: GTA Trilogy Cast: Every Famous Voice In Vice City

Completing side missions in San Andreas gives players some significant rewards, such as infinite ammunition, double vehicle strength, and a lot of money. Although there are different or less impactful rewards than in Vice City, the secondary activities in San Andreas are better in quality, quantity, and variety. San Andreas features missions that are similar or the same as activities in the previous games and builds upon them while also including brand new ones.

The Best 3D Era GTA Game Is Clearly San Andreas

GTA San Andreas Grove Street Family

San Andreas is the best game included in the GTA Trilogy because of the quality of gameplay and the diverse features it offers. Every mission and side activity in San Andreas gives players a unique challenge that sets it apart from Vice City and GTA 3. While these two titles have helped define the series, they are lacking in some areas where San Andreas excels. Each game has strengths that make them significant, series-defining titles, but San Andreas is the clear winner for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition's best game.

Next: GTA Trilogy: All PS5, Xbox Series X, & Nintendo Switch Differences

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition will release on November 11, 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.