The Grand Theft Auto PS2 Trilogy – A Complete Retrospective
Between 2001 and 2004, Rockstar released a trilogy that didn’t just define Grand Theft Auto — it reshaped open-world gaming.
GTA III was the breakthrough. The jump from 2D to 3D wasn’t flawless, but Liberty City felt alive, setting the blueprint for modern open worlds and emergent gameplay.
Vice City was the refinement. Brighter, bolder, and soaked in 80s style, it took everything GTA III introduced and turned it into something cinematic and unforgettable — from Tommy Vercetti’s rise to the legendary soundtrack.
San Andreas was the expansion. Huge, ambitious, and packed with systems, it made earlier games feel like prototypes and cemented GTA as a cultural phenomenon, controversies included.
This is the story of the GTA PS2 trilogy — and how Rockstar changed gaming forever.
This is a collection of three videos I've made on the Grand Theft Auto PS2 Trilogy, with a slight focus on what it was like to get the Platinum Trophy.
Grand Theft Auto 3
0:00 GTA 3 Intro & Development History
05:24 Trophy List Breakdown
11:06 Story & Characters
17:15 Graphics & The City
24:01 Portland
48:25 Staunton Island
01:02:27 Shoreside Vale
01:11:26 The Exchange
01:18:21 Platinum Filter Point
01:19:07 Outro
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
01:20:22 Vice City Intro & Development History
01:26:11 Trophy List Breakdown
01:31:11 Story & Characters
01:38:47 Graphics & The City
01:44:00 Getting Setup In Vice City
01:56:58 Avery Carrington & Cortez Missions
02:03:37 Mr Black Payphone Missions
02:04:49 Ricardo Diaz Missions
02:07:58 Unlocking The Second Island
02:12:41 Cuban & Haitian Missions
02:24:47 Taking Over Vice City
02:31:26 Vercetti Estate Asset Missions
02:37:07 Love Fist & Mitch Baker
02:43:48 Ice Cream Factory & Boatyard
02:46:09 Kaufman Cabs & Pole Position
02:48:20 Finishing Mr Black's Missions
02:49:53 Sunshine Autos
02:50:19 Film Studios
02:56:14 Print Works
02:59:06 Malibu Club
03:05:38 Phil Cassidy Missions
03:07:38 Keep Your Friends Close...
03:13:05 Platinum Filter Point
03:15:12 Outro
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
03:16:24 San Andreas Intro & Development History
03:24:23 Trophy List Breakdown
03:28:42 Story & Characters
03:36:49 Inspirations, Graphics & The Cities
03:45:13 Returning To Los Santos
03:56:02 Grove Street Missions
04:02:45 Ryder, Big Smoke & OG Loc Missions
04:22:30 Dating In Los Santos
04:23:38 Reuniting The Families & Green Sabre
04:30:02 The Countryside & Catalina
04:41:49 Arriving in San Fierro
04:47:07 The Loco Syndicate
04:54:12 Zero Missions & Driving School
04:58:20 Woozie's San Fierro Missions
05:04:24 Leaving San Fierro & Garage Missions
05:10:15 Mike Toreno & The Desert
05:17:26 Arriving in Las Venturas
05:19:42 Problems at Caligula's Palace
05:22:47 Woozie Heist Mission Line
05:30:38 Ken Rosenberg Missions
05:33:32 Madd Dogg
05:35:19 Salvatore Arrives
05:37:49 Tenpenny Desert Missions
05:40:41 Saint Mark's Bistro & Leaving Las Venturas
05:44:51 Mike Toreno Returns
05:47:46 Home Coming & Reclaiming Grove Street
05:50:28 Cut Throat Business
05:52:36 Riot & Los Desperados
05:56:46 End of the Line
06:03:32 Platinum Filter Point
06:04:23 Outro
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