Summary
Given that they are most known for their expansive open-worlds,Grand Theft Autogames are notoriously difficult to 100%. With all the side missions, collectibles, and races, ticking off every item on the to-do list requires an almost masochistic level of dedication.
Bragging rights for nailingan enormous open-world sandbox aside, there are some great rewards for the devout criminal, but perhaps as a reminder toGTAfans about why they were drawn to a virtual life of crime in the first place, hard work doesn’t always pay off in Rockstar’s twisted rendition of the United States of America.
The earliest renditions in the car-thieving, pedestrian-slaughtering crime saga,Grand Theft AutoandGrand Theft Auto 2offered only a sense of satisfaction about achieving a high score for players as they reached the end. Similarly,Grand Theft Auto: Advancehas little to offer once players loot the entire game of all its content.
Perhaps surprisingly, considering its contribution to the series' evolution,Grand Theft Auto 3leaves players empty-handed once they’vedone it all in Liberty Citywithout as much as a thank you or cab money. However, the incremental rewards for completing side missions, such as infinite sprint time, police bribes, vehicles, and weapons spawning at safehouses, are designed to give players a sense of accomplishment as they play.
7Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
At Least There’s Some Acknowledgment
Beating off all competition inGrand Theft Auto: Chinatown Warsisn’t easy. In the last top-downGrand Theft Auto, the road to total completion is long, requiring players to master weapons and vehicles, and to have met contacts from high and low, among other things.
It’s also hard to beat nothing as a final prize for having done it all, butChinatown Wars' “Congratulations, you achieved 100%!” comes close. This message will briefly appear on the screen with little fanfare and disappear, leaving players to wander the world in empty, bewildering perfection.
By the end of Niko Bellic’s story inGrand Theft Auto 4, it’s obvious that while America does indeed contain opportunities, in many cases, they come with more prices than prizes. The reward for completing the game 100% (that includes hunting down every single innocent pigeon in the city) embodies both, as players will gain access to unlimited ammo for their weapons.
However, that doesn’t mean Niko’s gun will no longer run out of bullets. Rather, his bullet carry capacity will be removed, allowing him to (potentially) buy an infinite amount. The kicker here is that upon loading a save, ammo counts exceeding the original cap will be reverted to the old maximum. Niko will have to buy back any bullets above the maximum he lost before the reload.
5Grand Theft Auto 5
A Chance To Contact Higher Beings
Los Santos and the surrounding countryside is a veritable plaza of distraction. From sports to side stories, it would take about as much time for a player to check off every requirement for full completion without a guideas it took Rockstar to finishmakingGTA 6.
The reward for doing so is hardly as potent as its predecessors. Franklin gets a swanky “100%” t-shirt, transformative golden peyote plants become available, and the achievement even gets the attention of a few extra-terrestrial visitors, as well as a “mythical animal” random encounter.
4Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
A “Suite” Reward For Itchy Trigger Fingers
Taking place two years before Tommy Vercetti showed up in town,Vice City Storiesstars Victor “Vic” Vance as he navigates the corrupt, powder-obsessed city while looking out for his brother. After coming out on top in the main story (and side stories), having won every available race and sporting event as well as owning over 30 properties and having completed other challenges, Vic will finally be able to retire.
His reward for his tireless work is infinite ammo for all weapons. All of Vic’s guns will never run out of bullets, useful for one last rampage through the sun-soaked streets. Additionally, Vic can wallow in nostalgic memories in the Clymenus Suite safehouse, thanks to his access to the cutscene cinema. It’s better than a bullet to the head, which Vic unceremoniously receives two years later, during the opening events ofGTA: Vice City.
3Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Access To More Firepower On The Streets
Toni Capriani’s rise to power is about as violent as any otherGrand Theft Autoprotagonist. Although the 3D-Universe’s Liberty City is smaller than other maps, it offers plenty to do in the way of side missions, stunts, races, odd jobs, and the slaughter of homeless people.
If Toni is able to do all that, besides becoming one of the highest members of the Leone crime family, he is rewarded with infinite ammunition for his weapons. Additionally, the Rhino Tank will appear in the ruins of the Fort Stanton area for Toni to take for a joyride for acathartic spree of senseless, open-world destructionaround the city.
Life in the hood is never easy, and one of the hardest things to do is get out. Thankfully, that’s whatSan Andreas’s CJ manages to do, and oh boy, does he get out. After dominating in racing, shooting, sports, and in the gym, and having bought all available safehouses, completed all side missions, and snagged all collectibles, anyone would probably feel like a million dollars.
A million dollars is exactly what CJ gets deposited into his wallet, along with the series-classic infinite ammo for weapons. With CJ behind the wheel, any ofSan Andreas’s fastest vehicleswill get double protection against damage, making it twice as durable, which comes in handy for riding either the Rhino that gets parked up near the Grove Street bridge or the Hydra jet sitting pretty on Sweet’s roof.
The final rewards ofVice Citydisprove the adage that “crime doesn’t pay,” thanks to a plethora of rewards, including the doubling of Tommy’s maximum health and armor capacity, infinite ammo, a rentable entourage of bodyguards, and the doubling of car durability for any car Tommy drives.
For completing all missions, side or main, races, rampages, and jumps, and for collecting every hidden package and purchasable property, Tommy should feel likethe definitive master of Vice City, especially with his exclusive novelty t-shirt, which he can don whenever he visits the Vercetti estate.
