The very basic gameplay - run around causing havoc, steal cars and cause havoc, do missions for dodgy folks - stayed the same, but each game did change things up quite a bit, and more than just cosmetically.

VICE CITY added motorbikes to the game and also made a huge deal out of its 1980s setting, with arguably the best and most atmospheric soundtrack of the three GTA3-era games. It also added lots of additional things to do in your spare time, like going drag racing or going into property management.

SAN ANDREAS changed the setting to the 1990s, had a black protagonist (a huge deal when the game first came out, as it was one of the first high-profile computer games to do so) and went crazy with the stuff you could do in the game. It had a new RPG angle, with your character having stats that you could adjust through training, and added things like jet aircraft, the ability to swim and so on. SA also added the gang warfare element, with you leading your street gang in taking over the poorer sections of the city.

One of the complaints about GTA4 was that the demands of the new graphics engine meant that what you could actually 'do' in the game was substantially reduced compared to VC and SA. Going bowling was no substitute for strafing the VC waterfront in an Apache gunship or flying a jetpack up the side of a mountain in SA.