Replaying classic Grand Theft Auto games with new-and-improved graphics and controls sounds great. But with the just-revealed Grand Theft Auto Trilogy drawing closer, I’m worried about having to play some of the franchise’s most annoying missions once again.
Overall I’m very excited to play the newly remastered Grand Theft Auto games. I like the visual changes I’ve seen (well, most of them…) and love the idea of revisiting these classics with modern controls and improved performance. However, going back also means replaying all the old missions. While most are fine or even fun, a few exist that are some misbegotten mix of annoying, awful, or just too damn difficult. You can skip some of them, but others you’ll have to complete to finish the game.
That in mind, here’s my rogues’ gallery of the worst of the worst, in no particular order except the order the trauma came rushing back. If you were like me back in the day, you probably looked up tips or used cheats to help get through some of these—the lamest, most enraging missions from the original trilogy of Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas. Warning: Reading this list may unlock the urge to destroy controllers.