A brief overview of the importance of AI in the GTA series

AI is an oft-overlooked feature in video games like GTA. It helps define how memorable and exciting a game can be.

Rockstar Games has invested a lot of money to make the GTA franchise's AI the formidable gameplay element that it is today.

---

The evolution of AI in the GTA series

Better AI has made the GTA series feel more alive (Image via Rockstar Games)

Video games can only have actions performed within them if the AI is programmed to do so. For example, a feature like swimming is far more refined for NPCs in GTA 5 than it is in GTA San Andreas, whereas it doesn't exist at all in GTA Vice City.

However, it isn't just new features that define the AI of the GTA series. Even basic elements, such as pathing, have been improved upon significantly, providing a more realistic gaming experience in the most recent titles.

What is AI?

Naturally, a discussion on AI only works if the reader understands what the term means.

AI stands for "artificial intelligence," which is a broad topic in and of itself. There is an entire academic field dedicated to AI in video games, with people figuring out how to make the element seem more realistic and active within a game world.

AI in the GTA games basically involves everything but the player. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• All pedestrian behaviors
• Mission NPCs
• In-game logic

The GTA series requires the game world to constantly be updated, which makes the more technologically sound titles stand out more compared to their predecessors.

AI pathing

A very simple example of pathing (Image via Unreal Engine Forums)

Driving in the early GTA games was incredibly simplistic as far as the AI was concerned. There are two elements worth discussing here: how NPCs drive when they're blocked and how they move on foot when they're blocked by random vehicles.

In the former scenario, the earlier GTA titles were (unsurprisingly) more barebones compared to the later entries in the series. In GTA 3, drivers will honk forever until the player moves out of their way. GTA Vice City is largely the same, but a few NPCs are smart enough to drive around obstacles.

GTA San Andreas drivers are even more varied in terms of their behavior, and the game offers a more realistic depiction of how AI should work within the GTA series. NPCs in the most recent game in the series, GTA 5, often try to drive out of the way when they see any roadblock.

Pedestrians who can't get around two cars placed near each other (Image via ENXGMA)

A similar phenomenon happens when pedestrians are on foot and are blocked by an obstacle (usually a vehicle). In a game like GTA 3, pedestrians will simply walk towards the car. Meanwhile, in GTA Vice City, pedestrians will do a U-turn.

Pedestrians figured out how to get out of most of these predicaments in GTA San Andreas, with the later titles adding more mechanics to improve their pathing even more.

AI and various gameplay features

Pedestrians interacting with one another in GTA 4 (Image via GTA Wiki)

Originally, pedestrians in GTA only served a single purpose - to add some kind of life to the city. Fortunately, these pedestrians were given more features in the later GTA titles.

For example, prostitutes have existed in the GTA series since GTA 3. However, pedestrians couldn't pick them up until GTA 4. Even then, they would drive around with the prostitute as usual, with no destination in sight. It wasn't until GTA 5 that NPCs were able to park their car somewhere secluded and utilize the prostitute's services.

General AI elements

Some cops showcasing different behaviors (Image via Vučko100)

Even elements like shooting and taking cover have been monumentally improved upon. When the first game was released, NPCs would stand still and shoot at the player with varying degrees of accuracy (usually tied to the weapon they're using).

Now, NPCs can strategically take cover, shoot behind it, or retreat to a different location depending on what they're programmed to do.

Note: This article reflects the opinions of the writer