Gta Trilogy – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Gta Trilogy

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

app2023

45%

WISE Score

4.3

App Store

The genre-defining crime trilogy that's as brilliant as it is brutal, now living in your pocket via Netflix.

Gta Trilogy

app

2023

45%

WISE Score

4.3

App Store

The genre-defining crime trilogy that's as brilliant as it is brutal, now living in your pocket via Netflix.

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Where to Find

App Store

Google Play

Screenwise Verdict

Look, it's Grand Theft Auto. You already know if you're okay with your kid playing this. It’s the ultimate digital playground for bad behavior, wrapped in some of the best writing and world-building in gaming history. For a teenager who has already seen every R-rated action movie, this is the gaming equivalent. For anyone younger, it's a hard pass.

The 2023 mobile release is actually the best way to play these 'Definitive' versions. They fixed a lot of the lighting and character model issues that plagued the console launch. If you have a Netflix sub, you get all three (GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas) for free, which is a steal for about 100 hours of gameplay.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults and mature teens. There is no 'light' version of GTA; the core gameplay is built on criminal activity and adult themes.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It's the literal poster child for 'unwholesome.' You play as a criminal rising through the ranks of a drug-fueled underworld. While the satire is sharp, the core loop is theft, murder, and mayhem.

Imaginative

The level of world-building here is legendary. From the 80s neon of Vice City to the sprawling 90s California of San Andreas, these games pioneered the sandbox genre where you can go anywhere and do almost anything.

Safe

Hard M-rating for a reason. Gratuitous violence, sexual themes, drug use, and every swear word in the book. There are no 'kids mode' settings that change the fundamental nature of the game.

Enriching

Beyond the chaos, these are masterclasses in atmospheric storytelling and cultural satire. The soundtracks alone are an education in 20th-century music history.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Legendary Soundtracks that serve as a perfect time capsule for the 80s and 90s.
Sandbox Freedom that still feels expansive, even on a mobile screen.
Sharp Satire of American pop culture, celebrity, and politics that actually has something to say.
Massive Value if you're a Netflix subscriber, as the full trilogy is included in the membership.

⚠

What to Watch For

Explicit sexual content including strip clubs and the ability to pick up sex workers to regain health.
Cruel humor that frequently targets marginalized groups as part of its 'satire' lens.
Technical jank—this 'Definitive' version was notoriously buggy at launch, and while the mobile port is better, it still has some weird physics and visual glitches.
Huge storage footprint—you'll need several gigabytes of free space per game to run these smoothly.

Conversation Starters

"Is satire an excuse for using offensive stereotypes, or does it make a point about them?"
"Why do we find it fun to play the 'bad guy' in a virtual world where there are no real consequences?"
"How does the music in the game change the way you feel about the city you're driving through?"
"What parts of the 80s/90s settings feel like they were better than today, and what parts feel worse?"

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