Published Oct 30, 2026, 5:01 PM EDT

Josh is a critic, reporter, and guide writer who covers a broad range of topics, though he specializes in narrative-driven games. He's written for some of the biggest brands in publishing, including Rolling Stone, RogerEbert.com, NPR, and Wired, and he also freelances as a video game consultant.

The last of its kind

Image: Rockstar San Diego/Rockstar Games

GTA Advance is an odd game. It's terrible in some ways, yet also not as bad as its reputation suggests. It's also an essential part of Rockstar history. This was Rockstar at a stage of uncertainty. The essence of the Grand Theft Auto franchise was still in flux, and the studio had yet to firmly decide on what, exactly, made a GTA game . GTA Advance has its strong points, but the most important thing about it is how it gave Rockstar (via developer Digital Eclipse) a chance to see where the series could fall short.…