20 years ago we got the Simpsons x GTA game and it's been downhill ever since

Because I was only seven in 2003 when The Simpsons: Hit & Run came out, technically I wasn't allowed to play GTAbut that didn't stop me. Thanks to my older cousins, I was able to get into it GTA 3 and Vice City here and there, but that was the extent of my experience with the franchise at the time. However, The Simpsons: Hit & Run gave me the opportunity to feel like I was playing a GTA a game without violence and hard crime. The Simpsons: Hit & Run was basically a GTA the gateway drug for many kids in the early 2000s and continues to be a beloved piece of gaming history.

The Simpsons: Hit & Run succeeded by balancing GTA's open-world gameplay and The Simpsons' unique voice

The Simpsons: Hit & Run took a lot of inspiration from the general GTA formula, but still managed to make the title his own. Like GTA, The Simpsons: Hit & Run was set in an open world map where players could explore and complete missions as they saw fit. The biggest difference was the presence or absence of weapons. Instead of players getting into shootouts with the police, they could wreak havoc with cars, which still gave it a fun twist that appealed greatly to my childish brain.

Aside from the gameplay, it captured the humor and tone perfectly The Simpsons. It often feels more like a The Simpsons crossover episode with GTA than a pattern copying game. It was a rare moment in the industry where a licensed video game completely lived up to its premise, and while I adore the title, it's also a reminder of a potential shift in the industry that would keep games as The Simpsons: Hit & Run to prevent this from happening in the future.

Since The Simpsons: Hit & Run, the industry has changed, and not always for the better

Okay, before I sound too doom and gloom about the current state of the industry, I want to make it clear that I have found some of my favorite video games over the past 22 years. The Simpsons: Hit & Run he was released. Games like The last of us, Death's door, God of War, Alan Wake 2, Returnand Death Stranding there are only a few, but the main thing these titles have going for them is that they take risks, which is what The Simpsons: Hit & Run he was too. It's not that the current state of the industry no longer allows for unique and risky games to be made, but it's much harder.

Over the past two decades, it seems that the more popular games become, the more secure the big studios and companies want to be with their IPs. If one were to build a The Simpsons game in style GTA today it is unlikely to have ever been produced. Fortnite's crossover with The Simpsons proves that the franchise is still incredibly popular, but a crossover is different from a full game.

Speaking of Fortniteunfortunately, the rise of the battle royale genre has also aided the rise of risk-averse decision-making. i love Fortnitebut once other companies saw how much money the title was raking in, it opened the Battle Royale floodgates for years, leaving most of the gameplay feeling stale because everything was somehow a copy of each other. I know that sounds ironic because I'm talking about a game that is basically a GTA copier, but The Simpsons: Hit & Run it feels much more playful, and that's another important aspect of what makes it so special. From The Simpsons: Hit & Runmicrotransactions and the need for an online connection for single-player games quickly became the norm GTA-like is still a great example of how simple gaming used to be.

Fortunately, this year has shown that taking risks pays off

The year 2025 was defined by games that brought unique ideas to life

• Split Fiction
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Hell is us
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Midnight walk
• Blue Prince
• Silent Hill f
• Arc Raider
• Keeper
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• LEGO Voyagers
• Cronos: A New Dawn

This year has been packed with strong new releases, and luckily, many of them are boldly taking risks. Of course, just because a game takes risks doesn't mean it lands successfully, but it's important that developers aren't afraid to try new ideas. Kojima Productions Death Stranding 2 sometimes it feels like a healthy, wild dream, while Hazelight Studios Split Fiction again shows how much more potential there is in co-op gaming.

In just two decades, the industry has made stunning progress, but when the biggest corporations overseeing production prioritize profit over creativity, it can push developers into a corner and force them to play it safe for shareholders. It's true that every developer wants their video game to be a hit, but when creativity and passion are considered the most important thing, it's immediately felt, which often paves the way to success anyway. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a fantastic example of that. Such a small team was able to create something brilliant and it's because the vision was appreciated first. It is now nominated for game of the year. While playing The Simpsons: Hit & RunI feel that fun and creativity came first and I hope it comes back in a big way. GTA 6 is expected to mark a new era for both the franchise and the industry, and I can't wait to see how Rockstar decides to develop the series. As the wait continues, I jump in The Simpsons: Hit & Run again.

Systems

Released

November 2026

ESRB

Rating pending – probably over 17 years old