The Grand Theft Auto series remains one of the most popular game franchises on the planet, letting you enjoy extremely well-crafted worlds and commit criminal acts that would be unthinkable in real life, unless you fancy a prison sentence. Naturally, the latter made it a prime scapegoat when it came to blaming real-world violence on video games, but in the meantime the GTA series has cemented its place as a reference for sandbox gameplay.
From its humble top-down beginnings on DOS 486 PCs to today’s highly realistic and detailed 3D worlds, Rockstar’s iconic game series was often copied but never matched. Now, with the long-awaited GTA VI launch looming, it’s a fine time to remember the predecessors that helped shaped this next instalment. So, from worst to best, here is my ranking of all seven major GTA games.
7. Grand Theft Auto
Release date: 21 October, 1997 | Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Game Boy Color.
The game that started it all, GTA is a top-down 2D sandbox, with gameplay mostly revolving around shooting and running over people with cars, while evading cops. It set the DNA the series still carries to this day. What I remember most is the clunky car driving. The worst part is that, even after learning its control quirks, the short view distance made it very hard to anticipate traffic. And don’t get me started on the camera zooming in and out depending on your speed.
Unlike later games, it lacked deep dialogue or character-driven narrative, instead offering a bare-bones setup told almost entirely through gameplay mechanics and text. Mission proposals were communicated through ringing public payphones, which provided random jobs to build your reputation into becoming a most-wanted criminal.
There was no redemption arc or emotional closure, just a bunch of shooting and driving. It was fun for the time, despite its rough edges, but the positives stop there.
6. Grand Theft Auto 2
Release date: 30 September, 1999 | Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color.
Released two years after the first GTA, Rockstar returned with an improved sequel, set in a retro-futuristic city with slightly updated 2D top-down graphics. The gameplay was still mostly about stealing cars and shooting at cops while scoring the most points, but it was better tuned thanks to important quality-of-life improvements, such as mid-level game saves and a health bar. It also introduced a hint of narrative storytelling, though nothing close to the complex missions available on modern GTA titles.
Despite these improvements, GTA 2 was notoriously hard. I never had the time or courage to finish it. For all its quirks and downsides, it was a positive step, helping GTA grow into one of the biggest gaming franchises ever.
5. Grand Theft Auto III
Release Date: 22 October, 2001 | Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, later on iOS and Android.
GTA III was the entry that took this series into the third dimension, taking the top-down view of its predecessors and turning it into an ambitious 3D open world. While it hasn’t aged as well as other 3D entries, it remains the foundation of modern GTA games.
This change alone made the game more enjoyable and compelling to explore. This was the first GTA title in which I spent hours wandering around with no purpose, just testing what the game could offer, finding out what was and wasn’t possible. I also highly enjoyed playing with the various cheat codes built into the game, spending dozens of hours before remembering that there was a story arc.
Speaking of which, the story was somewhat basic, putting you in the shoes of a criminal working as a freelance hitman for the Mafia and Yakuza to climb the underworld ranks, and eventually tracking the girlfriend who betrayed him. Unfortunately, playing it today comes with dated visuals and clumsy gunplay, but at the time of release, it was the source of loads of fun after school.
4. Grand Theft Auto V
Release Date: 17 September, 2013 | Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S.
This might be a surprisingly low ranking for one of the highest-selling video games ever, but GTA V had big shoes to fill. When factoring the release period and new features it brought into the equation, this game just doesn’t quite hit the spot.
Don’t get me wrong, GTA V is still a banger, which explains why hundreds of thousands of players are still playing it to this day. It has some of the best missions in the series, plenty of replayability, and best of all, a strong online mode. The latter can be considered a game on its own, including countless missions and activities, not to mention my favourite part, heists.
Unlike the short 10-to-20-minute missions to which we’d become accustomed, heists demand a lot of preparation, and the final result depends on you and your crew’s skill. For instance, you may be tasked with stealing a money transport truck to be used as an infiltration vehicle or pirating access cards to bypass security.
That said, many believe the absurd revenue that GTA Online brought into the coffers, amounting to more than $5 billion since launch according to a data leak, prompted Rockstar to cancel or at least postpone any single-player DLC in favour of its cash cow.
As the franchise’s most recent game (for now), GTA V perfected a lot of the mechanics the series has to offer, while adding some on top. Among them is the new multi-character system, which allowed on-the-fly switching between Michael, Trevor, and Franklin, each providing a unique perspective on the world.
Packed with things to do, people to meet, and crimes to commit, GTA V delivered a vast open world filled with detail and easter eggs. Unfortunately, the story felt a bit rushed, leaving players hoping for a DLC, which never came.
3. Grand Theft Auto IV
Release Date: 29 April, 2008 | Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC.
GTA IV was a massive leap in terms of technical prowess, bringing this series into the HD graphics era, with detailed 3D geometry and vehicle damage models. Moving from GTA SA’s physics model to GTA IV was a shock, to say the least, with many players complaining about the new vehicle behaviour. After a short period of acclimatisation, however, I became fond of this physics engine, especially when it came to car and NPC damage models.
Absent even in GTA V, the NPC damage/physics model was revolutionary, allowing characters to react based on which body part was hit. For example, you could shoot your target’s foot or kneecap while they’re trying to flee, which makes them buckle under their weight and fall to the ground.
This opened up new roleplay possibilities, where you could often spare the lives of armed guards and police officers while completing your mission. Also, for the first time, cars no longer caught fire magically after flipping upside down, which was very annoying in previous games, causing missions to fail unnecessarily.
As if this weren’t enough, GTA IV also arguably has the best narrative in the franchise, featuring a grittier storytelling style with a more serious tone. If games were only about storytelling, GTA IV would rank first on this list, both for its main arc and The Ballad of Gay Tony DLC.
The story’s premise was just perfect for a GTA game, showing the other side of the American dream, with protagonist Niko coming with big dreams and ending up in unenviable situations. From voice acting to the overall design, Niko is one of the most iconic characters in the franchise, more so even than the eccentric Trevor from GTA V.
Unfortunately, for all its great improvements, GTA IV also lacked a lot of aspects pioneered by previous titles, such as car tuning, a dynamic fitness system, or side jobs such as firefighting. All four top games on this list are nearly neck and neck for me, so we’re splitting hairs here, but these missing features mean GTA IV drops behind SA.
2. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Release Date: 26 October, 2004 | Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, later on iOS and Android.
GTA San Andreas is nearly the strongest entry in this series, adding deep customisation options and rich systems unseen before. For a game that fitted onto a single PlayStation 2 DVD, San Andreas was highly ambitious, offering three large cities inspired by Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.
These settings enabled the game to include a much larger variety of biomes, each with its own distinct visual identity, such as forests, deserts, and rivers. You could even swim and dive underwater, which was a major gameplay addition compared to previous titles.
San Andreas also featured an expanded money system, meaning you could buy clothes, get tattoos, change your haircut, and much more. In addition, it included some RPG elements, such as eating and working out to increase your stats. All of these features were just extras on top of the mandatory gang wars, petty crime, and lowrider racing. Speaking of which, the gang system allowed you to start turf wars, letting you slowly take control of the city by wiping out competing gangs.
With all of these features, it’s no wonder San Andreas is the game players mean when they say they miss the old GTA days. It’s still a great title to play even today, as long as you overlook its outdated graphics and controls. It was hard to put San Andreas in second place, but Vice City simply has a special place in my heart.
1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Release Date: 29 October, 2002 | Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, later on iOS and Android.
GTA V and San Andreas may have overshadowed Vice City in terms of scale, but Rockstar’s take on Miami Vice remains the most stylish entry in the series, and a fantastic sandbox in which you can commit many crimes and get away with it. Set in a fictionalised version of Miami, Vice City offered vibrant storytelling and a setting that proved Rockstar was more than just a maker of violent games. It was also the first game in the franchise to have voice acting.
Vice City managed to stand the test of time better than its 2001 predecessor, thanks to its distinctive setting and stronger lead character. From a small criminal, you grew to become a kingpin, with the entire city in your hands. The ending, inspired by Scarface, was just the cherry on the cake, this time with you surviving the fight.
From its neon-soaked streets to iconic 80s soundtrack, this game just had “hit” written all over it. Rolling down the Vice City beach in a convertible with the radio blasting Billie Jean or Self Control is a gaming experience I will never forget.
Vice City was the reason I fell in love with this series, even if it wasn’t the first game I played. As such, it’s no wonder I’m chomping at the bit to play GTA VI, which returns to this coastal Miami-style setting. The record-breaking views on the latter’s trailer tell me I’m not alone. It’s a tough call, but for me at least, the best GTA game is Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
