“Surreal” would be a light way to describe the Grand Theft Auto series today, but it wasn’t always like this. Originally called Race’n’Chase, the first ever GTA was released in 1997 and was a top-down action-adventure game where you’d do hits for the mob across three different cities and rack up points in order to progress. It wasn’t as groundbreaking as that year’s Final Fantasy 7 or Fallout, but who knew it would spawn one of the best-selling and biggest franchises of all time? A franchise that would sell over 410 million copies and become every gamer’s favorite because of its sardonic humor, over the top antics, and industry-shifting scale — and every developer’s worst nightmare because of the standard they would have to live up to.
Today, GTA is a household name and even people who haven’t picked up a controller in their life know a thing or two about it. Now, there’s another one on the horizon after ten long years of Grand Theft Auto V, and the timing couldn’t be any better to look back on the franchise’s rich history and rank every single Grand Theft Auto game from worst to best.
19. Grand Theft Auto (Game Boy Color)
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto GBC | Tarantula Studios | November 22, 1999 | Game Boy Color |
The first Grand Theft Auto was a top-down shooter where you’d carry out hits for the Vercotti Crime Family. The narrative unfolded in cutscenes where only the mouths of the voiced characters would move. It was a straightforward game but revolutionary at the same time because of its open-world nature and content.
GTA I fulfilled the promise of the PS1, but what was inarguably Rockstar’s biggest achievement at the time was their Game Boy Color port of the game. The Game Boy Color was a way weaker system than the PS1. Its version of GTA I was indeed inferior to the PS1 version because of the simplistic color palette, pixelated graphics, and removal of blood and cursing but it had the same scale, characters, and vehicles.
It was a technological achievement in 1999 and while it isn’t one anymore, you can respect the effort if not the game itself.
18. Grand Theft Auto 2 (Game Boy Color)
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto 2 GBC | Tarantula Studios | Dec 25, 2000 | Game Boy Color |
Grand Theft Auto II for the Game Boy Color was pretty much the same story as Grand Theft Auto I: pixelated, with only a handful of colors, and very toned-down. Both were nearly identical in gameplay but since the sequel had more vehicles, missions, and a larger and more detailed map to offer, GTA II for the Game Boy Color was the clear victor here.
The graphical improvements were striking too. You’d instantly be able to tell both games apart as GTA II had a cleaner look. However, GTA II for the GBC lacked all the nuances which made its PS1 and Dreamcast versions so iconic like the day and night time features, the screen shake, and the stylish light direction.
That said, GTA II just running on the GBC was a wonder, even if it’s still one of the weaker entries in the franchise.
17. Grand Theft Auto Advance
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto Advance | Digital Eclipse | October 26, 2004 | Game Boy Advance |
After taking 10 steps forward by introducing a 3D open-world in GTA III, Rockstar took 20 back in Grand Theft Auto Advance, another top-down shooter like GTA I and II. Granted, the Game Boy Advance’s low-spec hardware was to blame rather than developers Digital Eclipse or Rockstar, but still, GTA Advance felt like a consolation prize for Nintendo, especially after GTA III ushered in a new era for the franchise.
As inessential of an entry GTA Advance was, its short mobster revenge tale was bearable and tied neatly into the events of GTA III, even if its bare-bones shooting and driving around town gameplay was lackluster. The GTA Advance verdict: Not absolutely terrible but not worth remembering either.
16. Grand Theft Auto: London 1969
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 | Rockstar Canada | April 30, 1999 | PC, MS-DOS, PlayStation |
Yes, expansion packs make the cut too, especially GTA: London 1969 since it takes place in a fictionalized version of London, which is actually a first for Rockstar as all of their GTA games take place in original locations like Los Santos and Liberty City. As for the expansion itself, some might like it, but Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 doesn’t hold up well anymore.
It has its highlights, such as the signature red buses that run in London, the introduction of British slang, and aesthetic changes representing the area, however, the gameplay is a replica of the base game GTA I’s looting and shooting but with a weaker plot that involves doing errands for the mob. There’s no bigger picture at all and picking Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 as the worst GTA game needs no second guesses.
15. Grand Theft Auto: London 1961
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 | Rockstar Canada | June 1, 1999 | PC |
Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 is the second expansion pack for GTA I, albeit it’s set eight years before the events of the first. Long story short, London 1961 has the same characters and locations as London 1969, and as a whole, it is exactly the same game but just adds 22 new vehicles and drive-by shooting (a staple of the series nowadays) to increase the mayhem.
Everything was basically just as it was before. You’re driving cars from a top-down perspective, killing citizens, robbing them, and partaking in illegal activities, the exact same gameplay loop as in the first expansion but more fast-paced, as London 1961 had only a couple of main missions to cap it all off. Because its essentially just more of the same, London 1961 beats London 1969 by only a hair.
14. Grand Theft Auto I
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto | DMA Design | November 28, 1997 | PC, MS-DOS, PlayStation |
If someone showed you gameplay from the first Grand Theft Auto, you’d likely have a hard time believing it evolved into the GTA we all know today. Nevertheless, no matter how primitive GTA I looks, it laid the building blocks for a multi-billion dollar franchise.
GTA I was simple yet wild. You’d cruise around towns shooting up people, escaping cops, carjacking, and unleashing chaos in the city streets just to earn some points and unlock the next level.
The narrative is pretty self-explanatory as it’s basically a game of cat and mouse between a super criminal and cops. It was fun, fast-paced, and very moment-to-moment, and though GTA I has not aged well, its launch marks an iconic moment in video game history.
13. Grand Theft Auto II
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto 2 | DMA Design | October 22, 1999 | PC, PS1, Dreamcast |
There weren’t any giant leaps in gameplay between GTA I and Grand Theft Auto II, however, the sequel refined a lot of things and that’s why it’s just better. The textures were upgraded, more vehicles were added, the map was bigger, and the character models had more details in them which you could clearly see even from a top-down perspective.
The iconic “Wanted” system, along with the option to play during day or night time, was also introduced in GTA II. There were serious improvements in lighting and the environment and areas felt distinct.
Grand Theft Auto II was released only two years after the first game, but it improved upon nearly every aspect of its predecessor. Having said that, while the 2D top-down GTA games will always have a special place in history, they just can’t compete against GTA’s 3D era.
12. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy | Grove Street Games | November 11, 2021 | PC, PS5, PS4, XBO, XSXS, NS, iOS, Android |
Jumping back into the 3D GTA world, the latest title in the series is Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, a compilation of GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas. It’s a remastered version of all three iconic games, but if only it were that simple.
The GTA trilogy does make all three games at least look more modern. For example, textures are upscaled (though quite often with AI), and most if not all objects and characters have tenfold the detail, but at the same time, the complete overhaul of the lighting in the open-world in all three games broke the aesthetic vibe the originals are known for. It was as if a filter was placed on the games. Then there are a couple of songs missing and the odd visual glitches here and there, and there’s also just an uncanny look to the characters at times.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition has been mostly fixed with updates, but it did suck at launch. Maybe you’ll like it more if you haven’t played the originals in a while.
11. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar North | October 25, 2005 | PSP, PS2, iOS, Android |
After GTA Advance, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories was released as the second prequel for GTA III, but it was much more massive and entertaining in comparison. So much so that Liberty City Stories actually ended up becoming the best-selling PSP game of all time with 11 million units sold, and because of this, Rockstar ported it over to the PS2 as soon as they could.
Liberty City Stories laid the backstory for GTA III’s Leone Crime Syndicate. The open world worked almost flawlessly (minus frame drops) despite running on a weaker handheld system, the kind of remarkable technical achievement that Rockstar has built their name on. Missions were all about going in guns blazing, yachting across the 3 islands to kill a mafia boss, and just shooting up the entire Liberty City.
For a game that was built for the PSP, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is gigantic in scale and has a plot that will sink its teeth in you from the get-go. While the GTA series is full of great games, Liberty City Stories distinctly stands out for being the first game to successfully shrink down the 3D GTA era into the palm of your hands.
10. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar North | October 31, 2006 | PSP, PS2 |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was a prequel to 2002’s GTA Vice City, however, unlike the latter, it was specifically designed with the PlayStation Portable in mind. It explores the origins of Victor Vance, the brother of Lance and a minor drug lord in the Vice City scene, and reprises the classic third-person shooter gameplay from its 3D predecessors GTA III, Liberty City Stories, Vice City, and San Andreas, though the story wasn’t as strong as any of them.
Gameplay was a clear step up from Liberty City Stories. Vice City Stories would introduce a property management or empire-building system, have epic gang wars set pieces, better overall mission design, and best of all, multiplayer to up the carnage, albeit Liberty City Stories was the first GTA game to feature that.
But since the plot isn’t as compelling as the mainline entries (even if it features the actual Phil Collins), Vice City Stories has a tough time standing out.
9. Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTA IV: The Lost and Damned | Rockstar North | February 17, 2009 | Xbox 360, PS3, PC |
Ninth place goes to The Lost and Damned, the original expansion episode for Grand Theft Auto IV that many fans overlook. It’s the first of two expansions for GTA IV and focuses on the chronicles of a motorcycle club and its leader, Johnny Klebitz. The story takes place side by side with that of GTA IV, and because it’s an expansion pack, gameplay is pretty much the same except for there being an emphasis on motorcycle-themed missions.
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned is fairly long even for an expansion. The Lost and the Damned feature 54 new soundtracks, 22 new missions, 20 new vehicles, and 6 new weapons. And things only get wilder once you start beating up rival gangs in every other mission. Every hour there will be one big encounter between gangs, and spoiler alert, it always ends in one gang having been left crippled.
Lost and the Damned so big it could’ve been a standalone game had Rockstar wanted. All in all, The Lost and Damned was a top-tier entry in the Grand Theft Auto series when it first came out, even if its lead had a very, very bad time in Grand Theft Auto V.
8. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars | Rockstar North, Rockstar Leeds | March 17, 2009 | DS, PSP, iOS, Android |
After eight whole years of delivering solid third-person entries, Rockstar decided to go top-down shooter once again with Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, which also surprisingly came to the very family-friendly Nintendo DS. Chinatown Wars was built in the same vein as GTA I and II, though given its release date, it was graphically superior and had much better gameplay.
The camera was fully rotatable instead of fixed, the population and environments were densely packed, and Chinatown Wars had an insane level of detail. With every GTA game also being based on a type of criminal organization, a story beat surrounding the triads was inevitable and that’s exactly what happened in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
It had an enthralling storyline set in Liberty City which focused on immigrant Huang Lee getting seduced by the criminal life as he’s caught up in a power struggle between the city’s triads. And if you thought that was crazy, once Huang starts working with his uncle Kenny to retrieve the sword and secure Kenny’s position as the new triad leader, he somehow ends up working with his competitors in the process.
On top of the gripping narrative, Chinatown Wars allows for multiple ways to play including stealth, going in like a demolition man, or completing certain optional tasks to make the main missions easier. All in all, Chinatown Wars is the hidden gem of the GTA series everyone should play at least once.
7. Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony | Rockstar North | October 29, 2009 | Xbox 360, PS3, PC |
The Ballad of Gay Tony is the second expansion for GTA IV, with the first being The Lost and Damned. Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony is very different from the main GTA IV campaign and the first DLC in that it’s less gritty and its story is more positive than the gloomy saga of Niko Bellic and Johnny Klebitz.
It focuses on several storylines and concludes GTA IV’s overarching plot, wrapping it up in a satisfying way for all three protagonists. But where The Ballad of Gay Tony truly shines is with its mission design. It takes you all around Liberty City: into nightclubs, on errands for “Gay” Tony across the city, and on jobs where you are parachuting by the end of them.
Because of these moments, it’s a much more colorful time than either of its counterparts and well worth checking out, especially if you’re looking to connect all the threads from the diamond sale storyline.
6. Grand Theft Auto Online
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto Online | Rockstar North | March 15, 2022 | PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC |
Where it originally began as a multiplayer mode for GTA V, Grand Theft Auto Online is today a standalone title that makes Rockstar hundreds of millions of dollars yearly. It’s likely why Rockstar has also been milking GTA V for the past decade and hence delaying another new title in the series. But, well, GTA Online is shockingly addictive so how could you blame them?
GTA Online is pretty much the ultimate Grand Theft Auto experience for those looking for chaos, role-playing, and more things to buy than is really even reasonable. You make your own character, buy and manage properties in a giant sandbox, partake in multiplayer heists with your friends, or just blow stuff up with them — including each other.
GTA Online is diabolically fun and while it’s not a traditional Grand Theft Auto title and is an absolute grind if you aren’t willing to pick up Shark Cards, it’s one multiplayer game where you’ll make unforgettable memories alone, with friends, and alongside the random lunatics that make up most public lobbies.
5. Grand Theft Auto III
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto 3 | DMA Design | October 23, 2001 | PS2, Xbox, PC, iOS, Android |
Grand Theft Auto III was a turning point for the series — and the industry as we know it. This is also a turning point for this list, as every game from this point forward is one of the most important games of all time.
Rockstar abandoned the top-down perspective and went full-on third-person 3D with its mainline games from here on out, and GTA III served as the first official step into the new age. Grand Theft Auto III, despite featuring a silent protagonist, boasted a fully tailored storyline featuring 50 main missions that would include shooting up rival gangs, chasing enemies, and blowing up a literal helicopter to stop a drug kingpin. GTA III was the first total 3D action-adventure game in the franchise and a huge milestone at that.
It was one of those games that left jaws dropped back in the day. Granted, it can’t compete with the standard Rockstar has set in the present, but GTA III carries some of the strongest moments from the franchise. It’s an iconic landmark in GTA’s history and a game worth revisiting even today. Climbing into a Banshee and speeding around Liberty City is a feeling that may truly never get old.
4. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Rockstar North | October 26, 2004 | PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox, PC, iOS, Android |
With the PS2 being the best-selling console in 2004 – and later of all time – folks were looking for that one game that would blow their minds, and that’s where San Andreas came in. A title that would later be hailed as the best PlayStation 2 game of all time, and would have the sales figures to back that up – 27.5 million copies to be exact.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas implemented a ton of RPG features, and while it made San Andreas into a bit of a jack of all trades, it’s wild to think back on how ambitious it was.. You could buy a house, learn new combat moves, enlist gang members, and customize the protagonist CJ’s apparel and body weight.
The narrative was an absolute blast from start to finish as well, with its 100 missions taking you from one corner of Los Santos to the other in hopes of re-establishing your gang, solving your mother’s murder, and stopping the damn train.
San Andreas is without a doubt one of the best GTA games of all time, and though it’s quite old, it has aged like fine wine.
3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Rockstar North | October 29, 2002 | PS2, Xbox, PC, iOS, Android |
Going 3D was indeed a turning point for the franchise, but Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is where Rockstar polished that formula. Rockstar expanded upon everything that made GTA III so good in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The world was bigger than it had ever been and players finally had a huge open-world where they could let loose by driving cars like animals while Michael Jackson blared over the radio.
Vice City’s protagonist Tommy Vercetti is one of the coolest characters ever too. Helping him build an entire criminal empire throughout the game is sensational and controlling him feels as if you are starring in reimagined versions of the Godfather or Scarface.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was the ultimate mafia fantasy come to life. It was a giant improvement over GTA III: the vehicle physics, newer vehicle types, soundtrack, character models, world, and voice acting — either everything was better or it was something completely brand new.
As a game, Vice City pushed the industry forward by showing the sky’s the limit when it comes to improvement and that’s a fact clearly visible in its successors.
2. Grand Theft Auto IV
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto IV | Rockstar North | April 29, 2008 | PS3, Xbox 360, PC |
GTA IV’s protagonist Niko Bellic and his story are considered to be the best across the series. As the former war veteran arrives in Liberty City to pursue the American Dream, he instead spirals down a cycle of blood, drugs, and crime as his past comes back to haunt him.
On a technical level, GTA IV was a masterpiece — and it still does things today that other games cannot. It massively improved gameplay to the point that players now had to take cover and think more strategically in combat. Now you’d be sent flying out of the windshield if you got into an accident, there were animations for dodging punches, visible pot holes on the street, facial animations were on-point, vehicle deterioration had more detail, and so many other changes were implemented. These seem like small quality-of-life improvements when you look at them alone, but altogether, they made GTA IV a stunning work of art.
The world was also the most expansive yet and had an equally large amount of storytelling in it to make it appear and feel lively.
GTA IV was a culmination of everything that made the franchise so legendary and it upped the ante in each area it possibly could. It would be the best Grand Theft Auto game of all time if Rockstar hadn’t outdone themselves once again in GTA V.
1. Grand Theft Auto V
| Game | Developer | Release Date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar North | September 17, 2013 | PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC |
If you’ve played it before, it won’t come as a surprise that Grand Theft Auto V is the best GTA game of all time. The difference between 2008’s GTA IV and 2013’s GTA V was astonishing. It was an even bigger generational leap in graphics, gameplay, and design than there was between GTA II and III.
Rockstar nailed every aspect from the gargantuan open-world, the stellar voice acting, and the ability to switch between three protagonists seamlessly to the incredible next-level heists that would involve driving supercars, submarines, and literal fighter jets to rob the country blind. And while the story may not have been quite as gripping and hard-hitting as GTA IV, Trevor, Franklin, and Michael are one of gaming’s most beloved trios for a good reason.
A decade later, most developers can’t even seem to perfect one of these aspects. Gotham Knights, the Saints Row reboot, and Redfall are just a few games that were released 10 years after GTA V yet were disasters on every level. GTA V’s quality is simply unparalleled and despite being so old, it’s still used as a standard for weighing new AAA releases to this day.
There is little more to be said about GTA V that hasn’t already been said, except if there’s a game out there that could top it, it’s for certain going to be Grand Theft Auto VI.
READ NEXT: Where To Play the Grand Theft Auto Games
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