Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is universally heralded as one of the greatest gaming franchises of all time. Rockstar’s marquee IP has consistently upped the standards for open-world games with each new release, while its peers are typically playing catch-up. Few games are as memorable and as dense as GTA, which is why players are constantly debating the best of the lot. We’ve decided to take a stab at that very debate by ranking the best GTA games of all time ahead of GTA 6’s release.
10. Grand Theft Auto 2
- Released: October 25, 1999
- Platform(s): PS 1, PC, Dreamcast, Game Boy
Sitting at the bottom of our best GTA games list is an entry that simply failed to live up to its promise. After the original wowed players with its unprecedented freedom, Rockstar decided not to innovate on GTA 2, instead serving up a decent visual upgrade. What’s worse, the gameplay felt clunky and was generally deemed to be underwhelming by fans.
As usual, there was no proper storyline to follow, meaning GTA 2 has almost no redeeming qualities.
9. Grand Theft Auto
- Released: November 28, 1997
- Platform(s): PC, PS1, Game Boy Color
The original that started it all. Grand Theft Auto was released in a transformative year for video games. It went up against the likes of Final Fantasy VII, the original Fallout, Tekken 3, and many other iconic titles. Despite the intense competition, GTA 1 garnered a cult following almost instantly, mainly because it embraced chaos like no other game did at the time.
Marking a first for the medium, it allowed players to wander around in an interactive open world, steal vehicles, lead the police on violent chases, and generally kill anyone in sight. It was the sort of game that had parents clutching at their pearls and local representatives lodging complaints in courts. So yeah, it was pretty awesome.
If there were no Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar probably wouldn’t be the billion-dollar juggernaut it is today. The only reason it ranks so low in our best GTA games list is that the title is far too archaic to revisit. There’s also no way to legitimately purchase and play it unless you want to shell out an insane amount of money for a physical copy.
8. GTA: Liberty City Stories
- Released: October 24, 2005
- Platform(s): Android, iOS, PC, PS2, PS3, PS Vita, PSP
The first prequel of GTA’s 3D era did not disappoint. Liberty City Stories built upon GTA 3’s narrative with a more compelling story. Despite having some technical and visual glitches, the game delivered. It had all the right plot developments and some solid side content.
The novelty of playing a 3D open-world game on a handheld PSP was also something to behold – the game was a true technical accomplishment. GTA Liberty City Stories remains one of the finest prequels in the GTA franchise, and it further solidified Liberty City as an iconic GTA location.
7. GTA: Vice City Stories
- Released: October 31, 2006
- Platform(s): PlayStation 2, PSP
Following the success of Liberty City Stories, Rockstar applied the same formula to another spinoff, but this time in Vice City. Vice City Stories expanded on the gameplay mechanics of the 2002 classic and made it better in some unique ways.
The story is centered around Lance Vance’s brother, who returns from military duty to learn that his sibling is corrupted by crime. Of course, he ends up indulging, and soon after, you’ll be handed the reins over strategic gang wars and an impressive empire-building system. When you combine this with a genuinely engaging narrative, you’ve got one of the best GTA games of all time. The game’s empire-building mechanics are especially memorable, and it’s among our most requested features for GTA 6.
6. GTA: Chinatown Wars
- Released: March 17, 2009
- Platform(s): Nintendo DS, PSP, Android, iOS
GTA Chinatown Wars would have easily made it to my top 5 if not for its top-down view. Despite the visual limitations, the game offered a lot for its time. Originally released on the PSP, it extracted every bit of bandwidth the handheld had to offer and delivered a surprisingly innovative experience.
By implementing touch controls and creative mechanics such as hotwiring and interactive drug deals, Chinatown Wars earned a cult following not long after its release. Unfortunately, the game is still quite underrated and hasn’t received the same street cred as the “Stories” prequels.
5. Grand Theft Auto 3
- Released: October 22, 2001
- Platform(s): PS2, Xbox, PC, macOS, Android, iOS
GTA 3 was Rockstar’s first sincere attempt to make the jump from 2D to 3D while delivering good storytelling. The fact alone that GTA 3 had such a beautiful 3D structure for its time separates it from the lot for me. Combine that with a story about betrayal and revenge, and GTA 3 makes its way into my personal top five.
4. GTA: Vice City
- Released: October 29, 2002
- Platform(s): PS2, Xbox (Original), PC, iOS, Android, macOS
We weren’t even over GTA 3, and just a year later, Rockstar dropped another masterpiece. This time, it was the story of Vice City and its crime syndicate. For starters, Vice City replicated much of real-life Miami in the game. We also got a ton of mini-games that were arcade-y and fun. But the key highlight and selling point remained the rich story and peppy music.
At more points than one, it felt like Vice City was a cinematic masterpiece that Rockstar cooked up. The only downside was the gunplay and mechanics, which felt too casual for my taste. However, the experience of exploring the islands still has my heart. It’s part of the reason why I’m so excited to revisit Vice City in GTA 6 and marvel at the expanded map.
3. Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released: September 7, 2013
- Platform(s): PS5, PS4, PS3, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
After GTA 4, Rockstar made fans wait five long years for a new installment. But it’s safe to say that the wait was worth it. Grand Theft Auto 5 turned out to be the most spectacular step up in the series’ history. Be it visuals, music, gunplay, the razor-sharp wit – everything felt “next-gen.”
The fundamentals of GTA V were so strong that Rockstar used it for one of the most successful online multiplayer games of all time. To this day, GTA Online attracts an average of 10 million users every month, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the studio.
With that being said, GTA 5’s biggest accomplishment was undoubtedly its open world. Los Santos, or San Andreas, is so dense, so filled with life and variety, that it is yet to be surpassed even a decade later. Hell, I know the major landmarks on the GTA 5 map better than the monuments in my city. That speaks volumes about how well-realized this open world is.
If you’re wondering why the game doesn’t sit at the top of our best GTA games list, the reason is simple. For all of its merits, GTA 5’s story is honestly a nothingburger. Its trio of protagonists commit heinous acts but almost never face any consequences, which results in the stakes being non-existent. Even the choice of endings falls flat as Rockstar added a failsafe that also happens to be the most lucrative route for post-game progression.
2. GTA: San Andreas
- Released: October 26, 2004
- Platform(s): PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, PC, macOS, iOS, Android
GTA: San Andreas is arguably the most technically impressive video game of all time, especially when you consider the hardware it had to work with. Rockstar somehow managed to cram condensed versions of three major cities into a single open world. They did so without sacrificing scale or relying on copy-pasted locations. The devs also managed to cram dozens of side activities into this package – something which no GTA game has even attempted to do.
On top of this, the game even featured RPG-like simulation mechanics. CJ had a weight tracker, a bar that recorded muscle growth, and even an affinity system that determined his relationship with various gangs and companions. Add on top a compelling story, and you’re looking at not just an excellent GTA game, but also one of the best video games of all time.
1. Grand Theft Auto 4
- Released: April 29, 2008
- Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, PS3
When Rockstar started the Grand Theft Auto franchise, the key focus was on the open-world environments. However, that was not what made them noteworthy. It was always the memorable stories and iconic characters.
This is the primary reason I chose Grand Theft Auto 4 as my top pick for this list. Niko Bellic’s tale drew from the common “immigrant loses faith in the American dream” cinema trope, but the execution is so singular and masterful that it left a lasting impact on players.
On the gameplay front, GTA 4 featured arguably the best vehicle and ragdoll physics in the franchise. With the introduction of short but impactful DLCs like The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned, the game’s longevity was enhanced. It went on to gather multiple Game of the Year Awards and is well worth its placement at the top of our list.
And that concludes our list of the best GTA games of all time. Do you think we messed up ranking these games? Let us know your opinion in the comments down below!
