From Liberty Metropolis to San Andreas, Rockstar has constructed a wealthy world of profession criminals, lunatics, and thieves, and we’ve beloved each one. Though over 25 years outdated, the record-breaking views on the primary Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer is proof that Rockstar’s iconic recreation collection stays one of the vital well-liked franchises on the planet.
From humble beginnings — the collection initially started as top-down car-stealing video games — to creating among the most superior and practical open world video games within the trade, every new Grand Theft Auto recreation is worthy of celebration. So, with Grand Theft Auto 6 on the horizon, IGN has thought again on each fashionable blockbusters and retro classics to create a definitive rating of all of Rockstar’s open-world crime video games and decide which GTA recreation is one of the best.
15. Grand Theft Auto: Advance
After having already made the swap to 3D, Grand Theft Auto: Advance returned the collection to its top-down roots in 2004 for a Recreation Boy spinoff. A prequel to the occasions of Grand Theft Auto 3, GTA: Advance efficiently brings the traditional car-jacking, crime spree gameplay of the unique video games to Nintendo’s moveable. Whereas there’s a story that ties into GTA 3, GTA: Advance is primarily gameplay pushed, giving gamers over 300 missions to finish which makes for a enjoyable tour however hardly a full GTA expertise within the fashionable sense.
14. Grand Theft Auto: London 1969
An growth pack for the unique GTA, Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 is notable for happening in the actual metropolis of London versus a fictional amalgam like Los Santos (Los Angeles) or Liberty Metropolis (New York Metropolis). Like a lot of the early GTA video games, it’s hardly recognizable at the moment and is extra of a enjoyable retro relic of the previous. Nonetheless, London stays one of the vital fan-requested places for the collection to revisit.
13. Grand Theft Auto 2
Launched two years after the primary Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar returned with an improved sequel. Set in an virtually cyberpunk-ish retro futuristic metropolis, it boasted higher graphics and tuned-up gameplay. However this early on within the collection, Grand Theft Auto was nonetheless principally about stealing and destroying vehicles and scoring probably the most factors. One notable factor about GTA 2 was an eight-minute lengthy brief film created by Rockstar that was used because the intro cutscene for the sport, hinting on the cinematic path the collection would take afterward within the collection.
12. Grand Theft Auto 1
The sport that began all of it, Grand Theft Auto 1 appears virtually unrecognizable from the sport collection it’s at the moment. A top-down, mission-based expertise the place gamers steal vehicles to achieve the top of a stage, Grand Theft Auto 1 was principally about operating over individuals and evading cops. Whereas GTA began as an honest-to-goodness car-stealing recreation, the wanton destruction and irreverent humorousness was a part of the collection’ DNA from the very starting, and these traits would keep it up all through because the collection made the soar to 3D.
11. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars delves into the world of the Triads, one of many many prison factions which have appeared on the sidelines all through the collection. It was launched through the collection’ reputation surge of the PS2 3D period, however opted to resurrect the unique top-down design, albeit strengthened by a hanging visible design impressed by GTA’s iconic field artwork. Sticking to custom, it’s yet one more story of a small-time con making it large within the prison underworld, however the primary attraction is Chinatown Battle’s novel use of contact controls.
Whereas Chinatown Wars has since been ported to a number of handheld consoles together with PSP and iOS gadgets, many agree that the unique DS model is one of the best expertise due to the enjoyable and distinctive methods Chinatown Wars utilized Nintendo’s contact display. Not many different video games on Nintendo’s dual-screened system will allow you to use the display to hotwire a automobile.
10. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty Metropolis Tales
The primary moveable 3D GTA recreation, Liberty Metropolis Tales match Grand Theft Auto 3’s complete open world right into a handheld bundle, with out the necessity to sacrifice ambition and return to the collection’ top-down roots. Increasing the world of GTA 3, it options a number of recurring characters together with Salvatore Leone, the Mafia Don who’s a major fixture of Liberty Metropolis throughout quite a few video games.
9. Grand Theft Auto: The Misplaced and Damned
The primary growth for Grand Theft Auto 4, The Misplaced and the Damned stars biker gang member Johnny and takes place through the occasions of the bottom recreation. Whereas the story isn’t probably the most memorable, The Misplaced and the Damned provides extra weapons and autos to GTA 4, making the big recreation really feel even larger. Together with The Ballad of Homosexual Tony, The Misplaced and the Damned was an necessary exploration into episodic storytelling for Rockstar, one thing that may be recontextualised with its frequent GTA On-line updates.
8. Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto 3 took the GTA collection into the third dimension, taking the previously top-down, level-based recreation, and turning it into the third-person, open-world collection we all know at the moment.
Telling the story of two-bit prison Claude and his rise within the prison world of Liberty Metropolis, GTA 3 was the muse upon which all future GTA video games can be constructed on. Riffing on the likes of The Sopranos and Goodfellas, it established the cinematic ambitions that may gas Rockstar for the following twenty years. Grand Theft Auto 3 hasn’t aged in addition to among the studio’s different early video games, however it stays a foundational textual content for the way forward for the collection.
7. Grand Theft Auto Vice Metropolis Tales
The second handheld GTA recreation for the PSP, Vice Metropolis Tales returns to Rockstar’s model of Miami for a prequel to the Eighties-set PS2 hit. Enjoying as Vic, the brother of Vice Metropolis’s Lance Vance, you construct up a prison empire by wresting management of institutions and organizations from rival prison gangs. Together with big technical enhancements over the primary PSP recreation, Liberty Metropolis Tales, the primary disadvantage in 2006 was with the ability to play a fully-fledged, 3D GTA recreation on the go, full with a recent new Eighties soundtrack and Phil Collins in-game cameo.
6. Grand Theft Auto On-line
The true motive why we doubtless haven’t obtained GTA 6 sooner, GTA On-line was initially a multiplayer aspect part to GTA 5 earlier than taking over a lifetime of its personal. Whereas on the floor it’s a free-for-all sandbox set in Los Sanos, GTA On-line is successfully a reincarnation of Second Life solely with extra automobile races and explosions.
Gamers can be a part of up along with pals to participate within the addictingly enjoyable heists, however simply as simply screw around the globe, flying round in jetpacks, or crashing airplanes into one another. GTA On-line has additionally developed a sturdy role-playing group the place gamers can reside out one of the best (or worst) variations of themselves in a self-contained on-line world.
5. Grand Theft Auto 4: The Ballad of Homosexual Tony
The second DLC growth for Grand Theft Auto 4, The Ballad of Homosexual Tony takes place alongside the occasions of the primary recreation however expands upon the gameplay in key methods. Enjoying as former drug seller Luis, who Niko crossed paths with in the primary marketing campaign, you’re capable of handle “Homosexual” Tony Prince’s evening golf equipment, an exercise that can return in Grand Theft Auto On-line afterward. Largely thought-about probably the greatest DLCs of its period, its plot tied up all of the unfastened threads of the GTA 4 story in a satisfying means.
4. Grand Theft Auto 4
As the primary high-definition Grand Theft Auto recreation, GTA 4 was an enormous leap for Rockstar by way of its technical prowess. Nonetheless, the most important development in GTA 4 was its cinematic storytelling model. The story of Jap European immigrant Niko Bellic, one in all GTA’s finest protagonists, is a surprisingly darkish and chopping satire of the American dream.. In our unique overview, we referred to as it an “Oscar-caliber drama” and the film high quality storytelling would solely turn into higher within the sequel, GTA 5. In fact, Niko’s adventures in Liberty Metropolis are finest remembered for all of the instances he went bowling along with his disastrous cousin, Roman – the results of a dynamic social system by which pals and allies would name you up maybe a bit of bit too typically.
3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice Metropolis
San Andreas and GTA 5 might have overshadowed Grand Theft Auto: Vice Metropolis by way of scale, however Rockstar’s sendup to Miami Vice and Scarface stays one of the vital fashionable entries within the collection. Set within the fictionalized model of Miami, Vice Metropolis stars Tommy Vercetti’s profession prison, voiced by the long-lasting Ray Liotta, as he units out to make a reputation for himself after getting launched from jail. The colourful storytelling and setting of Vice Metropolis confirmed Rockstar was extra than simply the makers of extraordinarily violent video games, they had been makers of extraordinarily violent video games that had been additionally cool as hell.
2. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was a turning level for the collection, including most of the deep customization choices and wealthy methods the collection has since turn into identified for. Starring gang member Carl “CJ” Johnson, San Andreas follows his return to Los Santos after spending 5 years in Liberty Metropolis, and the way he finally ends up getting dragged right into a broader gang battle over the various territories round San Andreas.
On the time, IGN referred to as it “the only finest PlayStation 2 title” we ever performed with manufacturing values that had been “second to none.” Together with taking the collection to the west coast for the primary time with a map that sprawled over no fewer than three cities, San Andreas featured one of the best GTA story to-date, a wealthy customization system for CJ, an expanded cash system with dozens of outlets to spend it in, quite a few minigames, and a dynamic gang wars system, all of which mixed into one of the vital fully-featured GTA video games ever.
1. Grand Theft Auto 5
Over the a long time Rockstar has repeatedly improved its storytelling ambitions and open-world complexity, and all of it led to Grand Theft Auto 5. Though it was first launched in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, GTA 5 has since been re-released for every successive PlayStation and Xbox system, in addition to PC; every time subtly enhanced and every time promoting thousands and thousands of extra copies.
Primarily a narrative of a prison crew comprising Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips, and Franklin Clinton, the explanation for GTA 5’s continued reputation is the sheer scale of its central setting, Los Santos, the place gamers can freely discover the huge open world to their hearts needs. In IGN’s good 10 overview, we praised the “extraordinary scope” of GTA 5 and fell in love with its “dwelling world the place something can occur.” It’s the present pinnacle of every part Rockstar got down to obtain with the collection, that includes one of many largest, most detailed open-world maps in gaming, boundless actions — from skydiving to avenue racing — and an engrossing, cinematic story.
That is our rating of one of the best Grand Theft Auto video games of all time. Tell us within the feedback which of them had been your favorites, and you’ll want to try our full protection of Grand Theft Auto 6 together with 99 particulars you’ll have missed from the primary trailer.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s Senior Options Editor. You’ll be able to attain him @lawoftd.