What is the best Grand Theft Auto game of all time?

From revolutionary 3D cities to sun-drenched Vice City streets, GTA has redefined open-world gaming more than once. Old-school classics face off against modern juggernauts. Which one deserves the crown?

1

Grand Theft Auto III

A genre-defining masterpiece from 2001 that revolutionized gaming by moving the series into a fully realized 3D open world.

2

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

A sun-drenched 1980s crime epic following Tommy Vercetti rise through Miami-inspired Vice City, celebrated for its stellar story and iconic soundtrack.

3

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The most ambitious GTA entry of its era, with a massive three-city world, RPG mechanics, and CJ navigating gang life in 1990s California.

4

Grand Theft Auto IV

A gritty, cinematic reimagining of Liberty City following immigrant Niko Bellic dark pursuit of the American Dream with unprecedented realism.

5

Grand Theft Auto V

The best-selling entertainment product in history, featuring three playable protagonists, a vast Los Santos open world, and the thriving GTA Online.

6

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

A 2006 PSP prequel to Vice City set in 1984 following soldier Victor Vance building a criminal empire, praised as an improvement over Liberty City Stories.

7

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

A 2005 PSP-original prequel to GTA III following Toni Cipriani rise through the Leone crime family in Liberty City.

8

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

A 2009 top-down return to Liberty City for Nintendo DS featuring a drug trade mechanic, considered one of the best handheld games ever made.