Without counting rereleases or DLCs, there have been 10 Grand Theft Auto games since the franchise debuted in 1997. In that time, the series has constantly evolved and changed with the times, jumping from 2D to 3D as gaming technology advanced. Games like Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas are widely considered by fans to be some of the best open-world games ever made -- and critics agree.
However, not all GTA games are equally beloved, and some older games have not held up as well over time. Using an average of scores from both Metacritic and the Internet Gaming Database, here's how all of the main series Grand Theft Auto games rank.
Grand Theft Auto II: 70/100
Grand Theft Auto II is one of those games that hasn't aged particularly well, and modern critics have called it repetitive. Of course, the game is widely considered to be a cult-classic by those who played it back when it released, and critics at the time called it a great sequel to the original. However, some critics were unhappy with how the gameplay was changed between entires. The sequel to the original GTA may be worth revisiting or checking out for those who want to see how far the series has come, but otherwise, it's better off skipped. While GTA's 2D era may not be the best the series has to offer, they did establish one of the most successful franchises in gaming.
Vice City Stories: 79.5/100
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories provided a prequel to Vice City, which earned it praise for its story and similarities to the original. Much like Vice City, the soundtrack and voice acting were particular points of praise. However, Vice City Stories falls flat in almost every other regard in the eyes of critics. The GTA series was starting to feel repetitive at this point in the eyes of fans and critics, and returning to the same setting probably didn't help. The PlayStation 2 port of the PlayStation Portable game was also panned for being less technically impressive.
Grand Theft Auto: 80/100
The original Grand Theft Auto is a legacy-defining game that started one of the biggest franchises in gaming, and it certainly was something new for the era. Critics, at the time, loved the unique action offered and praised the arcadey nature of the experience. However, in the years since its release, many have acknowledges some critical flaws in the original GTA that make it one of the franchise's weaker offerings.
Grand Theft Auto has been ported to plenty of different platforms, and was even available on Steam at one point. Many fans say that modern fans will enjoy the action-focused gameplay, especially if they don't care about the in-depth stories of the modern titles. However, GTA absolutely shows, and later entries in the series eclipse the original.
Liberty City Stories: 86/100
GTA has had a surprising amount of success on handhelds, and Liberty City Stories bridges the gap between GTA III and GTA IV by offering a 3D experience that was incredibly close to the series' console offerings. Liberty City Stories is commonly called a "technological achievement." Seeing an open-world GTA game running on the PSP was a huge deal, and a major points of praise for many critics. The big downside, though, is that the typical, sprawling GTA experience had to be downscaled for said technological achievement to be possible.
Chinatown Wars: 89.5/100
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars originally released for the Nintendo DS and was later ported to the PSP, with many critics calling it one of the best handheld games out there. The general consensus with Chinatown Wars was that the right elements of GTA were brought over to handhelds, even if the series' usual graphical prowess and 3D worlds weren't present.
However, some criticisms of Chinatown Wars include the oversaturation of touchscreen mini-games. The game also suffered due to the Nintendo DS' status as a family-friendly system, with many critics calling the game's level of violence out of place. However, most criticisms of Chinatown Wars are minor, making it a surprising handheld success for the GTA series.
Grand Theft Auto IV: 93/100
Grand Theft Auto IV was the first GTA game of the HD era. It also had the near-impossible task of trying to follow up the instant-classic that was San Andreas, though critics certainly seem to think it came close. GTA IV also marks the point when the series began telling more serious stories, with many praising GTA IV for heading in that direction. The visuals were also impressive for the time, especially when compared to San Andreas. However, its main drawbacks include its near-unplayable PC launch, some disagreement when it comes to the darker tone and concerns that it was too similar to GTA III.
San Andreas: 94/100
San Andreas is often considered by fans to be the gold standard for the GTA series as a whole. Its massive open-world, memorable characters and story, and its ridiculous attention to detail make this game seem like the overhaul that critics expected Vice City to be. San Andreas wowed critics as well, cementing itself as a great way to end the 3D era of GTA games.
Critics praised San Andreas for following a similar formula to the previous GTA titles while still feeling fresh and new. Rockstar managed to escape the criticism that Vice City got for being too similar to its predecessor by overhauling the size of the world, the narrative and the gameplay. Some points of praise include the voice cast, dialogue and gameplay variety.
Grand Theft Auto III / Vice City: 94.5/100
Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City have, surprisingly, aged extraordinarily well. Both of these titles were originally released for the PlayStation 2, though many critics found they offered far more freedom than they believed the PS2 was capable of. Vice City in particular was praised for further defying expectations with the introduction of more things to do outside of missions and interior locations.
However, Vice City and GTA III mark the point where critics started to feel the series was getting repetitive. Vice City may have expanded upon GTA III, but many thought more was possible and were somewhat let down by how same-y the two games felt. Regardless, both games are widely considered to be instant classics of the PS2-era of gaming.
Grand Theft Auto V: 96.5/100
It's probably no surprise that Grand Theft Auto V tops this list, even without taking GTA: Online into consideration. GTA V is widely considered one of the most successful games of all-time, let alone in the series. Originally released in 2013, this game's massive open-world environment quickly became the standard for the genre, and some may argue that it still is.
The main compliments that critics have for GTA V come down to how free and open the world of Los Santos really feels. Many critics say that the game goes beyond simply being an open-world game and instead becomes more of a sandbox for gamers to explore and play in. The game's story are three playable protagonists were also widely praised.