With a franchise spanning 26 years, Grand Theft Auto has become one of the main staple franchises in gaming. With only 12 games being made, Rockstar seems to have found the best formula to get people’s attention and sell millions of copies of their games, even if they are mostly known for the controversies they contain.
With Grand Theft Auto VI recently getting a cinematic announcement trailer that got over 100 million views in 48 hours, it’s time to look back on the franchise’s history and rank the games based on how good they are, why they were successful, and how they have aged. As someone who still plays most of the games to this day, I wanted to take the time to rank every game in the Grand Theft Auto series, from the worst to the best, in order.
15: Grand Theft Auto Advance
Formats: GameBoy Advance
Original Release Year: 2004
How do you mess up one of the best games to hit modern consoles back in 1997? Easy—you cram it onto the Game Boy Advance. Grand Theft Auto Advance is basically a stripped-down port of the original GTA, and if you thought it couldn’t get worse than the Game Boy Color version… somehow, it did. The world scale is zoomed in so tight, you’re lucky to see two cars on-screen at once. And with just two buttons to work with? Forget about it. I genuinely have no clue what Rockstar—or Nintendo—was thinking trying to force Grand Theft Auto onto underpowered handhelds. Then again, I guess some things never change… Right, GTA “Definitive Edition” on Switch?
14: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Formats: PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, iOS, & Android
Original Release Year:2009
The handheld era wrapped up with Chinatown Wars, easily one of the weakest entries in the “Stories” line of GTA games. Sure, the Nintendo DS version tried something different with touch controls—using the stylus for carjacking and mini-games—but the PSP version? Just a bland, recycled port that felt no different than the old-school 2D games. And the story? Generic at best, borderline racist at worst. It’s the same tired “Chinese gang war” plot we’ve seen a dozen times, with a main character whose big motivation is tracking down a stolen family sword. Mortal Kombat 1 ran with that same storyline—and yeah, it still sucks. Honestly, Sleeping Dogs did the whole “GTA in China” thing way better three years later, which is probably why nobody talks about Chinatown Wars anymore.
13: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Formats: PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, iOS, Android, Fire OS
Original Release Year: 2005
This was Rockstar’s first real attempt at an expansion pack since the original Grand Theft Auto on PS1 and PC—and honestly, it didn’t land like people hoped. Once again, they tried pushing new GTA content onto a handheld, this time tying it to the GTA III storyline. Problem is, the PlayStation Portable just wasn’t up to the task. It wasn’t anywhere near as powerful as the PS2, which meant downgraded visuals and sluggish performance. Eventually, they ported it to the PS2—probably because PSP sales flopped—but even then, the story, which focused on the first crime family you meet in GTA III, didn’t resonate the same way. It was a decent effort to bring the 3D GTA era to a portable device, but the end result just didn’t hit.
12: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Formats: PlayStation 2 & PlayStation Portable
Original Release Year: 2006
This Stories entry tries to tug at the heart a bit, centering its plot around two brothers—one trying to scrape together money to help the other with medical issues. Naturally, that drags him into the drug trade and everything that comes with it. The problem? Vice City Stories, like Liberty City Stories before it, launched first on the PlayStation Portable, then got ported to the PS2. But by that point, the Stories series was already losing steam. Nobody really wanted a downgraded, handheld version of Vice City when the original PS2 game still played and looked way better. The idea behind the Stories games was solid—but putting them on underpowered handhelds is exactly why they never took off, and why they’ve been lost to time and collectors’ shelves.
11: Grand Theft Auto: London 1969
Formats: PlayStation, Windows, MS-DOS
Original Release Year: 1999
Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 was the first-ever expansion pack released on PlayStation, and it was definitely experimental. To even play it back then, you needed the original GTA disc—pop that in, then swap over to the expansion disc once the load started. (These days, patched versions skip that hassle.) The expansion took players back to a rough, stylized version of London in 1969 (or 1961 on PC), where you’d run missions for hippies, mugs, and all kinds of lowlifes—same chaotic GTA formula, just with more cockney slang. It wasn’t exactly one of the best games on the shelf, but it did a few innovative things for its time and helped set the stage for what GTA would eventually become. Yeah, it hasn’t aged well, but for collectors, it’s a must-have—and prices online still prove that.
10: Grand Theft Auto Online
Formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Original Release Year: 2013
There aren’t enough negative words in the English language to explain just how much I HATE this game. Grand Theft Auto Online is the reason we’ve been waiting over a decade for GTA VI. I get it—people had been begging for an online GTA for years. But when it finally launched? It was nothing more than a troll-filled cesspool, and honestly, not much has changed since.
At least the original PlayStation 3 version got time-locked with cheaters and trolls stuck there until Rockstar finally shut the servers down in June 2021. But the chaos lived on through the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions. And when GTA V got its second re-release on PS5 and Series X/S, GTA Online tagged along like a virus that just won’t go away.
Console versions of the game turned into a full-on FOMO simulator. Unless you were grinding daily, the XP system made sure you’d fall behind. And let’s not forget the Bull Shark cards—because why bother playing when you can just pay your way past the grind? Meanwhile, core features like gangs and heists basically required a full-time crew to get anywhere. And if you had to rely on randoms? Good luck. It was non-stop trolling from start to finish. I speak from experience.
Now, to be fair, the PC version did something cool—roleplay servers. These community-run servers let people create their own stories, their own characters, their own worlds. Some of them even pull in more daily players than Rockstar’s official servers. That’s the one and only good thing to come out of GTA Online.
Everything else? It’s still a troll lobby. It always was.
9: Grand Theft Auto
Formats: PlayStation, MS-DOS/Windows, & GameBoy Color
Original Release Year: 1997
The original. The OG. The beginning of an era where digital pedestrians got flattened just because we could—in the game, of course. Grand Theft Auto came out of nowhere with a level of chaos and violence no one was ready for. It quickly became one of the most controversial games since Mortal Kombat hit arcades, and politicians had a field day using it to “prove” that video games were corrupting kids.
Well, as one of those kids? I thought it was hilarious.
There was nothing better than mowing down a conga line of religious zealots—or Elvis impersonators, depending on your version—and leaving a trail of pixelated carnage behind. Most of us didn’t even bother with the missions. The real fun was the pass-the-controller gameplay: go on a rampage, see how long you could last against the cops, then hand it off to the next person after you got wrecked by a random with a gun.
It took me years to even realize the game had a story.
Look, respect has to be given to the original GTA—it set the whole damn franchise in motion. But let’s be real: the game hasn’t aged well. As much as I love what it started, it’s a product of its time—and the series has evolved way past what it was in 1997.
8: Grand Theft Auto 2
Formats: PlayStation, Dreamcast, Windows, & GameBoy Color
Original Release Year: 1999
How do you follow up one of the most controversial and addictive games of the late ’90s? Easy—you smooth out the graphics, tighten the story, tweak the gameplay, and drop Grand Theft Auto 2, a better, more polished version of the original. This one brought players back into that chaotic top-down world but added a new twist: a simplified gang reputation system that had you juggling jobs for three rival factions. Screw over one, and the others might not be too happy either.
The core gameplay didn’t change all that much, but the controls got a serious upgrade. Cars didn’t slide around like they were driving on soap anymore—they actually handled like, you know, cars. Combat got a little love too, with new weapons to make your rampages even more ridiculous.
That said, it wasn’t perfect. Some of the violence got dialed back, especially in the PlayStation version, thanks to good old-fashioned censorship. But none of that stopped GTA 2 from selling well and proving that Rockstar’s first hit wasn’t just a fluke—it was the start of something big.
7: Grand Theft Auto III
Formats: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows, OS X, Android, iOS Fire OS (Also included in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition)
Original Release Year: 2001
After dropping three solid 2D (or 2.5D) games on PC and PlayStation, Rockstar decided to level up. Using the power of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, they did what no one thought was possible at the time—they brought Grand Theft Auto into full 3D. And not only did they pull it off, they redefined everything. GTA III laid down the blueprint for every GTA game that followed.
For the first time, we got to see Liberty City in three dimensions, and we were dropped into a full narrative-driven crime drama. You played as Claude, a silent protagonist who claws his way through the underworld after getting betrayed by his girlfriend and partner-in-crime. The jump in graphics alone was jaw-dropping, but combining it with a cinematic story? That was next-level.
Of course, controversy followed—as always. Here in Australia, GTA III ran into serious issues with the classification board. The whole thing about picking up prostitutes and then beating them down to get your money back? Yeah, that didn’t fly here. Our version got censored. And over in the U.S., parts of the game were altered too—especially after 9/11. You can’t get the original version anymore, with twin towers and NYPD-style LCPD cars scrubbed out of existence.
That said, if you’re in Australia and really want the uncut version? Look for a disc with serial number SLES 50330.
Not that I’m telling you to do anything… 😉
6: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Formats: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows, OS X, Android, iOS, Fire OS (Also included in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition)
Original Release Year: 2002
While Grand Theft Auto III raised the bar for the series, Vice City is where Rockstar started playing with that whole “when is an expansion not an expansion?” idea. Set in the neon-soaked chaos of the 1980s, Vice City dropped us into a drug-fueled, Scarface-inspired world that was as stylish as it was brutal. It was technically a follow-up, sure—but it felt more like GTA III.5 than a true sequel. And honestly? That wasn’t a bad thing.
You played as Tommy Vercetti, working your way up from small-time errand boy to full-on drug kingpin—Tony Montana vibes all day. The game nailed the era’s look, sound, and attitude, with a soundtrack that slapped and a world that oozed personality. It was one of the boldest moves Rockstar made at the time—ditching modern-day settings for a retro aesthetic—and it paid off.
Even today, Vice City stands out as one of the most beloved entries in the series. Shame the Definitive Edition did it so dirty. It deserved way more love than it got.
5: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Formats: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, OS X, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Fire OS, Oculus Quest 2 (Also included in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition)
Original Release Year: 2004
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is easily one of the most beloved entries in the franchise—and in fairness, it got the most care when Rockstar slapped together the Definitive Edition collection. But even with all that love, it’s only breaking into the Top 5 on this list.
Set in a 1990s, West Coast, gang-era inspired version of Los Angeles, San Andreas hit hard the first time—and again with the HD remaster. CJ’s story had weight. From his return to San Andreas to the chaos on Grove Street, crooked cops, and a system rigged to keep him down, it was raw. It was powerful. But where it really stood out was the gameplay.
We got bikes. We got a full gang warfare system. There was even a fitness mechanic where what you ate—or didn’t—actually changed your stats and appearance. It was a deep game that still felt accessible. And at the time, that was massive.
So why is it sitting at number five? Because as good as it was, the storytelling in GTA has come a long way since. Rockstar refined their formula. GTA V brought us back to San Andreas—back to Grove Street—and it reminded us that not everything holds up the way our nostalgia wants it to.
4: Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, & Windows
Original Release Year: 2009
Yeah, it was a weird choice. The Ballad of Gay Tony doesn’t put you in the shoes of Gay Tony himself—instead, you play as Luis, his right-hand guy trying to hold things together while Tony sinks deeper into financial chaos. On paper, it sounds like more of the same: follow the story, do the jobs, deal with rich people problems. And for the most part, it kind of is.
But where Ballad of Gay Tony really stands out is in the nightclub side of things. Midway through the game, you’re handed control of one of Tony’s clubs, and instead of saddling you with some boring business sim, Rockstar lets you get hands-on. You’re bouncing troublemakers, managing VIPs, doing shots in the lounge, and straight-up dancing to build hype. It’s ridiculous—and it works.
The main story missions might be pretty cookie-cutter by Rockstar standards, but it’s the smaller, immersive moments that make Ballad of Gay Tony shine. It was a bold move—injecting queerness and nightlife culture into a GTA game—long before the industry caught up. And for that alone, it deserves credit.
3: Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
Formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, & Windows
Original Release Year: 2009
The Lost and Damned was Rockstar’s first real swing at DLC that actually tied back into the main game in meaningful ways. You follow Johnny, a member of The Lost Motorcycle Club—a crew of outlaw bikers known for dealing drugs, causing chaos, and killing anyone who gets in their way. But this wasn’t just some mindless mayhem fest. It gave us a surprisingly emotional look into the outlaw biker world, and Johnny’s story had real weight behind it.
The big gameplay addition was the motorcycle formation system, which had you riding with your crew in formation during missions. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it added a cool layer of immersion that made you feel like part of the gang. The story wasn’t super long, but it didn’t need to be. It said what it needed to—and out of the two Episodes from Liberty City, this one hit harder.
Of course, if you know GTA V, you know how it ends for Johnny and The Lost. Let’s just say Rockstar didn’t exactly give them a happy sendoff.
2: Grand Theft Auto V
Formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, & Windows
Original Release Year: 2013
At this point, Grand Theft Auto V has been released and re-released so many times, it’s starting to rival Skyrim and Doom in terms of what you can play it on. But honestly? It deserves that kind of longevity. Taking three completely different personalities—Michael, Trevor, and Franklin—and tying them together in one twisted, brilliantly written story set back in the fan-favorite San Andreas region? What’s not to love?
Sure, you’ve got your usual GTA-style missions, but the game elevated things with heists. Full-on setups where you plan the layout, gather your crew, pick your gear, and then pull off the job while dodging the FIB and whatever other shady orgs show up along the way. It raised the bar in terms of structure, scope, and storytelling. Honestly, it’s one of the best-written games of the last decade.
But let’s not forget what GTA V also gave us—GTA Online. And with that, Rockstar basically froze the series for the next ten years. So yeah, GTA V is legendary… but its success is also the reason we didn’t get anything new for a whole damn decade.
1: Grand Theft Auto IV
Formats: PS3, Xbox 360, & Windows
Original Release Year: 2008
“Hey cousin, want to go bowling?”
Yeah, I know—everyone loves to dunk on the mini-games in Grand Theft Auto IV. But let’s be real: Niko Bellic’s story was one of the best narratives Rockstar ever put out.
This wasn’t just another criminal sandbox. It was a gritty, grounded look at the so-called “American Dream” through the eyes of an illegal immigrant trying to outrun his past in Liberty City. It captured that post-9/11 era vibe perfectly, with themes of betrayal, survival, and the price of chasing a dream that never quite delivers. The writing hit hard—and if you actually played through the whole thing, you know exactly what I mean.
Rockstar brought everything they’d learned from the PS2 era into this one. GTA IV was their biggest leap forward since GTA III moved the series into 3D. It even laid the groundwork for GTA V with its improved physics, weighty movement, and storytelling chops.
Sure, the social stuff was a pain in the ass. Nobody wanted to go bowling or drink ten times a week. But the story? The twists? The emotional payoff? Absolutely worth it.
And yet… it’s still locked to PS3 and Xbox 360, for some reason. Can we please get a proper port on PS5 and Series X/S already?
Now that you’re finished with our Grand Theft Auto Worst to Best list, how about checking out some these:
