1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
GTA: San Andreas is on top of our list for many reasons. It is a cult classic and the most popular game in the franchise. Everybody who knows GTA has played this game sometime in their life.
It had the biggest open world with a variety of things and activities to do besides the main story. Its natural landscapes and city life captivated a generation. It had the most complex set of characters with quotes that exist to this day. The story was intriguing; the gameplay was fun and easy to handle, the endless discovery brought in hours spent in the game, and the fun cheats and mods glued us in for hours more. It was the second game after Vice City to feature in the 3D universe of its canon, and Rockstar Games expanded heavily on this one.
It also became the most selling video game of all time on the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox later.
The sheer pop culture legacy that San Andreas has easily makes it the best GTA game to this day.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
GTA: Vice City is the other GTA game that is a cult classic embedded in everyone's minds. This is easily just as memorable as San Andreas is.
Almost everyone also knows this game in some shape or form. The first time the main character spoke and caused devastation in the streets of Vice City with its Miami-like setting, you felt like a true gangster roaming the pine trees and sea view, looking for trouble. But you could forget the story was going on and have some side fun. However, you could not count out the story; with its Mafia-like setting, we were in for some betrayals and trails of vengeance through a beautiful city slowly becoming the biggest mob boss in Vice City.
It became one of the highest-selling games on the PlayStation 2, becoming the highest-selling of the year of its release.
Its significance is felt in later GTA releases since and will be the building block of many more to come.
Grand Theft Auto V
GTA V is the latest and most current installment in the franchise and is up and running for almost a decade now, and that should be enough said to talk about its popularity and success.
There is so much to do on the engine that a separate GTA Online was launched shortly after and isn't going anywhere any time soon. It has enormous and detailed maps with bustling life and color, the biggest open world yet. The graphics are, of course, lifelike and replicate the real world like never before. It follows three protagonists with the story resulting in the decisions you make.
It has become the franchise's best-selling game of all time and still counting on re-releases to new consoles and systems, and its GTA Online expansion packs keep giving it new life.
It has simply become the staple of all GTA games, it should be higher on the list, but the impact of the two higher on the list is just greater. However, the success of GTA V has delayed the making of GTA VI, perhaps the most awaited game in history.
Grand Theft Auto IV
GTA IV is the least popular game on this list, but the amount of love has kept it alive over other forgotten titles.
We said San Andreas was a cult classic, but GTA IV has a cult following. It has been the ultimate underdog and is perceived to be very underrated in its appreciation for its beautiful graphics, making the maps so intense and fun to look at at the same time. Its gameplay and engine, which many consider better than its successor GTA V, make it very fun to play. The story and the characters may also be the most captivating of all the games before and after.
GTA IV, upon its release, had broken many records in 24 hours, 1 week, and 1-month spans; it sold out very quickly it's in initial time and became one of the most successful titles on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 until GTA V and broke its records.
Still fixated in the minds of many gamers, this game is not going anywhere and is slowly cementing its cult status.
Source: Wikipedia
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