Grand Theft Auto is easily one of the biggest and most popular gaming franchises of all time, with the series pretty much defining open-world gaming in the industry ever since the massive strides that were taken by the third game in the series. The franchise is full to the brim with some of the greatest video games ever made, and it's only a given that some players would want to revisit the games in this series to witness how Grand Theft Auto has evolved over time.
However, given the sheer number of re-releases that each game in the franchise has witnessed, it's only a given that players would want to play the best version of these games. Keeping this in mind, here are all the Grand Theft Auto games and their best versions.
7 Grand Theft Auto - PC
The first Grand Theft Auto title originated from a bug that appeared in a prototype for a racing game that Rockstar was developing. In this game, the cops bugged out and started ramming the character non-stop — a mechanic that pleased the developers so much that they decided to make this one of the core aspects of their game.
The end result was Grand Theft Auto, the first game that would set the tone for the rest of a dominant and successful series. Players who want to experience this classic should definitely go for the PC version... especially since most other versions are obsolete.
6 Grand Theft Auto 2 - PC
The sequel to Grand Theft Auto made everything bigger and better in the series, establishing a number of elements that would become commonplace in the franchise such as the side missions in various special vehicles and more varied and dynamic NPCs.
The arcade-y nature of the game is as fresh as its predecessor. Fans who wish to try out Grand Theft Auto 2 would definitely benefit from the PC release. Of course, it's not like they have a choice — just like its predecessor, all the other versions of Grand Theft Auto 2 are pretty much obsolete.
5 Grand Theft Auto 3 - PC
Grand Theft Auto had established itself as a notable series in the video game industry at this point. But people had to admit that the franchise didn't really take off until the third game in the series completely revolutionized the series... and open-world gaming itself.
Grand Theft Auto 3 is nothing short of an absolute masterpiece that brought the franchise to new heights. Rockstar capitalized on the 3D shift with a whole host of improvements to the gameplay, with the open-world receiving a massive upgrade and setting the template for the next two games in the series.
As is the case with the first two games in the series, the third game is also best experienced on PC. The mobile release should be completely ignored — the lack of physical buttons ends up dragging down the overall experience.
4 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - PC
The engine of Grand Theft Auto 3 was malleable enough to allow for more titles in the series to be housed on the same engine as well. This led to the creation of two more titles in the Grand Theft Auto series, the first one being Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Vice City's glorious interpretation of 80s Miami is easily one of the biggest highlights of this title. Of course, the story and gameplay aren't slouches either. Players who want to experience this title for the first time should definitely try out the version on PC, since — just like all the other games discussed on this list — it's easily the most dominant version.
3 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - PC
Out of all the Rockstar games that were made on the same engine, it goes without saying that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was easily the best and most memorable title of the lot. The story of CJ as he gets embroiled in a web of violence and corruption is truly enthralling... and the fact that this game takes place in one of the largest open worlds of all time certainly helps things quite a bit as well.
At this point, it shouldn't be a surprise as to which version of the game players should check out if they want to either play San Andreas for the first time or simply revisit it. The PC version is by far the superior and most relevant version of the lot.
2 Grand Theft Auto 4 - Xbox 360
The only title on this list with a better console version than a PC one, Grand Theft Auto 4 was another massive leap for the series. With the advent of a new console generation at the time, it was only a given that the Grand Theft Auto series had to evolve. It managed to do so in a resounding fashion with the fourth — well, technically sixth — title in the series.
Unfortunately, the legacy of Grand Theft Auto 4 was tainted somewhat by a horrendous PC release that ended up being nothing short of an absolute trainwreck upon launch. Even after all the bugs and fixes, the PC version is far from the optimal platform to play this game on. That honor is reserved for the Xbox 360, and fans who still have this console will have an absolute blast playing Grand Theft Auto 4 on it.
1 Grand Theft Auto 5 - PC
The latest game in the Grand Theft Auto series is easily one of the most technically impressive titles in the entire series, as well. The game has become such a massive phenomenon that Rockstar is still supporting this title to this very day instead of making any concrete moves for a sequel.
It was clear that Rockstar had learned their lesson with Grand Theft Auto 4's PC release. They put a lot of work into the PC release of Grand Theft Auto 5 and it shows. Picking up the game on this platform is easily the wisest decision -- especially with the benefit of mod support.