With more than 405 million sales between them, Rockstar Games’Grand Theft Autoseries is one ofthe best-selling video game franchises of all time. This is made all the more impressive by the fact that there have only actually been seven mainline titles, two of which were released before the developers had arrived at the series' winning formula.
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The best-sellingGTAgames have sold tens of millions of copies, with the series' most successful installment now inching toward the 200 million mark. Fans of the long-running video game franchise continue to wait impatiently for its next entry, but untilGTA 6arrives, they may want to remind themselves of some of the great games that helped pave the way for it.
8Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City (3 Million Sales)
Initially released as anXbox 360 exclusivein late 2009,Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty Citywas something of a slow burner. In its first few months, it sold fewer than 160,000 copies, though sales did pick up eventually thanks in large to the PC and PS3 ports that were released in April of the following year.
As the title might suggest,Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty Cityis a compilation of sorts, providing players with the two DLC expansions forGrand Theft Auto 4. Interestingly, those who purchase digitally still need a copy of the original game to play them, whereas physical owners get everything they need on the disc.
7Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (6 Million Sales)
Few developers supported the PSP quite as well as Rockstar Games did. The studio released eight titles for the Sony handheld, including threeGTAgames; the second of which was the 2006 titleGrand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. As with its predecessor, it would later be released on the PS2 as well.
Set several years before the events ofGrand Theft Auto: Vice City, this game’s version of the titular location is largely the same, though does feature one or two notable differences. Several familiar faces return as well, with the main protagonist Vic Vance having played an important role in the original game.
6Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (11 Million Sales)
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Storieswas firstreleased for the PSPin October 2005, with a PS2 port arriving in June of the following year. Set three years before the events ofGrand Theft Auto 3, the game sees players once again returning to the familiar streets of Liberty City.
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This is more than just an asset flip though, with a unique storyline and several key changes made to the map. Certain locations found inGrand Theft Auto 3are yet to be built at this point in time, and there are several buildings and districts that are destroyed throughout the course of the main story and are thus unique to the game.
5Grand Theft Auto 3 (14.5 Million Sales)
It was far from the first, but many people considerGrand Theft Auto 3to be one ofthe founding fathers of the open-world genre. Many of the mechanics that it introduced would go on to inspire countless other video games and paved the way for a slew ofGrand Theft Autoclones.
Much ofGTA 3’s success can be attributed to the freedom that it gives its players, with the game’scrime-oriented storylinealso doing a lot of the heavy listing. More than two decades on from its release, it remains one of the best-sellingGTAgames of all time and a must-play for fans of open-world sandbox titles.
4Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (17.5 Million Sales)
Thanks to itsiconic eighties setting,Grand Theft Auto: Vice Cityis one of the most singularGTAtitles of all time. The era in which the game was set not only influenced the story, but also the overall aesthetic of the game, from the way that the characters talk and dress to the music they listen to as they drive around the city.
This was also the first time that the series experimented with casting celebrities as key characters, withthe late, great Ray Liottalending his voice to the playable character Tommy Vercetti. Vice City is one of the most unique settings in the series' rich history, which is why many series fans are hoping to return there in some futureGTAgame.
3Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (21.5 Million Sales)
The last mainlineGTAgame of the PS2 era,Grand Theft Auto: San Andreaswas also the most commercially successful of the original 3DGTAtrilogy. It sold more than 20 million copies across all platforms and was the best-selling title for Sony’s sixth-generation console.
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Given the success of the previous two games, it came as no real surprise when Rockstar opted to go with more of the same. There are a few notable improvements though and the game is noticeably larger than either of its predecessors when it comes tothe size of its map.
2Grand Theft Auto 4 (28 Million Sales)
Though it may not come close to being the best-sellingGTAgame of all time,Grand Theft Auto 4is many people’s pick for the series' very best installment.Its driving mechanics mark an all-time high for theGTAfranchise, while its storytelling and writing are streets ahead of anything else that the franchise has to offer.
Niko Bellic is arguably the perfect video game protagonist; somehow managing to remain relatable despite his at times atrocious actions. His story is both gritty and believable and a big part of why 28 million people were so willing to part with their hard-earned cash to experience it for themselves.
1Grand Theft Auto 5 (185 Million Sales)
With more than 185 million sales to its name,Grand Theft Auto 5sits behind onlyMinecraftwhen it comes to the best-selling video games of all time. The 2013 title has now been released across three different console generations, which, together with its all-around excellence, has been one of the key driving factors behind its success.
The game places players into the shoes of three main protagonists, allowing them to switch freely between the trio throughout most of the main story. The writing and gameplay are both excellent, as too isthe game’s feature-rich online mode, which has generated billions of dollars in revenue for Rockstar over the past decade or so.
