All Grand Theft Auto Games, Ranked From Worst to Best

Grand Theft Auto is arguably the most legendary and impactful video game franchise in history. It has been one of the most transformative titles ever concocted, changing the face of open-world games and presenting countless hours of exploration and entertainment opportunities to an audience numbering in the hundreds of millions over the years.

But which Grand Theft Auto game is the best? It’s a tricky question, and as I write this, we’re staring down the barrel of Grand Theft Auto 6, which has the potential to be the biggest game of all time. Below, I’ve ranked all GTA games from worst to best, leaning on Metacritic for those handy scores while also leveraging my experience with the franchise.

Let me know on the Insider Gaming Discord server if you agree with this ranking.

Every GTA Game, Ranked

Here’s the most comprehensive ranking of GTA games you’ll find anywhere (maybe). Remember, this is a combination of Metacritic scores and my personal opinion.

10. Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999) – Metascore 70

Grand Theft Auto 2 is the lowest-rated GTA game ever made, according to Metacritic. It surfaced just around the turn of the millennium, emerging as the sequel to the controversial, scandalous game that changed everything forever. It wasn’t as well received, and, to be honest, I never really played it that much, even when I revisited the series as an adult.

It’s a safe pick for the title of the worst GTA game ever made.

RELATED: GTA Voice Actor Reveals Which Game Has The Best Story

9. Grand Theft Auto (1998) – Metascore NA

This is where it all began, but that alone doesn’t mean that GTA (1) has to rank high on this list of all GTA games. It has the legacy vote and proved to be hugely transformative and shocking, but as a game, it received fairly mixed reviews. It was regarded as being pretty basic and poorly designed, and ultimately lacking substance.

That meant that GTA wound up with a fair few low-tier review scores, as low as 6 out of 10 in some cases. It’s not the worst GTA game ever made, but it’s close.

8. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006) – Metascore 86

Vice City Stories was one of the spin-off titles that revisited an old location with a new playable character and a fresh story, and it was pretty well delivered. It landed first on PSP as a handheld-exclusive game, but was also ported to the PlayStation 2. Strangely, it managed to score a whopping 11 points more on PSP than on PS2, with more gamers appreciating the native handheld approach.

This is one of the games that fans hope will be revisited in some way during Grand Theft Auto 6’s story, given that it takes place in a modern rendition of Vice City.

7. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005) – Metascore 88

The first spin-off title to make it to the PSP was Liberty City Stories, a stellar, standalone game that also wound up launching on PlayStation 2. Like Vice City Stories, it fared better in the review stakes on the handheld platform, but I really enjoyed it on my trusty PS2 console all those years ago.

Some reviewers felt back then that it trumped GTA 3, which introduced the world of Liberty City, the obvious setting for this handheld title.

RELATED: GTA Series Has Sold 455 Million Units

6. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (2009) – Metascore 93

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is the first game on this list to make it into the nineties with that scoring scale, and that might sound bizarre, as this started life as a Nintendo DS and PSP title before later being ported to mobile platforms. Everything about Chinatown Wars felt unique at the time, from the art style to how it managed the open-world environment on low-end hardware.

Amazingly, it featured the same base map as GTA 4, only a scaled-down version to account for it being a handheld game. It had a brilliant story and was a marvel for how ‘basic’ it was.

5. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) – Metascore 95

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a timeless classic that’s still immensely popular today. It took the 3D generation formula that had been delivered so well and blew it up, introducing the largest in-game map, multiple biomes, and a far-reaching and ambitious story that is still deeply memorable.

For many, this is the best GTA game ever made, and it has been brought back to life numerous times over the years via remasters, ports, and mods. It still has a pretty decent RP community backing the multiplayer platform, too.

4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) – Metascore 95

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was a game-changer in many ways. It might seem amazing, but it came out just one year after GTA 3 landed, and it introduced an entirely new setting, story, characters, and much more. That kind of delivery cadence is utterly unheard of today, but that’s the nature of the industry, I guess.

GTA: Vice City is a beloved game with a lasting legacy, and it’s one that has heavily influenced the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6. There are even throwback packs coming in GTA 6 that allow you to once again soak up the neon-drenched beauty of Vice City and get a taste of nostalgia.

RELATED: GTA 6’s Vice City is Twice the Size of GTA 5’s Los Santos

3. Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001) – Metascore 97

Grand Theft Auto 3 was arguably the most transformative game ever made, taking the concept of an open-world 3D shooter and setting the benchmark for years to come. It became a product that many developers considered a bar, offering users an intense, gritty story and a marvellous world to explore.

GTA 3’s influence can still be felt today, and the game’s setting, Liberty City, has become one of the most storied and revisited locales in GTA history, even if the base map hasn’t always stayed the same. It’s definitely a contender for the title of the best Grand Theft Auto game ever made, but it lands in third place in this ranking.

2. Grand Theft Auto 5 (2013) – Metascore 97

Grand Theft Auto 5 is a pretty divisive game because you can ask ten people how they feel about it, and they’ll all give you a drastically different answer. When it landed in 2013, it was one of the most hyped-up games ever made, making $1 billion in just a few days and going on to sell around a quarter of a billion copies by today.

In 2013, it boasted a hugely detailed world, a lengthy story, and plenty of side content. It was easily the best and boldest open-world environment that Rockstar Games and Rockstar North had ever managed to construct, and it would go on to accommodate GTA Online, a cash cow product that never dissipated, going on to make Rockstar and Take-Two billions of dollars.

Today, it remains one of the best-selling and most-played games month in, month out. It spawned a thriving RP scene, and despite the game never having received any expansions or post-launch DLC, it easily secures the second-place spot in our ranking of the best GTA games ever made.

1. Grand Theft Auto 4 (2008) – Metascore 98

Here we have it – the best Grand Theft Auto game ever made. It’s the highest-rated game in the series, both amongst players and critics, and it holds a tender place in our hearts.

Grand Theft Auto 4 proved to be a monumental title when it was released in 2008. It broke away from the typical look and feel of prior GTA games, going for a much more realistic vibe that went hand-in-hand with an advanced physics engine, a brutal and emotional story, and a world that felt oppressive and run-down.

It was a wonder to behold, especially as it felt ahead of its time. It has aged now, quite noticeably so, but it’s still a fantastic title that, in many ways, managed to top GTA 5, especially in the realism stakes.

Niko Bellic, for all his gruffness, is a beloved GTA protagonist and one of the most legendary characters in the series. And even now, we can’t help but think about GTA 4 without hearing some of the voice lines from the supporting cast. No, I still don’t want to go bowling, Roman.

GTA 4 also opened up the first larger-scale online multiplayer platform, allowing players to embark on a range of modes and missions, take part in versus matches, and generally just explore the open world of Liberty City alongside friends. It was a foundational step towards GTA Online, and I’m proud to say it’s where I met some great friends over the years.

That’s why GTA 4 absolutely deserves the title of the best Grand Theft Auto game ever made.

RELATED: Former Rockstar Dev Agrees Niko is the Best Protagonist

Do you agree with this ranking? As stated above, hit us up on the Insider Gaming Discord server and let us know. Also, let us know where you think GTA 6 will fit into this ranking.

For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out our ranking of all the GTA protagonists. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter