The best Grand Theft Auto games, ranked

Few series have shaped open-world gaming like Grand Theft Auto. Whether you want a modern blockbuster or a slice of PS2-era nostalgia, the back catalogue rewards bargain-hunters. Here's how the mainline games rank and where each is worth grabbing.

The modern giant

Grand Theft Auto V Legacy is the obvious starting point: a huge, endlessly replayable Los Santos with three switchable protagonists and a heist-driven story that still holds up superbly. It's the newest game here, so it discounts less aggressively than the rest — watch its page and buy when it dips.

The HD-era peak

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition takes a grittier, more grounded, character-driven approach to Liberty City, and the Complete Edition folds in the two excellent standalone expansions. If you'd rather grab those on their own, Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City pairs The Lost and Damned with The Ballad of Gay Tony and is well worth playing in its own right.

The classics that built the formula

• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the neon-soaked 1980s favourite, still beloved for its soundtrack and style.
• Grand Theft Auto III is the one that took the series 3D and changed open-world design forever; it feels dated now, but its influence is impossible to overstate.

The older entries in particular are often 80–90% off, so always check the current price and all-time low on each game's page before buying. For more, see our Red Dead Redemption 2 vs GTA V piece or the best open-world games on sale. Ready to hit the streets? Browse the latest deals.