Where to Start · Grand Theft Auto
Where to Start with Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto is Rockstar Games' open world crime franchise running since 1997 — the series that defined sandbox gaming, pushed the boundaries of what open world games could contain, and sparked more mainstream controversy than any other franchise in gaming history. Each numbered entry is a standalone story set in a different city with different characters — no prior knowledge required for any entry.
The series has two distinct eras: the top-down PS1 era (GTA 1 and 2) and the 3D open world era beginning with GTA III (2001). When people say they love Grand Theft Auto, they mean the 3D era.
If you only play one GTA game
Play Grand Theft Auto V (2013). It is the most polished, content-rich, and technically accomplished entry in the franchise — three protagonists (Michael, Trevor, Franklin) whose storylines interweave across Los Santos, a satirical vision of Los Angeles that remains one of gaming's most detailed open worlds. The heist missions are the peak of the series' mission design. GTA Online extends the game indefinitely if multiplayer appeals. Available on PS4/PS5/Xbox/PC with enhanced versions on current gen.
GTA: San Andreas — the beloved classic
GTA: San Andreas (2004) is the most ambitious PS2 era entry — CJ returning to Los Santos to find his neighbourhood in crisis, an enormous map spanning three cities and the countryside between them, and systems layered on top of systems (gang territory, fitness, flying school, gambling). San Andreas is the most content-dense classic GTA and the entry most players cite as their favourite. Note: San Andreas was delisted from digital stores in December 2021 — physical PS2 or Xbox copy required for the original version. The Definitive Edition remaster is available on PS4/Xbox/Switch/PC but has mixed reception for its visual changes.
GTA IV — the grounded drama
GTA IV (2008) is the most cinematically serious entry — Niko Bellic immigrating to Liberty City (New York) and finding the American Dream as corrupt as the life he left behind. The physics, the driving model, and the tone are all more grounded than other entries. GTA IV is divisive for its heavy tone and the cousin Roman's persistent bowling invitations, but its story is the best written in the franchise. Available on PC via Rockstar Games Launcher. Xbox 360 version backward compatible on Xbox Series.
The Vice City and III era
GTA III (2001) invented the 3D open world template — Liberty City, Claude as the silent protagonist, and the freedom to approach missions however you chose. GTA: Vice City (2002) is the 1980s Miami pastiche — Tommy Vercetti, the soundtrack, the neon aesthetic — and widely considered the most charming entry in the series. Both were delisted from digital stores in December 2021 alongside San Andreas. Physical copies are the only option for the originals. The Definitive Edition collection remastered all three but with controversial visual changes.
GTA VI
GTA VI was announced by Rockstar with a trailer in December 2023 — set in a fictional Miami and surrounding state, featuring a female protagonist for the first time in a mainline GTA game. As of 2026 no release date has been confirmed. If you want to be prepared for GTA VI, playing GTA V and Vice City gives you the Florida setting context.
Classic availability — GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas were delisted digitally in December 2021. Plan around physical copies or the Definitive Edition if you want those stories on modern hardware.
PS1 era — GTA and GTA 2 are top-down arcade sandboxes — important history, but a different format from the 3D open worlds players usually mean by Grand Theft Auto today.
What platforms you need
GTA V — PS4/PS5/Xbox/PC. GTA IV — PC/Xbox 360 (backward compatible). GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas — physical copies only for originals. Definitive Edition trilogy — PS4/Xbox/Switch/PC.
Recommended order
GTA V for the best modern experience. San Andreas for the classic peak. Vice City for the 1980s aesthetic. GTA IV for the serious drama. GTA III for historical context. The top-down GTA 1 and 2 are for series historians only.