An exhaustive look at the entire GTA series, complete with star ratings.

Which is the best, and which should you ignore?

These cities would reappear in each subsequent 3D series sequel.

It was also pretty damn tough too.

Along with the action was perhaps one of GTAs most famous features the radio stations.

But, without this breakout debut, wed never have the epics to follow.

Players who wanted even more London also found solace with the free release ofGTA: London.

An add-on created by DMA and released gratis to the PCGTAcommunity.

This introduced new missions and vehicles, but didnt change the game at all.

Youre nicked, my son!

First and foremost were the gangs.

Throughout the game you were given the opportunity to accept missions from various factions.

However, doing missions for one gang may upset another, affecting their relationship to you.

Get on a gangs bad side and youll end up being attacked on sight.

teams and even the army (and yes, you could find and drive fully working tanks).

Later games would instead develop a night and day system that would transition as game time progressed.

But, despite all of these new features, little changed with the real core gameplay.

Because of this,GTA IIis viewed as the weakest entry into the series.

These included various songs from the movie Scarface.

The voice talent also rang in the signs of change, featuring some of the cast ofThe Sopranosamongst others.

In hindsight though,GTA IIIwasnt devoid of faults.

The targeting system is one of the worst offenders, and was a clunky mess.

Indoor missions were also missing from the roster.

Taking everything thatGTA IIIwas renowned for,Vice Cityupped the ante drastically.

You could even buy property and businesses, forming your very own crime empire.

Once more the presentation and gloss didnt fail to impress.

Even Lee Majors played a part.

All of this was wrapped up in the excellentGTAengine and the game was a huge, huge hit.

Phew!GTA:SAand the word huge really do go hand in hand.

There were even small towns and factories dotted around the landscape too.

Rockstar even raidedManhuntand included better melee combat, stealth and stealth kills.

The ever-present radio stations were improved once again, with random playlists and plenty of 90s music.

Theres so many reasons whyGTA:SAwas so good, and very little to complain about.

But, this is solid gaming gold, and the bestGTAof them all.

Mike than sets out on a quest for revenge, vowing to kill whoever killed his mentor.

GTA Advancewas quite a good effort, and the gameplay was solid and challenging.

But, for a GBA crime caper, it fit the bill nicely.

But did they succeed?

My opinion of said port is not good.

The result was an awful title that is best forgotten.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2007)

This was more like it.

The best new addition was the introduction of property development.

A nice touch, especially as you had to defend your businesses against attack from rival organisations.

The short answer is a resounding yes, for the most part anyway.

Thats not to say the game starts with a bang.

At first things are decidedly low key, with the game taking its time showing you the ropes.

This takes a bit of getting used to, but it works very well.

The mobile phone is a big addition, and through this you keep in touch with other characters.

But, one of the biggest problems is Rockstars iron-clad reluctance to include mid-mission checkpoints.

Despite these flaws, theres no denyingGTA IVs sheer class, and this is one hell of a game.

Its long, strong and very entertaining and should not be missed.

Game of the year?

Its certainly the odds-on favourite at the moment.