Electronic Gaming Monthly's Top 11 Grand Theft Auto Games

Grand Theft Auto (PlayStation)

#11

"Let's face it, this game's hype is based 100% on its so-called controversial and “mature” content. Without the swearing and the criminal activities, GTA would have very little draw. The action does have an old-school arcade feel to it, which is a plus. And I have to admit, I had fun carjacking and cruising around the city. GTA is definitely worth checking out ... if for nothing more than seeing how naughty this game can get." (6.5 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto 2 (Dreamcast)

#10

"I'm all for mature-themed games, but I also want them to be fun to play. I found GTA2 to be a little too methodical for my tastes – there's just too much running and driving around the city for the sake of doing so, and it's not too enjoyable. Wreaking havoc on the city streets is only amazing for the first 20 or so times, after all. The control scheme is a little convoluted no matter which preset you turn on, and they could have really taken more advantage of the Dreamcast's power – there isn't much here that couldn't be done on a PlayStation. If you're a sucker for bad words and senseless violence, give it a shot, but just don't expect a deep game beyond that." (6.5 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (PlayStation)

#9

"When this first came into the office, the reaction from the Review Crew was marked in two areas: A general consensus that it was “cool” for someone to develop an add-on disc for a PlayStation game and produce a package with both games in it, and a pretty wide-spread acknowledgement that something other than GTA would've been cooler. All but Shawn and native Brit John D shunned the game. Mr. England continues to assert that the Brit humor IS funny, in an Austin Powers kind of way, and that it's ‘all about the gameplay, rather than graphics.'" (6.5 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto II (PlayStation)

#8

"I'm with the school of thought that says the first GTA sold well due to it notoriety, not because it was a great game. Well, with GTA2, they've capitalized on its pop-culture appeal and upped the dosage of hip urban sponsorships. But there's definitely enough here to set it apart from its former self. Like the fact that different gangs will react to you based on your reputation. Check this out if you liked GTA." (7.75 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PSP)

#7

"Those old flaws are chafing me like a pair of shrunken Jordaches. Four GTAs since number three ... and I'm STILL cursing the aiming? And Vice City's twisty streets, awkward dead ends, and broken spots turn leisurely drives into fiery wrecks. It's frustrating, but I still have to agree with Greg: You get an impossible amount of game for your PSP buck. It feels too familiar at first, but when you reach the empire-building gameplay, you'll wonder how this much fun can fit onto one tiny disc." (8.8 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Xbox)

#6

"Even now, more than six months after it made its real impact, San Andreas is still one of the most ambitious games ever made. But the move to Xbox feels more of a formality – you don't really notice the slightly nicer environments, and if ever a game didn't need custom soundtrack, this is the one. I actually quite like the car handling, but I had a much harder time with the combat here than I did on PS2. Blame the Xbox pad; I do. Think of it like one of those DVD re-releases of a classic movie. It's still great, but 8 million of you have already seen it once." (9.2 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PSP)

#5

"Soon after I began playing the PSP's first entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, I stopped on a street corner in Liberty City's Hepburn Heights neighborhood and took in the scene: Some elderly pedestrians shuffle by. A biker knocks over a crossing pedestrian, who gets up, jacks the closest car and takes off. Ah ... it's good to be home. I have a few (mostly familiar) complaints, though. The PSP's analog nub makes precise movement challenging. Camera controls also prove tricky – you must hold down L to change your view. And then you have the series' Achilles' heel: On-foot targeting. Be prepared to frequently lock on to the wrong dude. But when you realize the scope of what developer Rockstar has pulled off, your expectations for portable games will be changed." (9.2 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto III (PlayStation 2)

#4

"What's cool about this game is that, even when you're not taking on new missions and advancing the story, you'll discover loads of extra stuff to pass the time. Everything you can do in GTA3 is so compelling that you'll find yourself puttering around the city for hours on end just to see what kind of trouble you can get into. And if you do tire of that, the actual missions are still a blast to play through on their own. You'll feel like you're in a Scorsese movie when one of your benefactors sends you out on a hit or a job. Plus, the story's one of the best and most adult I've seen in a video game. If you haven't done it already, buy this game." (9.3 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto IV (PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360)

#3

"When people talk about open-world games, the mental emphasis is usually on “open.” Go anywhere, do anything ... that's all fine and dandy, but GTA4 shows us that you really need to be thinking about the world. This reimagined Liberty City is as dense and focused as San Andreas was broad and sprawling, wherein our immensely likable immigrant hero is driven by multiple goals, and there's no time to for flying around with jetpacks or infiltrating top-secret government research bases. GTA4 is a traditional crime story through and through, with a script that rarely strays from its purpose, a pitch-perfect supporting cast, and an expert combination of in-game storytelling and crafted cut-scenes. The expected twists and turns are familiar territory, but the characters make you care when something inevitably goes wrong." (A+ out of A+)

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PlayStation 2)

#2

"It's an understatement to say that the general media, the uniformed consumer and the political vampire just don't get it. They'll harp on the fact that Grand Theft Auto glorifies violence, the killing of cops, transgressions with hookers and all sorts of other filthy sins. What they fail to realize is that the series succeeds because of its gameplay. The violence may be the sugarcoated crunch that lures the masses, but it's the guts of the game that make them stary. With an improved targeting system, better graphics, a wider variety of vehicles to commandeer, a dope ‘80s soundtrack, near-perfect controls and almost twice as much of everything, Rockstar has improved upon the groundbreaking work of GTA3 and created an instant classic in Vice City." (10 out of 10)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PlayStation 2)

#1

"Holy fucking shit. I can't wrap my head around how much stuff is packed into this one disc. It's grand, it's ambitious, and funny as this may sound, it's legendary. Playing this game, I feel like a little kid again – my fun is limited only by my imagination. You can do so much here at your leisure. As wide as San Andreas is, I do wish the main mission line was more flexible. Yes, you can tackle each mission however you'd like, but as a general rule, you still have to complete one before you can move on to the next. Several branching paths that lead to different conclusions would've been nice, so if you didn't want to help that Triad guy in Sn Fierro or you didn't want to do the long cross-country missions, you wouldn't have to. It's sad that the inevitable controversy surrounding the gang/violence/sex/drug content will outshine the game's good points in the eyes of the general public. Because if you strip away all the vices, what you have left is still a brilliant piece of work – something the developers should be proud of and something gamers of all tastes will love." (10 out of 10)