Grand Theft Auto is more than a famous open-world series. For millions of players, it is a whole collection of personal memories: first police chases, first cheat codes, first radio stations, first impossible missions, and first moments of total sandbox freedom.
From Liberty City and Vice City to San Andreas, Los Santos, and the upcoming return of Vice City in Grand Theft Auto VI, the series has always been about more than missions. It has been about the stories players create for themselves.
Featured series: Grand Theft Auto
Main games covered: GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, GTA IV, GTA V, and GTA VI
Core appeal: Open worlds, player freedom, iconic missions, radio, cheats, chaos, and unforgettable cities
Upcoming entry: Grand Theft Auto VI
Grand Theft Auto VI
Release Date: November 19, 2026
Genres: Action-adventure, Open World
Almost everyone who’s played a GTA game has at least one story to tell. Maybe you ignored the missions for hours, drove around listening to the radio, or entered every cheat code you could remember (I definitely did!).
Somehow, those random moments became the ones we remember the most, right?
Check out Grand Theft Auto VI on G2A.COM
Grand Theft Auto VI preorders are available on G2A Marketplace.
If you are already getting ready for the next chapter of the series, it is worth checking current GTA VI availability on G2A.COM before launch.
- Why the GTA Series Became a Gaming Legend
- GTA III: The Game That Changed Everything
- Our First Memories with Grand Theft Auto
- The Best Moments from GTA: Vice City
- Why GTA: San Andreas Still Feels Unmatched
- How GTA 5 Changed Open-World Gaming Forever
- The Most Memorable GTA Missions We Still Talk About
- What We Hope to Experience in GTA 6
- Final Thoughts
Why the GTA Series Became a Gaming Legend
The GTA series definitely became a gaming legend because it let us play however we wanted. Sure, you could follow the story, but let’s be real, most of us spent hours stealing random cars, trying crazy stunts, getting chased by the police, or just driving around with the radio on. That freedom is what made GTA so different!
GTA III: The Game That Changed Everything
Before we were cruising through Vice City, exploring San Andreas, or causing chaos in Los Santos, there was GTA III. The first GTA games were already fun, but GTA III changed everything by bringing the series into a full 3D world for the first time. That was a huge moment for gaming!
For many of us, this was the game that made GTA feel truly alive. Instead of a top-down view, we could finally explore a detailed city, drive around freely, and feel like we were part of the world.
Sure, it may look a little old today, but back then, Liberty City felt massive. GTA III didn’t just become a hit, but it also changed open-world gaming forever and built the foundation for the GTA games we love today.
Grand Theft Auto III
Release Date: October 22, 2001
Genres: Action-adventure, Open World
Our First Memories with Grand Theft Auto
For a lot of us, GTA wasn’t just another game we played after school – it quickly became the game we couldn’t stop thinking about. Every time we loaded it up, something unexpected happened, and that’s what kept us coming back.
To be honest, I never felt like I had to play by the rules. Instead, the game encouraged me to explore, experiment, and create my own stories. What about you? Does it sound familiar?
You probably did at least a few of these things:
- Stole a car just to see how long you could keep it.
- Tried to survive a five- or six-star wanted level.
- Left the missions behind and drove around listening to the radio.
- Wrote cheat codes on a piece of paper because there was no Google nearby.
- Spent hours doing absolutely nothing… and somehow had the best time!
Those are the memories that stuck with us. And if you’re smiling while reading this, you’re definitely not the only one!
The Best Moments from GTA: Vice City
Come on… GTA: Vice City was something else, wasn’t it? From the moment you started the game, it just had a vibe that was impossible to forget! Even now, all it takes is one screenshot or a song from the soundtrack, and you’re back in Vice City like you never left.
So, what do you remember the most?
- Cruising down Ocean Drive with palm trees on both sides.
- Switching between radio stations just to hear your favourite ’80s songs.
- Playing as Tommy Vercetti, one of the most iconic GTA protagonists.
- The colourful beaches, neon lights, and unforgettable Miami-inspired atmosphere (pure nostalgia!).
- Building your criminal empire by buying businesses across the city.
- The infamous RC helicopter mission that tested everyone’s patience (not once, not even twice!).
- Exploring the city by speedboat instead of staying on the roads (oh yeah!).
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Release Date: October 27, 2002
Genres: Action-adventure, Open World
Why GTA: San Andreas Still Feels Unmatched
If you ask GTA fans which game they go back to the most, GTA: San Andreas is almost always part of the conversation. It just had so much to do that it never got boring! Every time you thought you’d seen everything, the game surprised you with something new.
What made San Andreas so unforgettable?
- Riding a BMX through the streets just for fun.
- Hitting the gym to make CJ stronger (or eating too many burgers instead!).
- Finally learning how to fly without crashing every five seconds.
- Chasing the train during the legendary mission… and hearing ‘All you had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!’
- Exploring three huge cities, like Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas, in one game.
- Recruiting Grove Street members and taking over rival gang territories.
And honestly, how many times have you told yourself, ‘I’ll just play for 30 minutes’, only to look at the clock three hours later?
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Release Date: October 26, 2004
Genres: Action-adventure, Open World
How GTA 5 Changed Open-World Gaming Forever
When GTA 5 came out, it felt like everyone was talking about it. You couldn’t really escape it! Your friends were playing it, people were sharing crazy moments, and everyone had their own stories from Los Santos. Rockstar made Los Santos feel so alive that even driving from one side of the map to the other never felt boring, right?
What made GTA 5 so unforgettable to you?
- Switching between Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, each with their own unique story and personality.
- Planning and pulling off some of the best heists in GTA history (and that feeling when everything finally went right!).
- Exploring Los Santos and Blaine County for hours without getting bored.
- Meeting unforgettable characters who made every mission even better.
- Hunting for Easter eggs, hidden locations, and random events across the map.
- Creating countless memories with friends in GTA Online.
Looking back, GTA 5 didn’t just improve the open-world formula, it also showed everyone what an open-world game could be. Even today, it’s hard to find another game that keeps pulling players back the way GTA 5 does.
Grand Theft Auto V
Release Date: September 17, 2013
Genres: Action-adventure, Open World
The Most Memorable GTA Missions We Still Talk About
To be honest, every GTA game has that one mission that instantly brings back memories. Some made us feel like action movie heroes, some tested our patience, and some had us replaying them just because they were that fun. Years later, we might forget small details about the story, but these missions are still stuck in our minds. Sound strange, right?
Let’s take a look at some unforgettable missions from different GTA games that fans still talk about:
- Give Me Liberty from GTA III was the mission that started it all! After escaping from a prison transport, we helped Claude meet up with his first contacts and got our first real look at Liberty City.
- Madd Dogg’s Rhymes from GTA: San Andreas was a mission full of creativity, where CJ had to sneak into Madd Dogg’s mansion to steal his rhyme book. A simple idea, but it showed how creative GTA missions could be.
- Demolition Man from GTA: Vice City was the mission that tested everyone’s patience. That’s for sure! We had to control a tiny RC helicopter and plant bombs inside a construction site. And let’s be honest, it was harder than it looked!
- Three Leaf Clover from GTA IV was one of the most intense missions in the series! Niko and his crew planned a bank robbery, but things quickly turn into a massive shootout through the streets of Liberty City.
- The Paleto Score from GTA V was a full-scale robbery where Michael, Franklin, Trevor, and their crew took on a heavily guarded bank. It was pure chaos and one of the most memorable GTA 5 heists ever!
Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Genres: Action-adventure, Open World
What We Hope to Experience in GTA 6
Let’s be honest, the hype around GTA 6 is huge. After years of creating memories in Liberty City, Vice City, and Los Santos, we are all curious to see what Rockstar has prepared for us next. We don’t just want a bigger map or better graphics, but we really want a world that feels alive, full of surprises, funny moments, and new stories we will remember for years.
After everything the GTA series has given us, expectations for GTA 6 are higher than ever. But if Rockstar has taught us anything, it’s that they know how to create worlds we can get lost in.
GTA VI preorder on G2A.COM
Grand Theft Auto VI is available to check in preorder listings on G2A Marketplace.
If you want to prepare for the next GTA launch, compare current availability before buying and make sure the listed platform matches what you need.
Grand Theft Auto VI
Release Date: November 19, 2026
Genres: Action-adventure, Open World
Final thoughts
The best thing about the GTA series is that everyone has their own story. Maybe it was a mission you spent hours trying to complete, a random moment that made you laugh, or simply driving around with no destination just because you could. Those little moments are what made GTA so special!
Years have passed, new games have arrived, and technology has changed, but GTA still has that special feeling. We don’t just remember the games, but we also remember where we were, who we played them with, and the excitement of discovering every new city for the first time.
Now, all eyes are on GTA 6. Will it create the same kind of unforgettable memories? Will we look back at it years from now the same way we look back at older GTA games? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the GTA series has already earned its place as one of the most iconic gaming series ever!