Grand Theft Auto IV [PS3]

Grand Theft Auto 3

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The Innovation: A living, breathing game world with more content than any action game before it.

We'd like to say that the hype for GTA 3 wasn't immense, that it snuck onto shelves like the previous games. But that would be a massive lie. For months before this 3D visualization of Liberty City arrived, we were drooling to see what Rockstar's revamped universe would look like. And when it hit, the effect was like a hammer -- literally, the gaming equivalent of Jaws, Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark being released at once. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, since the AI, targeting system, and melee combat were far from perfect. But this was the closest we'd ever been to a living world in an action game. Finally, there was a fast-paced third-person title with the variety and massive story of the great RPGs. Even better, here RPG stood for Rocket Propelled Grenade, with which we racked up hours of rampage kills and filled junkyards aplenty with scrapped cars.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

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The Innovation: Bikes, waves of in-game nostalgia, and real music.

If it wasn't for the inclusion of motorcycles, Vice City might have been more transparently a retread of GTA3. But Rockstar smartly redressed their game in '80s fashions, tapping into a wave of retro nostalgia at exactly the right moment. So while the slight improvements to the visuals and combat systems were highlights for some, the deep references to '80s culture and movies (Scarface, in particular) were more than enough to keep millions playing. And while the controversy over the series' violent and sexual content only deepened, for fans the biggest point of contention was the move to licensed music. Which camp are you in: one that prefers tongue in cheek homages to rock, or one that wants to jump a motorcycle over a palm tree while rocking Judas Priest?

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

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The Innovation: The truly massive, customizable world is the real definition of the action RPG.

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? San Andreas is arguably a masterpiece, but it's one of the most demanding masterworks we've come across. For every player that saw the massive story through to the conclusion, there are a dozen that got bogged down in the massive empty areas between towns, or who couldn't be bothered with the in-game system of physical fitness. There's more to do here than in any other episode of the series, thanks to the customization options, new side missions and, yeah, the bicycles, which provide an awesome route to new stunts. But we'd like a little more focus so that more players would be given a chance to see it all. From what we know of GTA IV so far, it seems like Rockstar has learned that lesson.