1. Grand Theft Auto III
Do you ever wonder why no one mentions any Grand Theft Auto titles prior to the third instalment? While the original top-down entries into the series provided the core ideas that would later cement the franchise as a gaming powerhouse, these primitive forays into 2D open world mayhem didnt exactly boast the same tantalising mix of violence and exploration that everyone expects from the series today. In fact, a lot of the gameplay itself wasnt even that particularly enjoyable. With clunky controls and only a very basic hook, sessions of earlier GTA games werent exactly the hours upon hours of immersive murder-fests they are today. But with Grand Theft Auto 3, Rockstar essentially reinvented itself along with the entire series. Basically creating modern open world games as we know them, GTA 3s legacy simply cannot be overstated, as this seemingly innocuous and out-of-nowhere sequel established the single most successful video game franchise in history. What are your favourite franchises that came from awful first instalments? Let us know in the comments!