15 Video Game Sequels That Totally Defined Their Franchises

11. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Although yes, GTA III was the first open-world title that redefined what everyone thought about game design and the way players should approach missions, it was San Andreas' GTA III-slaying sales figures (21.5 to 14.5 million units) that really established it as a cultural phenomenon. It was the first game to introduce the controversial 'need' to eat, turning the series into far more of an RPG than ever before, alongside opening up the clothing options and general customisation of the character hinted in Vice City that you can see to this day is the basis for something like GTA: Online or the myriad of stores you can enter in the main campaign of V. Not only that, but it came at just the right time too - plenty teenagers were discovering rap music and refining their tastes, just as this landed with one of the best soundtracks in the history of gaming. Add in the biggest game world ever conceived at the time, missions that were insanely memorable (sometimes for the wrong reasons), a slew of celebrity voices backing some major characters and one of the most fun gameplay engines that rewarded any length of play-time, and San Andreas is by far the king of Rockstar's releases so far.