20 Best Open-World Video Games Of All Time
1. GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, GTA IV & GTA V
The godfather, the king and the progenitor all in one, GTA kickstarted this whole movement and hasn't abated on momentum since. Even GTA V - for as much as it was a natural extension of what went before, rather than a next-gen reinvention - still features one of the most complex and incredibly detailed worlds in gaming history.
Go back to GTA III now and you can simply feel the progression in every step your character takes. The rollout of missions, the subtle encouraging of mischief through stunt ramp placement and secret special weapon collectibles - it's an ethos that Rockstar would repeat and expand upon through the mighty Vice City and jaw-dropping (at the time) San Andreas.
Even GTA IV - although it would attempt to tell a more mature story - still features an immaculate physics sandbox of potential, one that easily contributes to one of the most highly-regarded and important franchises of all time.
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