3. Grand Theft Auto III
The title that brought mainstream success to the series, GTA III is undoubtedly one of the most ground-breaking games of all time, and laid down a rather sizeable platform for the series. Released in 2001, GTA III defined the sandbox game, which has led similar games to be described as GTA Clones. This was the game that started it all, the game that pushed the boundaries and then reaped the benefits, GTA III has been described as the most important game of all time by GamePro, who went on to say that the title revolutionised the way games are made. Despite its greatness at the time, and the legacy which it has provided, GTA III was bettered by its two later titles, and comes in at a respectable 3rd on this list.