7. Evolution
From humble yet controversial beginnings in 1997, GTA's evolution to date has been nothing short of astonishing. Today, its a veritable Goliath of the gaming industry; looking back at the original GTA, would you have ever thought then that it'd grow into what it is now? Back then, Rockstar were nothing but the game dev equivalent of a snotty young upstart but it's thanks to their willingness to change with the times - to evolve - that today, they're industry royalty. According to Dan Houser of R*, GTA V represents a further evolution for the series, not just in regards to the presentation of multiple characters, but to almost every previously featured in-game element; graphics, lighting, vehicles, melee, shooting, friends, mini-games. I mean, do you need more? The list really does go on and on. When R* talk of evolution, I tend to listen. To my mind, few companies are as innovative and with the release date now a matter of months away, I foresee GTA V representing a new pinnacle, a permanently raised bar for gaming excellence. As a result, I've not doubt R* will make history once again.