Grand Theft Auto III

Grand Theft Auto III is without a doubt one of the supreme masterpieces of gaming, and will probably stay the best of the 21st century for a long time to come.

There had been open world games before it, and GTA may have not technically done much to top them, but the sense of scale the game granted itself, an entire city with no moral repercussions, was breathtaking. Grand Theft Auto was a better crime movie than any crime movie and a better hip hop album than any hip hop album.

The drastic increase in privileges the game gave you left a huge impact on the industry. In just a few short years audiences started turning up their nose if a game didn’t let you drive halfway across a major metropolis, kill a hooker in your stolen taxi, and drive the body back home. The torrent of controversy surrounding the game only made it sexier, and like a shocking piece of modern art, Grand Theft Auto disgusted and inspired players around the globe.