The first Grand Theft Auto followed its criminal protagonist with a bird’s-eye view that won the 1997 title little notoriety, despite the ability to steal cars and commit outright murder.
Things changed considerably when the series made the leap into 3D with Grand Theft Auto III in 2001, bringing theft, prostitution and the ability to anonymously slay innocent civilians into the national discussion.
As perhaps the truest testament there is to violence selling well, GTA III went on to become the #1 selling video game of 2001, and is listed by Metacritic to hold an average score of 97/100—the highest average rating of any game ever for the PlayStation 2 console.