After the relatively quick releases of the PS2 generation, the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Grand Theft Auto franchise decided to take more time between entries to craft more 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:in-depth open-world experiences. Grand Theft Auto 4 came out in 2008, and fans had to wait a whole five years before heading to a 168澳洲ꦓ幸运5开奖网:redesi🌱gned Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto 5.

Related: 5 Longest And Sho🦩rtest Grand Theft Auto Games, Ranked

The two titles are universally considered the 🏅best of their respective eras, but many still debate which one is better. Of course, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. Many of the following entries are subjective, so your appreciation of one may differ depending on what you value in a game.

Updated On January 21st, 2021 By Jason Wojnar: More than seven years have gone by since the original release of Grand Theft Auto 5 and we have not heard even a peep regarding the sequel other than unfounded rumors. Before 2018 it was expected to get an entry in Red Dead Redemption before a new Grand Theft Auto, but now that Red Dead Redemption 2 is more than two years old, it only makes sense for Rockstar's next big title to be Grand Theft Auto 6. Maybe 2021 will be the year we at least see a trailer. Until then, we'll spend more time juxtaposing the two excellent Grand Theft Auto installments that came out in 2008 and 2013, respectively. 

10 GTA 5 I🅘s Better: Graphics

Even though GTA 5 came out seven years ago on the PS3 and Xbox 360, it received a facelift the next year for next-generation consoles and PCs. By today's standards it is nothing to write home about, especially when compared⭕ to Red Dead Redemption 2, but it i🀅s still miles ahead of its predecessor. Even many years later some vistas still manage to drop jaws. With ye⭕t another version in the works, we cannot wait to see how Los Santos looks on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

9 GTA 4 Is Better: Grim Aesthetic ♉ 🌌

Grand theft auto iv Niko shooting helicopter
Grand theft auto iv Niko shooting helicopter

Los Santos reflects the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, while Grand Theft Auto 4 perfectly captures the feeling of being alone in a cold, unforgiving metropolis like New York City. Just like 2003's Vice City still manages to conviꦏncingly portray its 1980s aesthetic despite the primitive hardware, so does the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:2008 version of Liberty City feel as genuine as ever over a decade later. Technical abilitie🦋s are only one part of an aesthetic.🌺 The driving, shooting, and movement all feel heavier than in the sequel, contributing to the relatively grounded vibe.

8 ♊ GTA 5 Is Better: Map Size And Variety 🗹

8- Grand Theft Auto V overlooking the city
8- Grand Theft Auto V overlooking the city

The fourth numbered𒁏 entry shrunk things down a bit for a more dense city, but Grand Theft Auto 5 blew it up again to give gamers both a giant city and beautiful nature. Players can run rampant on city streets or fool around in forests and canyo⛎ns.

Related: 10 Best Open-World Games Of The Last 5 years (Acco💃rding To Metacritic)

This scale also contributes significantly to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:mission design and side quests. More map variety means more gameplay 🎀variety. Size is not everything, ဣbut Grand Theft Auto 5 goes above and beyond by making every inch of its landmass interesting.

7 📖 GTA 4 Is Better: Protagonist 🌞

niko bellic GTA IV
niko bellic GTA IV

While the writing in Grand Theft Auto 5 is superb, there is🗹 a solid case to be made for Grand Theft Auto 4 taking the cake when it comes to characters. Franklin, Michael, and Trevor are all incredible protagonists, but Niko Bellic is on another level. His background and personality make him one of the most unique playable characters in gaming. It is easy to sympathize with Niko as one learns about his past and simultaneously feel repulsed as he engages in unsavory activities.

6 GTA V: Weapon Variety 🤡

first person perspective of a street side gun fight in Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V first person

Up until the fifth mainline game, the Grand Theft Auto franchise was never known for its impressive arsenal. Players were generally presented with the generic array one came to expect from a shooter. Grand Theft Auto 5 includes a larger variety of guns, each with their own nuances. The online component also adds new weapons periodically. It was the fi🌸rst time players actually had🐟 to care about what weapons they bring to a firefight, along with attachments.

5 𓆉GTA 4 Is Better: Did It First

Niko breaking into a car GTA 4
Niko breaking into a car GTA 4

There is something to be said for the game that does it first. Looking at the jump between San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto 4 is simply staggering. The resolution, graphical fidelity, world detail, and physics make unimaginable leaps between the two titles. Grand Theft Auto 5 is technically better in all these areas, but it is simply an improvement off a foundation the fourth game alread🦋y laid down. Grand Theft Auto 4 deserves the extra respect for forging new ground and setting the standard to which all open-world games aspire.

4 🎃 GTA 5 Is Better: GTA Online

Grand Theft Auto Online Heists

Single-player lovers may see this as a 🐷knock against Grand Theft Auto 5, but the onlin꧅e component is undoubtedly an incredible improvement over Grand Theft Auto 4's offerings.

Related: 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:1꧟0 Easter eggs Iౠn GTA Online's Cayo Perico Island

The 2008 game's online multiplayer is a fun diversion, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:ꦫbut GTA Online is a whole different beast that even overshadows the single-player portion. It had a wonky start, but Rockstar games managed to turn it into one of the most popular multiplayer modes of the generation. Sadly, it is also perhaps the reason 168澳🍃洲幸运5开奖网:we still do not have Grand Theft Auto 6.

3 GTA 4 Is Better: Single💟🔯-Player DLC

GTA lost and damned
GTA lost and damned

Even though Grand Theft Auto 4 did not receive expansions to its multiplayer component, players still received new content in the form of two giant single-player expansions. The first, The Lost and Damned, follows a brutal biker gang. The second, Ballad of Gay Tony, puts players into the shoes of Luis Lopez as he scrambles to save him and his business partner from complete ruin. On their own they are fanta✤stic, but the connection to Niko 🦹Bellic's story puts them on another level when it comes to single-player DLC.

2 ༺ GTA 5 Is Better: Mission Va🥂riety

Trevor, Michael and a hit-man in Grand Theft Auto V
Trevor, Michael and a hit-man in Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto 5 actually has fewer missions than its predecessor, but each one manages to stick in the memory longer. Grand Theft Auto 4 includes too many missions that feel like random jobs for a new contact. Every new mission of the fifth game manages to push the story forward, including either a stunning set piece or a new gameplay mechanic. The ability to replay mis♛sions at any time is also a huge plus.

1 🙈 Grand Theft Auto 4 Is Better: Story 💙

Niko and kate gta IV
Niko and kate gta IV

Grand Theft Auto 4 has a more compelling plot than the sequel, and it is also more unique to the gaming medium. This is a more subjective point, however, since many may appreciate the cartoonish vibe of Franklin, Michael, and Trevor's journey. Grand Theft Auto 5's plot feels more in line with a typical Grand Theft Auto story, while the fourth game benefits from being an outlier. The dark tone goes against the jolly naꦺture of🤡 open-world games, but it manages to make the experience shine even brighter.

Next: 10 Ea🌌ster Eggs You Might Have Missed The Firs෴t Time Through GTA 4