To be honest, no. Nothing can surpass the GTA I was introduced to, the first two games. Since 3D, it's been more about technology and movie homages than it has been about creating a truly gritty atmosphere. The last good GTA game was DS' China Town Wars. The top-down view GTA gave the game a suitably "underground" sort of feel. Here I was as a player stealing cars, walking the streets with a gun and doing missions, but I wasn't seeing everything. That's what made it so gritty, because it left the gory and unpleasant details to the imagination. Since GTA3, it's lost its grit because everything is just thrown in your face, the "crime" aspect of it loses its meaning.
I remember when I got the first GTA game. I KNEW my parents would object to be playing it, but I knew I could get away with it because of the seemingly innocuous top down presentation that just presented as a stock standard car game to the untrained eye. But the graphics were just a cover for the truly seedy game I was playing which is what added to the "illegal" and "underground" feel of the game, it transcended the gameplay itself because I myself was engaging in an act that my parents wouldn't approve of. GTA 3 just literally gave the game away.
I remember when I got the first GTA game. I KNEW my parents would object to be playing it, but I knew I could get away with it because of the seemingly innocuous top down presentation that just presented as a stock standard car game to the untrained eye. But the graphics were just a cover for the truly seedy game I was playing which is what added to the "illegal" and "underground" feel of the game, it transcended the gameplay itself because I myself was engaging in an act that my parents wouldn't approve of. GTA 3 just literally gave the game away.
My favorite of all the GTA games is by far Vice City. I liked the storyline and the south Miami "feel". I felt like in that edition of GTA, the gameplay was very easy to manage, I didn't feel overwhelmed by "extras" and of course it was set in the 80's so the soundtrack was sweet. It had a higher replay value for me than the others.
"Some men aren’t looking for anything logical. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
Yeah Vice City. No contest. gta4 was boring and to much "facebook"y. ooh ceap track of your friends and that damn phone calling when you were on the run or somthing stressfull. GTA1 was awesom!! played it on LAN back in the day haha had some fun with that 
first one to get the tank was the winner
but seeing this trailer was really fun though hope its a bit more gangsterish. somthing like Mafia(1), with a really good story.
first one to get the tank was the winner but seeing this trailer was really fun though hope its a bit more gangsterish. somthing like Mafia(1), with a really good story.