Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games' latest open-world crime drama, has just hit retails outlets. The game has garnered much praise for both its depiction and satirical view of American debauchery and, as expected, once again served as a topic for cable news talking heads to expound upon the impact of video game violence.

But at its core, Grand Theft Auto is a series about stealing cars, mowing down rival toughs with high-powered weaponry, over-the-top hilarity, and stacking money. The series has evolved from a carnage-filled, top-down 2D game to a carnage-filled, 3D open-world game featuring the best soundtracks in in the video game industry.

It was Rockstar Games' groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto III that launched the franchise's popularity into the stratosphere and inspired a million clones ranging from Mercenaries to Saints Row. With Grand Theft Auto III, Rockstar Games created a digital world that felt very alive—more so than any game that had come before it. You can interact with characters roaming the streets, venture off from the main story to cause random chaos, and tune into radio stations featuring a mix of entertaining music and talk. Grand Theft Auto III was the base on top of which nearly all following GTA games were built.

Rockstar Games has released many fine Grand Theft Auto games; despite the fact that the current release is GTA V, it's really more like the fifteenth GTA offering, if you count expansion packs and handheld releases. The five highlighted games are ones that we consider the best of the best. This is a purely subjective selection, of course; we're not harping on technical breakthroughs or the popularity of individual games. This is all about feel, fun factor, and engagement.

So this is it, our five favorite Grand Theft Auto Games. Feel free to join the discussion by shouting out your favorite GTA in the comments section below.