Grand Theft Auto is a series of games with different stories, editions and modes. Start with the exact title on your copy: the Definitive Edition trilogy, GTA IV Complete Edition and GTA V are different products. This guide connects selected main games to the right story and edition reference.
Table of Contents
Which GTA story are you looking for?
The Rockstar trilogy listing, GTA IV Complete Edition description and GTA V character guide distinguish these games and protagonists.
| Game or edition | Story or setting | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| GTA III | Liberty City | One of the three games in the Definitive Edition trilogy |
| Vice City | Tommy Vercetti in the 1980s | A separate campaign from GTA III |
| San Andreas | Carl CJ Johnson in the early 1990s | Its campaign follows CJ |
| GTA IV Complete Edition | Three interwoven Liberty City stories | GTA IV plus The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony |
| GTA V | Franklin, Michael and Trevor | Distinguish Story Mode from GTA Online |
What the edition names mean
The Definitive Edition bundles GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas with updated controls and visuals. Those updated controls and visuals belong to the later edition; identify which version a guide describes. It does not include GTA IV, V, or VI.
For GTA V, PC players must distinguish between Enhanced and Legacy editions. Check the requirements for the exact PC edition you intend to run, rather than treating the labels as interchangeable. Similarly, GTA IV Complete Edition includes the base game plus The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, offering three interwoven Liberty City stories.
Choose the matching guide
- Read the full game and edition name on the store page or installation.
- Match the platform named in the instructions to the device you use.
- For GTA V, check whether the instructions concern Story Mode or Online.
For more detail, use our GTA III story and Liberty City guide, GTA IV Complete Edition story guide or GTA V Story Mode guide. The table is a navigation aid for these selected games, rather than a complete release chronology.