Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

This part of the series headed west, with sections of San Andreas being based on Los Angeles, San Fransico, and Las Vegas. Like previous games, this one had all-star voice actors like Samuel L. Jackson, James Woods and rappers like Ice-T and The Game. Dressing and accessorizing your character became important, as did eating to stay healthy. The biggest controversy with San Andreas was the infamous "Hot Coffee" mod, created by a gamer from the Netherlands. Once installed, the player could take their girlfriend in the game to her front door, she'd invite him in for coffee, and the two would engage in an unseen sex scene. As a result, GTA became the first game to receive an Adults Only ESRB rating.



Grand Theft Auto IV

Heading back to a revamped Liberty City based on New York City, you play as Serbian war veteran Niko Bellic. After arriving in America and becoming disillusioned rather quickly, your character begins taking on missions from his cousin Roman and other shady types to score money and climb the criminal hierarchy. This game ups the ante considerably, with a cell phone always at hand and GPS in addition to the standard maps to guide you through the city. Besides being able to interact and/or kill pretty much anything, you can steal boats, swim, and fly helicopters too. The cut scenes have a must-watch cinematic feel, and even the dialogue is grittier and more hilarious than ever before. If you're of age and in the mood for suspending reality for a bit (or, you know, 100 hours), this is definitely a game you won't want to miss.