Which GTA game has the best map?

One of the reasons why the GTA games are so popular is because of their open-world design and unbelievable vastness. Huge maps teeming with features and activities have been an intrinsic part of the franchise.

The overall size of every map in the series is different. Some are bigger than others, while some appear to be more diverse and well thought-out.

KeWIS, a member of the Forums, has done a wonderful job in determining the relative sizes of the maps in the games. To provide cogent results, KeWIS took three types of areas into consideration when calculating map sizes: Total Area, Land Area and Water Area.

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GTA Maps

Image via Rockstar Games

Maps based on Land Area

• GTA 3 = 4.38 square kilometers.
• GTA: Vice City = 5.62 square kilometres.
• GTA 4 =8.06 square kilometres.
• GTA: San Andreas = 31.55 square kilometres.
• GTA 5 = 48.15 square kilometers.

Maps based on Total Area

• GTA 3 = 8.12 square kilometers.
• GTA: Vice City = 9.11 square kilometres.
• GTA 4 = 16.14 square kilometers.
• GTA: San Andreas = 38.2 square kilometres.
• GTA 5 = 75.84 square kilometers

Maps based on Water Area

• GTA 3 = 3.76 square kilometers.
• GTA: Vice City = 3.5 square kilometres.
• GTA 4 = 8.08 square kilometers.
• GTA: San Andreas = 6.67 square kilometres.

KeWIS' findings show that the latest installment in the series boasts the biggest map. The size of the map, however, hardly determines its quality in the franchise. Maps can very well be as vast as possible and still come off as boring and straight-up mundane.

Players seem to be of the opinion that San Andreas had the best map in the series. Not only was San Andreas's world incredibly vast but it was also exceptionally diverse.

The map was packed to the gills with a mind-boggling mix of rivers, deserts, towns, wilderness, islands and more. Exploring San Andreas on a Sunday never failed to make the player's day.