6. Grand Theft Auto IV
Earlier games in Rockstar’s flagship franchise laid the groundwork for the magnificent GTA IV, which took the open world of sandbox action games and breathed life into it—more so than ever before. People no longer just roamed around the city; they had tasks to do, and places to be. Missions occurred on a grander scale and everything just seemed fuller. It’s really possible to just roam around the city and enjoy the surroundings, or to walk into the Internet Café and browse the game’s expansive (and hilarious) fake Web. It’s those littler things that really cement this game’s place on this list; Rockstar’s attention to detail is practically unparalleled.