In gaming, the term "sandbox" refers to a game that allows you to explore and goof off at your own pace. The most popular sandbox title (in terms of crime-simulation, that is) of all time is the Grand Theft Auto series.

Grand Theft Auto

The original Grand Theft Auto, released on the Playstation in 1998, is one of the earliest instances of open-world gameplay. Players could steal cars, shoot pedestrians, and play missions at their own pace. This title eventually evolved into a long-running series of open-world crime simulation titles, each one getting larger and better-looking than the last. Here is a brief history of the highlights of the GTA franchise.

Grand Theft Auto III

Before Grand Theft Auto III, sandbox titles hadn't yet reached their full potential. They offered the same core gameplay, but the old 2D graphics hampered the experience quite a bit. In 2001, Rockstar Games released the third entry in the series (excluding a few GTA1 expansions), and with mind-blowing results. The 3D graphics were far ahead of it's time, using the Playstation 2's hardware to it's limit. To players, the sheer amount of stuff on-screen was staggering. Cars drove around the city, pedestrians interacted, talked, and walked dynamically, the new physics engine allowed cars to be destroyed piece-by-piece... this game marked the revolution of open-world gaming. Soon later, Rockstar Games pumped out two more titles under the same 3D engine, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (which took place in a fictional version of Miami), and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (taking place in fictional versions of Las Vegas, San Francisco, and other similar cities). In 2011, Rockstar released a mobile version of the game to celebrate its 10 Year Anniversary.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Considered by many to be the best open-world crime simulator title of all time, San Andreas did much more than build off of III's success. While it used the same graphics engine, much had been redone. The city is colossal: it doesn't just cover a single city like the previous games; San Andreas takes place in an entire state. The landscapes are varied: you'll see rural, urban, and even wild areas. Adding to the diversity are many gameplay elements that have yet to be topped by any current game. The biggest list of cheats of any game I've ever played (which include flying cars, infinite ammo, and much more), the biggest storyline (100 missions, but that doesn't count the mini-games and sidequests), the most vehicles, and much more make this one of the greatest games of all time.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV is the first GTA on a modern console (Xbox 360 and PS3), and it really delivered. Highlights include a much-needed visual upgrade, a new physics engine, and a new version of Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City (a fictional variation of New York). However, these features didn't quite make up for the awkward driving controls (steering is very difficult at first), smaller city, smaller storyline, smaller weapons list, and a generally bland game. That being said, two expansion packs were released after Grand Theft Auto IV's debut. The Lost and Damned places you in the shoes of Johnny Klebitz, a member of The Lost biker gang. The Ballad of Gay Tony let's you play as Luis Lopez, part-time gangster and full-time assistant of Tony Prince, who controls and owns most of Liberty City's night clubs. Both expansions offer new storylines and partially tie in with the original game.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Chinatown Wars released on the DS in 2009, marking the first official release of a GTA on a Nintendo system since Grand Theft Auto Advance. Some people consider Chinatown Wars to be the most revolutionary Nintendo DS game of all time. It offered a full Grand Theft Auto experience; despite its eagle-eye camera angle that had to be added due to the DS's hardware restrictions, the game feels suprisingly modern. The entire Grand Theft Auto IV overworld had been remade and ported to the DS, and many fans of the series could recognize many locations in the city. Liberty City feels much more populated this time around, with pedestrians buzzing around the city, cars (most of which were also in GTAIV) act normally and control significantly better than they did in IV. Chinatown Wars was eventually ported to the PSP and iOS.

Grand Theft Auto V

Currently still in development, the fifteenth entry in the series was announced in November of 2011. After the debut trailer's first release, Rockstar has kept a tight lid on the development. From what the trailer showed, GTA V appears to take place in a remastered San Andreas.

This was short, and I apologise. I would have done a full history, but the 3DS browser limits the amount of text I can post.
- StuffMan