What games came before grand theft auto san andreas?

{"top_answer\":\"Grand Theft Auto San Andreas was preceded by earlier entries in the series, beginning with the 1997 original Grand Theft

Auto, then Grand Theft Auto 2, followed

by the 3D

titles Grand Theft Auto

III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.\",\"long_answer\":\"The Grand Theft Auto franchise launched with the original Grand Theft Auto in 1997, a top‑down open‑world crime game. Its first sequel, Grand Theft Auto 2, arrived in 1999 and expanded the series' open‑{{

world gameplay. In 2001 Rockstar introduced Grand Theft Auto III, the first 3‑D entry that defined the modern open‑world format. This was followed by Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in 2002, which refined the 3‑D engine and added a 1980s setting. All four of these titles were released before Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which debuted in 2004 and built upon the mechanics and narrative style established by its predecessors.\",\"category_slug\":\"movie-facts\",\"tags\":[\"Grand Theft Auto series\",\"pre‑San Andreas games\",\"GTA chronology\",\"open‑world gaming\",\"Rockstar Games\"],\"related_questions\":[\"What is the release order of Grand Theft Auto games?\",\"How does Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas differ from earlier GTA titles?\",\"What are the main features of Grand Theft Auto III?\",\"Which Grand Theft Auto game introduced 3D graphics?\",\"When was Grand Theft Auto: Vice City released?\",\"What platforms did the original Grand Theft Auto appear on?\"],\"linked_movies\":[],\"linked_characters\":[],\"linked_universes\":[],\"linked_scenarios\":[],\"linked_directors\":[],\"confidence\":0.78,\"needs_verification\":false}"