The first one came out by the time GTA 3 was hitting PC, and suffered because of that, although it was the better game IMO. It also didn’t have the same marketing.
The second had a rocky devolopment. A lot of content was cut and the game kind of lacks compared to the first. But its still a great game with a good story. It’s a linear game in an open world city that doesn’t feel bloated. It keeps the focus and that’s a plus for me.
The third I’m yet to play.