GTA 1 in 1997 shipped three cities - Liberty, San Andreas, Vice City. Top-down. The names that would be re-used and reinvented in every GTA after.
The three original cities
Liberty - New York analogue. San Andreas - California analogue. Vice City - Miami analogue. Each city had distinct visual styling within the limits of the 1997 engine.
These names became the brand identity for every future GTA setting.