Grand Theft Auto IIIwas the first game in the series to beset in 3D. Coming out in 2001, it brought in a new style for the series. It brought players toLiberty Cityfor the first time in the 3D universe, letting players explore the parody of New York City.
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The darker tones of the game are sure to stay with the player long after they finish the game. The entire game is focused on the protagonist getting revenge – first onhis ex-girlfriendbut then on all the people who wronged him. By the time of the last mission, players are sure to know the city extremely well.
10Timeless - The Nostalgia
Being the first game in the 3D universe,GTA IIIwas most likely played by many fans of the series. The game offers a certain feeling to it, having the sound effects and atmosphere of early 2000s games.
The game also introduces a few characters that appear in later games. This includesPhil Cassidyand Salvatore Leone.
9Aged Poorly - Cars Blow Up Easily
When driving, it is very easy for a vehicle to blow up. Especially after becoming enemies with the Leone Family, driving in Portland can become extremely dangerous. Certain gangsters carry around shotguns, which can blow up the player’s car in one shot.
If that wasn’t bad enough, running into cars during timed missions could cause the player to flip over. There is no way to flip the player’s car back over in time, making it explode.
8Timeless - Silent Protagonist That Works
The protagonist ofGTA IIIisClaude, and he does not speak at all. This seemed to be common for a few games in the early 2000s, but luckily it worked pretty well for Claude.
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It was revealed it wasn’t just because of the gunshot wound Claude gets at the beginning of the game. He makes an appearance inSan Andreas,where he continues to not speak. Amusingly, this creeps CJ out when he meets Claude.
7Aged Poorly - The Graphics
Sadly, the graphics ofGTA 3do not hold up very well. Just by looking at characters such as Toni Cipriani orCatalina, players can tell it is an old game. It can also be seen on the pedestrian models, such as seeing their blocky body and arms.
The weapons can also be seen to be very blocky and have basic shapes. Even in the PlayStation 4 and Mobile versions of the game, the graphics are not the best.
6Timeless - Memorable Easter Eggs
GTA 3had some pretty humorous easter eggs in it, such as a sign that calls players out for finding it. A few other surprises include a traffic cone on a statue and the numerous adult references made throughout the game. Being the first game set in the 3D universe, it also introduced shooting the moon to make it bigger or smaller.
5Aged Poorly - The Controls
The controls for the game were not very friendly to the player. It was a struggle to aim weapons at enemies when in combat, which could lead to the player dying or losing a lot more health than normal. The driving also suffered, with it being very easy for vehicles to crash into each other.
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The walking, running, and jumping could also be a struggle at times. Because Claude could not swim, players were sure to feel some anxiety when they had to hop on and off of boats during certain missions.
4Timeless - Very High Ranking
Compared to other games in the series,GTA 3was very high ranking. It was even veryhigh ranking comparedto other Rockstar Games titles. With a great story and being the first 3D game in the series, it is easy to see why.
Even now, players might still consider it to be one of the higher rankedGTAtitles. It is well deserved, as it brought on the changes to the series we see today.
3Aged Poorly - Only Three Safehouses
The other games in the series have multiple safehouses the player can buy.GTA IIIonly has three, which are unlocked when players make it to a new island. Depending on where the player is, it could be a bit of a struggle to make it to the safehouse after a few missions.
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On some of the islands, enemy gangs could spawn really close to where the player enters the safehouse. Nothing is more annoying than driving down the alley, only to be blown up and killed by an enemy.
2Timeless - The Soundtrack
GTA III’ssoundtrack had a few stations that gave players different types of music. There was a classical music channel, a reggae channel, and even a channel for players to play their own music. A good bit of the songs on the game were also written forGTA IIIor previous games in the series. Players could find their favorite type of music in this game for sure.
1Aged Poorly - Plagued With Rumors
GTA IIIwas suppose to come out on July 21, 2025, but gotpushed backbecause of the September 11 attacks. Because of this, fans of the series started to wonder if this is because certain missions had to be deleted. The LCPD cop cars were changed so they wouldn’t look like NYPD cars, and a character named Darkel was cut from the game.
Darkel was suppose to give the player missions that related to terrorism. As revealed by Rockstar, Darkelwas cutwell before 9/11 occurred. It was also made so planes would not be anywhere near the city. It was also rumored the final mission was suppose to have Claude crash a plane into Donald Love’s tower, butRockstar confirmedthis was not true.
