Grand Theft Auto III
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Grand Theft Auto: Collection -
Grand Theft Auto: Complete Pack -
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy -
Grand Theft Auto: Trylogia -
Rockstar Collection -
Rockstar Games Double Pack: Grand Theft Auto
Description official descriptions
After leaving San Andreas and going on a crime spree throughout the country, Claude Speed and Catalina head to Liberty City for a life of crime. During a bank heist, Claude is betrayed by Catalina and her Colombian friend Miguel, and he is shot by her just as they are leaving the scene of the crime. Claude fully recovers....in a prison cell. However, while being transported to a prison, Colombians ambush the prison van for an inmate riding with Claude. Claude and his friend, 8-Ball, escape in the process. Now it is time for revenge. Claude slowly rises through the ranks of the local gangs, gaining trust from local mob bosses and turning on others. Claude gains influence, trust, and most importantly, money along the way. It is time for Claude to rise from the dead and get revenge for what Catalina has done.
Grand Theft Auto III is similar in its concept to its predecessors: the player is cast in the role of a vicious (albeit novice) criminal, who performs tasks for crime lords and gradually raises his rank in the criminal world. Driving is the main gameplay element in the game, though the player can also fully explore the city on foot. For the first time in the series, the entire game is rendered in 3D. Different camera angles are available for driving, and free camera rotation is available when on foot.
As opposed to the previous games, Liberty City is the only city the player can explore in the game. The game puts more emphasis on the story, displaying cutscenes before each mission. In order to complete the game, it is necessary to perform all the main story missions; however, the player often has the choice between several missions at a given moment. The missions include chases, races, short third-person shooter sequences, as well as various mini-game-like activities. Outside of the missions, the player is free to explore the city and undertake sub-missions, for example working as a taxi driver, delivering sick people to the hospital in an ambulance car, etc.
Spellings
- 侠盗车手3 - Simplified Chinese spelling
- 俠盜獵車手3 - Traditional Chinese spelling
Groups +
- Gameplay feature: Game completion percentage
- Gameplay feature: Recordable replays
- Games involved in legal disputes
- Games pulled from digital storefronts
- Games referenced in movies
- Games with classical music
- Games with player's sound files support
- Genre: Open world / Free-roaming / Sandbox action and driving
- Genre: Truck racing / driving
- Grand Theft Auto series
- Green Pepper releases
- Middleware: RenderWare
- Physical Bonus Content: Poster
- Physical Bonus Content: World Map
- PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits releases
- PlayStation 2 Platinum Range releases
- Portability Engine: Cider
- Protagonist: Gangster
- Setting: 2000s
- Software Pyramide releases
- Sound engine: AIL/Miles Sound System
Screenshots
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Credits (PlayStation 2 version)
213 People (185 developers, 28 thanks) · View all
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| Art Director | |
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| Design | |
| Written by | |
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| Animation | |
| Auto Design | |
| 3D Artist | |
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| [ full credits ] | |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 92% (based on 102 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 449 ratings with 27 reviews)
Quite simply the finest game on PS2...a must-play!
The Good
Literally, everything. GTA3 places you in the shoes of a nameless thug, whose piddling criminal career is seemingly cut short after his girlfriend, Catalina, doublecrosses him. However, he escapes the clutches of the law, and subsequently farms himself out to every pimp, mob boss and gangster of Liberty City. You'll find yourself partaking in nearly every illegal activity under the sun, including car-bombing, hijacking, murdering selectively and wantonly and engaging in a little premarital intercourse with some choice ladies of the night. The sheer amount of things you can do in this game is immense, meaning that if you get tired of the linear missions, you can simply drive around the city, looking for secret passages, insane jumps and hidden rampage icons.
The Bad
Nothing, really. While some might complain about the difficulty level of some of the missions, I found the hard ones to be refreshing in this age of digital indulgence. So many games hold your hand and swaddle your butt that it's almost impossible to find a genuinely challenging experience. Kudos to DMA Design for kicking my ass several hundred times!
The Bottom Line
Two parts driving, two parts third-person action game, two parts felonious guilty pleasure, mix and bake. I should note that this is the kind of game that makes non-gamers sit up and take notice.
PlayStation 2 · by Lucas Schippers (57) · 2002
The Good
Everything about this game is amazing, the 3d graphics (A first for the series), the sound and music, the missions (A real storyline this time around), great AI, a real sense of a living city...to cause havoc in, addictive gameplay, the list goes on and on. Rockstar and DMA have put a lot of work into this one, and it shows.
The Bad
Well, nothing much really, just that some of the missions are difficult, very difficult.
The Bottom Line
An amazing next generation game. This is one game you HAVE to play.
PlayStation 2 · by JL3001 (17) · 2002
Groundbreaking in 2001, dated in 2005
The Good
Okay kids, set the wayback machine for late 2001.
A somewhat nascent PS2 had been available in the United States for about a year, and while some major titles had been released already (Final Fantasy X, for example) the platform had yet to see a truly revolutionary title.
Enter Grand Theft Auto 3.
Your nameless character, wandered the tough streets of Liberty City, taking jobs from various underworld bosses, all the while trying to take out the partner who (metaphorically) stabs you in the back at the beginning of the game.
Those of us who had played the PS1 religiously saw this one coming from a mile away. Back in the summer of 1999 there were three games constantly spinning in the PSs of the world, Grand Theft Auto 2, Driver, and Syphon Filter. Grand Theft Auto 3 was a combination of the best features of all three of these, inside of a car, the game was basically an update of Driver; your action on foot was almost identical to that of Syphon Filter; finally, the whole thing was tied together by the open ended, kill-em-all, gangster/gangsta style of Grand Theft Auto 2.
It was a veritable wet dream for PS1 fanatics; and a defining moment for the PS2 platform.
Part of the success of this game is due to the fact that back in 2001, open ended (or “sandbox”) games were virtually unheard of; they just were not as popular or technologically feasible as more linear games. This game changed all that, not only was the mission structure non-linear, but the missions themselves almost without exception, totally non-linear. Instead of the player completing a mission by following pre-determined paths or utilizing a highly rare resource at the exact moment the programmer desired, the player could play through a mission HIS way.
This carried over to the rest of the game; you could play through the mission structure in the order you preferred, using whatever tools you happened to find.
It was new, it was fresh, and everyone ate it up. The success of GTA 3 made “sandbox” games an industry standard, and a slew of them followed, for every type of platform and every type of situation; but it all started with GTA 3.
The Bad
Okay, back in 2001, when this game was first released, the only real complaints that one could have about this game were because of the 1) shoddy camera system and 2) the shoddy targeting system. Even 4 years ago these systems were hard to use/control and glitchy.
Circa 2005, however, there are a whole host of complaints one could make about this game.
Graphics: This game looks pretty ugly by modern standards, the graphics are only slightly better than what one could expect from a PS1. Textures, resolution, etc. all bite the big one, and just can not compete up with anything released in the last 2 years.
Sounds/Music: Unlike modern games or any of the later GTA games, the music in this game is generally pretty awful. Most of the tunes in this game were created in-house at Rockstar/DMA and do reach the standards set by the soundtracks of Vice City or San Andreas.
Control: As mentioned above, the camera and targeting control in this game was bad back in 2001, it is HORRIBLE by today’s standards. You will constantly fight against these systems during this game.
Story: This game has a very thin storyline, nowhere near as developed as later GTA games. I believe that DMA purposely created the game this way to accentuate the open-endedness of the gameplay, but it is lacking nonetheless.
Gameplay: This is the one category where GTA 3 matches up with later games. You can do basically whatever you want, to whomever you want, wherever you want. As long as you don’t want to fly a helicopter, the gameplay is almost identical to Vice City.
The Bottom Line
This game was an instant classic when released. It has become a bit dated in the following years as newer games have refined and revamped it's basic formula.
PlayStation 2 · by Edward Beezy (27) · 2005
Discussion
| Subject | By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Pirates / unofficial cover | PavelDAS (1390) | Nov 22nd, 2021 |
| Terror attack date wrong in trivia. | CheerioDM (33) | May 7th, 2014 |
| Holy crap! What just happened? | Beep (197) | Nov 25th, 2010 |
Trivia
1001 Video Games
Grand Theft Auto III appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Australian release
Grand Theft Auto III has been banned in Australia due to displays of graphic acts of violence. Rockstar/Take-Two are working in conjunction with the Office of Film and Literature Classification in Australia to release a revised version of the game in January 2002. A few copies of the game were sold there before the ban was put in place.
After lengthy talks with the Office of Film and Literature Classification, DMA removed certain sexual content and the final version has been approved. However, many people are asking for an R18+ rating to be added to the games rating system (which currently only goes up to MA15+, meaning restricted to over 15) so this will not happen again.
Cancelled port
A 2D driving-based version was in the works for a release for the GameBoy Advance, but it was ultimately cancelled.
Controversy in Japan
Shortly after several Japanese prefectures planned to legally ban GTA III's sale to minors, a 17-year-old Japanese fan of the game stabbed his parents. The coincidence of these two events sparked an effort in the Japanese game industry to work on an ESRB/PEGI-style rating system.
Cut content
- A multiplayer mode was planned for the PC version, but later cut.
- Originally, the player had to solve missions for a homeless man named Darkel. There are many rumours about him being a terrorist with missions like blowing up a bus full of children or flying the dodo into a building (sometimes connected to Donald Love's sudden disappearance). Because of the last bit, it is rumored that the character was removed shortly before release because of the terror attacks of 11 September, 2001. The official line is that the mission rumors are baseless, the character was cut because he didn't fit into the game and his missions were sub-par, and he was removed several months before release.
Flashback radio
The playlist for Flashback radio is:
Rush Rush - Deborah Harry
Shake It Up - Elizabeth Daily
Scarface (Push It To The Limit) - Paul Engemann
She's On Fire - Amy Holland
I'm Hot Tonight - Elizabeth Daily
If it sounds familiar, that's because all five songs come from the 1983 movie Scarface.
German release
The German PC version is censored - no blood or gore is to be seen. Also missing are the rampage missions, the possibility to hurt people with melee weapons when they lie on the ground and money left behind by killed people.
Protagonist
The silent main character formerly known as "Fido" (among various other aliases) is actually named Claude. This is discovered if you listen carefully during one of the phone calls in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It is rumored that Claude is the same Claude as Claude Speed, from GTA2.
Radio stations
A number of the fake radio advertisements that fill the game's wonderful made up radio stations have real websites registered by the designers.
For example, www.pogothemonkey.com will take you to a small website where you can play with Pogo and listen to all the 'reviews' of his new 'game'.
References
In one mission for Asuka Kasen you have to stop an undercover cop named Tanner. Tanner is also the name of the main character in the Driver games, where he is an undercover cop.
References to the game
In August 2006, Coca Cola launched a new TV commercial inspired by the scenery and gameplay of GTA III. At first, you seem to witness car chases, robbery and theft, but the tables are turned and the main character pays for his products, helps old ladies, and extinguishes fire. The link to the video can be found in the related links section.
Sales
- The Playstation 2 version of Grand Theft Auto III has sold over seven million copies, and is now known as the highest selling game ever for the console. Sony has signed a deal with Rockstar making sure all future GTA games are PS2 exclusive until 2004.
- Grand Theft Auto III is listed by Guinness World Records as the first full sandbox action-adventure and the biggest selling game of 2001.
Secrets
- If you look hard around the city, you'll find little notes pasted on walls or signs like the infamous 'You weren't supposed to be here you know' sign on the wall, or the secret website links.
- In Staunton Island, look for the internet cafe, and go inside. Check out what's on the computers.
Stadium
It is impossible to enter the stadium via normal means. Although by using several cheats you can get the tank to fly over the stadium.
If you look at the layout of the seats within the stadium the different colours spell out "Cocks"
Windows version
The PC version allows players to use their own MP3 files for ingame music. You can copy the files to a directory in the game directory, the game will then add the radio station "PLAYER'S MP3" which will be automatically used in random cars (or can be selected with the change radio button).
Awards
- 4Players
- 2001 - Game of the Year
- 2001 - Action Game of the Year
- Computer Games Magazine
- April 2003 (Issue #225) – Game of the Year (Editors' Choice)
- April 2003 (Issue #225) – Game of the Year (Readers' Choice)
- April 2003 (Issue #225) – Funniest Game of the Year
- March 2003 (Nr. 148) - #6 in the "10 Best Games of 2002" list
- Computer Gaming World
- April 2003 (No. 225) - Game of the Year 2002
- EGM
- February 2006 (Issue #200) - #9 on the "Greatest Games of Their Time" list
- Electronic Gaming Monthly
- April 2002 - Game of the Year (Readier's Voting)
- Game Developer's Choice Awards
- 2002 - Game of the Year
- 2002 - Excellence in Game Design Award
- Game Informer Magazine
- October 2004 (Issue #138) - One of the "Top 25 Most Influential Games of All Time"
- GamePro (Germany)
- 2011 - #3 Handheld Game of the Year (Readers' Vote)
- GameSpy
- 2001 – Game of the Year
- 2001 – PS2 Game of the Year
- 2001 – Most Offensive Game of the Year
- 2001 – Best Use of Radio of the Year
- 2002 – PC Action Game of the Year
- GameStar (Germany)
- Issue 01/2007 - One of the "Ten Most Influential PC-Games". It is the first action game that adopted free worlds from Role Playing Games. Grand Theft Auto III stands for the connection between game and pop culture and is the role model for a new kind of games where not only the player reacts to the world but the world also reacts to the player's actions.
- PC Gamer
- April 2005 - #12 in the "50 Best Games of All Time" list
- Retro Gamer
- September 2004 (Issue #8) – #95 Best Game Of All Time (Readers' Vote)
- The Strong National Museum of Play
- 2016 – Introduced into the World Video Game Hall of Fame
Information also contributed by Archagon, Big John WV, Bob Shand, Entorphane, jaXen, Kartanym, Macintrash, MegaMegaMan, PCGamer77, phlux, Ray Soderlund, Sciere and Zack Green
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Related Sites +
-
Capital Auto Sale$
Existing homepage mentioned ingame. -
Coca Cola commercial
Video of the Coca Cola commercial inspired by Grand Theft Auto III -
GTA III at GTAGaming
Information site about all things GTA III. -
Grand Theft Auto III
Official website -
IGCD Internet Game Cars Database
Game page on IGCD, a database that tries to archive vehicles found in video games. -
PetsOvernight.com
Real existing homepage mentioned ingame.
Identifiers +
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Syed GJ.
PlayStation 4 added by Flapco. PlayStation 3 added by Sciere. Android, iPhone, Macintosh, iPad added by Kabushi. Windows added by phlux.
Additional contributors: nullnullnull, Archagon, Unicorn Lynx, JL3001, phlux, Apogee IV, tarmo888, Sciere, Alaka, Yoshy, formercontrib, Paulus18950, Patrick Bregger, Victor Vance, FatherJack, SoMuchChaotix.
Game added November 5th, 2001. Last modified January 22nd, 2024.