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Grand Theft Auto III

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GTA III cover art design that became standard for all regions in future games.
Developer(s)DMA Design (now Rockstar North) (PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows)
Rockstar Vienna (Xbox)
Publisher(s)Rockstar Games[1][2][3][4]
SeriesGrand Theft Auto
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Microsoft Windows
Xbox
Mac OS X
Release
October 22, 2001
Genre(s)Action-adventure, open world
Mode(s)Single-player

Grand Theft Auto III (otherwise known as Grand Theft Auto 3, GTA III, or GTA3) is a 2001 sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North) in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows, in November 2003 for the Xbox and in November 2010 for Mac OS X. It was made available on Steam on January 4, 2008[6] and on the Mac App Store on August 18, 2011. The game is preceded by Grand Theft Auto 2 and succeeded by Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

GTA III is set in modern Liberty City, a fictional metropolitan city based on New York City. The game follows the story of a criminal named Claude[1] who was betrayed by his girlfriend in a bank heist and is required to work his way up the crime ladder of the city before confronting her. GTA III is composed of elements from driving games and third-person shooters.

The game's concept and gameplay, coupled with the use of a 3D game engine for the first time in the series, contributed to Grand Theft Auto III's positive reception upon its release; it became 2001's top selling video game[7] and is cited as a landmark in video games for its far-reaching influence within the industry.[8] GTA III's success was a significant factor in the series' subsequent popularity; as of 2008, five GTA prequels set before events in GTA III have been released, particularly Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories which revisits GTA III's setting a few years prior. GTA III's violent and sexual content has also been the source of public concern and controversy. According to Metacritic, GTA III holds an average critic score of 97/100, making it the highest-rated PlayStation 2 game.

Plot

Setting

Grand Theft Auto III takes place in Liberty City, a city on the East Coast of America, which is loosely based on New York City, but also incorporates elements of other American cities.[9] GTA III's Liberty City has also been used for Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (only for one mission in San Andreas), and is one of four renditions of "Liberty Cities" featured throughout the series; the other three are present in Grand Theft Auto (GTA1), Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV). GTAIII is set around the autumn of 2001, when the game was first released; this was indicated by the Liberty Tree website, which included plot points that connect to events in the beginning of the game in its last existing monthly entry, dated October 18, 2001.[10]

Story

The player character (popularly referred to as Claude) has robbed the Liberty City Bank with his girlfriend, Catalina, and a male accomplice. While running from the scene, Catalina shoots him and leaves him to die in an alley;[11] the accomplice is also seen lying nearby. The player character survives but has been arrested and subsequently found guilty and sentenced to jail. While he is being transferred, an attack on the police convoy aimed at kidnapping an unrelated prisoner sets him free.[12]

With the help of a fellow escaped prisoner (later revealed as 8-Ball), the player character then takes on work as a local thug[13] and rises in power as he works for multiple rival gangs, a corrupt police officer[14] and a media mogul. In the process, Maria, the wife of a local Mafia boss, begins to take a liking to him.[15] The Mafia leader, Salvatore, grows suspicious and lures the player to a death trap; but Maria saves him, remaining close to him throughout the storyline.[16] He later goes to work for others, including the Liberty City Yakuza[17] and media mogul Donald Love. Eventually, his exploits attract the attention of Catalina, now affiliated with a Colombian drug cartel, resulting in the kidnapping of Maria.[18] This gives him the opportunity to face Catalina once more, which results in a firefight and Catalina's death. Claude and Maria leave the area.[19]

Template:Grand Theft Auto chronology

Characters

Main article: List of characters in Grand Theft Auto III

In addition to the exploits of Claude, the storyline, while not as integral to the game as its successors, depicts Claude's development of several non-player individuals and bosses, through cut scenes before the start of each mission, as the player progresses through the game. Most of the characters encountered revolve around corruption, crime and a fictional drug called "Spank," which is a growing menace in the city.

With the success of GTA III and its sequels, several of these characters or their relatives reappear in future GTA titles with major or minor roles, and their personal background expanded, particularly Leone family Don Salvatore Leone, media mogul Donald Love, Maria, Phil, the One-Armed Bandit, 8-Ball, Catalina and Toni Cipriani.

The voice cast for the game's characters features several established celebrities. Notable voice actors include: Frank Vincent, Michael Madsen, Michael Rapaport, Joe Pantoliano, Debi Mazar, Kyle MacLachlan, Robert Loggia, Lazlow Jones and late rapper Guru.

City

Grand Theft Auto III takes place in Liberty City, which is loosely based on New York City. Liberty City is divided into three distinct areas which open up as the game progresses : Portland, Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale.[20]

Portland

Portland Island is at the eastern end of the city limits. The game starts at Portland which is an industrial zoned island. This is a low-income district filled with industrial workers. It is home to a lot of the city's thugs, tramps and gangsters who terrorize the civilians. Much of the island's industrial population is concentrated towards Trenton at the south of the island. Portland Harbor and Atlantic Quays serve as seaports. Non-industrial properties are towards the north and west sides of the island. Portland also operates an |elevated train service with three stations (Rothwell Station in Hepburn Heights, Kurowski Station in Chinatown, and Baille Station in Saint Mark's).

Chinatown is a primarily Triad run part of the city. The Saint Mark's district is primarily the home and business place of Italian-Americans, and is located on the northeast side of the island. This district is notably under heavy Mafia control. The Red Light District is a neighborhood filled with pimps and hookers roaming the streets. Hepburn Heights is a neighborhood near the Red Light District consisting of housing projects. It is home to the Diablo gang. Harwood, which is located on the northern end of the island, is used as a drug dealing haven. This neighborhood is also home of the station building, a junkyard, a car dealership, a bomb shop, and the Porter Tunnel's Portland terminus. Old platforms and train cars of a railway line are also found in eastern Harwood, as well as a tunnel running under the Saint Mark's district, which directly links Harwood with Portland Harbor.

Callahan Bridge links Portland Island to Staunton Island, and located around its foot is Callahan Point which has a small dock. Portland Beach is an empty cliff-side beach located east of Saint Mark's, while Portland View consists of a tract of land and a stretch of road between Portland Harbor and Chinatown. Portland Rock, a small island containing a lighthouse, may also be seen east of Portland Beach.


Landmarks of Portland[21]

1.Hepburn Heights

2.Momma's Restaurant

3.Gentleman's Club

4.Harbour Tunnel

5.Sex Club Seven

6.Ammunition

7.Portland Subway

8.St. Mark's Bistro

9.Docks

10.Bitchin Dog Foods

11.Joey's Garage

12.Car Crusher


Staunton Island

An island between Portland Island and Shoreside Vale, Staunton Island is bustling commercial district. It has the largest cluster of commercial and residential skyscrapers in the entire city. Due to nearby Francis International Airport, taller skyscrapers are concentrated towards the south of the island, away from incoming planes, while low-rises and several of the city's major institutions (Staunton's hospital, sports stadium and university) are concentrated towards the north.

The skyscraper core of the island is located within the south Staunton downtown district of Torrington (to the east) and Bedford Point (to the west). The tallest and largest building in Staunton (and therefore, the city) is depicted to be owned by the Jefferson Street Credit Union, which is connected to two other large commercial buildings, one owned by FCB Bank (which is the third tallest building in the city) and one by AMCO by skyways; all three buildings are located within the district of Torrington. Torrington also boasts a Yakuza-controlled casino at the southeast, and the Staunton branch and overall headquarters of the Liberty City Police Department (LCPD) complete with a helipad. Bedford Point houses the city's cathedral, opera house, a Times Square-themed street, an Empire State Building look-alike building that dominates the district, and the Love Media building, the workplace and home of Donald Love.

The Newport district, located north of Torrington, houses several apartments and businesses, boating docks, and a multi-story car park. Bordering the west of Newport is the Belleville Park district, consisting of Belleville Park, and blocks of buildings surrounding the park, including a shopping mall.

Fort Staunton, located north of Newport, is depicted as an area in the process of demolishing blocks of old buildings and re-developing the entire property with the construction of Staunton Plaza. Panlantic Construction, a division of an American-Colombian business conglomerate in charge of the area's development, is suspected by the LCPD to be one of the many fronts for the Colombian Cartel, which explains the presence of Cartel members and gang cars in the area.

The Aspatria district in the northwest houses the "Liberty Memorial Coliseum", and a waterfront park along its coastline; while the Liberty Campus district, located inland from the east of Aspatria, consists of campus blocks of the St. Matthias University. Rockford is primarily occupied by the Carson General Hospital, and an arms dealing business owned by Phil Cassidy, based on the northern tip of the district.


Landmarks of Staunton Island[21]

1.Amco Headquarter

2.Bush Stadium

3.Callahan Bridge

4.City Hall

5.Liberty City College

6.Pan-Lantic Construction

7.Kbddf Radio

8.Liberty Tree Offices

9.Love Media

10.Shopping Mall


Shoreside Vale

Shoreside Vale is a suburban residential area of the city, located on the west-most side of Liberty City. It is full of fast cars and rich suburban villas.

The area is the location of the Cedar Grove suburb at the northeast and the Wichita Gardens housing projects at the east, which resembles poor gang-ridden housing projects. Also located in Shoreside Vale is the Pike Creek industrial district at the west, a dam (dubbed Cochrane Dam) at the northwest and the city's airport, Francis International. There is also a bridge linking Pike Creek to Cedar Grove.


Landmarks of Shoreside Vale[21]

1.Cartel Mansion

2.Cedar Ridge Observatory

3.Cochrane Dam

4.Dormatron

5.Francis International Airport

6.Game Radio

7.Picnic Area

8.Pogo The Monkey Fanclub

9.Porter Tunnel


Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto III inherits and modifies much of the gameplay mechanics from its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2, combining elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game in a new 3D game engine. The idea of using a 3D game engine in such a genre was however not new: the first game to combine elements of action, shooting, and driving various vehicles in a sandbox-style 3D world was Hunter, released in 1991 for the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST home computers.[22][23] The first developed by DMA Design was Body Harvest (1998), for the Nintendo 64. Publicly debuted in 1995 at Nintendo's SpaceWorld video game trade show, Body Harvest was revolutionary for its time, but despite above average reviews,[24] the game sold poorly.[25] GTA III takes the gameplay elements of Body Harvest and combines them with the GTA series' open-ended game design to create a level of freedom and detail that was unprecedented in 2001.[26]

On foot, the player's character has the additional ability to sprint (but is incapable of swimming), as well as use weapons and perform basic hand to hand combat; he is also capable of driving a variety of vehicles, (with the addition of watercraft and a fixed-wing aircraft).[27]

A screenshot of Claude running with a pistol in hand. With a completely redone game engine, the player is now able to see forward and better explore GTA III's environment.

Criminal offences, such as carjacking, murder and theft will result in increasing levels of resistance from the authorities. If the player's "wanted" level reaches certain levels, the police, FBI, and army will respond accordingly. When the player character collapses from his injuries or is arrested, he will re-spawn at a local hospital or police station respectively, at the expense of losing all weapons and armor and an amount of money for medical expenses or bribes. While this is similar to previous Grand Theft Auto games, the player character is essentially offered unlimited "lives," as opposed to the limited number of lives in GTA1 and GTA2. This allows the player character to "die" as many times as she/he pleases, and render it impossible to indefinitely lose in the game.

A major feature in GTA III's predecessors that allowed the player to obtain cash by committing petty crimes has been downplayed in GTA III, encompassing only car ramming, vehicle destruction and pedestrian killing. The amount of money in the player's possession is no longer a requirement to unlock new areas in GTA III. There are only two exceptions to this, which require the player to have a certain amount of money. Instead, the completion of missions and unfolding of the game's storyline are now responsible for this role. Additionally, the player is allowed to return to all unlocked areas of the city. However, as new areas open up, access to other, previously available areas becomes more dangerous or difficult, due to hostilities from enemy gangs.

The interface of the game has been significantly overhauled. The player-centered compass is replaced by a separate mini-map that also displays a map of the city and key locations (safe houses and contact points) or targets. Armour and health levels are now indicated in numbers, and a 24-hour clock is added. Gang behavior is no longer dictated by "respect" meters used in GTA2; instead, the player character's progress through the story affects his view in the "eyes" of gang members. As the player completes missions for different gangs, rival gang members will come to recognize the character and subsequently shoot on sight.

Whereas multiplayer modes from previous GTA titles allowed players to connect through a computer network and play the game with others, GTA III was the first computer game title to only ship with a single player game mode. As a result, third-party modifications were developed that re-extended the game with the absent network functionality through manipulation of the game's memory. One of these modifications became known as Multi Theft Auto and was developed alongside this title and future GTA successors.

Missions, non-linearity and narration

A common trait GTA III shares with the rest of the GTA series is the considerably non-linear gameplay within the open world environment of Liberty City. Missions that are offered to the player primarily fall into two categories: storyline-based and side missions. While the game's linear set of storyline-based missions are required to advance the plot and unlock certain areas of the map, the player can choose to complete them at his or her own leisure. Additionally, many of them are not mandatory. Alternatively, it is possible to ignore the main missions and only play side missions. If the player acquires a taxi cab, he can pick up designated non-player characters as fares and drop them off at different parts of the city for cash; obtaining an ambulance allows the player to pick up injured non-player characters and drive them to the hospital for cash. Fire fighting and vigilante police missions are also available. However, if the player wishes, he or she may avoid all missions and instead choose to explore the city, stealing cars, running over pedestrians, and avoiding or opposing the police.

Whereas its predecessors merely featured a short cut scene upon completion of missions in each city, GTA III significantly expanded this feature, triggering cut scenes after the player enters a contact point or during certain missions. The cut scenes serve multiple purposes: as a visual narration of the storyline, as formal directives of a mission, and as a visual assessment of a scene and objective. During gameplay, mission updates and messages are relayed through text-based instructions given in the form of on-screen subtitles, or on a few occasions, the player character's pager, similar to GTA1. GTA III also includes one-time tutorial directives to familiarize the player with the game's controls and features.

Weapons

A pre-release screenshot depicts the player character aiming for a drive-by shooting. The action, possible only by attaining a Micro Uzi and viewing sideways in a car, was a new feature in the series when GTA III was released.

The selection of weapons provided in the game consists of firearms and explosives, with the addition of two forms of mêlée attacks (hand to hand combat and baseball bat). The weapons themselves are largely similar to the selection of weapons from GTA1 and GTA2, such as the M1911, the Micro Uzi, an AK-47 and an M16A1, the rocket launcher, and the flamethrower, which are based on similar weapons from GTA1, and the shotgun and thrown weapons (Molotov cocktails and hand grenades) from GTA2. The porting of GTA III into a three dimensional environment also allows access to a first-person view, making the inclusion of the sniper rifle and first-person aiming of the M16A1 and rocket launcher possible. In addition, it becomes possible in the game to perform drive-by shooting using the Micro Uzi, while the inclusion of magazine-based weapons introduces the need to reload weapons after a magazine has been depleted. Additionally, wielding certain weapons restricts movement. Weapons may be purchased from local firearms dealers and businesses, retrieved for free from certain dead gang members, mission-specific characters and law enforcers, or picked up in certain spots in the city.

All versions of GTA III allow the player to auto-aim using a gamepad with the push of a button, holding human targets at gun point using most firearms, with the exception of first-person aiming for the sniper rifle, M16 and rocket launcher, which are aimed using the analog stick or mouse as the player presses the same auto aim button. The Microsoft Windows version includes the additional ability to look around and aim freely with a mouse while on foot; these control differences are seen in the console and Microsoft Windows ports of Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Radio stations and other media

Main article: Grand Theft Auto III soundtrack

One of the game's subtler inclusions was a variety of radio stations. The stations feature music specially written for the game (as well as many songs originating from the first two GTAs), but also includes licensed music, some of which were excerpts of several actual music albums; this combination differs from those of the game's predecessors, which featured entirely original soundtracks. One of the stations is a full-length talk show, and many of the callers are actually characters from the story missions, often demonstrating the same views and eccentricities that become apparent to the player during the missions. Another station "Flashback FM" features music heard throughout scenes in the film Scarface, which had heavy influence on the game's sequel, Vice City.

Additionally, an online format of the fictional Liberty Tree newspaper, dedicated to events that took place within and outside Liberty City between February 2001 and October 2001, was made available months ahead of GTA III's release. The website, working in tandem with the official map-based website and sub-pages, also served to provide a back-story to GTA III, while evoking a sense that the reported events had actually taken place in real time, releasing monthly issues in its nine months of activity. The site also includes articles on criminal activities in the city and city development (i.e. delayed tunnel completion and the growth of Love Media in the city), and various advertising to fictional products. Pre-released screenshots of gameplay, the city's environment and characters were used as photographs for certain news articles.

Various commercials are featured on both the radio stations and the Liberty Tree website. Certain ads often referred to their advertisers' official websites, such as petsovernight.com. All of these sites actually existed; they were set up to tie in with the game. However, although looking very much like genuine online stores, all links to purchase or order the products actually led to rockstargames.com.

Game engine

Stealing a "Stallion" car from a driver. Artificial intelligence in GTA III was significantly complex at the time of the game's release.

Grand Theft Auto III's new RenderWare game engine created by another British games company Criterion Games was a significant departure from its predecessors, most notably because it uses a forward-viewing perspective as the default view, similar to a majority of third-person shooters and driving games, and has much-improved street-level graphics. The game also offers several additional camera modes, including a cinematic view, and the top-down perspective prevalent in GTA III's predecessors (this last was omitted in following titles, making GTA III the last major console title in the series to include the top-down view). In console versions, the game runs in the display resolution dictated by the console, while the Microsoft Windows version permits resolutions of up to 1600 by 1200 pixels.[28]

The in-game environment is displayed through extensive use of level of detail (LOD), allowing areas directly surrounding the player to display objects in higher polygon counts (including vehicles, buildings and terrain) or minor props (e.g. street furniture), while areas far from the player are displayed with fewer polygons and less detail. As such, LODs aid GTA III in displaying a large environment with a further draw distance, while ensuring that the game's performance remains optimum. When traveling within the city, the game constantly swaps models of varied detail as the player moves from one area to another. However, when the player travels to another island, the game is required to load detailed models of the entire destination island, while also loading low-detail models for the island the player is leaving, requiring substantially more processing time; in the process, the game displays a "Welcome to..." screen for a short amount of time, before play resumes.

Like the environment, vehicles and pedestrians are depicted by full three-dimensional models, compared to flat top-down sprites used in previous games. Both vehicles and pedestrians are constructed from individual polygons with a central "core" (the wheels, engine, chassis and body of vehicles, and the torso of pedestrians). The damage system of vehicles represents the minor vehicle parts (doors, frontal quarter panels and bumpers) as undamaged, damaged or missing, based on collisions detected on the vehicle; the core of each vehicle remains visually unchanged despite heavy damage. As pedestrians in GTA III are made out of separate polygon parts (limbs, a head and a torso), it is possible to detach the limbs or head of a pedestrian (by using heavy firearms or explosives).

As the game runs a simulated 24-hour cycle, including changing weather, the game engine is also required to simulate day and night periods, as well as weather effects. This is done by adjusting surrounding visual effects and details in accordance to the weather and time of day. Other minor details are also present, like a rainbow and shiny streets after rain, and the sun moving from the northeast in the morning to the northwest in the evening.

Cuts, changes, and the 9/11 effect

A comparison of the same present pre-release screenshot (as of April 2006) from GameSpot (top), among several gaming websites, and the official GTA III website (bottom). GameSpot's version depicts police cars resembling those of the NYPD pre-2000, while the official, edited version adopts a more generic black-and-white design used by many police departments such as the LAPD and SFPD.

Prior to the 2001 release of the final game, several modifications were made to Grand Theft Auto III. The changes were apparent as several promotional materials had previously displayed features that would be absent in the final version of the game. While cuts and changes are frequent during game development, the changes in GTA III were of note as they were made around the time when the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred; this led some gamers to speculate that at least some of the changes were motivated by the attacks. Although little was disclosed about the types of changes to be made and when they were conducted, Sam Houser, the president of Rockstar Games (based in Manhattan, New York City), was quoted September 19, 2001 saying that a review would be carried out for GTA III, in addition to confirming the delay of the game's release by three weeks[29][30][31] (the original, rough release date was suggested by Houser to be on October 2, 2001):[32]

...our biggest games, including Grand Theft Auto [III], have been delayed slightly. This decision is based on two factors, firstly it has been a little difficult to get work done in downtown Manhattan in the last week since basic communications infrastructure has been intermittent at best, and secondly we felt that a full content review of all our titles was absolutely necessary for us in light of the horrifying event we all witnessed in NYC last week. As for Grand Theft Auto [III], since the game is so huge the review is no short process. So far we have come across certain small contextual references that we were no longer comfortable with, as well as a couple of very rare game play instances that no longer felt appropriate to us. We apologize to you and all the people waiting for this game to ship for the delays that have now ensued, but I'm sure you can understand our reasoning.

Among the changes made shortly after 9/11 was the police cars' paint scheme. The old color scheme of blue with white stripes (seen in previews and the manual map) specifically resembled that of the NYPD. The new color scheme of the LCPD is modeled in a generic black-and-white design that is common amongst several police departments in the United States such as the LAPD and SFPD. Pre-release screenshots in the game's official website depicting police cars had also undergone modifications, around a week after September 11.[33] Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto IV saw paint schemes bearing likenesses to those of the NYPD's (past and present) returning, several years after GTA III was released.

Another cut is that of Darkel,[34][35] an in-game character, for the final version of the game. Mentioned in several early video game publications and websites, Darkel was to be a revolutionary urchin who vowed to bring down the city's economy. One mission involved stealing an ice cream van, using it to attract pedestrians, then blowing it up[36] (this mission would eventually be given by El Burro instead in the final version of game to kill a group of gang members). Darkel was also originally expected to give out Rampage-like missions,[37] and even had his voice recorded for this part.[38] Rockstar later decided that they would like to go back to the original system of giving out rampages as featured in Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2. Although Darkel and his missions were removed indefinitely, the character remains listed in the manual's credits, as well as having a character texture retained in the game's data files.[39] Another reminder of Darkel's existence is an abandoned tunnel in the city, associated with the character in the official website, and includes four homeless people in a group wielding Molotov cocktails. Both the tunnel and the four homeless people are retained in the final version of the game.

The Dodo airplane, the only flyable aircraft in the game, was also a point of discussion; the wings of the vehicle were significantly short, while an uncontrollable full-winged version has been seen flying around the city. However, the plane, for months before 9/11, had a short wingspan, as evidenced from a preview in Game Informer (Issue #95), which indicated that the plane was to be used in a (now abandoned) mission to loft the plane high enough in its brief flight and reach new areas of the city.[40] The Dodo is considerably difficult to control, usually resulting in short flights (although it is possible to fly the plane continuously around Liberty City when properly trained[41]).

Other changes included stopping the selection of certain character models when using cheat codes, removing the aforementioned ability to blow limbs off non-player characters in only the PlayStation 2 version of GTA III, (though this can enabled with a cheat code) elderly pedestrians with walkers, school children as pedestrians (from GameSpot UK's beta preview [42]) and a school bus (seen in eight screenshots[43]).

Reception

Critical

Awards
GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2001 Most Innovative Game,[62] Best Action/Adventure Game,[63] Best PlayStation 2 Game,[64] Game of the Year[65]
IGN's Best of 2001 Best Action Game for PlayStation 2 (Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice),[66] PlayStation 2 Game of the Year[67]
GamePro Editors' Choice[48]
Electronic Gaming Monthly Gold Award[56]

Upon its release, Grand Theft Auto III received very positive reviews; while minor problems and comments pertaining to graphics, performance and controls were noted, GTA III was touted as revolutionary by several game review websites and publications. According to Game Rankings,[55][68] the game won several awards, such as GameSpot's Console Game of the Year, Game of the Year from GameSpy and Cheat Code Central, and Best Action Game of 2001 by IGN. The game's average review score of 97% on Metacritic[58] ties it with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 for the highest ranked game in PlayStation 2 history. It was also inducted into GameSpot's Greatest Games of All Time list.[26]

Eurogamer stated "A luscious, sprawling epic of a game and one of the most complete experiences I have ever encountered. If this is what I've waited a year to see on my PS2, then I would have waited ten. Magnificent".[69] Official PlayStation Magazine called the game "The most innovative, outlandish, brilliant video game I've ever seen".[70] Allgame commented "From the eight professional-style radio stations to the variety of mission objectives and hidden goodies, GTA III is packed with high production values and oozing with addictive gameplay".[71] Game Informer noted "The environments of Liberty City are stunning in scope and detail, dwarfing anything I've ever seen, and your choices are endless."[72] While GameSpy cited "A fantastically designed and fun game that's one of the most absorbing, entertaining titles released in a while. It gets better and better with every single day, as you continue discovering new little features here and there."[57]

Sales

GTA III unexpectedly emerged as a smash hit at its initial US$49.95 price and became the #1 selling video game of 2001 in the United States. Later discounted to $19.95 as part of Sony's "Greatest Hits" program, it continued to sell well and went on to become the second best-selling video game of 2002, behind only its sequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. GTA III was bundled with Vice City for the Xbox Double Pack, which enjoyed strong sales in December 2003, even though GTA III was two years old. The Double Pack's success for Xbox was due to several factors; the critical acclaim and controversial game content for the games, the graphical improvements specifically for the Xbox, and having two games in one, which led to GameSpy giving it their Best Value Award.[73]

As of September 26, 2007, Grand Theft Auto III has sold 12 million units according to Take-Two Interactive.[74] As of March 26, 2008, Grand Theft Auto III has sold 14.5 million units according to Take-Two Interactive.[75]

Legacy

Although the Grand Theft Auto series had been an underground hit prior to the release of GTA III, it was this game that first brought the series mainstream success and widespread accolades. The success of GTA III resulted in two console and Microsoft Windows sequels (Vice City, San Andreas), both of which were able to build upon GTA III's success, as well as three additional titles for handheld consoles (Grand Theft Auto Advance, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories). The next generation in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, was released on April 29, 2008.

GamePro recently[when?] called GTA III the most important video game of all-time, explaining that the "game's open-ended gameplay elements have revolutionized the way all video games are made".[8] Similarly, IGN ranked GTA III among the Top 10 Most Influential Games.[76]

Video game critics and players have used the term "GTA clone" to describe the slew of video games released which attempted to emulate the sandbox gameplay of GTA III.[citation needed]

In 2009, Game Informer put GTA III 4th on their list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time", saying that it "changed the gaming landscape forever with its immersive open world sandbox".[77] GamesRadar named it 'the most important game of the decade'.[78]

Controversy

File:Gta3-pc-police.jpeg
The ability to kill police officers was one of the points of controversy for GTA III.

Grand Theft Auto III was and remains very controversial because of its violent and sexual content. Frequently cited in the press is the opportunity for players to carjack a vehicle, pick up a prostitute, have (implied) sex with her, and then kill her and steal her money.[79]

It was because of GTA III that the Wal-Mart chain of retail stores announced that, for games rated "M" by the ESRB, its stores would begin checking the identification of purchasers who appeared to be under 17.[80]

After its initial release in Australia, the game was banned for a period and a censored version of the game was to be released in its place.[81] A key reason why this course of action was taken was that Rockstar did not submit GTA III to the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), the body that, among other things, rates video games according to their content in Australia. Lacking a suitable R18+ rating (the highest rating being MA15+), the game was "Refused Classification" and banned for sale because they felt that the game was unsuitable for minors. The PC version though was reported to be uncut with an MA15+.

While the Australian version of the sequel Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was censored by Rockstar (it was later rerated uncut retaining its MA15+[82]), the next sequel Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was not, despite featuring more "mature" content (although, later, San Andreas was once given a Refused Classification rating amid the "Hot Coffee" controversy but retained its MA15+ once edited worldwide.).

On October 20, 2003, the families of Aaron Hamel and Kimberly Bede, two young people shot by teens William and Josh Buckner (who in statements to investigators claimed their actions were inspired by GTA III[citation needed]) filed a US$246 million lawsuit against publishers Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive Software, retailer Wal-Mart, and PlayStation 2 manufacturer Sony Computer Entertainment America.[83][84] Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two, filed for dismissal of the lawsuit, stating in U.S. District Court on October 29, 2003 that the "ideas and concepts as well as the 'purported psychological effects' on the Buckners are protected by the First Amendment's free-speech clause." The lawyer of the victims, Jack Thompson, denied that and is attempting to move the lawsuit into a state court and under Tennessee's consumer protection act.[85] The case, however, was dismissed due to the defendant's lack of knowledge regarding firearms.[86]

Ports and remakes

File:GTA3 Dodo.png
A screenshot depicts the player flying the Dodo, the only flyable aircraft in GTA III. Here, one may see all the three islands of the city at once.

Six months following the initial PlayStation 2 release of Grand Theft Auto III, versions for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox were made available. GTA III is notable for being the first game in the series to be released on a video game console before a PC version was available. Following GTA III, PlayStation 2 GTA games generally followed GTA III release pattern, in which the Microsoft Windows port is released within seven to eight months after the PlayStation 2 versions' release.[87][88][89]

The Microsoft Windows version of the game, released on May 21, 2002, has been criticized for performance problems, especially in light of the much smoother performance of Vice City. This was due to technical issues; the game engine rendered everything within the draw distance, even things hidden behind buildings or trees, whereas Vice City only rendered what could actually be seen.[90] The Microsoft Windows version does, however, support higher screen resolutions, has more detailed textures, a customizable player skin, and a custom option for MP3 playback in cars.

The Xbox version was initially supposed to be released in spring 2002 but it was shelved when Sony signed an agreement with Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games' parent company), making the GTA series a PlayStation 2 exclusive until November 2004. However, the agreement was amended in 2003 and the Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack containing both GTA III and Vice City was released for PS2 and Xbox in December 2003. The Xbox version of the Double Pack has improved audio, polygon models, and reflections over the Microsoft Windows and PS2 versions of the game. The Double Pack was not released for Microsoft Windows. In November 2005, GTA III was re-released again for the Xbox and PS2, this time bundled with Vice City and San Andreas in a trilogy compilation, dubbed Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. There were no new changes, though the set retained Double Pack's graphical improvements for GTA III and Vice City. A Nintendo GameCube port of GTA III was also planned to be released alongside the Xbox version,[91] but was cancelled for unknown reasons. The Xbox version, also supports the playback of one's personal music library.

Two handheld titles based on GTA III have also been released. Grand Theft Auto Advance was initially intended as a Game Boy Advance port of GTA III, but has since introduced a new storyline set in Liberty City, roughly one year before the events in GTA III. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2005 and later ported to the PS2. The game, which is also set in the same location as GTA III, takes place in 1998, three years before the events in GTA III. Liberty City Stories is the last GTA title to feature Liberty City in its GTA III form, as Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (2009) are entirely set in a completely redesigned Liberty City.

A Macintosh version, made with Cider, was released on November 12, 2010. On August 19, 2011 the game was released in the Mac App Store.

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