Undoubtedly, Grand Theft Auto is one of the most classic games ever. This article will break this classic Action-Adventure single-player game. Grand Theft Auto 3 is the third main entry into the series and was developed by DMA Designs and published by Rockstar Games. It runs on the Render Ware engine and is compatible with PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox, Mac OS X, Android, iOS, and Fire OS.

It follows a character who was betrayed by his girlfriend and left for dead but goes on a journey of revenge. This journey leads him into the world of crime and drug dealers and puts him at odds with law enforcement.

Classic Grand Theft Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto 3 is based in Liberty City, a fictional version of New York City. It is an open-world design where you can move freely. It is played from a third-person view, where you complete missions and go on the adventure in your way. These missions are important for the actual progression of the game; however, players can go on and pursue side missions. You start in Portland, the first of the three districts that make up Liberty City. As you progress, you unlock and explore Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale.

The health meter, account balance, weapon, and other details are located at the top right side of the screen, while the map that leads to the next objective is at the bottom corner. You will have many run-ins with law enforcement, so the wanted star is also displayed on the Head-up display (HUD). The higher the star, the higher the intensity of the police presence. What started as a simple car chase with a few cops can quickly evolve into helicopters and FBI agents with sophisticated rifles. When you crack the sixth star, they bring out the big guns and start chasing you with armor tanks. The only way to avoid being caught is to stay out of sight and cool down.

Controls are straightforward and hardly change. You navigate the world by running, jumping, or stealing vehicles. It is a combination of shooting, driving, exploring, and role-playing. When you get a vehicle you want and wish to keep, drive it to your home garage and save. You get into a lot of combat in this game which means the auto-aim feature will be of help. You can pick up lives from different spots when your health is depleted. Another way to get your life up is to pick up a female NPC, drive to a secluded place, and let the car bounce. That increases your life but will cost you some money. When your health is depleted, your character dies and respawns at the nearest hospital. The catch is that you lose any armor, weapons, or money you amassed in that gameplay without saving the game.

Groundbreaking Graphics For The Time

This was the first time all the elements of the prior Grand Theft Auto games were put together in a 3D world. That would explain some of the glitches experienced in the game because it was the first of its kind at that time.

Looking back at Grand Theft Auto 3, we have seen better graphics, but we cannot deny that the graphics were great for their time. It visually depicts the horrors of gang life and shows that in combat. You can see blood spill as you shoot a character through the head or watch them split apart as you drop a grenade amid criminals.

Massive Size And Scale Of The World

One of the stand-out features of Grand Theft Auto 3 was the scale and size of the world. This includes the side jobs, characters, cut scenes, and stories at every turn. You can choose to play out of the hundreds of missions which was a big leap for the time. This scale delivers an interesting sense of freedom for the player.

Best Radio In Gaming History

Grand Theft Auto games are predominantly quiet games that reflect the sound of the activities in the environment. However, when you get into a car, you get to listen to the radio, and Grand Theft Auto 3 has one of the best song selections on the radio. It ranges from vocal commentary to classical stations, hip-hop stations, etc. They can be so good that you do not want to leave the car. To top it all, when you find yourself in a car chase, the music always syncs into the mode and intensifies the moment.

Aside from the great music in Grand Theft Auto 3, a proper sound design was attached to the game. Car engines sounded different from one another, and weapons did not all sound the same. There were a lot of issues with the vocal acting, but that was sorted in the sequel.

Action Adventure Quality Of Cars And Weapons

Carjacking is one of the staples of Grand Theft Auto games because of the scale of the game, and a majority of the missions require driving. Many game points are built into the game that can only be experienced while driving, for example, the car chase and midair stunts.

The city has a wide array of 81 vehicles ranging from old worn-out cars to police vans, armored tanks, boats, helicopters, etc. These vehicles also range from slow ones to superfast cars, and they are all handled using a simple and instant interface. What is an action-adventure game without weapons? There are countless weapons at your disposal, from your hands to bats, handguns, sniper rifles, M16, AK-47, rocket launchers, Molotov Cocktails, grenades, and the flamethrower.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a reason why Grand Theft Auto 3 was the best-selling video game of 2001. It portrays a true lens of the world that we live in with humor and reality. You get to live vicariously through the character and do things that would be too wild to do ourselves. Grand Theft Auto 3 delivers that opportunity, and that is what makes it so exciting.