iOS
AndroidGrand Theft Auto III ©Copyright by Gamdise Do not Reproduce. By JoJo
Set in an open-world environment, Grand Theft Auto III is the first game in the series to be presented in a fully 3D world, changing the top-down perspective of previous games in the series. Developed by DMA Design, it was the last game developed by the company before it changed its name to Rockstar North. Grand Theft Auto III was released to critical acclaim in October 2001. Critics praised the game's presentation, game design, freedom, sound design, and ambition, but it was controversial due to its violent nature. 2011 saw the 10th anniversary of the game's re-release on iOS and Android devices under the title Grand Theft Auto III: 10th Anniversary Edition.
Set within the fictional city of Liberty (loosely based on New York City), the story follows Claude, a silent protagonist who seeks revenge after being betrayed and abandoned by his girlfriend during a robbery, which leads him into a world of crime, drugs, gang warfare, and corruption. The game is played from a third-person perspective its world is navigated on foot or by car. The open-world design allows players to roam Liberty City freely and includes three main areas: Portland, Staunton Island, and Shosadville; the latter two areas will be unlocked as players progress through the storyline.
What sets Grand Theft Auto III apart from other games in the series is the sheer number of characters, overworld animations, and stories embedded in almost every mission. Players find their missions filled with professional-level characters, and their voices may be much more realistic than their simple visual caricatures would reveal. The game actually has a beginning, middle, and end as well. Players can select missions from a phone call or page them as before, but for the most part, the core characters' missions drive the story and the missions tell the story. As a result, players will find that amidst the mass of distracting tasks and the vast landscape they must traverse, there is a central focus, and it is there when they are ready.
In addition, the game offers a stunning level of missions and mission variety. Players start outperforming small, simple tasks, such as picking up fools and placing them in specific areas. As you complete hundreds of missions, they become increasingly difficult, some relying on old-school "try and die" types, while others are based on timeliness, driving skills, or combinations that are more friendly to you with some location-based hits and shots. While roaming freely around the game world, players can also participate in activities such as vigilante mini-games, firefighting activities, nursing services, and cab services. Completing these activities grants players context-specific rewards; for example, completing vigilante missions allows players to bribe police officers after committing a crime.
Coming to crime, this is one of the coolest parts of the game. Ignoring missions also give you time to go on your own crime spree. If the player commits a crime while playing the game, the game's law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by the "Wanted" meter in the HUD. On the meter, a star is displayed to indicate the current wanted level. Minor infractions, such as tailgating a police car, will give you a star on the six-star meter. Although the police will chase you if they see you in this state, you can hide, and eventually, this star will disappear. Continue to live outside the law and you'll get two stars, and so on. Each level has a harsher response from "the man".
At three stars, you'll have police cars flying at you out of nowhere. At four stars, they will give up on arresting you all together and just try to gun you down. Helicopters will also be sent to your location to make sure you don't get away easily. At higher levels, the FBI will respond to your crime scene, and at the highest level, the military will get involved. There's really only one way to get your arrest level that high: shoot cops. Running over innocents and blowing up a few cars might get you three or four stars, but to really piss off the law, you'll have to take some of them down. The AI in police cars is pretty crude - they tend to almost destroy their own cars as they chase you into walls and other impenetrable obstacles.
In terms of graphics and sound, Grand Theft Auto III does a great job. It incorporates a variety of elements to create a whole stylized look. The game has a specific style of artwork that is hand-drawn caricatures of the various characters starring in the game. The game is also filled with weather effects. Sometimes fog blankets the city, while at other times, the sky seems to be pouring with rain. The smoke and flames are also very effective, most of which surround the cars themselves. Camera halos, lots of moving objects, and plenty of good textures fill in the gaps.
In terms of music, the team sought a wide range of diversity, recreating the authentic feel of skipping radio stations and reflecting the gangster movie culture the game invokes. The team used talk radio to add character to the city and provide a "unique take on American life. The sound design really feels like it was made for the movie. 3D audio systems are dynamic, so all sounds are referenced and scaled from the player's perspective. Everything from radio stations in cars to collisions, in-game voices, car sounds, weapons, and weather effects have been carefully and thoughtfully researched and implemented. I would even say the music is actually more moving and powerful than the visuals.
Overall, then, I think it is safe to say that any fans of the GTA series will have fun with Grand Theft Auto III. Rockstar and DMA Design clearly took some time to make sure Grand Theft Auto III was a quality product, and that quality is reflected in everything from the graphics, to the sound, to the plot points, to the game itself. If you're interested too you might want to give it a try!
