The founder: GTA III revolutionised gaming by inventing the modern 3D open world. Liberty City, varied missions and absolute freedom of play defined a new paradigm. A historic title whose cultural reach remains unmatched on PS2.
Your verdict
Category
Open-World4 players18+
Description
A foundational work of the modern genre, released in 2001 by Rockstar North/DMA Design. Third-person view, a fully modelled Liberty City, open mission structure and a packed radio: GTA III invented the modern urban open-world formula and kicked off one of the biggest franchises in video games.
Grand Theft Auto III review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Across its radio stations, the game rolls out an unabashed eclecticism, from rock to hip-hop by way of opera and hilarious talk shows. This perfectly written diversity brings the streets of Liberty City to life with a delicious realism. This licensed, caustic soundtrack redefined the place of music in the open-world game.
Betrayed and left for dead, a silent criminal climbs the ladder of crime in a metropolis riddled with corruption. A pioneer of the narrative open world, the tale distils revenge and mob ascent with unheard-of bite. The founder of a whole genre, it redefined the way stories are told in video games.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The game that redefined the open world: a whole city to roam freely, where stealing a car, shaking off the police or improvising chaos becomes possible at any moment. The raw freedom and the sense of absolute power deliver an instant rush that founded the genre. Bold, biting and incredibly influential, a major landmark in gaming.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Dropping into an open 3D metropolis where every mission rubs shoulders with a thousand freedoms redefined the genre and keeps its loop of delicious chaos intact. Unlocking neighborhoods, vehicles and safehouses revives the urge to explore and try everything. The tech and the driving show their age, but this pioneering sense of criminal freedom retains an undeniable magnetism.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Climbing Liberty City's underworld in one of the first great 3D open worlds unfolds a playground rich in missions and freedom. Exploring the city, carrying out contracts and uncovering secrets fills long hours without constraint. That openness, revolutionary for its time, earns the title a stubborn reputation as a sandbox pioneer.
A revolutionary act that tipped Grand Theft Auto into 3D and established the open-world urban sandbox as a model for a whole generation of games. Still very widespread in the West, its interest lies in this status as a pivotal work of gaming rather than scarcity. A major piece of history for open-world fans wanting the origin of the genre as we know it.
Better with friends
A pioneer of the 3D urban sandbox, also discovered together around the screen, the crew calling the next misdeeds while one driver holds the pad. The common fun springs from the spectacle of a city handed over to chaos and the rule-free dares you invent. With no competitive mode, it's the heady novelty of that total freedom that gathers everyone and sets off endless laughter.
A cult cover
The first to impose the famous mosaic, the founding entry bathes its vignettes in cold urban greys, under a concrete light. The palette's restraint conveys the pioneering darkness of an unvarnished Liberty City, rawer than its successors. The template for all GTA imagery, this austere cover fixed a visual language that became universal.
A questionable morality
Climbing the criminal ladder here means borrowing every vehicle without asking, running shady errands and sowing cheerful chaos across an entire city left at your mercy. The game wraps it all in a sharp satire, which never stops the player from stringing together crimes with a delighted grin, perfectly at home in the role of the thug.
