Grand Theft Auto III

Grand Theft Auto III, or GTA III, is a video game developed by DMA Design, published by Rockstar Games in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, May 2002 for Windows-based PCs, and in November 2003 for the Xbox video game console. It is the third in the Grand Theft Auto series.

Gameplay

The player's character has a degree of freedom in his actions that, although being heavily inspired by Rockstar North's (then DMA Design) earlier Nintendo 64 game Body Harvest, was groundbreaking in 2001 and has arguably been only surpassed by the game's sequels. He is able to go on missions (shaking down a local business for "protection money", clearing the streets of drug dealers, or assassinating leaders of rival gangs, for example) in order to advance in the ranks of his current gang. Alternately, he may choose to drive around the city, stealing cars, running over pedestrians, and avoiding (or opposing) the police. 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 a cash payment; carjacking an ambulance lets the player pick up injured NPCs and drive them to the hospital for a cash reward. Police and Fire Brigade missions are similarly available.

Related Topics:
DMA Design - Nintendo 64 - Body Harvest - Taxi cab - Non-player character - Ambulance

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As can be expected from a video game with a linear plot, new neighborhoods and districts in Liberty City will become open to the player's exploration as missions are completed and the game's story unfolds. However, the nature of the game does demand some limits to the player's freedom: just as new areas become open, some will be permanently denied of access once the player fulfills their purpose. Similarly, the player's place within the story will affect his view in the "eyes" of non-playable characters: As the player completes missions for different gangs, rival gang members will come to recognize the character; subsequently, they will chase after him and, if armed, will shoot on sight.

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Thanks to the strikingly open-ended game design, it is quite possible—and common—for players to ignore the main missions and play the side missions, or simply cruise around enjoying Liberty City's sights. The game is remarkable for its depiction of what seems to be a very large city with things happening all the time in different neighborhoods. Passing vehicles and pedestrians are not just cosmetic "flavor" for the environment, but are actually part of game play: cars can be stolen and smashed; citizens can be beaten up, robbed, run over, or shot; law enforcement and members of rival gangs can be attacked and will respond with weapons of their own. The game is also noted for the emergent behavior of its non-player characters; pedestrians sometimes get into fights, and car accidents between non-player vehicles may occur on their own, without any player interference to trigger these events.

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