Grand Theft Auto III was released on October 23, 2001 — a game that transformed the industry. The title represented a major breakthrough for Rockstar Games and set new standards for open-world design.
GTA III left a mark on gaming history comparable to the likes of Tetris, Super Mario 64, Street Fighter II, and Halo. Its influence continues to be felt — not only because of its popularity, but because it fundamentally reshaped approaches to game design.
After its PlayStation 2 debut the game had sold 2 million copies by February 2002. A later Windows release helped push yearly sales to roughly 6 million. GTA III was subsequently bundled with Vice City in the Double Pack for Xbox and PS2, which itself moved about 1.59 million units. PlayStation 2 sales alone reached 11.6 million, and by March 2008 total shipments were approximately 14.5 million copies.
Rockstar showed how to build a truly living open world. Players could roam Liberty City freely, tune into radio stations, interact with passersby, and feel the city’s vitality. A vast, seamless environment, thousands of lines of dialogue, and the use of motion-capture technology made the game revolutionary. The developers drew inspiration from New York City and films such as Taxi Driver and Goodfellas.
Today GTA III is included in The Trilogy – Definitive Edition, though the remaster drew mixed reviews.
Grand Theft Auto III endures as a project that altered the industry and laid the foundation for contemporary open-world games.
Source: iXBT.games