One of the first games to offer a truly immersive experience, Grand Theft Auto III changed all open world-action adventures forever with its massive maps and the ability to do almost anything at all, in addition to completing the missions.
Although its occasional violence caught headlines – it was even banned for a time in Australia – many gamers were more enthralled by the fact that any little action by the gamer caused a reaction in the game.
If you shot pedestrian in the street, ran a red light, or knocked over a mailbox, the police would begin to chase you – and that was when the fun began.
GTA III was considered a controversial game when it was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001, and included everything from mobster mission plot to police chases and the ability to steal cars. Users could even go on a “taxi mission” to earn cash in the game.
Other popular features were the level of detail in the city’s landscape, and the variety of music playing on the radio channels in each of the vehicles.
The first GTA games, in 1997 and 1999, were were standard action-adventure games with little bite. But GTA III revolutionsed the series by adding a detailed maps, gripping violence, and the possibilities of exploring and interacting with a virtual world that seemed almost endless.
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