Grand Theft Auto III celebrates its 25th anniversary. This title brought the series, previously presented in a top-down perspective, into a fully three-dimensional world, ushering in a new phase of development with 3D Liberty City and an open-ended structure.
Rockstar Games released GTA III on PlayStation 2 on October 22, 2001. Players could progress through story missions or simply drive around Liberty City, enjoying the freedom to move without a specific destination, hijack vehicles, engage in shootouts, and evade pursuit. Special tasks scattered throughout the city could transform casual roaming into an action-adventure experience.
Liberty City was inspired by New York, but it serves as more than just a backdrop for missions. Players can observe and traverse the city, creating various events along the way, turning the entire urban landscape into a playground for free exploration. Around 2001, few games offered players such extensive freedom of action, and Grand Theft Auto III demonstrated the appeal of this kind of experience.
The later release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City further solidified the series' iconic status, but this anniversary retrospective still regards the third installment as the starting point of a new era. This content is solely an anniversary review and does not involve any announcements regarding remasters, updates, or new versions.