It’s incredible to think that a game that’s twenty-five years old at this point could still merit a conversation about what it’s like to play today. Thrown in the fact that the game in question was the first 3D offering from a franchise that has come a long way since then, and you begin to see how returning to Liberty City in GTA 3 is something that many of us would do willingly despite two sequels that succeeded it.
There’s something about Liberty City, a place where we’d already been quite busy thanks to the franchise’s first outing, but to see it brought to life in the way that GTA 3 managed is certainly among anybody’s favorite memories of the franchise. It was also quite good at pulling you into a gameplay loop that could see you stealing cars and listening to the radio on a lazy afternoon before putting you in dangerous situations where jobs gone wrong could lead to some intense getaways.
Of course, all of that’s now been refined and distilled into the formula we know and love today, but is it still worth returning to a title that’s so historically significant while also being a lot of fun to play? Join us and find out.
A Real Eye-Opener
Let’s think about where the franchise was at by the time GTA 3 came along. It had two titles under its belt, and a reputation as a very enjoyable crime sandbox where a top-down perspective and some nice animations and presentation made things addictive, if not as immersive as what would be on offer in later years.
That began with GTA 3, which carried that formula over to a world where fully 3D models replaced animated sprites, and the streets and buildings were now part of a city that combined driving, combat, missions, and free roaming so well, and in a way that was so fun to engage with.
Stealing vehicles, abandoning them for one you found more fetching, perhaps triggering a police chase in the process. You never knew which action you took could be the catalyst for a chain reaction that you would then have to navigate, resulting in many hours of unscripted chaos and unalloyed fun.
GTA 3’s lasting appeal is aptly thanks to how it is one of the earliest versions of the franchise’s formula, fine-tuned to work with a city that’s smaller than what you might be used to it you’re going to it from one of the franchise’s more recent offerings. But if you’re a newbie thinking of working your way through each title, you’re going to appreciate how each activity you get to indulge in can, and often does, interact with something else in interesting ways.
In a way, Liberty City being among the smaller maps on offer benefits from that, since it facilitates such interactions while making them part of a progression loop that feeds you the impression that your actions matter and are unlocking new corners of the city for you to further engage with. It’s also how Liberty City brings some variety to its streets, thanks to Portland, Staunton, and Shoreside Vale having distinct geographical design cues and varying layouts that reward gaining familiarity with them.
Discovering shortcuts, bridges, safehouses, and other useful locations felt rewarding, each one making life in Liberty City easier in one way or another. Stumbling across a place that has the potential to change how you would approach a section of the map’s activities never gets old, and is part of GTA 3’s lasting charm.
But those smaller streets aren’t the only way it remains memorable to this day. There’s also its unique vibe.
Liberty’s Special Strengths
It’s equally important to understand how Liberty City’s new 3D avatar lent a new ability to immerse you in its industrial streets with overcast weather; its alluring nighttime lighting, working well with the sounds of traffic and, of course, the chatter on the radio, gives you a world that feels alive alongside you and waiting for you to wander further into its fold.
It’s also a world that’s quite unique, with subsequent entries finding their own rhythm, which only ensures that GTA 3 is a title whose world feels like it’s entirely its own. From its lighting to the way litter is strewn about its streets, this is an early blueprint of Rockstar’s usually elaborate and insanely interconnected worlds, and is one that has certainly managed to withstand the test of time.
The game’s Definitive Edition might have messed with that vibe a bit with disastrous effects, but with an update ironing out a lot of its issues, it’s certainly worth considering as an option. That’s something we’re tackling a little later, but it’s a good idea to see if what you get to do in Liberty City is actually worth a trip to the past in the first place.
It’s a good thing that the gameplay loop on offer is still as satisfying as ever, with taking up jobs, finding the appropriate vehicle, figuring out your route, and executing your plan and the subsequent getaway being very entertaining indeed. This is a franchise that has always hinged its entertainment value on being a sandbox with a lot of freedom, and that’s certainly on display here.
The vehicles you drive might not handle as well as you’re used to in modern games, but they’re definitely useful enough to be viable in dicey situations, while a simple collision or a damaged car could, in theory, alter the outcomes of your actions. For instance, a damaged car that’s not running as it should is going to make getting away from pursuing cops harder than it should be, and you’re almost always better off trying to switch rides.
Those details matter, and the fact that you can be as meticulous as you like, or just wing your way to success in the game, is what makes that gameplay loop so entertaining. But there are caveats: strict timers, clunky combat, and more than a few missions that are going to have you trying them out several times until you manage to get past them do take away from that freedom and immersion.
The mission where you help 8-Ball put down some explosives on a rival’s ship. Getting the 100,000 dollars you need to even start the mission could be a bottleneck that feels limiting in terms of having the freedom to approach missions in any way you want. There’s also the matter of 8-Ball himself acting like a man who’s never heard of a strategic approach in a mission that clearly needs one.
It’s an annoyance, and since his death means a failure condition, it’s a mission that takes away the control you’re given in most other situations to create a linear approach that feels out of place in comparison to the rest of the experience. Other missions such as this one exist, and that’s definitely going to hold this one back from true greatness, no matter what the Definitive Edition did to change things for the better.
A Story To Remember
With the world and gameplay having their own strengths and weaknesses, does the story on offer in GTA 3 manage to bring it all together well enough to make it worthwhile today? Claude’s definitely an interesting one, and his betrayal at the hands of people he should have been able to rely on is an interesting opening act.
It sets the tone for the rest of the story, which sees so many twists and turns alongside nuanced interactions between the many stakeholders in Liberty City’s criminal underbelly. Although the storytelling on offer could be considered a tad too sparse in comparison with everything else that GTA offers today, you could argue that it helps keep the pacing tight.
But with Claude being a mute protagonist and the possibility that the more seasoned ones among you might see its plot twists coming from a mile away, the story in GTA 3 might not be one that has your attention throughout its runtime. It’s a good thing that the side content on offer brings some much-needed variety into the mix to balance things out.
From operating as a taxi, helping people out in emergencies using your vehicles, finding hidden packages, doing stunts and collecting new rides, and just exploring Liberty City, there’s a lot to keep you occupied once you fall into a pattern of ignoring your next story objective in favor of just enjoying a city that feels like it wants you prowling its streets looking for adventure.
Each activity is a reason to learn the city’s routes, which helps when you’re trying to find a quick direction between two destinations in a taxi, or perhaps try out different vehicles to find one that’s better-equipped to let you pull off a stunt that’s been giving you pause. There are mechanical connections to in-game activities that are developed by engaging with the world, and it’s a loop that feeds itself so well it becomes very addictive very early.
Chinks In GTA 3’s Armor
You’re probably thinking that GTA 3 still has a lot left to give you, and you’re right. But getting to the good stuff might be a tad harder than you think. The combat system’s still too clunky for many of you to look past it, and that’s a shame considering how much of it you’re going to be doing as you join Claude on streets that are just waiting to throw a fight or two his way.
The camera and character movement aren’t going to feel as refined as what’s on offer today, and the shift can be quite jarring and perhaps even something that forces you to drop off if you can’t ignore it enough. The missions can get repetitive despite Rockstar trying its utmost to frame each one well enough to make it stand out. Not being able to swim is a bummer, too.
If you’re a newcomer to this one, these are issues that are going to stick out like sore thumbs to you, and in the absence of the goodwill that a returning veteran might bring, it’s hard to see those problems not affecting your overall enjoyment of the experience on offer. There’s also the question of whether the original title or the Definitive Edition should be what you choose to experience it with.
As far as the former is concerned, there’s an argument to be made in favor of the visual style, atmosphere, and presentation that come with it. Of course, that means dealing with its issues, and the PC version might have an edge thanks to community fixes that could help iron them out.
However, with the Definitive Edition out there, it’s hard to ignore that it brings better controls, targeting, weapon and radio wheels that feel very intuitive to use, better navigation, and the welcome option to restart missions. With the option to use the classic lighting system from the original also on offer, it’s definitely worth considering and is probably the one we’d recommend to you if you’re thinking about diving in. It’s going to present the least friction, and that immediately influences how much you’re going to enjoy the game.
There are still issues- yes, the lack of a more robust checkpointing system is our biggest gripe- but the Definitive Edition’s modern touches and convenience make it a better choice today. Either way, GTA 3 is still worth playing, with a compact world that sells its chaos and vibe very well. Its age is definitely showing, ahead of a new instalment that’s looking more likely to become a new benchmark for the franchise and other studios with each passing day.
But it’s still very, very good at bringing Rockstar’s penchant for unpredictability to life. And that’s something many other games from its era just don’t have.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
