He noted that, while Grand Theft Auto 3 was slated to be a major breakthrough title, both for Rockstar Games itself as well as the industry at large, no one outside of the company was celebrating just yet. At the time, the studio was worried about running out of money.

“I think all of the team felt with GTA 3 – which was the big breakthrough one in 2001, and we were very much running out of money at the time as a company – I think all the team thought, ‘this could be amazing. There’s something really magical about this,'” Houser said, going on to note that, as development continued, “it had these moments of real innovation and [it] felt like the future, in a way.”

As for the hype behind Grand Theft Auto 3 back in 2001 when it was first coming out, Houser noted that no one really cared at the time. The game’s eventual release later in the year, however, would lead to incredible word of mouth and positive reviews, which in turn would help make the GTA franchise what it is today.

“Until it came out, no one outside of our company was very excited by it,” he said. “So that came out just after 9/11 in late 2001, and as it came out, people suddenly got more excited about it.”

Houser had previously spoken about his time with Rockstar Games, as well as the mark he left on the industry thanks to his work on the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises. In an interview from earlier this month, he also revealed that Red Dead Redemption 2 protagonist Arthur Morgan and Grand Theft Auto 4 protagonist Niko Bellic where his favourite lead characters out of the games he worked on.

“I think he’s the best lead character,” said Houser when asked if Arthur was the best one he had created. “You know, the lead characters are different from the side characters, and I think he’s the most rounded and works the best. Him and Niko are the two I like, you know. They were the two most ambitious. So, for me, it’s always sort of a toss-up, you know?”

On the subject of side characters, Houser spoke about Dutch, and how the character truly came to life despite having very few lines when he first showed up in Red Dead Redemption. The voice actor for Dutch, Benjamin Byron Davis, performed the role so well that Houser felt like he properly started understanding the character right there.

While Houser left Rockstar Games back in 2020, the studio has been hard at work on its upcoming title, Grand Theft Auto 6. The latest entry in the GTA franchise is slated for release on November 19, 2026.

Grand Theft Auto 3 

Rockstar made a big splash in the gaming industry with Grand Theft Auto 3. Thanks to the addition of a new dimension, Grand Theft Auto 3 let players loose into a virtual world that was unlike anything they had seen before. Between a great open-world and fun gameplay mechanics, Grand Theft Auto 3 tells a gangster story complete with all the betrayals and plot twists that one would expect from a story of this ilk. It has definitely aged a bit by modern standards, but there’s still a distinct charm to its world and gameplay that makes it enjoyable to this date.

Mafia Definitive Edition 

2020’s Mafia Definitive Edition soups the 2002 original with a complete reimagining of its visuals from the ground up. It tells the same story through a new lens and features the same complex characters and emotional development arcs that made us fall in love with it all in the first place. Mafia: Definitive Edition is an emotional tale of Tommy Angelo’s journey of rising through the ranks of criminal families, and the action sequences are extremely captivating which will keep you engaged for hours upon hours. 

The Warriors

Based on the 1979 film, The Warriors stands apart from the crowd of other Rockstar-developed open-worlds. And the biggest reason for that is its impressive hand-to-hand combat system that enables player expression, which is quite different from the ranged combat system that we see in games like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption. The story also does a great job of showcasing the rivalry between gangs, and the characters are also quite memorable. It might not hold up visually, but The Warriors is definitely worth playing even after all these years.

The Getaway

It’s possible that many wouldn’t know about The Getaway, which is a shame considering it was one of the pioneers of cinematic action experiences of its time. Set against the backdrop of London, The Getaway tells a story of two characters trying to pull off dangerous heists and make it out alive against all odds. With cutting-edge animations and visuals, The Getaway is definitely one of the most impressive games on the PS2 – and it remains a must-play for anyone wanting to experience a good gangster story. 

50 Cent: Bulletproof

50 Cent: Bullet Proof is a third-person action game where the players are put in the shoes of popular rapper 50 Cent as he gets caught up in a criminal drama, and players are left to their devices to solve the mystery surrounding it all. The gameplay can be pretty clunky with aiming that’s not quite as accurate as one would like, but a soundtrack composed of 50 Cent tracks along with some remixes and instrumentals brings a fun vibe to this straightforward shooter game. It’s definitely not a perfect game by any means, but it has a distinct charm to it which makes it worth trying out.

Yakuza 0 

Ryu Ga Gotuko’s Yakuza series is most known for its densely packed open worlds, but equal attention also needs to be shed on its ability to tell surprisingly emotional stories within that format. Yakuza 0 is the first canonical game in the Kiryu saga, which makes it the perfect starting point for fans not used to the franchise. What makes Yakuza 0 so special is its ability to effortlessly switch between emotionally charged scenes and extremely eccentric moments unnoticed, and such instances can be found in abundance throughout its 20 to 30 hour run. 

True Crime: Streets of LA

Released in 2003, True Crime: Streets of LA tried to replicate the elements of Grand Theft Auto – but failed to capture the essence of what made it all so special in the first place. That being said, True Crime does manage to impress in certain aspects including but not limited to a story that changes based on your decisions and a different approach to humor in its writing. Add to that plenty of side activities, and True Crime: Streets of LA becomes a fairly fun time.

Sleeping Dogs 

United Front Games’ Sleeping Dogs might feel like a GTA clone at first glance, but when you look past that initial facade – you will notice that it’s so much more than that. As an undercover cop Wei Shen, you take up the task of bringing down the Sun On Yee gang by infiltrating them from the inside. The story juggles between the two factions, and there are plenty of interesting missions peppered throughout its world that will keep you playing right through to the end.

Mafia 2

Mafia 2 is an excellent sequel that builds upon what came before in new and interesting ways. The story related to Vito Scaletta is chock full of surprises, and the ever-shifting loyalty of important characters will keep you hooked to the edge of your seat at all times. The gameplay variety has also been improved, and while there isn’t much to do outside of sightseeing in the open world, it remains an extremely engaging experience nevertheless. 

Grand Theft Auto 5

It’s safe to say that Grand Theft Auto 5 has transcended from just a regular open-world game to a cultural behemoth, and that’s all thanks to the well-realized open-world of Los Santos. It’s well and truly a playground of possibilities, and while a lot of fun comes from just exploring its sunny beaches and lush forests – you also get a really great story about an unlikely alliance of criminals. In addition to the intriguing story of Michael, Franklin and Trevor, something that one would expect from the series, Grand Theft Auto 5 features a vast assortment of memorable heist missions with set pieces galore.

Watch_Dogs 1

While Watch Dogs was subject to plenty of controversy when it was released in 2013, it’s undeniable that it manages to do more things right than wrong. The hacking mechanics are a perfect fit for the pseudo-stealth gameplay on offer, which adds an extra layer of flexibility to the combat mechanics. Its story about exacting revenge might not be directly related to gangsters, but you will find plenty of fellow hackers that run organized crimes throughout the city to give the same shades of action as other games on this list.

Saints Row The Third 

Saints Row the Third takes place in the neon-lit city of SteelPort as they embark on an over-the-top comical adventure that stays true to its roots. The story takes you on an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride that’s full of violence, bloodshed, and obscenity. The gameplay revolves around taking part in different kinds of missions and navigating the city’s underworld which is composed of different gangs and their rivalries. But what makes Saints Row the Third so special is that it doesn’t take itself seriously, which helps it stand out against the rest of its contemporaries. 

Scarface

Games that are inspired from movies tend to have a bad reputation for not standing up to player expectations, but Scarface has proven the naysayers wrong. Directly taking inspiration from the Grand Theft Auto series, Scarface presents a similar open world experience as its contemporaries, and while it doesn’t quite match the level of its aspirations, it definitely has its own charm regardless. The missions do an excellent job of recreating iconic scenes from the movie, but it also introduces a new ending to mix the pot up. It’s not without its quirks, but Scarface does provide a movie-like gangster experience and remains a must-play for people who crave action.

Driver: Parallel Lines

Driver: Parallel Lines thrusts you in the shoes of TK, a driving virtuoso who works for crime lords all while trying to make it big in a city that’s home to all sorts of shady organizations and shoddy activities. Driver: Parallel Lines meshes elements of GTA with Need for Speed, letting you blaze through an open world map filled with different kinds of side activities and points of interest. With its impressive camerawork and realistic car handling, Driver: Parallel Lines is a unique game for open-world fans who are craving to view the world of gangsters from a different angle. While the game might not be a big improvement over prior entries in the franchise, it is still a fun game for people who want to enjoy mafia games.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 tells a very unconventional gangster story. Instead of telling a tale of conquering the world, it shows the gradual descent of the Van Der Linde gang as they try to find their place in a rapidly changing America. Between an excellent cast of well-written characters that will stay with you long after the credits roll to plenty of exciting missions throughout its dozens of hours long story, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one game that’s just unmissable for anyone interested in such experiences.

Steam Crashing Bug – Resident Evil Village

Before the Winters’ Expansion, Resident Evil Village suffered a strange bug on PC. It occurred after installing the new patch on Steam, with the game telling players to restart and then crashing. Oddly enough, this only affected the Steam version. While eventually fixed, the cause was never really discovered, which is even more ominous.

In the documentary, Seamus Blackley (the designer of the original Xbox) admitted that he was wrong about passing on the opportunity, as he was skeptical about the transformation of the franchise from 2D to 3D. Additionally, he elaborated on the same over on Twitter, explaining that the entire Xbox team shared the same sentiment, so he isn’t exactly the only one at fault here.

Grand Theft Auto 3 was the last game Rockstar pitched to the team, and interestingly enough, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser was really pushing for an Austin Powers game that, sadly, never came to fruition. Similar stories have also come to light recently, with one of them being about how Microsoft’s executives openly lied to the press about the development of Xbox.

NGL- I was skeptical about the transformation of GTA – a 2D game – into 3D. And I was wrong. But so was everyone else in that room. It goes to show you what big experts we all were.

— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) December 15, 2021

Story

The story centers on Claude, a criminal in Liberty City who partakes in a bank robbery with his girlfriend Catalina. Unfortunately, while making their escape, Catalina betrays Claude, shooting him and leaving with her cohort Miguel, a member of the Colombian Cartel. Persecuted and shipped off to prison, Claude’s prison escort is ambushed and he manages to escape. He thus begins his quest for revenge, undertaking jobs for the Leone Family and becoming embroiled in the crimes and dirty business of Liberty City in an effort to find Catalina.

Cast

Claude is a silent protagonist, not speaking at all throughout the adventure but still inflicting plenty of violence. Other important characters in this saga – who are voiced – include Catalina, who goes on to lead the Cartel along with Miguel; 8-Ball, a fellow escaped convict who’s good with explosives; Salvatore Leone, the don of the Leone Family; his wife, Maria, who causes more than her fair share of headaches for Claude; Asuka Kasen, the co-leader of the Yakuza; and Donald Love, a media giant who manipulates the various criminal factions for his own ends. Of course, there are plenty of other characters you’ll encounter and each is unique in their own ways.

Setting

Liberty City’s impressive skyline hides its seedy criminal underworld. It’s divided into three boroughs – Portland, Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale – with each opening up more as the story progresses. Though initially inspired by New York City, writer Dan Houser told Entertainment Weekly in 2011 that it’s meant to be a hybrid of various American cities including “Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit” along with New York.

Open World Design

When it launched in 2001, GTA 3 was a trailblazer. It was the first game to offer a fully 3D, seamless open world to explore, where the player could go just about anywhere. Various NPCs roamed the streets and drove in cars, and one could either walk around and take in the sights or cause random havoc. Of course, because it was the first of its kind – and debuted on the now-ancient PS2 – the overall level of detail and immersive elements is a lot less than its more contemporary peers. Some gameplay aspects like flying are also missing.

Graphics

The art direction and atmosphere was fairly dark and gritty for the time, which made sense given its focus on crime and survival in a merciless city. The Definitive Edition adds new lighting and high resolution textures while also increasing the draw distance, significantly improving environmental details and revamping the character models. So far, it’s looking pretty sharp, providing a much better look for Liberty City while staying true to the older aesthetic.

Activities

Along with a large world to explore, Grand Theft Auto 3 also introduces activities that players could engage in outside of missions. These include picking up passengers with a taxi cab and collecting fare; serving as a paramedic in an ambulance; fire fighting; and even hijacking a police car to respond to different crimes like a vigilante. While genuinely cool, these activities also provided various perks and benefits – ranking up as a vigilante, for instance, would unlock the ability to bribe cops after committing a crime.

Wanted System

Speaking of cops, though the Wanted System existed in prior titles, GTA 3 expanded on it further. If the player commits a crime, then police will arrive at the scene, attempting to arrest them. Each star in the Wanted level represents an escalating level of police response depending on how much chaos you cause. The police become more aggressive and simply opt to gun you down overtime while at higher levels, SWAT teams, the FBI and the military will get involved. Much like GTA 5, the cops can be incredibly aggressive here so think twice before picking a fight with The Man.

Driving and Navigation

The driving controls in the original release aren’t great, feeling more tank-like than realistic. It also doesn’t help that cars seemingly have very little health, making it easy for pursuing law enforcement to blow your vehicle up. Though no sat-nav is provided in the original game, the Definitive Edition does feature updated mini-maps with “enhanced” navigation and even allows for setting waypoints, which should make some missions much less frustrating.

Controls

The controls in Grand Theft Auto 3 are perhaps the one aspect that hasn’t aged the best and this extends to the combat. Rockstar has confirmed improved gun play and targeting controls along with a Grand Theft Auto 5-style controller layout (though expect an option for choosing the classic layout as well). The inclusion of cover shooting is still up in the air though and just how much the driving has been improved remains to be seen so keep that in mind.

Weapons

Weapon selection is fairly sparse by today’s standards but every single category is more or less accounted for here. There’s an AK47, shotgun, M16 Carbine, sniper rifle, pistol, Uzi, flamethrower and rocket launcher along with melee weapons like the baseball bat. Tools like grenades, Molotov cocktails and detonators (aka remote explosives) are also available. There’s no weapon customization so what you see is what you get but the Weapon Selection wheel is being updated so selecting the right weapon for the right situation should be a lot more seamless.

Radio Stations

A notable feature that added to Grand Theft Auto 3’s immersion in the long run was the presence of radio stations. There are nine stations in total with a mix of licensed tracks and original music, not including Chatterbox FM, a fictional call-in show with various NPCs. Selecting tracks should also be easier this time around thanks to an improved Radio Station Selection wheel. Though rumors indicate that certain songs are being cut due to licensing issues, there’s been no official confirmation from Rockstar on the same. We’ll have to wait and see, as usual.

Side Content

In terms of side content, this is definitely the lightest in the series. The phone missions constitute different side tasks like picking up magazines, killing Triad members and so on along with completing tasks for different NPCs (like Marty Chonks, who wants you to dispose of some bodies in a fairly gruesome fashion). You’ll also destroy gang vehicles with an RC car across four missions, pass through checkpoints in four off-road missions and collect different vehicles in two separate missions. This is offset by the sheer number of story missions which number 51 in total. Don’t worry about failing missions either since the Definitive Edition adds the option to immediately restart.

Total Playtime

According to HowLongtoBeat.com, it takes roughly 15.5 hours to finish the main story. If pursuing the story and some “extra” content, then one’s playtime can go up to 22 hours. Completionists will need to invest about 40 hours for everything, including main missions, side content and all activities. Not too shabby when you consider this to be one of three games in the overall package.

5.293 GB on PS4 and PS5

PlayStation Game Size on Twitter recently revealed that the overall size of the trilogy would be roughly 39 GB or so on PS4 and PS5. Grand Theft Auto 3: The Definitive Edition is the smallest among the three games at 5.293 GB. It’s also worth noting that it will be available on PlayStation Now from December 7^th onwards. So those with access to the service can try it out before investing in the remastered trilogy.

TANNER

Given the fact that he has a very brief appearance as a secondary character in which he doesn’t even speak, you’d be forgiven for not remembering who Tanner is, but his inclusion in GTA 3 is actually of note. That’s because he’s an obvious reference to John Tanner, the protagonist of Driver, who, incidentally, is also referenced in GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas.

LIBERTY CITY LICENSE PLATES

This might not be a detail that you notice while you’re playing the game yourself (unless you’re paying ridiculously close attention to things that don’t matter), but it’s an interesting little tidbit nonetheless. Every single car in GTA 3’s Liberty City has the exact same license plate- LC R29.

THE BUGGY

Content being cut out of games while they’re in development for some reason or another has been a reality of the industry for ages, and there’s plenty of examples of that in GTA 3 as well. For instance, the game’s files suggest that it was going to have a vehicle called the Buggy (which would have been, well, a buggy), but was dropped mid-development, owing to the fact that its model in the game is incomplete and is missing textures. Interestingly enough, Rockstar went on to introduce a vehicle of that design not long afterward with the Injection in GTA: Vice City.

MAP CHANGES

Speaking of content being left out of the final product, the map and layout of Liberty City itself also some some alterations throughout development. For starters, early sketches of the city in the game’s initial development stages shows parts of the map being larger and having more streets and areas than what we ended up seeing in the game. Meanwhile, some landmarks were also moved around, like the airport being moved from one area to another, while some were also added, like the Callahan Bridge, which wasn’t originally in the game.

DARKEL AND THE BUTLER

In addition to the city itself and some vehicles here and there, GTA 3 also had to leave a few characters that it had envisioned behind. One of these was Darkel, who was going to be an eccentric homeless man who would send Claude on a string of bizarre side missions. Another was someone who’s referenced passingly the game’s files simply as the “butler”- one might assume he was going to be Salvatore Leon’s butler.

MULTIPLAYER

Multiplayer is now the lifeblood of Grand Theft Auto, in many ways, to the extent that it has prolonged GTA 5’s shelf life far, far more than anyone could have ever predicted. Interestingly enough, Rockstar had considered going down that road (or at least some variation of it) long before GTA 5 exploded. GTA 3 was originally going to have a multiplayer mode, as evidenced by references to it found in the game’s files, though Rockstar ended up shelving that idea.

FIRST PERSON

Grand Theft Auto 3 was already a massive shift in perspective for GTA, a series that had traditionally been 2D and top-down, but Rockstar initially had even greater ambitions for the game. Early on in production, they planned on also including a full first person perspective in the game as an option. That idea, obviously, didn’t make it into the final game, but they would revisit it years down the line with GTA 5.

TOP DOWN CITY

Speaking of the massive shift in perspective that GTA 3 brought about for the series, even though it was a radical departure, it didn’t completely forget its origins. Throughout Liberty City, you can spot posters for a film called Top Down City, starring Arnold Steelone. That name is, of course, a parody mash-up of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, but Top Down City, too, is a reference to the original 2D top down GTA games.

GTA REFERENCES

Those aren’t the only references to the 2D top down GTA games that you’ll find in Grand Theft Auto 3. If you head to the Totally Wireless Internet Cafe in Staunton Island, you’ll spot something interesting on the computers inside. Look a little closer at their screen and you’ll see screenshots of GTA 1 and GTA 2, which is a neat nod tucked away for those who want to go looking for something like that.

CLAUDE

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City started the series’ trend of featuring voiced protagonist, which means that GTA 3’s protagonist was a silent one. In fact, it wasn’t even until GTA: San Andreas’ ending that Rockstar confirmed his name as Claude. Interestingly enough, there are many who believe that Claude is Claude Speed, who was GTA 2’s protagonist, though this isn’t something that Rockstar has ever officially confirmed.

DIABLO STALLION

GTA 3 had a pretty robust collection of vehicles (especially for its time), and it certainly helped that different cars looked, sounded, and felt different enough from each other that it felt like there was meaningful variety. The muscle car Diablo Stallion is one that many series fans will be familiar with. In fact, the engine audio effects that Rockstar used for that car in the game are the same as the ones used for the Joker’s car in the Batman: The Animated Series episode “Joker’s Wild”.

MIAMI

Keen-eyed players will probably remember that there are a lot of billboards proclaiming “Visit Miami” scattered throughout Liberty City in GTA 3, and there’s a very good reason for that. Early on, Rockstar planned on making a direct sequel to GTA 3 that would be set in Miami and would even feature GTA 3’s Ray Machowski as a returning character. Of course, the ended up shelving that idea, instead going for a game set in the 1980s in the fictional Vice City (which, of course, is based on Miami).

SWIMMING

It wasn’t until GTA: San Andreas that Rockstar’s series allowed players to go into water and swim around, which meant that falling into a water body in GTA 3 (and Vice City) meant instant death. The in-game lore in GTA 3, however, claims that the water is polluted due to an oil spill in Liberty City harbour, which is why Claude can’t go in. It’s totally not because he cannot swim.

ELVIS ZOMBIE

This one is another pretty tiny and inconsequential detail, but one that those who’ve spotted it will definitely at least chuckle a little bit at it. Some of the newspapers scattered on the ground in various spots in the city have headlines that talk about a zombie Elvis being found. GTA is known for this sort of thing, of course, and it’s great to see examples of this going as far back as GTA 3 as well.

ART STYLE

Grand Theft Auto 3’s shift in perspective wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful as it was if it weren’t for its fully 3D visuals, which, at the time, were incredibly realistic and immersive. Originally, however, Rockstar envisioned the game with a much more stylized aesthetic, with exaggerated animations for movements and a strikingly vibrant art style with bright colours. They ended up going with a grittier tone instead, and it’s fair to say that was the far better choice.

Games that were considered revolutionary during a generation feel almost ancient in the very next. This was exactly the case when Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto 3 for Sony’s PS2 in October of 2001, and ports for PC and the original Xbox followed later. Now – 20 years later, we take a look back at what made it one hell of a game back then, and which of its qualities have stood the test of time.

Grand Theft Auto had already established its reputation as a credible IP from a consistent developer prior to GTA 3’s release, with the first two entries being received well, both on a commercial and a critical front. With Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 2 offering exponentially more power than the original, Rockstar pounced on the opportunity to add a new dimension to its open-world franchise.

Fully 3D open-world games had existed on the original PlayStation, with one notable example being the Driver games on the console. However, they were pretty restrained in their scope which can mostly be chalked up to less-than-stellar technology being available to developers at the time. With Grand Theft Auto 3, Rockstar took a huge leap in all facets of game design – visuals, art direction, gameplay, music, and voice performances.

Grand Theft Auto 3 is set against the backdrop of a fictionalized Liberty City. The game’s drab and macabre colour palette sets the tone for this gritty story about a petty criminal trying to climb the ranks of the city’s crime families. The game’s story might not be one that fans would remember for long, but it was certainly impressive for the time. Rockstar used cinematic camera angles and motion-capture within the constraints of PS2, and the end result which seems primitive now was way ahead of the curve in 2001.

Dan Houser and the writing team also did a great job with the game’s characters. GTA 3 established the series tone with its band of funny-yet-likable characters, and future games would continue to build upon this foundation. Of course, the biggest character in the game is Liberty City itself. Rockstar crafted a fully explorable world that was as big as it was deep. The developer is known for its immaculate attention to detail, and all of it stands true in the case of GTA 3 as well. There’s a healthy number of secrets, collectibles, and side activities that players can take part in, spread throughout the map.

Rockstar also did a great job at providing players different avenues for exploring this wide-open space, with a healthy assortment of cars and boats. The game’s driving also felt great, which was all the more appreciable when you consider that the game isn’t at its heart a racing game. While aboard a car, players can choose to listen to a number of in-game ads and songs through the use of a radio system. Rockstar invested exorbitant amounts of money in licensing songs for Grand Theft Auto 3, which elevates it from contemporaries. Another important point worth taking a look at was the destruction mechanics. Cars would scratch and break depending on the point of impact and severity of the damage, which was an innovative mechanic at the time.

Of course, players could also make use of the game’s wide arsenal of weapons in the missions. You could mow down countless police officers or civilians, which while attracting a lot of controversies remains a pretty enjoyable part of the game. While the shooting mechanics themselves weren’t as refined as a game, say, Max Payne, which solely focused on that aspect – it was still pretty amazing for the time.

Grand Theft Auto’s wide assortment of mechanics offered Dan Houser and the team at Rockstar many different avenues for the game’s missions. Grand Theft Auto 3 features a plethora of well-realized missions that task players with performing different tasks. One mission might entail chasing down someone in a car, the other might involve mowing down a group of rival gangsters, or a combination of any such mechanics. Players were also free to choose their approach to a mission, and the game’s open-ended design encourages players to come up with creative solutions for overcoming the challenges presented.

Further encouraging such behavior was the game’s litany of pretty useful cheat codes, which allowed many interesting alterations to the game. For instance, you might summon a set of weapons if your particular arsenal isn’t up to the mark. You could even spawn sports cars in case you need it, or you might even show up in an army tank if consumer vehicles are not according to your tastes, or firepower for that matter.

When looking back at the game today, the game feels pretty antiquated. The visuals look muddy, although the game’s myriad of licensed soundtracks still hold up today. The story is divisive among fans, and all around – the game looks understandably less feature-rich when compared to subsequent entries in the franchise. Grand Theft Auto 3 – in its original form also suffers from some awkward control schemes too, which can be a pain to go back for players accustomed to modern games. That being said, Grand Theft Auto 3 triumphs in giving players liberty – the freedom to do what they want and how they want. Unlike recent games from the developer, Grand Theft Auto 3 almost never railroads you into following a strictly defined path. There’s a goal, you just have to achieve it – no restrictions in place, well, mostly, anyways. Perhaps this is what most importantly, makes Grand Theft Auto 3 one hell of a game.

However, those wanting to try out the game might just have a great alternative around the corner. As previously suggested by a number of rumors from multiple sources, Rockstar is remastering the original trilogy of Grand Theft Auto games in the form of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition. New trailers have given us a proper look at the games, and clearly – a lot of work has been put in. Apart from the obvious visual overhauls, Rockstar has confirmed that there have been improvements to the gameplay as well, with revamped driving controls, improved gunplay, the ability to add waypoints, and presumably mid-mission checkpoints. It releases in November and Grand Theft Auto 3: The Definitive Edition will be available to PS Now subscribers starting December 7. Of course, one can’t put up a verdict of the game just from trailers alone, but it seems that there’s a high chance that the remaster just might become the definitive way to experience this one hell of a game, 20 years later.

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.

As spotted (once again) by GTA Forum members (via Rockstar Intel), the individual logos of each of the three remasters have also surfaced thanks to recent updates made to the Rockstar Launcher (as seen above). GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas all have the subtitle of “The Definitive Edition” attached. Recently, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition was also rated in South Korea, and the naming is definitely consistent.

The trilogy is rumoured to launch this November for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and Xbox One, followed by PC, iOS, and Android versions supposedly coming some time in 2022. An announcement by Rockstar should be coming soon to make all of this official- or we hope so, at any rate.

As spotted by members on the GTA Forums, icons for achievements of the GTA Remastered Trilogy have seemingly been found in the Rockstar Launcher. Some of these are quite similar to existing achievements for ports of the games that already exist, but a few are new, suggesting that there might be new content in the remastered releases- or, you know, at least new achievements.

Meanwhile, individual mentions of GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas remasters have also been found in strings within the Rockstar Launcher’s files, while icons for each individual game have also been discovered. Interestingly enough, the strings mention that the games run on Unreal Engine 4, which matches up with what’s been said about the trilogy in leaks.

Whether or not a GTA Remastered Trilogy exists is still not officially confirmed, of course, but one would have to imagine that with all of these leaks and rumours and the collection’s release (allegedly) coming soon, an announcement won’t be far away. Stay tuned for more updates.

#GTATrilogy icons have also been discovered within the Launcher – with shiny gold outlines!

Credit to @bs_blackscout https://t.co/b9F4oqMIKH https://t.co/FV5bfAutgo pic.twitter.com/StBfo4UhxH

— GTANet (@GTANet) October 5, 2021

https://twitter.com/GTANet/status/1445462206053715968

According to the report, the GTA Remastered Trilogy is scheduled for release this November. Originally, the plan was to bring it either in October or in November, but now, the latter seems to have finalized, with PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch being the launch platforms, and PC, iOS, and Android getting the collecting some time in 2022.

Rockstar Dundee – formerly Ruffian Games – is supposedly heading up development on the remasters. Previously, it was suggested that the trilogy’s launch might slip into 2022, but with Grand Theft Auto 5’s PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions having been pushed out of November and into March, the late 2021 window is open for the trilogy’s launch.

Of course, this is all unverified information for now, but there’s quite a bit of smoke here- it remains to be seen when Rockstar will officially talk about the fire. Stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated on any new details that come our way.