Revisiting the 2001 Open-World Pioneer That Changed GTA Forever

In a new retrospective series leading up to GTA 6, critic Luke Reilly begins by replaying Grand Theft Auto III. He finds that while its targeting and mission restarts feel dated, the game's seamless blend of driving, action, and exploration in a 3D world was a groundbreaking achievement. The piece argues that GTA III laid the blueprint for modern open-world games despite its rough edges.

Luke Reilly's retrospective series will span the core Grand Theft Auto titles, with each entry ranked against the others by the end of the project. His replay of GTA III highlights how the 2001 release abandoned the top-down perspective of earlier entries for a fully 3D world, while retaining quirky touches like custom radio ads and Elvis references. The game's Liberty City, a stand-in for New York, features a voice cast drawn from notable crime film actors, though the city itself emerges as the most memorable element. Reilly notes that GTA III fulfilled the gritty promise of GTA 2's live-action promotional film, which had felt disconnected from that game's actual setting.