Grand Theft Auto III

[Vilge Duin]

I just finished Bully the other day, and decided to play through San Andreas again. I'm also going to pick up Vice City cheaply again to play some of that.

But of all the GTA games (including the first two) I haven't played III since I got my PS2 right around the time Vice City came out and never felt the need to play III. I was just wondering if it would be worth it just to see what it's like, as I've heard varying things about whether it's still decent or not.

Are the missions and overall story worth playing even now? I know the gameplay isn't as refined as the latter two (motorcycles, swimming, etc.), I just want to know if would be worth my time to play.

[Ruckus]

Simply put, yes. Besides, with how cheap it is now whats there to lose?

[Timmoru Suzuki]

GTAIII remains my favourite GTA by a mile, hands-down. So yes, yes, YES, it WILL be worth the play.

[Gongsun Zan]

I'm going to say...no.

It's a good game, but if you've already played VC and SA, by the time you get to GTA3, it's basically same-old same-old. Add in the fact that GTA3 really has no storyline whatsoever, it's rather meh in comparison.

[METALMAN]

Yes. The storyline in that is the best IMO.

[Gongsun Zan]

Storyline? Seriously, what storyline?

[METALMAN]

look it up in wikipedia or something. I can't be bothered telling you.

[Guest Kou]

As someone who's played GTA since the first one came out, GTA III will always have a special place in my sandbox loving heart as one of the best GTAs ever.

I prefer Vice City but III had that certain magic to it as you popped the disc in for the first time and drove that teal peice of shit to your hideout with 8-Ball. So basically my GTA on the PS2 rankings go like so, Vice > III > SA > ______ Stories.

[JStarr]

Playing through III again right now myself, actually. As long as you don't dwell on the things that Whathisnuts can't do that Carl Johnson can, the game's still fun like no other. I did get spoiled by the big-name soundtracks, though. Playing III, about all I listen to is Lazlow.

[Gongsun Zan]

look it up in wikipedia or something. I can't be bothered telling you.

[METALMAN]

Kinda true, but the storyline was really good up till then. I think it picked up a bit when the mayor entered the scene.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I actually have a weird love for the Portland Island. I actually love that place. Some of the missions om the first Island are tremendous, and sometimes if I have a free day and nothing to do, I just play the first Island again and spend time just driving round and doing crazy stuff. GTA3 will always be special to me, because its the first game of its type I really enjoyed, and it was the first PS2 game I got and fell totally in love with it.

I actually prefer the soundtrack to that than I do Vice, and a hell of a lot more than I like San Andreas too.

Fucking great game overall, and thinking about it gives me a huge case of rose-tinted nostalgia.

[Miami Vice]

Liberty City Stories is GTA III with Bikes and better characters. I love all the GTA games though.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

And totally different missions and main character....

[Anothername]

After playing San Andreas, both GTA III and Vice seem shit because of some of the things mentioned like swimming, but they're fine once you get used to them again. Also, an important thing to consider is what gangster genre you like. III is all about the many different types of gangs; Mafia, Yakuza, Triads, Cartels, Yardies and Diablos, whereas Vice City is more orientated on a few key characters. San Andreas is on a larger scale entirely.

Edited October 31, 2006 by Anothername

[Guest Kou]

Liberty City Stories is GTA III with Bikes and better characters. I love all the GTA games though.

[The Kraig]

I loaned it from a friend, and proceeded to just do all the jump stunts for him over the course of the week. He was pleased, indeed. Then told me to show him them all.

I love those stunts.

[apsham]

Even though I played III first, I ended up going back playing it... forgetting it didn't have some of the features as the more recent games. It wasn't really that big of a bother as it's still quite the enjoyable game in it's own right.

[carlitojohn]

Ive got GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas and LCS and i have to say that III is good, but i could not get back into it again because of the features of San Andreas, which i still play daily, but the rankings for me would go like this

BEST: San Andreas

Vice City

GTA III

LCS

[figos]

Vice City > GTA > GTA 3 > San Andreas > GTA 2

IMHO.

[Enter Blue Guy]

I never really got into III at all, for some reason I like the old 2D games better, even though GTA 2 was nothing more than a glorified expansion pack of the original, it still rocked serious ass.

I got more into Vice City, just because the whole thing took what III and made it 18 times better and more fun.

But I love San Andreas the most, I was so much more involved with the game than of the other ones. Personally, it's my favorite and face it, it's the best. It's pretty much everything you could have wanted in a GTA game and you know it. Best soundtrack, overall the mission where probably cooler in some of the other games, but the best missions of all-time are in San Andreas. The two missions that end on the back on the bike with the AK-47.

[YI]

Back over the summer I started GTAIII again (As I bought it on the X-Box in the double pack with Vice City), basically the plan was to do III, Vice City then San Andreas (I'd have done it in gaming chronological order, but after playing the 2 more recent games, I doubt i'd want to go back to III). Lets say I'm still on III, granted the last time I played it was like September, but still. I've got like 3/4 misions left, but I'm having a blast driving around and just doing random shit. There's some great missions, there's also some shite/annoying missions. Plus I find there's odd occasions where shit gets really-really difficult, which I haven't felt on later games. It's pretty good, nothing great. But it's amazing for what it is, the total reinvention of a franchise and the launching pad for a whole style of game.

[marksbros6]

I started out trying to play them in chronological order recently.

Got 4-5 missions into Vice city before FIFA 07 and FM 2007 stole my attention, and now Vice City stories kinda makes my plans a bit outta whack!

Edited November 1, 2006 by marksbros6

[oldskool]

The series did a really nice job of evolving and at least addressing (if not outright fixing) the problems of the previous game. While that makes it a spectacular series, it really hurts the replay value of the older games because you don't realize how great the upgrades to SA were until you play Vice City where they aren't there; and you don't realize how big the VC upgrades were until you play GTA III and they aren't there.

[Guest Kou]

While I agree with you in principle oldskool, I can play III just fine without being able to swim and ride choppahs and shit.

CUZ I'M OLD SCHOOL NIGGA. OHHHH YEAHHHH.