'We have only just begun' - World Today News

Grand Theft Auto III
(Image: Rockstar Games)

On October 22, 2001, a game appeared that would change everything: Grand Theft Auto III, or GTA 3. The first two games in the series were certainly cool. From a top view you had the opportunity to steal all cars and thereby complete missions. But with this third part it really got big. As a player, you were treated to a large open world in the form of Liberty City, which is a nod to New York.

GTA 3 was released in Europe on October 26. Then I got it on the PlayStation 2. At that time there were already a lot of positive reviews of the game and it was clear that it was a game that did it differently than you were used to. And after playing the game for a while, it was clear that the game was truly unique for its time. As a novice criminal you could follow a great story, where you progressed through various missions. But it was just as fun to mess around and see how long you could last when you shot at random and got the cops after you.

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In honor of the twentieth anniversary, we had the opportunity to speak with Aaron Garbut. He has been with Rockstar North for many years and is now the Head of Development and Co-Studio Head there. The first game he worked on was GTA 3, where he played the role of Art Director. We were able to ask him a few questions.

GTA 3 interview met Aaron Garbut

BECAUSE: With GTA 3, the series naturally moved to a 3D world. What challenges did that pose?

Aaron: With that change you were suddenly in the middle of the world instead of above it. As a result, the whole had to be given more details. The gamer saw in the distance and there was more interaction. The goal for us was to give it a cinematic feel. At the same time, few games really brought 3D to this level, so we really had to think about everything from the drawing board. The players had to be gripped by the experience, by activating missions themselves and talking to people from the environment.

The cover of the game at the time (Image: Rockstar Games)

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And then there was the speed with which you moved. That also presented a challenge. Because, with the limited memory, how did you ensure that something was rendered at a distance, so that it was there when you drove past it. In this way we faced all kinds of problems, but also managed to solve most of them and set the vision for the future of the series.

BECAUSE: One of the cool elements in the game was the radio and the music. What was involved when you put that together?

Aaron: When it became clear to us that we were going to make a world on this scale, it was important that the players really got into it. And the music and talk radio stations made you even more immersed in the experience. It was a turning point for the series. One listened to the classic pieces of Double Clef, the other was a fan of the classics from Flashback and then we had our own music.

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BECAUSE: What’s what you took from GTA 3 for the games that came after?

Aaron: Actually, GTA 3 laid the foundation of the games we made after that. From that game on, we created worlds that were believable, varied, interesting and as vibrant as possible. Worlds that make you feel like you’re living in them. At the same time, the world should be fun without doing anything specific. It’s just as important to mess around and have fun as it is to play a good mission. Sure, we’ve gotten better at storytelling, but the basics have always stayed the same.

BECAUSE: When you think back to what GTA 3 brought us, what are you most proud of?

Aaron: Before GTA 3, games were something you played. But with our game, games became a place to live. Since that time they have become more real and convincing. I am proud of the path we have taken. It feels like we’ve set a foundation and pushed the genre forward. I love open world games. And I think there’s a lot more that can be done. As a team we have a lot of experience from all the years we have worked on games. We are making strides and I always look forward to the next step. This third part was the starting signal, but I feel like we have only just started.

The big open world (Image: Rockstar Games)

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Those were the questions and answers we got from Aaron. It’s nice to see how the best man looks back on the game with pleasure. Of course he gives nice politically correct answers. But let’s be honest: GTA 3 was also pretty brutal for its time. You could walk around the street and then completely smash a pedestrian out of nowhere. Or use your weapon and shoot him or her that way. And that’s just one example. That is why I have listed a few good memories.

GTA 3 memories

Your first ride in a car

The first time you took a seat in a car in GTA 3 and drove it around, it was very special. Yes, it was a bit clumsy to drive, but the fact that you could drive through the streets of Liberty City at a reasonably high speed was really cool. And of course you watched what happened when you ran over a pedestrian.

Shooting police officers

In GTA 3, there is a lot of police on the ground that the player has to keep in check. But you also know that they carry weapons. By finishing one, you’ll quickly pick up a gun that you can use again in missions. Only then you have to shake off the other police officers, because after such an action you immediately get a few stars in your Wanted level.

Pistols are useful in the game (Image: Rockstar Games)

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Cause a fire, then the fire brigade came and you stole that car

When you started driving a car in GTA 3, you soon realized that they didn’t have eternal life. If you had too much damage, you had to get away, because the explosion is deadly. But with that explosion, a fire also starts and you will see that the fire brigade comes by to extinguish the fire. And then you can steal that car and go for more.

Zap between the radio stations

If you have nothing to do for a while, you can also just drive around in a car and enjoy the radio stations. In particular, I found Chatterbox to be very entertaining with entertaining conversations with the listeners.

Taking a woman of easy virtue

Besides the fact that you could kill police officers in GTA 3, there was something else that caused a lot of dust: women of easy virtue. There were several hookers in the game. You could pick it up in your car and then drive to an alley. There the car would go up and down a bit, indicating that you were doing the deed. In addition, this provided extra health. And when the lady got out, you’d kill her and take her money.

You have to be careful with Misty (Image: Rockstar Games)

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The second island to open

The first hours you spend in GTA 3 is on the first island. But when you’ve completed some missions, the bridge to the second island opens and you get a much bigger game world in one go. As a result, the possibilities were almost endless.

Take a seat in the Dodo and then fly as long as possible

And if you ended up on the third island in GTA 3, you could go to the airport there. There you had a little plane called the Dodo. It was a plane that wasn’t meant to fly in it for very long. Somehow the developer wanted you to crash with it quickly. And then the challenge was to stay in the air as long as possible and write that record down.

Playing with cheats

Finally, GTA 3 had a lot of different cheat codes. With that, you could suddenly get a lot of weapons out of nowhere or have infinite life. It was a wonderful way to mess around and discover what was possible.

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Have you never played GTA 3? Then we have good news. The GTA Trilogy will appear in a while. It contains this third part, but also the classics Vice City and San Andreas. Want to read more about gaming? Then visit our overview page here.

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GTA 3 is twenty years old: ‘We have only just started’

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‘We have only just begun’

GTA 3 interview met Aaron Garbut