RETRO GAMING How GTA III created the modern open world

Jump into the third dimension

While the previous two installments of the series used a top-down view, GTA 3 threw players directly onto the streets of Liberty City in a full 3D environment. The development team at DMA Design, soon to become Rockstar North, has long awaited the technology that could make their vision a reality. With the arrival of the PlayStation 2, they finally got the power they needed to create a believable, three-dimensional city. That transition was key – the players no longer just watched the chaos from above, but became its active participant.

Open world games existed even before 2001. Titles like Driver offered city driving, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time a vast world to explore. However, GTA 3 was different. It offered an unprecedented level of freedom in an environment that simulated a living city. Pedestrians walked the streets, drivers respected the traffic lights, and the city had a dynamic change of day and night and weather conditions. Players could ignore the main missions for hours and simply explore, steal cars or create their own entertainment. The key technical innovation was the so-called “streaming” technology, which loaded parts of the map in real time and thus eliminated loading screens while driving around town. It was a “system” that connected all the elements – driving, shooting and exploring – into a seamless whole.

Template for the future

The success of the game was so great that it spawned a whole new sub-genre, popularly called “GTA clone”. Games like Saints Row, Mafia, and True Crime have directly borrowed the formula set by Liberty City. GTA 3 established a design language that became a standard: icons on the map that indicate missions, freedom to choose tasks and a fluid transition between walking and driving. Even details such as the use of the triangle button to enter the vehicle have become a generally accepted standard in the industry. With a cinematic presentation, professional voice acting and legendary radio stations, GTA 3 raised the bar for production values ​​and proved that video games are a medium for adult audiences.