As someone, who has been actively playing PC/console games since mid 90's, I dare to say I've seen a lot. Times are passing by and trends are changing too with my favorite genres as RTS , adventures being on decline while FPS , visual novels are on the verge of its popularity now.
My apologies to all for the first sentimental paragraph but I felt like I want to mention that due to the fact that GTA3 is more than 15 years old game now. The question is - is Grand Theft Auto 3 the best game (within franchise) made so far? I dare to say "NO", as every single time a new GTA comes out, gaming community is stunned with graphics, options etc.. but I can say that no game is going to be as revolutionary as GTA3 was back in the time.
Having played GTA2 for tens, maybe hundreds of playtime, seeing and hearing news of GTA3 was something unimaginable. EVERYONE was talking about it.. people were reading printed magazines and early reading every preview / news / reviews available and every game picture was like idol, no matter if it was gameplay or not. When we finally got our hands on the game, the feeling was just .. hard to describe. From isometric view of GTA2, Rockstar threw us into open world fully in 3D graphics and that was the main factor of its legacy. It was first (or one of) fully open world game in 3D - no more square boxes watched from the sky, you saw 3D models of people walking on the street, you could steal any car you want and of course - the legendary teenage approach back then was "you can get a hooker, have sex with her and then kill her with a baseball bat to get your money back"!!! I know it might sound lame nowadays but back then, all kids in school were talking about things like this. Some people played arcades, some played strategies, others preferred adventures - but everyone was playing GTA3.
Nowadays, graphics and options might not be appealing anymore but me and all my friends will never forget Asuka whipping her peons, Toni Cipriani and his mother (we never saw), mechanic 8 Ball, Diablos - the lamest gang with the best car, Jamaican gang with their shitty lowriders and Columbians with jungle-like hats and boots in pick up trucks. And of course, at last but not least, Italian gang with their Sentinels always tunes up to classical music. Nothing can beat those memories, ever.
My apologies to all for the first sentimental paragraph but I felt like I want to mention that due to the fact that GTA3 is more than 15 years old game now. The question is - is Grand Theft Auto 3 the best game (within franchise) made so far? I dare to say "NO", as every single time a new GTA comes out, gaming community is stunned with graphics, options etc.. but I can say that no game is going to be as revolutionary as GTA3 was back in the time.
Having played GTA2 for tens, maybe hundreds of playtime, seeing and hearing news of GTA3 was something unimaginable. EVERYONE was talking about it.. people were reading printed magazines and early reading every preview / news / reviews available and every game picture was like idol, no matter if it was gameplay or not. When we finally got our hands on the game, the feeling was just .. hard to describe. From isometric view of GTA2, Rockstar threw us into open world fully in 3D graphics and that was the main factor of its legacy. It was first (or one of) fully open world game in 3D - no more square boxes watched from the sky, you saw 3D models of people walking on the street, you could steal any car you want and of course - the legendary teenage approach back then was "you can get a hooker, have sex with her and then kill her with a baseball bat to get your money back"!!! I know it might sound lame nowadays but back then, all kids in school were talking about things like this. Some people played arcades, some played strategies, others preferred adventures - but everyone was playing GTA3.
Nowadays, graphics and options might not be appealing anymore but me and all my friends will never forget Asuka whipping her peons, Toni Cipriani and his mother (we never saw), mechanic 8 Ball, Diablos - the lamest gang with the best car, Jamaican gang with their shitty lowriders and Columbians with jungle-like hats and boots in pick up trucks. And of course, at last but not least, Italian gang with their Sentinels always tunes up to classical music. Nothing can beat those memories, ever.