The Best PlayStation Game Every Year 1994 - 2024
24. 2001 - Grand Theft Auto III
And with our first PlayStation 2 title, we have the franchise that perhaps best defines the console. Heck, it probably best defines the era.
The unexpected leap of the GTA series from top-down action games into a sprawling 3D open city was unprecedented.
For all of what one might have to say about the groups and people who opposed GTA, the outcry proved that gaming as a medium needed to be taken seriously. Rockstar’s latest magnum opus was a huge leap in realism and it wasn’t just the graphics; it was how grounded everything felt. GTA3 was like a contemporary gangster movie, featuring recognisable Hollywood actors.
And yet at the same time, it was a totally insane playground of escapism, allowing players to explore a fictional take on New York in various vehicles, wielding numerous weapons and causing mayhem. Since the formula has been reiterated constantly in the 20 years since, by both Rockstar and a tonne of other IPs trying to catch the slipstream, you would think that GTA3 would be very bare bones by today’s standards. However, the fact it’s still fun proves that it’s the perfect scratch for a particular itch.
Both PS2 Grand Theft Auto sequels added character and depth in their own ways, sharpening GTA’s points to make it one of the biggest video game franchises in the world. All this to say, it would’ve been very easy to have Vice City and San Andreas come out on top of their respective years later in this list. However, for the sake of variety, let’s just take this moment to acknowledge them and agree to talk up some other classics instead.
The fact of the matter remains: Grand Theft Auto III changed the entire landscape of gaming in a way that very few games ever do.