MostGTAfans have their eyes onGTA 6, which will be the next entry in the legendaryGTAseries. It promises to be yet another genre-progressing title, though it should not cause gamers to forget thatRockstar has revolutionized the open-world spaceseveral times prior. Perhaps the most notable instance of this was withGrand Theft Auto 3, a game that is slowly slipping away into the hands of time. Rockstar could save this highly important title by giving a proper, ground-up remake that retains its core elements while modernizing it sufficiently for modern audiences.
For passionate gamers,Grand Theft Auto 3is a title that can still be enjoyed in its original state, but it can be frustrating for modern gamers who are used to contemporary titles. A proper remake could address these issues, ensuring new gamers can appreciate just what an important titleGTA 3is. It could also make up for theGTAtrilogy, which was a huge disappointment for many gamers.
RELATED:Red Dead Redemption 3 and Fallout 5 Are in the Same Boat
Grand Theft Auto 3’s Legacy
Few gaming franchises have had as much of animpact asGrand Theft Auto. Although the first entry in the series was released in 1997, the series never hit legendary status untilGrand Theft Auto 3in 2001. The game captured the attention of gamers thanks to its immersive open world, gripping crime story, and unapologetic violence. These were also some of the same reasons it triggered the ire of religious groups, irate parents, and legal teams who were frothing at the mouth to put the controversial franchise to an end. Though the negative press occasionally landed Rockstar in hot water, it failed to buryGTA. Instead, every subsequent controversy only increased the value of the franchise and helped it to reach a wider audience.
By the timeGrand Theft: San Andreaswas released in 2004, the series had become a household name and, for better or for worse, notoriety was part of its DNA. Importantly, however, many of the coreelements that have come to epitomize theGTAfranchisewere founded withinGrand Theft Auto 3. It revolutionized the open-world format, and to date, it has sold 14.5 million copies worldwide. As a part of video game history, it cannot be ignored, and it will forever be remembered as the stepping-stone that it was for the open-world genre.
Rockstar Mistreats Grand Theft Auto 3
In 2021, Rockstar announced that theGTAtrilogy – featuringGTA 3,GTA: Vice City, andGTA: San Andreas– will be resold as a remastered bundle. This excited gamers, as it would allow players to enjoy these classic games on modern consoles. The games were developed by Grove Street Games, the same studio responsible for the mobile ports of theGrand Theft Autogames.
The trilogy was released in late 2021 and, unfortunately, it did anything but impress gamers. Of course, there were plenty of improvements added, including additional mission checkpoints, improved graphics, increased trees and foliage, and upscaled textures, among many other things. This wasn’t enough to please fans, however, as there were several issues as well.
The games were riddled with bugs, and they constantly crashed. Even when playing on the PlayStation 5, gamers found themselves experiencing disappointing frame drops. Furthermore, the art style was far more cartoonish, causing the games to lose a lot of the grittiness that gave them their personality. Players also loathed that some of theirfavorite characters looked much different in theGTAtrilogy.GTA 3was not spared from the terrible port, and it also faced issues such as rain that completely obscured vision.
Since the release of the games,Rockstar has issued an apology, and patches have been released to help mend some of the most glaring issues. Nevertheless, this is not the kind of remaster games of this magnitude deserve. Fortunately, there are no rules stating that Rockstar is only allowed one go at a remake. Given the right team with adequate focus, aGTA 3remake could impress all and demonstrate to new gamers just whyGrand Theft Autois the industry-leading franchise it has become.
RELATED:20 Years Ago, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Provided the Blueprint for Open-World Aesthetic
Grand Theft Auto 3 Could Benefit from a Remake
Despite getting a remaster,GTA 3deserves a ground-up remake. Several titles have demonstrated just how beneficial such remakes can be for modernizing older games. The greatest examples of this come from Capcom, which has brought gamers the phenomenalResident Evil 1and2remakes. They manage to retain the feeling, core mechanics, and settings of the older game while modernizing the gameplay and making them far more accessible for the gamers of today. Seeing the success of the remakes, Capcom is continuing the trend with aResident Evil 4remake set to release in 2023. IfGTA 3could receive a remake of the same quality, it could find the same success as theResident Evilremakes.
Many of the wonky aspects of the original game, including its auto-aim system and clunky drive-by shooting system, could be mended with a ground-up remake. This time around, Rockstar should not outsource this work. Instead, it should work on it internally, ensuring that every aspect does justice to a game that has played an indispensable role in legitimizing gaming as a platform for both gaming and storytelling. With a sprinkling of top-notch graphics and audio added, such a remake would be the perfect gift to one of the most important games of all time.
Unfortunately, it does not seem like such a remake will be coming any time soon. Currently, all hands are on deck forthe long-awaitedGTA 6. Furthermore, as some leakers have claimed, due to the poor critical reception of theGTAtrilogy remakes, Rockstar has put such projects on pause for now. While this might be bad news forGTA 3fans, it does mean that players may getGTA 6sooner rather than later.
Grand Theft Auto 3is available now on mobile, PC, PS2, and Xbox.
MORE:Grand Theft Auto 6’s Brand of Humor is Perfect for Mocking Crypto and the Metaverse
