5 things GTA 3 did better than Liberty City Stories

Although Liberty City Stories has several major improvements over GTA 3, it doesn't capture the magic of the original game.

GTA 3 is certainly outdated by modern standards, especially with its control scheme and graphics. However, that doesn't mean it's without merit. Liberty City Stories is a good successor to GTA 3, with a different take on Liberty City.

Even so, it's not without fault; there are some aspects GTA 3 handles better.

When it comes to controls, Liberty City Stories is the clear winner. It has free-aiming and better camera movements. However, it doesn't take full advantage of this, as it removes San Andreas features like swimming and climbing. What GTA 3 gets right is the storyline, overall tone, and character depictions.

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Five times GTA 3 did something better than Liberty City Stories

#5 - GTA 3 is available on PC

Liberty City Stories is available on mobile platforms, but it's noticeably absent on the PC. For whatever reason, Rockstar Games never bothered to port it over to Steam. It also shares this problem with Vice City Stories.

By contrast, GTA 3 is already available on Steam. A great number of players prefer to play games on their PC, given its universal applications. For GTA players who don't want to restrict themselves to mobile or portable devices, they would have to resort to buying an old copy of the PlayStation 2 and 3 classic.

There are third-party mods available to play Liberty City Stories on PC, but they require time and effort to set up. GTA 3 is much more accessible to the current generation of GTA players than its prequel.

#4 - It was more innovative for its time

While it's not entirely fair to hold this against Liberty City Stories, it cannot be denied the revolutionary impact GTA 3 had on the video game industry. It completely changed the open-world landscape and turned Rockstar Games into a highly profitable business.

GTA 3 was a brilliant transition from the earlier 2D titles of the series. What made it work was its convenience, given the time period. Any player can pick up a controller and learn how to drive instantly.

The minimap made it easy to explore Liberty City. There were markers indicating missions and where to go.

Unfortunately, Liberty City Stories doesn't break the same ground GTA 3 did. It scales down a few notable features from San Andreas, particularly swimming. While it's a servicable game, it plays out like a DLC pack for GTA 3 - which it essentially was. It lacks innovation on all fronts.

#3 - Catalina was a more interesting antagonist

One of the biggest strengths GTA 3 has over its prequel is a better source of conflict. Catalina is a memorable final boss, given it's extremely personal between her and Claude. GTA players will notice her presence throughout the entire game, given her large-scale drug operations in Liberty City.

By comparison, Massimo Torini is laughably underdeveloped as a major antagonist. He only shows up in two missions, which makes him the antagonist with the least amount of in-game appearances. Massimo also never directly interacts with Toni Cipirani.

Liberty City Stories should've done more with Massimo. As a result, there are no high stakes involved in the final mission. He may as well have been a random mook, given his lack of screentime.

#2 - The atmosphere was darker and grittier

Old-school fans appreciate the dark atmosphere of the original GTA 3. It truly captures the criminal essence - it's lonely, the streets feel unsafe, and there is always a gloomy sense of uneasiness. The cold weather also sets the tone.

Liberty City Stories is comparatively brighter in both gameplay and story. While it's still a brutally violent game, there are more attempts at overall humor. Whether the jokes land with GTA players depends on their tastes.

GTA 3 has a consistent tone throughout the entire game - it's a brooding experience, similar to waiting on a subway in the middle of the night. Some GTA fans prefer this presentation instead of what they get in Liberty City Stories.

#1 - Donald Love was taken more seriously

Donald Love is a mysterious individual in GTA 3. He was a sauve businessman who relied on ruthless tactics, which Claude had carried out for him. However, he is given a completely different characterization in Liberty City Stories.

One of the more divisive aspects of the game is the change in personality for Donald. He is far less subtle than he previously was. Instead, he can be over-the-top in his proclaimations of human flesh.

Donald Love no longer carries a mystifying aura - he is now completely outrageous. Whether it's a good or bad thing depends on the player, especially if they played GTA 3 beforehand. It's quite the striking contrast.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.