5 unbelievable facts about GTA 3 that Definitive Edition players might not know

GTA 3 was the first entry in the 3D Universe of the series that revolutionized the gaming industry in 2001. The game has introduced many new features that have become a staple of the series ever since, including a third-person perspective, saving cars in the garages, and more. Set in Liberty City, it shares the story of Claude, the silent protagonist, via many memorable missions that set the tone for the rest of the franchise.

While Grand Theft Auto 3 has earned many accolades for its revolutionary gameplay, there are many things that many players might not even know about it. With the recent release of GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition, it is the best time to dive down into history and learn about five unbelievable facts about GTA 3.

Note: This article is purely subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.

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Removed characters and 4 other lesser-known facts about GTA 3 (2023)

5) First Person Gameplay

When GTA 3 was released, it became a worldwide phenomenon due to its third-person perspective in an open-world environment. Many players might not know, but the developers initially had plans to make it a first-person perspective game. While those plans didn't move further into production, players can still take note of their leftovers.

There are two ways to access the first-person mode of the game in certain situations:

1. Players can look around from a first-person perspective.
2. Players can aim a weapon in the first-person view.

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4) Miami-based direct sequel

In GTA 3, players can find many billboards announcing "Visit Miami" throughout Liberty City. This might be unknown to many in the community, but the developers planned a direct sequel to the game set in Miami with Ray Machowski as a returning character.

That never happened, and GTA Vice City was released afterward. The latter was set in the fictional Vice City, based in Miami. Even though Vice City was set in the 1980s, it showed many improvements over Grand Theft Auto 3.

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3) Poisonous water

GTA 3 players cannot swim in the water, and not necessarily because Claude cannot swim. According to the game's lore, the Liberty City water is polluted and toxic due to an oil spill in the harbor, resulting in a thick hazardous layer over it. If players submerge themselves in water, their health decreases rapidly until the character dies.

This is a neat and clever explanation of the otherwise limited nature of the game. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the first title in the series to fully allow swimming, which players can now enjoy in the Definitive Edition.

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2) Bigger map size

GTA 3 has three different districts connected by three islands in the game – Staunton Island, Portland, and Shoreside Vale. This gives a vast open world to explore and submerge in. All three islands have a lot of streets and areas, giving the impression of a truly big enough area for the game at the time.

However, early designs of the Liberty City map suggest that the original map was supposed to be much more significant. It could have more streets and areas to explore than the released version. Even the famous Callahan Bridge was not a part of early sketches of the city. While the final version of the map is excellent in its own right, it would be nice to see a bigger Liberty City back in 2001.

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1) Removed characters

GTA 3 introduced many memorable and unique characters, including the silent protagonist, Claude. However, many players might not have known that the game would include two more characters – Butler and Darkel.

While the developers never truly explained the Butler character, it is assumed that he would be the butler for Salvatore Leon in the game. However, Rockstar explained that Darkel was removed as his character was simply a bit odd, and his missions were not as good as the rest of the final game.

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The developers originally planned to go all out with Grand Theft Auto 3; however, they had to scale back their ambitions here and there. Nonetheless, the end product is still a fantastic experience for many players that can now be enjoyed in the Definitive Edition across the major platforms.