Grand Theft Auto III is an action adventure game. It was first released in 2002 and is the first game in the Grand Theft Auto series of games to be released in 3D. The game is set in Liberty City, a fictional city heavily based on New York City. In the game, players assume the role of Claude, a smalltime thief who was betrayed by his girlfriend and must rise up the ranks and be a leader of a crime syndicate.
The game is a combination of a driving game and a third-person shooter game. The player must complete missions to progress through the storyline. These missions include carjacking, theft, and murder. However, players must perform these tasks without getting caught by the FBI, the army, or the police. Unlike the previous Grand Theft Auto games, Grand Theft Auto III does not limit the lives of the character. Grand Theft Auto III’s storyline is non-linear. Players are give storyline quests and side missions. Storyline quests must be complete to unlock certain areas in the game. Doing these quests will also propel the story. However, some of these quests are not mandatory to finish. Side missions allow players to acquire money that can be useful later on in the game.
Grand Theft Auto II has a one-time tutorial that teaches players the basic controls and new features in the game.