5 ways GTA 3 completely differs from the rest of the series

Given that it was an earlier installment, GTA 3 is strikingly different from the rest of the series afterward.

GTA 3 was the first attempt at bringing the series to the 3D realm of gaming. It worked great wonders for Rockstar Games - it sold millions within its first year, becoming the best-selling game of 2001. Looking back, however, there are notable distinctions between this game and the rest.

It makes sense - GTA 3 was the first outing in a completely different landscape. Of course there are going to be major changes in future installments. Regardless, some of the strange features within GTA 3 are holdovers of the previous 2D era. Players will notice it right away, even if they never played earlier games.

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Five ways GTA 3 stands out among the GTA series

5) Caricature artwork

The art style is remarkably different here (Image via GTA 3 Windows box cover art)

First and foremost, GTA 3 mostly uses a caricature artstyle in their promotional work. While most characters do look realistic (Maria, 8-Ball, Toni, etc.), more than a few would be completely out-of-place in later box cover art.

Salvatore, for instance, doesn't look anything like his in-game appearance. He does resemble Don Vito Corleone, but his nose is greatly elongated. Some of the Yakuza and Mafia also have bigger heads than their bodies. The most ridiculous example is the one with the glasses - his ears are placed too low.

Caricatures are meant to exaggerate features of the face and body, which is what GTA 3 does here. It somewhat remembles the character artwork in Body Harvest, a Nintendo 64 game developed by the makers of GTA. However, it can seem cartoonish for such a depressing crime-drama.

4) - There was a top-down perspective

The earliest GTA titles used a top-down perspective. Hardware and graphical limitations meant this was the best Rockstar Games could do until GTA 3 came out. The rest is history - GTA 3 had a third-person perspective.

Rockstar Games did bring over the top-down view one last time. GTA 3 allows players the ability to alternate between different camera angles. Old-school players would feel right at home with this view. For newer players, it's a different experience and a bigger challenge.

The top-down cameras would be used in later games to a limited extent, such as flying helicopters in GTA 5 and Online. As it stands, GTA 3 is the only 3D era game to use this perspective.

3) Money can be made through street crimes

Similar to the 2D game before it, GTA 3 allows players to collect money based on street crimes. Back then, the series used a point system for mission progress. Although GTA 3 got rid of this feature, there are leftovers from the previous game. Namely, they can earn cash from caving in skulls.

GTA 3 will give the players a small monetary reward for various activities. For example, they can bump into cars or blow them up. Such criminal activities often yield great bonuses. GTA 3 encourages players to cause damage.

Later games in the series would drop this altogether. Going forward, Rockstar Games would stay away from the 2D elements of the early games.

2) There are no motorcycles in Liberty City

Strangely, GTA 3 is one of the very few games in the series to not have motorcycles (the other games are GTA 2 and Advance). Their absence is rather noticeable, given they are a staple of the series.

Fans often speculate the development team already had difficulties with the technology. This was their first attempt at transitioning from 2D to 3D. It took nine months just to make the city, along with a few weapons and vehicles. Perhaps they did not have the physics engine ready until GTA Vice City a year later.

Liberty City Stories, the prequel to GTA 3, does use motorcycles. The in-game explanation for their disappearance is a city-wide ban. Apparently, residents voted to get rid of motorcycles due to recent dangers.

1) Rockstar Games used their original name - DMA Designs

GTA 3 is the last game in the series to use the old name for Rockstar North. They are the primary developers of the GTA series, working directly under Rockstar Games. Back then, they were known as DMA Design.

The oldest copies use the DMA Design logo. Later versions of GTA 3, however, use Rockstar North instead. The logo uses lettering to make it appear human. In classic Rockstar fashion, the logo is often subject to misery and torment.

GTA 3 was the end of an era for DMA Design. it was also a new beginning for the series as a whole.

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