GTA III Era: Difference between revisions

The '''GTA III Era''' refers to six [[Grand Theft Auto]] games released from [[Grand Theft Auto III]], and before [[Grand Theft Auto IV]]. This is also known as the '''third generation''' of GTA games, which were released between [[2001]] and [[2006]]. The '''[[3D Universe]]''' refers to the GTA III Era only.

These games are unofficially grouped together into the GTA III Era because they have interlinking [[Characters in 3D Universe|characters]], [[locations]] and storylines; and share features and an aesthetic style that are not present in different eras. The games cover a 17-year time frame from 1984 to 2001, and are known for evoking the sights and sounds of their particular eras.  

The six games in the GTA III Era are (in order of release, not storyline chronology): GTA III, [[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]], [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]], [[Grand Theft Auto Advance]], [[Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]] and [[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories]].

 

The [[GTA IV Era]], which followed with the 2008 release of [[GTA IV]], is considered to take place in a different continuity to the GTA III games, although there remained some subtle carryover between the two, most notably the radio character [[Lazlow]], who makes references to events and locations in the GTA III Era on his radio station [[Integrity 2.0]]. Some "location footage" from GTA: San Andreas is also incorporated into GTA IV's in-game TV programming.

*[[Characters in 3D Universe]]

*[[Character Deaths in 3D Universe]]

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|[[PlayStation Portable|PSP]], PS2

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|[[2006]]

[[Grand Theft Auto III]] ([[2001]]) was set in fictional [[Liberty City in GTA III Era|Liberty City]] (based on the east coast of America) in 2001. This game brought a third-person view to the series, rather than the traditional top-down view of earlier titles (although the view is still made available as an optional camera angle). Graphics were also updated with a new 3D game engine. While not the first of its kind, the gameplay engine had expanded the explorable world, doing away with a traditional game structure where the player faces a "boss" at the end of the level and moves onto a new level, opting instead for more realistic mission-based approach. [[Multiplayer]] was discarded (third party mods were later released, allowing for multiplayer gameplay) but GTA III improved in many other areas such as voice-acting and storyline (before, there was speech only in short animated [[cutscene|cutscenes]] between levels, other communication was simply subtitles running on the bottom of the screen). Pop culture also is cemented into GTA III, drawing many aspects and ideas from popular films and shows such as Scarface, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos.

[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]] ([[2004]]) was set in [[1992]] in the fictional state of [[San Andreas in GTA III Era|San Andreas]] consisting of three cities: [[Los Santos in GTA III Era|Los Santos]] ([[wp:Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]), [[San Fierro]] ([[wp:San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]), and [[Las Venturas]] ([[wp:Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]). The player is also able to return to Liberty City during one [[Saint Mark's Bistro|mission]]. Inspiration came from movies such as Boyz N the Hood and Menace II Society, and early 90s west coast gangsta rap culture and groups such as N.W.A.

[[Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]] ([[2005]]), a [[PlayStation Portable]] GTA III prequel set in [[1998]] Liberty City. A [[PlayStation 2]] port was released by Rockstar Games on June 6, 2006. The game a direct prequel to GTA III being set only three years before and involving the same characters and a storyline further linking the events of [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]] and [[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]] to GTA III. This marked the first time the GTA III-era games had returned to a previous location for a complete game (a location in Liberty City was featured in one San Andreas mission), and this gave players familiar with GTA III the unusual experience of being able to explore a familiar game map, but with a number of minor and major differences due to the game being set several years earlier than GTA III.

[[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories]] ([[2006]]), the second PlayStation Portable game, was released on October 31, 2006 and set in [[1984]] Vice City; chronologically, this was the earliest of the GTA III era games, and once again allowed players familiar with the Vice City map from a chance to explore a known city with numerous differences due to the different time frame; this particular game is also known for evoking the look and feel of the ''Miami Vice'' TV series. A PlayStation 2 port was released by Rockstar on March 6, 2007. This is the final game of GTA III Era.

All six games in the GTA III Era are set in three main fictional [[Cities|locations]], based on real places in the [[United States|USA]]:

| style="text-align: center"|'''[[:wp:New York City|New York City]]'''

*GTA Liberty City Stories

*GTA San Andreas

*GTA Vice City

| style="text-align: center"|'''[[:wp:Miami|Miami]]'''

*GTA Vice City Stories

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| style="text-align: center"|'''[[San Andreas in GTA III Era|San Andreas]]'''

*[[Los Santos in GTA III Era|Los Santos]]  

| style="text-align: center"|'''[[:wp:California|California]]''' and '''[[:wp:Nevada|Nevada]]'''

*[[:wp:Los Angeles|Los Angeles]]

*[[:wp:San Francisco|San Francisco]]

*[[:wp:Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]

*Either an exterior or interior of [[Liberty City in GTA III Era|Liberty City]] appears in some form all the GTA III era games except for GTA Vice City Stories, where it is at least referenced.

*[[The Introduction]] in GTA San Andreas features numerous cutscenes which feature areas of Liberty City. Also, in [[Saint Mark's Bistro|one mission]], [[Carl Johnson]] flies back to Liberty City to do a hit on some [[Forelli Family]] members in [[Marco's Bistro]]. This was the first time the player was given a chance to revisit an earlier location, although without cheating the ability to explore was non-existent. After the release of GTA:SA, the remaining games in the GTA III era were set in previously established cities using identical game maps that were modified to reflect the different time periods in which the games were set.

*Also, [[Keep Your Friends Close...]] and [[Last Stand]] feature many traits as well. Both involve executing two people who were once your friends, both involve to murder a number of gansters to get to the main execution and both have something to do with [[Ricardo Diaz]] and [[Vercetti Estate|his mansion]].