Grand Theft Auto III is the first 3D title in the GTA series, which came in October 2001. It is set in modern Liberty City, a fictional metropolitan city based loosely on New York City. The game follows a nameless criminal who was betrayed by his girlfriend in a bank heist, and left for dead. He must work his way up the crime ladder of the city by working for Gang leaders, committing crimminal acts, delivering items, and killing the leaders of rival gangs.

The dark and dangerous world of Grand Theft Auto III features 50 plus vehicles, ranging from fancy sports cars to slow and grimy garbage trucks, over 3 hours of music, and a huge arsenal of street weapons, including assault rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, and flamethrowers. You can explore the large city, complete missions, side missions, or engage in a variety of criminal acts. Grand Theft Auto III gives you the freedom to go anywhere and cause your own trouble.

Grand Theft Auto III quickly became 2001's top selling video game and is considered a landmark in video games for its far-reaching influence within the industry. The game's success opened the door the many sequels, and laid the groundwork for Grand Theft Auto's popularity today.

***Spoiler Warning***

The player's character Claude Speed, has robbed the Liberty City Bank with his girlfriend, Catalina, and a male accomplice. While running from the scene, Catalina turns to him and utters, "Sorry, babe, I'm an ambitious girl and you ... you're just small-time". She shoots him and leaves him to die in an alley; the accomplice is also seen lying nearby. It soon becomes apparent that the player character has survived but has been arrested and subsequently found guilty and sentenced to jail. While he is being transferred, an attack on the police convoy aimed at kidnapping an unrelated prisoner sets him free.

With the help of fellow escaped prisoner 8-Ball, the player character then takes on work as a local thug and rises in power as he works for multiple rival crime gangs. In the process, Maria, the wife of a local Mafia boss, begins to take a liking to him. The Mafia leader, Salvatore, grows suspicious and lures the player to a death trap; but Maria saves him, remaining close to him throughout the storyline. He later goes to work for others, including the Liberty City Yakuza, a corrupt police officer and media mogul Donald Love. Eventually, his exploits attract the attention of Catalina, now affiliated with a Colombian drug cartel, resulting in the kidnapping of Maria. This gives him the opportunity to face Catalina once more, resulting in a large firefight and Catalina's death.