Grand Theft Auto III
Rockstar’s early Grand Theft Auto games were top-down, arcade-inspired affairs. But in 2001, the third installment of the series let would-be criminals actually take to the street, in one of gaming’s first fully realized 3D urban environments. GTA III’s Liberty City flung open the Pandora’s box of open-world game design, integrated licensed music, and eagerly courted controversy with its depictions of violence and sex. Arguably the first game to truly capture the feeling of an interactive action movie, GTA III spawned countless “sandbox” imitators, including Saints Row, Mafia, and Watch Dogs. — JG
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