GTA’s philosophy is that players should be able to do what they want, even if that thing is toe-curlingly amoral. Once again controversy followed when it was discovered that players could pick up sex workers for a health boost then kill them to get their money back – though, contrary to the outraged reporting of the time, the game never mandated such behaviour.
This move away from the top-down view, together with the vibrancy of its game world, the interesting low-life characters and star voice acting performances from Debi Mazar and Kyle Maclachlan, made for a critical and commercial smash hit. Vitally, it was also the first game in the series to use a fully 3D environment: an overhauled take on the NYC-themed Liberty City.
The concept of carrying out illegal jobs for criminal gangs remained, but now the lead character had a backstory: he was seeking revenge, having been double-crossed after a heist. Designed by new studio Rockstar North following the closure of DMA Design, this game marked the beginning of the modern GTA era.
