Building A Sandbox: GTA 3 - Square Eyed Jak

[@fromthegamethrone]

GTA3 is my favourite. The atmosphere of that city is unparalleled, it's both alive and eerily empty. It feels like a city dying at the hands of crime.

[@vladimirpolitov7769]

I totally agree with you. The atmosphere in GTA III is eerie.

[@Reigndolph]

Idk why but there's something about GTA 3 that I like that I can't put my finger on. I'd go as far as to say I put in more hours in GTA 3 than any other GTA game, including GTA San Andreas and GTA 5

[@MatthewCenance]

So what was the best part of playing GTA 3 in your experience?

[@Reigndolph]

@@MatthewCenance there's something about the missions that I liked. Probably because of how engaged I was

[@MatthewCenance]

What was your favorite mission? And what was the most annoying or difficult mission to complete?

[@Reigndolph]

@@MatthewCenance most annoying/difficult? Espresso 2 Go and Bomb Da Base (act 2) My favorite(s)? The one where you kill Leone once you start the 2nd island. S.A.M. is another one I kinda like. And the last mission. There's probably dozens more I actually don't mind doing

[@jonbourgoin182]

What you're describing is perfectly encapsulated in a video called "That GTA 3 Feeling" by a guy on KZbin called Joyless Jay. Watch that video and thank me later.

[@_justtoomanygames_8857]

Jaks GTA3 Claude outfit and hair style is perfection for this video

[@toxics.]

Gets me hyped for his Vice City and San Andreas reviews

[@TheNathanNS]

I've been watching you since 2018 or so and I think this is the most amount of hair I've ever seen you with

[@homersams9015]

I've been here since 2015 and boy is he looking handsome

[@Snoogen11]

The opening piano notes for GTA3's theme is still so damn nostalgic.

[@glowinggames1561]

Yeah for real it's my favorite GTA theme song.

[@JohnYourube]

I love this game, I love the blocky low poly graphics and the cool autumn atmosphere

[@Monkey_SK]

GTA 3 is the game that got me back into console gaming. Having just started uni in 2001, one of my new friends was playing this and i was just blown away at the rampage he went on. I picked up a PS2 and a copy that Christmas and played the hell out of it fir the next month solid. Still remember one night staying up late with my friend trying to find an ice cream van, for the 100%. Wow, time flies when you're having fun in the GTA sandbox.

[@Tholi]

7/10 is crazy. This should be rated alongside it's contemporaries.

[@Jasonvoorhees57469]

Considering how much it's aged compared to VC and SA, a 7 is quite generous. And VC came out only a year later and it's *so* much better

[@robsa978]

⁠​⁠@@Jasonvoorhees57469Kinda missing the point there, though, right?

[@DinosaurBytes]

As much as I love the series, it's always struck me as a shame that III was the height of the non-linear approach to mission design. Something very special about a simple objective with a ton of possible approaches, I often wonder where we'd be now if the series had leant more toward that, than away, as it went on.

[@rodsk8dude731]

I really feel like that's the big unexplored side of this genre we still haven't seen. When the series got more serious, Saint's Row took the opportunity to go a more silly, tongue-in-cheek route. We have ones where we play a cop, we have many different decades represented.. ...but what about a more open-ended one where you just do the activities and work with you want and still progress?

[@danvsclips8326]

It really, really, really wasn't compared to 1 and 2. Stop ignoring them

[@MatthewCenance]

I was more nostalgic for GTA Vice City myself. It's impressive that they made the sequel in less than a year.

[@Yngdady]

Vc map is a small maze compared to III

[@AndyCarrington-cf3ib]

Vice City was originally meant to be an expansion for GTA3 (GTA3:Miami) but they realised pretty early on that it was getting too big for an expansion so just used it as the foundations for a sequel

[@adamadkins4028]

For those that weren't around when GTA III launched, I don't think you can overstate what a massive landmark this game was. That true, open-world, anything-is-possible freedom. It was the video game equivalent of opening the door to the technicolor beauty of The Wizard of Oz. The improvements from Vice City and San Andreas have made it more of a curiosity than a must play IMO, but man. That game was something special.

[@cromulence]

This game and the surrounding titles hold a very close place in my heart. I grew up playing the original GTA demo on the family PC as a small lad and progressed through the games, being able to buy the full game with my pocket money on a budget games label, then eventually being able to play GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas on my PS2. Then when GTA IV came about, it was huge. Amazing. And yet when it arrived, although I didn’t realise it at the time, it was clear that gaming had changed. The innocent golden era was over. It was AAA and competing with other entertainment. I’m still looking forward to GTA VI, but gaming ain’t what it used to be!

[@orokro_stuff]

Im 37 and I cry whenever I replay GTA3. Returning to liberty city every few years feels really weird, like returning to a childhood home.

[@TerminalKitty]

Same. I'm 32, this is the one. I was too young for GTA I & II but I remember very clearly my older neighbor friend getting this game the week it came out and I was floored by the city, the pedestrians, the cars, the radio. The way the city looks at night, driving through this murky late 90s early 2000s NYC where you can't trust anyone. The OG trilogy atmosphere is something that cannot be touched.

[@RunningManBusted]

GTA 3 is one of my favorite games of all time. Great video, keep up the great work!

[@NanaKyoto]

To think that Grand Theft Auto III was over 20 years ago...we can still feel the impact it made to this day. However, I do wonder what the gaming industry would have ended up like had this game (alongside Metal Gear Solid 2 and Halo) not been the paradigm shift.

[@GreenMachine0990]

7/10 is way too tough but fine haha. It was 2001. Games were basically glued together (other than Halo the GOAT which came out the following month) so this was very revolutionary, and playing it made me a very cultured 9 year old.

[@xRocketzFighterx]

Jak's got major god tier swag in this video dude. You get cooler every single year dude.

[@callumsparrow4379]

Looking slick with the Claude cosplay, Jak. Even as someone with zero interest in GTA as a whole, I still massively respect GTA3 for how revolutionary it was and its gargantuan importance and legacy both for gaming and wider culture, I swear 2001 is arguably the best year for gaming as a whole. I’ve always loved the rainy grimy NYC-styles world GTA3 specifically contains; 80’s-era set/ filmed NYC especially is one of my favourite locations in cinematic history (Ghostbusters 1 & 2, Big, TMNT 1990, Jason Takes Manhattan, Escape From New York and even Cleveland from Howard The Duck feels a lot like 80’s New York).

[@matthewhamrick4304]

I like how you just grabbed GTA 1 barely looking without breaking your sentence

[@gustavsvensson1965]

I love your new hair style!

[@evaneffertz16]

I like your Claude outfit! Now I expect to see a Tommy Vercetti outfit for your Vice City review!

[@noahdean9685]

That would be a nice idea and when he talks about San Andreas he tries to dress up like CJ!

[@SeosamhOCaoimh]

One of the greatest things I ever done in a video game is successfully fly and land the Dodo from the airport to Portland harbour 🤣

[@kalkuttadrop6371]

As I said, the first two games are best played on PC, not PS1. Try the Ready2Play version of GTA 1

[@elchoppo3219]

As a long time fan of yours Jak, keen to hear how ya life is going ! Since 2014 ❤

[@tobinmonroe3045]

I’m so happy to see you review these games

[@soulless_jm]

glad you're still putting out quality videos, I'm gonna sit back and enjoy this one, gta 3 is one of my top 3 favorite gta games!

[@roastinNAVY]

GTA3 was a major milestone in the sandbox gameplay. On the contrary, I think Driver 2 for the PS1 also made a major milestone as well. Driver 2 didn't have as much of an impact at GTA 3, but the way you can free-roam, hijack cars, and evade cops in 3D was revolutionary.

[@OneSecretPerson]

Really solid video on this Grand Theft Auto! I appreciate you taking the time in the beginning to talk about which version you're playing and the reasons for that. I'm still salty not just about this,. but other game ports that have been taken off steam when a "remaster" is set to be released. But yeah I feel like you did a good job showing what the varied experience of playing this one can be like, as someone who never played GTA 3 myself.

[@Saxdude26]

Dang Jak, rocking the fit in this episode. And oh my, seeing the OG trilogy on original Xbox with the steelcase and booklets is such a flex, I can tell we'd been building up to something fantastic. Was well worth the wait, and... congrats on review 194? Neat!

[@saturnrvg8171]

Great video. I hadn't played this for 20 years since release on the ps2 but picked it up April 4th and have been modding it for the last 2 months. I'm pretty burned out atm but my favorite thing to do these days is to use the aircraft mod, go to Shoreside Vale in a Hunter and stay just off shore with a six star wanted level and get the FBI and tanks to drive off the cliff into the ocean where I can take out the lesser vehicles with rockets. Great replay value. Will be playing VC next!

[@AstralFrost]

What a review! Thoroughly enjoyed this critique and trip down memory lane.

[@Cooljoe55]

Man your videos have been getting drowned in my sub feed, glad I caught this one quick enough

[@SquareEyedJak]

Unsub and resub is the time tested fix!

[@OneCentPie]

It's probably because I never played it until much much later, but it's always felt weird seeing GTA3 next to Vice City and San Andreas. They improved so much in such a short amount of time with those later entries, it's crazy seeing how rough around the edges 3 is. Great video 👏

[@daynmitchell7543]

This Chanel deserves more views!

[@Suchacard]

Just played 3 recently. Just the story. Though its not my favorite, it was groundbreaking for the time and still moderately fun. Great vid as always Jak. Can't wait for Vice City, my personal favorite.

[@satinblack8523]

Actually started a playthrough of this a few days back, Stars have aligned and now my favourite KZbinr is talking about it!

[@MatthewCenance]

What's your favorite part of the game so far?

[@LEGEND-xi1jr]

Not relevant to the video but I'd love to see an 'Every Crash Bandicoot boss fight ranked' video!! Glad to see you back uploading, keep up the great work mate!👍

[@Firebird20XX]

Funny, I just recently played this and reviewed it on my review channel, and now you're reviewing it. This is a banger! Great video. GTA III is something special.

[@CALegendz]

GTA 3 was my first GTA and probably my first PC game. Loved Vice City and San Andreas after. Never played any after that.

[@limitbreakryan]

SUPERB video! My GTA of choice has to be Vice City, loved how vibrant it was as well as how the story was presented in that.

[@Dj_Exo1]

I remember when this games released I was like there’s no way dmg did this they actually put in the work and made this hd 3d game

[@Anotheranimeaccountt]

Hey Jak great video I still love and play gta 3 occasionally despite it showing its age nowadays, btw with the mission Grand Theft Aero the easiest way to do that mission is to use grenades or get a somewhat big car and hop on top of it and shoot them from a distance with the sniper it makes that mission much easier, the worst mission for me is Espresso To Go because of its strict timer and how you have to drive around the entire map to find the stalls

[@Milty2001]

Gta 3 was both dark and gloomy, every person you meet is either corrupt businessman or part of a gang that hates you.

[@hiphopheadgamer]

And plus the cut character darkel was supposed to be in GTA 3 before being scrapped during later days in its late development cycle

[@PolarisCastillo]

11:17 you CAN jump over the bridge though, without cheats too. I did it several times even during the first mission, still in prison clothes.

[@lightning_round]

Always love seeing these game reviews! I’d love to see your thoughts on Ape Escape or Pikmin

[@adamskylark]

Wow, this is the first time I've ever seen GTA 3 in a top down view. I don't think I knew that was even an option, or I'd simply forgotten due to third person being the intended way to play.

[@christocream]

Gta 3 is definitely a game that revolutionized the entire industry. But it is certainty primitive and starting to show its age. I never grew up with it or any of the gta ps2 games and replaying them now I get past a few missions then never play them again. I dont know how to describe it, its just different and it makes me want to play something like gta v instead. It's really odd with that in mind that bully happens to be my favorite game of all time, while being considerably different than the gta games

[@douglasbriel6103]

IDK. That's how gunfighting in a maze in real life would be like.

[@tails2299]

Awe yeah! I’m actually playing through this now in the Xbox! Despite being really dated and everything it’s still a lot of fun.

[@ddddzzzz5426]

Yes we need more video essays about GTA

[@Kelbeangirl93]

GTA 3 and vice city were my favorite ones and my jam I have good memories playing them with my dad staying up on school nights sometimes playing with him

[@TheSuperSmashBros01]

We don’t talk about the Definitive Edition Trilogy in this section Jak

[@mr.marvin]

The Defective Edition

[@TheSuperSmashBros01]

@@mr.marvin Yeah… Remastering a trilogy of games that pioneered free roaming sand box games? A brilliant idea. The results? What The Hell Happened here?

[@EzDoesitYGO]

Incredible job on this vid, genuinely. You managed to keep my attention on a game I've never played for the whole half hour, and I learned a lot! Might check out the game for myself some time! Cheers!

[@Heazytoohot]

Absolute banger. Nicely done!

[@Shushkin]

These type of videos never get old with me 😂 I love em

[@MatthewCenance]

14:48 This reminds me of that glitch DSP experienced where the vehicle he was driving suddenly sunk through the bridge due to a glitch after crashing into the rising part of the drawbridge. I think it was this specific bridge he crashed into and glitched into the water.

[@sumthingwikked4257]

That was a glitch. I thought Phyl just naturally sucked eggs that he breaks the code in games.

[@itsdiciple1045]

Great video my guy! Good to see you doing GTA . Some of my all time favorite games. Keep up the good work

[@cs16241]

Took em 3 years to finally fix The Definitive Edition and Jaks already made videos on the Trilogy

[@cicabeot1]

I haven’t played much of GTA 3 yet myself, but if some of those missions are comparable to the hard stuff from Vice City that I’ve beaten…ho boy.

[@sludgepls]

SEJ once again claiming his 🐐 status keep it up man

[@CardiogramBand]

Another great video. Wasn't expecting anything less. Love your content. Keep it up mate.

[@johnclay2716]

I LOVE GTA 3 VIDEOS IN THE DECADE OF THE 2020S

[@Lola__Cola]

I haven't seen you with this much hair since the old days, as in the Crash 3 Spyro enter the Dragonfly reviews. Ahhh memories

[@aiedyn]

i see you with the Mass Appeal instrumental!

[@Arexion5293]

21:54 did not expect the Destruction Derby 2 music

[@Morbidoner]

Liberty city having a working subway system was essential tbh. It's supposed to be New York City.

[@cawcreator]

24:30 I always crash the dodo into the construction building, landing next to the elevator., Just enter the lift and you don't have to kill any of them. 🛩️🏬

[@MrMegaMario64]

Gotta love the Moon Gravity cheat to get across the broken bridge!

[@WweetBeef]

thanks fo rmaking another review helps me through dark times

[@GreatBeardofWisdom]

Are you ok? I genuinely mean that. This is a stranger in a similar mindset reaching through the ether.

[@NamelessSekiro]

You talk about gta 3, you earn a subscriber.

[@shenronsamma4650]

such quality vid great work Jak!

[@CARLJOHNSON-ny8sn]

Jaks Claude outfit is awesome

[@wolfiewolfdog9771]

WCW vs NWO Revenge soundtrack, nice choice

[@crashtefano]

I remember playing the PlayStation 2 version

[@umutk4car]

10:17 what a defence

[@RowdyDump]

I'm having a great fucking day now that there's a new Jak video, cheers from Texas mate

[@SeanORaigh]

I got this game on steam in 2020 and while I enjoyed playing it a lot, I downloaded a fix for the menu screen and it permanently ruined google chrome on my computer lol

[@chrisgiakas3986]

Great job!!

[@waffleson45]

Very nicely done! Hope you do vice city that game was made in one year and there's lots of parts where you can really tell that fact. It's still amazing anyhow! I used to hate GTA 3 when I was a teenager cause I didn't understand it but now days I've warmed up to it and can appreciate what it did for the gaming industry plus I'm a GTA nut it was a matter of time.

[@Oldernator]

What a coincidence that this video comes out around the time that GTA 6 is now confirmed to come out LATE 2025.

[@ChaseMC215]

Although the classic trilogy ain't on Steam anymore (unless you're willing to get scammed by G2A), you can still get the trilogy on the Rockstar Games Launcher. Yeah, you can still buy the trilogy from the website despite the company wanting players to buy the Definitive Edition, they didn't even take the page down. But is it worth getting them on that launcher? No, it isn't. You can copy the filesnto a different directory, apply a patch, and have the game run like normal with the multiple mods and fixes that are supported. Doing this route conpletely removes the RSL requirement, which is a good thing considering Rockstar's Steam competetor FAILED.

[@Seacrest.]

Uncle Fu from gta 1 is a real legend

[@sneakyskunk1]

I used to ride the subway and the L train in GTA 3 to relax. Not something you can do in real life.

[@MatthewCenance]

6:06 I would have injected a joke about the trademark registration for "Liberty City USA. The Worst Place in America."

[@trippyfishie2295]

Ok,about the top down veiw in gta 3. Try having a 4 star shootout while standing still we with an ak on the ps2 version. Its fucking insanely difficult. The top down veiw makes it alot easier for firefights, you can see everyone and simply move the stick towards who your shooting at. Rather than the shitty forst person turning controls lmfao

[@TheDuneDovah]

10:27 MASS APPEAL

[@LiamNero94]

I hear you playing Mass Appeal by Gang Starr in the background, THPS4 banger. 🔥

[@castle_administrator7413]

Great video like always. I really love your gta retrospectives they are probably the best gta retrospectives on youtube for me and I am really looking forword to Gta Vice City and San Andreas and i am really curious about Gta 4 video. Only thing that suprises me is 7/10 aspecially when you gave Gta 2 7/10 but it is probably because you really like Gta 2 not because you dont like Gta 3 but it is still kinda wierd for me i do like the arcady gta 2 but shit i love gta 3 so much more but howsoever i am curtious about other gta ratings bring it soon cooked it fast im really hungry for it 😂

[@MatthewCenance]

What's the best evolution introduced by Grand Theft Auto III in your opinion?

[@MatthewCenance]

What song is this at 27:02? I don't think this was in GTA III, only in the Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy The Definitive Edition trailer.

[@elijahhoward6322]

Square Eyed Jak uploads a video in this already fantastic day. The only thing that's gonna be the cherry on top of this day is Daffy Duck crashing into my house and smooching me on the lips.

[@MatthewCenance]

3:34 I don't like that mod that changes the HUD font styling to have a black border around all the text. I would rather have it look like the original font styling where there was a drop shadow. Also I want a mod to restore the original HUD graphics for the map and weapon selection. The original PS2 release didn't have the orange colors in the HUD or the strange corner in the weapon selection and I want a mod to see it returned.

[@Kelbeangirl93]

Awesome video ! Not to sound rude or mean how come it takes you a month or so long to make a new video just curious love your channel and content

[@SquareEyedJak]

April this year was pre-occupied with family stuff (nothing bad) so I was unable to work. But on a regular basis it all depends on my mental health and capacity for focusing on bigger projects.

[@Kelbeangirl93]

@@SquareEyedJak I hear ya about taking care of your mental health a lot of KZbinrs ignore it in a way and get burned out in the process without taking breaks to help glad your family wasn’t to bad

[@Vibevibellama]

GTA 3 is a vibe

[@AMillar1]

Wait, did our man Jak dye his hair just for commitment to the bit?

[@Ceejmm]

Good video idea bro 🙏

[@Bortsch_]

I can't believe we even got GTA 3 before GTA 6.

[@Petronious]

Its official. Grand Theft Auto 3 is a puzzle platformer!

[@svddendesire]

Just finished the game for the first time ever. So inconsistent in its difficulty. But the worst for me are the guns with manual aiming in PS2, like the sniper. A nightmare to aim on an enemy. But great game

[@Glenn_3]

Great video as always, are you also going to review liberty city stories and vice city stories?

[@SquareEyedJak]

Just 3, Vice and SA for now but I would like to knock out all of the franchise ahead of VI next year so the stories games might come later in the year. (fingers crossed)

[@Glenn_3]

@@SquareEyedJak That's awesome, I'm looking forward to it, I always love your content!