Grand Theft Auto 3 was the first of its kind; a 3D open-world game where you can play on your terms. Open-world games existed beforehand, but they did not offer the same level of freedom or the same amount of tools in the player's move set. Lending to this sense of freedom are the many side missions players are free to either engage with or ignore.
The best of these are listed out below, and they are all playable in the new rendition of the game recently released for modern consoles and PCs. There are a couple of reasons why the player might do these missions. Either they need some extra cash, a diversion from the main story, or the objectives are simply fun to accomplish. Later games in the franchise would add even more side content, but Grand Theft Auto 3 still has a lot to offer for a modern gamer.
8 Marty Chonks
Players receive prompts to take several missions from public phones. The missions for Marty Chonks are not marked on the map, making them a little harder to find. The payphone giving out these missions is right outside the Bitch'n' Dog Food factory in Trenton, across the street from where Claude takes missions from Joey.
All of his objectives generally require the protagonist to bring someone back to the factory for Marty to kill and chop up. Afterward, Claude must bring the car to a crusher to get rid of the evidence.
7 TOYZ Missions
There are four vans marked with this company's logo spread throughout Liberty City. Jump into it to start these missions. The protagonist controls a remote-controlled car to complete some objectives.
It is always about blowing up specific types of cars. Sequels would expand upon this idea, having players do more with the vehicles than just blowing up cars. In San Andreas, the RC vehicle mechanic was turned into a mission line.
6 Unique Stunt Jumps
One of the most fun things to do in Grand Theft Auto is drive. Even in the third numbered entry, it feels good to just cruise around Liberty City. While driving, players might happen upon a few ramps that slow down time once they jump from them.
These are unique stunt jumps. There are 20 to find in total and players can earn up to one million dollars once they do all of them. This feature is in all subsequent games, even when the series becomes more grounded and goes into the HD generation.
5 Off-Road Missions
Like the TOYZ vans, these missions are activated by entering one of four vehicles on the map. The cutscene explains that the player simply must pass through checkpoints within an allotted time limit.
These can be a little tricky because the driving in Grand Theft Auto 3 is not quite as tight as it would become in later entries. It is too easy to flip over the car and it explodes within seconds if it is upside down.
4 Service Vehicle Missions
Each service vehicle includes its own mission based upon the service with which the particular car is associated. Jump into a taxi and start picking up passengers, while doing the same in a police car will have the protagonist hunting down criminals. Similarly, the firetruck has players putting out fires and the ambulance sees them picking up injured pedestrians and bringing them to the hospital.
In addition to cash rewards, doing a certain amount of these also unlocks a permanent gameplay bonus. Considering how difficult some missions in Grand Theft Auto 3 are, a few of these feel almost mandatory to have an enjoyable gameplay experience.
3 Export/Import Missions
Throughout the story, Claude receives a message on his pager about a garage looking for certain vehicles. Go and visit these garages to see a list of cars required. Players receive a cash reward for every car and then a lump sum once all the vehicles are collected.
After doing all of the garages, players are able to order any vehicle from these sites and have them delivered. Whether one enjoys car hunting or not is up to personal preference.
2 Hidden Packages
There are one hundred hidden packages scattered through Liberty City. Every ten that players find unlocks one additional pickup at the safehouse. They are typically weapons. Players also receive some cash for each package they collect.
With the game's high difficulty, it is recommended to collect these. It also saves money buying guns from the Ammu-Nation. Liberty City is relatively small, so finding these on one's own will not be too difficult.
1 Rampages
Players see skull icons during their stay in Grand Theft Auto 3. These are rampages. Upon picking them up, players are tasked with killing members of a certain gang within a time limit using a particular weapon. Though there are 20, each icon has two locations that change if players fail the first time.
Because certain gangs become aggressive toward the protagonist after certain missions, it is recommended to do the rampages early in the game.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy is out now for PlayStation 4, 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC.