Before GTA 3: The Games That Paved the Way for Open-World Sandbox Adventures

Sometimes, a minor shift can have a profound impact on the gaming world. Grand Theft Auto 3 did just that by taking the formula from its top-down 2D predecessors and reimagining it in a 3D landscape. However, this oversimplified description fails to capture the game's monumental achievements. Whether you love it or loathe it, GTA3, and its subsequent sequels, brought about significant changes in how games were conceived and played.

In essence, GTA3 laid the foundation for the modern open-world sandbox game genre. Without it, we might never have experienced titles like Saints Row, Crackdown,Red Dead Redemption and numerous others. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that GTA3 didn't birth this genre; there were notable open-world games that predated it.

Body Harvest

Surprisingly, DMA Design (later Rockstar North) created a game similar to GTA3 three years earlier for the Nintendo 64. Originally intended as an RPG published by Nintendo, it was meant to fill the void left by Squaresoft's move to the PS1 with Final Fantasy 7. However, due to complications, the project shifted toward becoming an action game called Body Harvest, published by Gremlin and Midway. While it featured set levels and time-traveling to thwart aliens, each level was a sandbox ripe for exploration, vehicle rides, and alien battles. Notably, players were tasked with protecting civilians rather than harming them, a key difference from GTA3.

Driver

In the wake of the initial buzz surrounding GTA1 & 2, doubts lingered about the series' future. DMA Design's rival, Reflections, introduced an alternative with the Driver games. Players embarked on missions or raced freely through virtual renditions of NYC, L.A, San Fran, and Miami (if they could conquer the challenging tutorial). While not identical to GTA, as the protagonist Tanner couldn't exit his vehicle until Driver 2 (and even then, it was limited), the open-world racing experience outshone DMA Design's efforts at the time. But with the advent of GTA3 and the lackluster Driv3r, the tide turned definitively.

Super Mario 64

When discussing 3D exploration games, it's impossible to overlook Super Mario 64. For many gamers, it marked their first encounter with a game where the objective was to explore multi-dimensional levels, completing objectives rather than a straightforward dash to the finish. Equipped with just a few buttons and an analogue stick, Mario executed an array of acrobatic moves to collect Stars, access new worlds, and eventually confront Bowser once again. DMA Design likely had this game in mind when crafting their robot-themed 3D platformer, Space Station Silicon Valley. Interestingly, the same team behind this title went on to develop GTA3.

Hunter

Both DMA Design and Reflections initially gained recognition for their work on microcomputers like the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. Before GTA and Driver, they created renowned titles like Lemmings and Shadow of the Beast for the Commodore Amiga. During that era, they might have encountered Hunter by Activision, an early 3D game for the Amiga and Atari ST. In Hunter, players assumed the role of a soldier on a quest to locate enemy troops. They had access to various vehicles, including tanks, could enter buildings, and wielded multiple weapons. While Hunter's graphics and small game world may seem dated today, it was essentially a military-themed precursor to GTA3, a decade before GTA3 came into existence.

The Legend of Zelda

Mentioning 3D roaming games would be incomplete without acknowledging The Legend of Zelda. Ocarina of Time, in particular, stood out by presenting players with a vast 3D version of Hyrule to explore, complete with dungeons, side quests, and activities like fishing and target practice. Although it essentially translated the concept from the 2D games, The Legend of Zelda series has aged more gracefully than GTA1 & 2. Exploring the various incarnations of Hyrule in A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, and Oracle of Ages/Seasons remains as enjoyable now as it was back then. The original 1986 installment may be challenging to play today, but it laid the groundwork for sandbox games, offering players a world to explore at their leisure.

Mercenary

The Legend of Zelda innovated by being a third-person, on-foot adventure. However, some predecessors utilized a first-person perspective, keeping players within their vehicles. In 1985, Novagen achieved this in 3D (well, vector graphics) on the Atari 8-bit machines with Mercenary. Stranded on the planet Targ, players had to navigate the terrain while avoiding conflicts between the indigenous Palyars and invading Mechanoids. Mercenary offered players the freedom to explore the entire planet and multiple ways to complete the game – they could align with the Palyars, assist the Mechanoids, or remain neutral by taking on various paying jobs to secure their departure from Targ. Throughout the journey, the AI companion Benson provided both snarky remarks and guidance.

Elite

Depending on one's age, Elite is either a relatively obscure title or a renowned classic. In Retro Gamer's inaugural poll on the Best Video Games Ever Made in 2004, Elite actually outperformed Super Mario World. Developed by David Braben and Ian McBell for the BBC Micro and Acorn computers in 1984, it is arguably the first-ever open-world game. While text adventures and early RPGs predated it, Elite was the first to offer real-time action. Players could explore galaxies, engage in trade, mining, and bounty hunting to earn credits. The more credits they amassed, the better the upgrades they could afford for their spaceship. It appealed to both action enthusiasts and tacticians, leaving a lasting legacy that paved the way for titles like EVE Online, Battlecruiser 3000AD, space trading/flight sims and the open-world genre as a whole.

These games, predating GTA3, played a crucial role in shaping the gaming landscape and laying the groundwork for the open-world sandbox genre as we know it today.