10 Timeless Open World Games That Predate GTA 3

Highlights

Grand Theft Auto 3 revolutionized gaming with its 3D open world sandbox gameplay, setting the stage for games like Saints Row and Red Dead Redemption.

DMA Design, the developer behind GTA3, previously created a game called Body Harvest, which shared sandbox gameplay elements but prioritized safeguarding civilians rather than causing mayhem.

Furthermore, other notable games such as Driver, Super Mario 64, and Mercenary also played a pivotal role in shaping the open world genre. These titles set the groundwork for the triumph of GTA3 and the subsequent emergence of other open world games.

The gaming landscape can be easily transformed at times. Grand Theft Auto 3 revolutionized the gaming world by introducing 3D models in comparison to its previous top-down 2D versions. However, this simplification fails to acknowledge the game's remarkable accomplishments. Regardless of personal opinions, the game and its sequels greatly impacted the gaming industry, reshaping how games were perceived and played.

GTA3 was essentially responsible for the creation of the modern, open world sandbox game. Without its influence, popular titles such as Saints Row, Crackdown, Red Dead Redemption, and countless others would not exist. However, it is important to note that GTA3 did not invent this genre. There were already exceptional open world games that preceded its release.

7 Body Harvest

DMA Design, later known as Rockstar North, actually developed a game similar to GTA3 for the Nintendo 64 three years before its release! Interestingly, Nintendo themselves intended to publish this RPG game as a way to fill the void left by Squaresoft after they took Final Fantasy 7 to the PS1. However, complications arose between Nintendo and the Scottish company, resulting in their separation.

Eventually, the project transformed into an action game titled Body Harvest, which was published by Gremlin and Midway. In this game, the protagonist, a human hero, traveled through time to thwart aliens. Each level served as a sandbox for players to explore, utilizing various vehicles and a diverse range of weaponry to combat the extraterrestrial threat. Unlike GTA3, the objective of the game was to safeguard the civilians rather than targeting them with guns.

6 Driver

GTA1 & 2 generated controversy upon release, with some of the outrage being intentionally manufactured to garner media attention. Despite the improved gameplay in GTA2, there were doubts about the future of the series. These doubts intensified when Reflections, one of DMA Design's competitors, introduced the alternative Driver games.

In the Driver games, players completed missions or engaged in free-roaming races through the cities of NYC, L.A, San Fran, and Miami (after overcoming a challenging tutorial). While it wasn't exactly like GTA, as the protagonist Tanner couldn't exit his car until Driver 2 (and even then, his capabilities were limited), the open-world racing provided an exhilarating experience that surpassed DMA Design's efforts at that time. However, with the release of GTA3 and the underwhelming Driv3r, the tide turned decisively in favor of the GTA franchise.

5 Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 is often the forefront of discussions about 3D roaming games. For many gamers, it served as their first introduction to a game where the primary objective was to explore and complete objectives in various levels rather than simply reaching the end goal.

With a simple control scheme consisting of just a few buttons and an analogue stick, Mario was able to perform impressive acrobatic moves in order to collect enough Stars and progress to the next world, ultimately defeating Bowser once again. This concept was reminiscent in DMA Design's creation of their own robot-focused 3D platformer, Space Station Silicon Valley. Interestingly, the development team behind the game would later be responsible for the creation of GTA3.

4 Hunter

Both DMA Design and Reflections started their journey by developing games for microcomputers such as the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. Even before creating popular titles like GTA and Driver, they had already gained recognition for their work on games like Lemmings and Shadow of the Beast for the Commodore Amiga. During this time, they also came across Hunter, a 3D game by Activision for the Amiga and Atari ST. In Hunter, players took on the role of a soldier who had to navigate through various terrains in search of enemy troops. They had the ability to use different vehicles, including tanks, enter buildings, and utilize multiple weapons. Although it may seem basic by modern standards, the game was way ahead of its time in 1991. Despite its dated graphics, time-based missions, and limited world size, it can be considered a predecessor to military-themed games like GTA3, predating it by a decade.

3 The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda is an essential mention when discussing games like Super Mario 64. Ocarina of Time stands out due to its impressive 3D version of Hyrule, which replaced Mario 64's smaller sandboxes. Exploring this vast world on Epona, the trusted companion, added to the excitement. It featured everything one would expect from a Zelda game, including dungeons, side quests, fishing, and target practice.

However, Ocarina of Time simply translated the elements seen in the 2D games. Nevertheless, these games, unlike GTA1 & 2, have aged well. Exploring the different iterations of Hyrule in games like A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, and Oracle of Ages/Seasons remains as enjoyable today as it was in the past. While the 1986 original may feel dated, it established the foundation for sandbox games by allowing players to freely explore its world.

2 Mercenary

The Legend of Zelda broke new ground as a third-person, on-foot adventure, distinguishing itself from its predecessors that relied on a first-person view and vehicle-centric gameplay. For instance, in 1985 Novagen introduced Mercenary, a game played in 3D (although with vector graphics) on the Atari 8-bit machines, which allowed players to explore the planet Targ. Stranded on Targ, the player must navigate the dangerous conflict between the indigenous Palyars and the invading Mechanoids in order to return to space.

In addition to the expansive Targ, Mercenary offered players multiple pathways to complete the game. They could align themselves with the Palyars, acting as their ally and champion, or choose to side with the Mechanoids, becoming a renegade and delivering Targ into their hands. Alternatively, players could adopt a neutral stance, completing various jobs to accumulate enough wealth to leave Targ independently. Throughout the game, Benson, the AI companion, provided witty remarks and guidance to assist players in their decision-making process.

1 Elite

Depending on the reader's age, this content fragment is either relatively unknown or a well-known classic. In Retro Gamer's inaugural poll on the Best Video Games Ever Made in 2004, Elite emerged victorious over Super Mario World. Developed by David Braben and Ian McBell for the BBC Micro and Acorn computers, Elite is widely regarded as one of the earliest open-world games. While there were text adventures and early RPGs such as Ultima that came before it, Elite stood out as the first to incorporate real-time action.

Released in 1984, Elite allowed players to explore galaxies, engaging in activities like trading, mining, and hunting bounties to accumulate credits. With more credits, players were able to afford superior upgrades for their spaceships. The game attracted the interest of both action enthusiasts and strategic gamers, and its impact extends even further. Elite's success paved the way for other titles like EVE Online, Battlecruiser 3000AD, and the genre of space trading/flight simulations, while also influencing the development of open-world games as a whole.