Grand Theft Auto 3

R2, R2, L1, R2, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, UP, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, UP 

Those were always the first combination of buttons I would press whenever I played Grand Theft Auto 3 (GTA 3).  Pressing the buttons in the order above would unlock all the weapons in the game.  Basically, you had every single gun and could go on a one man killing spree.  

It's hard to believe that it's been over 13 years since GTA 3 released.  Taking place in a fictional place called Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto 3 is mainly known for being one of the first Open World games.  Instead of being forced to do things in an A-B-C format, the player was free to roam around and do whatever they desired.  Interested in playing by the book?  Complete the missions and see the story unfold.  Walk past a really nice looking car?  Steal it.  Don't like the look the old lady gave you as she walked past you?  Beat her up.  When the game released the only limitation in GTA 3 seemed to be your own imagination.

"Excuse me, sir.  Your car looks nice.  It's mine now."

Driving a Car on water.  Only possible in Grand Theft Auto.

Of course, you can't do anything you want in the game without consequences.  Killing someone usually attracted the attention of the police.  They would try to arrest you and bring you down.  Usually, the easiest solution would be to kill them.  Which is what I would do.  One of my favorite things to do in the game is steal a car, run over a bunch of people until the police started chasing me in their vehicles, and try to outrun them "Fast and Furious" style.  The purpose was to see how long you could survive before you got caught.  I would think I got pretty good at it.

Once you are are caught, or "busted", you are sent to the nearest police station.  

GTA 3 is one of my favorite games because of the freedom you have.  My friend was the one who owned the game, and he lived 2 doors down from me.  95% of the time when we played, we just went around exploring and killing people.  On the rare occasion, we attempted a few missions, but oftentimes would get sidetracked by a nice car.  There was also the "Mature" aspect of the game that appealed to me.  I was 9 when GTA 3 came out.  Playing a "M" rated game with blood, guns, and killing, a game I was technically not supposed to be playing, definitely added to the enjoyment.  

Walking around Liberty City like a boss, Rocket Launcher in hand.

Years later, I feel that GTA 3 still holds up well compared to the games available today.  Sure, the graphics might be outdated, but the open world experience and fun you can have never gets old.  If you gave me a PS2 and GTA 3 right now, I would happily spend a few hours immersed in the world of Liberty City.  But first, R2, R2, L1, R2, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, UP, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, UP.