Grand Theft Auto 3D is a mod for GTA III that aims to recreate how the game looked before its release. Using early screenshots, Alpha Mines, and pre-release gameplay, the team or modders spent over four years creating this early version of GTA III. After this long development cycle, the mod was finally released in early January. The mod works with the PC version of GTA III. This version of GTA III was originally planned to be released on PS2 and Dreamcast. The modding team wanted to include as many of the early development assets as possible, even adding to the original HUD. The layout of Liberty City is also very different. Many buildings are missing, replaced by narrower structures or grass. The overall art style is more colorful and similar to older GTA descendant titles.
Fans may also notice that police cars and other emergency vehicles look much more like their real-life counterparts in New York. GTA III received some visual changes after the tragic events or 9/11. One of these changes was that the police cars became black and white instead of the blue and white patrol cars that were found in New York and are seen in early screenshots or GTA III. Claude, the silent protagonist or GTA III, looks very different. As GTA forums user 3li0507 pointed out, Rockstar went through a lot of different looks for Claude, at one point making him look really pale. The team or modders aren't just visually altering GTA III for this roll, but editing the way cars are handled, changing how the game feels and messes around with other bits or GTA III. The end result is a game that feels like it has been dropped from an alternate universe.
