My mother finally broke down. Despite it being the first game truly designed for the likes of adults, she wanted to get it. She wanted me to be happy so when I came home one day from school, the day GTA III was to be released, she told me that we were going to Wal-mart to get it. I flipped. I remember that after I heard the news, I went outside and cried. Sad, isn’t it? That it was all because of a game? Whatever it was, I’m just glad I was getting it.
I came home a few hours later with a bag. In it held a Playstation 2, GTA III, and a controller. I pushed my siblings aside, unplugged everything, and set it right up. When Rockstar’s logo came onto the screen, I cried for the second time that day. I knew I was in love.
I became obsessed. I could not rest until I had every secret package, every mission complete. I wanted that 100% so badly. Hours of my life was spilled into that game. I completed everything. When I finished the ambulance missions, I gained infinite sprint. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.
The depth captured me. The day/night cycle, the weather, the chatter between pedestrians, the random crimes, everything. Want a tank? Go blow some stuff up, get the army to chase you, then steal it. Driving around in the tank made you seem like a God. Want to blow up some cars? Put a blockade on the bridge, allow the cars to gather, then fire all rockets! It was truly something to behold.
I think that was the point in my life that things changed. Video games, from that moment on, were to be a huge part of my life. From there, I went on to play every major video game that was previously released. I played Socom, Black, Silent Hill, Shadow of the Colossus, Bully, the Burnout series, Twisted Metal Black, Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 4, and more. I got a Gamecube, an Atari, and a Nintendo 64. I went out to get a PC, never having one before, so I could play the likes of Diablo, Half-Life, and Doom. I later became more involved in the PC, learning everything I could so that I could potentially make the games that I loved so much. When the Xbox 360 and PS3 was announced, I was in a frenzy. A whole new generation of games to play! I didn’t have much money at the time so I had to chose which console I wanted. I got an Xbox 360. From there, I got Gears of War, Bioshock, and others. I went on to play every major game for the 360, my collection growing larger with each passing week. It continued from there to where I am today. I have played almost every major game, as well as countless small time ones, that has ever been released. I may not have started back in the day like some did, but I made up for it greatly.
Part of what fueled my fire was the 360 achievements. Since my days of GTA III, I was hocked on doing everything the game offered. Finding the Easter eggs, doing all the missions, getting to that 100% mark. I wasn’t satisfied until I did everything. I think those days is what helped fuel my love for achievements. I am obsessed with them. I hate renting games purely for the fact that I have a limited amount of time to do everything. This, however, is a entirely different story.
GTA III had the biggest impact of me gaming-wise. Other games were also inspirational, such as Shadow of the Colossus, but not as much as GTA III. I was right from the very beginning, however. It did change the world. It was a huge leap in the game industry. One that has lasted for a decade. With GTA III’s anniversary come and gone, it has helped me realize why my life the way it is. Thank you, Rockstar.
