A very large portion of my love for the game is tied to nostalgia from when I first played it on release day, however, I did replay the game again back in 2017 or 2018 when I bought it on PC during a Steam sale and I still had a blast with the game. A few points you brought up were more glaring to me on my second play-through: the combat controls really are horrible and a handful of the missions are just downright frustrating. I've never had a problem with the driving controls, and I enjoyed the story and the characters even if it is all kinda vanilla by today's standards. Overall I still enjoy going back to the game and playing it, but I can understand why people would not enjoy playing it for the first time in 2024 and beyond.

The other GTA-esque games you played, I would agree, are much better than GTA III. I would suggest you still try out Vice City, San Andreas or GTA V. If you don't enjoy any of those then I would say GTA just isn't for you.

Also, never apologize for not liking what you don't like!

How dare you speak ill of Grand Theft Auto III...just...how dare you!

In all seriousness it's a bummer you didn't enjoy your time with the game. GTA III is one of my favorite games of all time. I prefer Vice City the most, but III still holds up well for me to this day.

"This game is overflowing with worthless junk that has no value and serves no purpose, and I absolutely must collect all of it."

For a second I thought you were playing Donkey Kong 64.

Here are all the games I beat in 2023 ranked from least favorite to favorite:

13. [Shovel Knight] Plague of Shadows
12. Meltys Quest
11. Cuties Hacked
10. Life Is Strange: Before the Storm
9. [Shovel Knight] Specter of Torment
8. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
7. A Hat in Time
6. SUPERHOT
5. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
4. [Shovel Knight] Shovel of Hope
3. Advance Wars: Dual Strike
2. [Shovel Knight] King of Cards
1. Persona 5

Hey, thanks! The years are getting up there...

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals out now.

Looks like we're both gonna have to tune-in one of these days.

I loved the first game, so playing Borderlands 2 was like hanging out with an old friend again who had become even cooler than you remember them being haha! I played as the Commando...I'd like to go through the game again later on down the line as the Assassin. I plan to play through that DLC first, because it seems really cool and I absolutely love Tiny Tina as a character! Good to know that it has a cool location and a great boss fight.

Speaking of bosses....Handsome Jack is for sure one of my favorite villain characters in a video-game. His ability to be a lovable, yet annoying jackass throughout the game had me laughing at him and sympathizing with him all at the same time. Truly a one-of-a-kind character!

Also, it looks like you've been enjoying lots o' Life is Strange. I plan to play through the first game again, and I'd also like to check out some of the sequels/spin-offs at some point in time. Just have to be in the right mood for all those FEELS!

Thanks so much! 13 years just flying by!

The code of shovelry requires that the word be spread!

Glad you enjoyed it. The amount of content they've continually added is flat-out amazing.

Oh damn, I will be in for quite something then... but I guess it will have to wait for now then. I'm too deep into too many RPGs of various kinds anyway... Final Fantasy, The Witcher, Baldur's Gate...

Thanks for your opinion on the game! It will help me prioritize it properly!