Grand Theft Autois an iconic video game franchise, but before it ever became the talk of the town following the iconicGTA Vice Cityin 2002, there was another installment -GTA 3-which featured a fictional version of New York City called Liberty City. Although Vice City’s neon lighting and 1980s charm stole the show upon its debut, it was in the gritty, crime-filled streets of Liberty City where the modern era ofGTAtruly took shape, andGTA 4doubled down on this approach. Therefore, even though the upcomingGTA 6will take fans back to a modern Vice City, OG players have a compelling reason to revisit Liberty City before jetting off to bright streets and sunny beaches.
A dedicated team of modders, called World Travel, has spent years crafting the Liberty City Preservation Project, an extensive mod that brings Liberty City intoGTA5’s engine with remarkable attention to detail and seamless travel between it and Los Santos. Although there have been previous takes on modding Liberty City inGTA 5, this one happens to be a pure add-on take with no changes at all made to the existing gameplay of Los Santos.
Before Vice City, Liberty City Shaped the Franchise’s Evolution
Liberty City revolutionized open-world gaming by shifting the series away from its traditional 2D, top-down perspective into full 3D and offers a fascinating counterpoint to Vice City’s flash and glamour. Therefore, by revisitingLiberty City,fans can reflect on the original DNA of theGTAseries’ modern era — its moody atmosphere, narrative grit, and more realistic environment. For those who first experiencedGTAthroughSan AndreasorGTA 5, it can be particularly eye-opening to see where so many belovedGTAgame mechanicsand design philosophies were first fully realized in 3D.
Beyond mere nostalgia, revisiting the new Liberty City mod ahead ofGTA 6also enables fans to compare how Rockstar handlesrealism and immersion inGTAacross different eras and technologies.GTA 3was brimming with atmospheric elements like talk radio, distinct boroughs, and a moody color palette that set the tone for subsequent installments. InGTA 4, released in 2008, Liberty City received a significant upgrade with a deeper focus on realism: ragdoll physics, interactive pedestrians, and an arguably darker and more character-driven plot - and that’s precisely what the newGTA 5mod zeroes in on as well.
The Liberty City Preservation Project Is a Work in Progress
The Liberty City Preservation Project is a community-driven effort, and although World Travel has made enormous strides in bridgingGTA 5’s Los Santos andGTA 4’s Liberty City, the newLiberty City modis not yet complete. That said, the mod, while not associated with Rockstar in any official capacity, is now free and available to download through theWorld Travel discord server.
It featuresrealisticGTAtraffic systems, dynamic 4500+ pedestrian scenarios, and AI-powered texture upgrades. The team has revealed that it still needs to “restore the majority of the interiors to be near 1:1 asGTA 4,” so it will probably continue to receive updates as the team promises to solely focus on Liberty City until it’s complete — and that’s another reason to cozy up to it beforeGTA 6rolls out.
Observing Rockstar’s Growth from GTA 3 to GTA 6
From the top-down chaos of the earliest titles to the 3D breakthrough ofGTA 3and beyond,Rockstar’s open-world gameadventures have constantly evolved. Now, withGTA 6’s trailer confirming a return to a Miami-inspired city, revisiting Liberty City can give players some variety and help players see how far the franchise has come in creating richer, more immersive worlds.
Revisiting Liberty City in the newGTA 5mod, with its steady AI improvements and physical realism that are poised to be expanded upon even further inGTA 6,is arguably going to be even more profound. Given how in touch theGTA 6trailerwas with social media trends and current pop culture, playing the mod is the closest the community can get to enjoying the franchise’s history in an experience that still feels modern.
Grand Theft Auto 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
