Toni Cipriani could ride motorcycles, unlike Claude Speed. But why were there no motorcycles in GTA 3? Rockstar addressed this mystery in the GTA Liberty City Stories manual.

When GTA 3 was released, it revolutionized the gaming industry, setting a new standard for open-world games. Liberty City made a comeback in 2005 with GTA: Liberty City Stories, giving players another chance to explore the infamous city.

This time, the game took place three years before the events led by Claude Speed, and players could finally ride motorcycles, a feature that was strictly forbidden in its predecessor. The developers didn’t shy away from explaining why two-wheeled vehicles were suddenly available, but the answer was tucked away in the game’s manual.

Why Were Motorcycles Banned in Liberty City?

Opening the GTA: Liberty City Stories PSP box revealed a game manual that included a mock newspaper clipping from the Liberty Tree. One of the articles, written by Gaylord Morrisen, carried the headline: “Motorcycles Kill Children: They Should Be Banned, Says Pressure Group”. The article read:

“A new lobby group is determined to ban two-wheeled vehicles from our city streets. Building on the success of the bicycle ban implemented in Liberty City a few years ago, the Group of Users of Safe and Approved Automobiles (GUASA) has been campaigning in recent weeks for the prohibition of motorcycles.”

“They cite chilling statistics as their main argument, though some suspect these numbers are fabricated. A GUASA spokesperson told the Liberty Tree: ‘More people die each year from motorcycles than from natural causes. Motorcycles are the number one killer in our city, and they need to be banned.’ He added: ‘If the city won’t act, we, the people, will. Motorcyclists are trying to kill us all, and at GUASA, we believe it’s time to fight back. From now on, motorcyclists will be treated as legitimate targets: we encourage all civic-minded citizens to knock these killers off their bikes.’”

The article was accompanied by a photo of Cipriani riding a motorcycle and noted that GUASA was funded by a generous donation from the Maibatsu Corporation of America, which begins to explain the sudden interest in eliminating motorcycles. The plan worked, and by 1998, the propaganda campaign succeeded: in GTA 3, there isn’t a single motorcycle on the map.

Source: 3djuegos