Though not quite as large as the ones found in Vice City and San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto 3 still features a huge open-world in which players can easily lose themselves. When they're first starting out, however, only about a third of Liberty City can actually be explored, with a sizable chunk of the map inaccessible due to the explosion that freed Claude from police custody right at the start of the game.
Though it is possible to reach Staunton Island early — either with a well-placed jump or by using the momentum gained by firing shells from the Rhino together with the flying cars cheat — these serve as only temporary solutions, with players sent right back to the first island the moment they die or get busted by police. Thankfully though, those eager to unlock Grand Theft Auto 3's second island legitimately won't have to wait too long.
How to Unlock the Second Island in Grand Theft Auto 3 - Definitive Edition
In order to reach Staunton Island, players will need to complete the "Last Requests" mission for Salvatore, which is unlocked following the completion of the fantastic money-making mission, "Bomb Da Base: Act II." Rather than heading to the location that Salvatore instructs them to go to at the beginning of the mission, however, players should instead keep an eye on their pager.
As Claude gets a little closer to the objective, Maria will send him a message warning him that the car he's been sent to pick up is a trap. Players will then get a prompt telling them to head to a small jetty in Callahan Point, where Maria and the local Yakuza's co-leader, Asuka, will be waiting for them with a boat. Once they're on board, they'll be able to drive it over to Staunton Island, which will trigger the end of the mission.
The next time that Claude gets into a vehicle, a special radio announcement will reveal that the Callahan Bridge has now been repaired, meaning that players can finally drive freely between Portland and Staunton Island. As well as opening up the game's second area, completing "Last Requests" will also unlock new missions with Asuka as well as a second safe house on Staunton Island.
Things to Do Before Unlocking Staunton Island
Though many players will be itching to unlock more of Liberty City as quickly as possible, a little restraint may actually be for the best. Completing "Last Requests" and Asuka's first mission will lead to the Portland mob becoming incredibly hostile towards Claude, which, given their love of overpowered shotguns, can make returning to the area pretty dangerous later on in the game.
Those planning to collect all of the Hidden Packages or track down every unique stunt jump may want to do these things before they progress, as doing them after can be both frustrating and difficult due to how often they'll run into Mafia members. At the very least, they should think about finding the jumps and packages that are in the Leone Crime Family's main territories before unlocking the second island; particularly those that are in Saint Mark's and the Red Light District.