Upstate Liberty



Upstate Liberty is the name given to the northern end of Shoreside Vale which is inaccessible during normal gameplay. The area could be considered the technical limitations of Grand Theft Auto III. It is the northernmost part of Liberty City in GTA III, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Upstate is suggested to be its name in GTA Liberty City Stories.

Description
Lying behind Shoreside Vale all there are water patches and a gaping entrance into blue hell. There is also a small city block situated behind the massif. Most of the hills itself is not solid. The way to distinguish this is, if the grass is blurred it's not solid or anything underneath the observatory is solid, and everything above or at the same level isn't. Also up on the hills at the base of the observatory there are telephone poles that don't exist anywhere in the city.

Access
The only means of reaching Upstate in GTA III is by plane. The player cannot reach it by boat as there are invisible barriers that cut off Upstate from the water around Francis International, and Portland. However, in GTA Liberty City Stories, the inclusion of a floating car cheat allows the player to drive off the west side of Shoreside Vale and "sail" northernly so that they can reach the backside of the hills. The player can then go under Cedar Ridge for a medium distance, until the water stops, and the player falls into Blue Hell, respawning in the tunnel.

Borders of Gameworld
At the very north end is where the edge of the "gameworld" is. This can be spotted as the light blue area behind the water (colors can change with time and weather). But there is also atmosphere in this area, as well as the in-game sun. Low-textured birds can also be seen floating in this area. If the player goes to the east or west the game will "bounce" them back. Entering the names Aaronsville, and Garystown will crash the game. In the PS2, and Xbox versions the game will freeze but the radio will still work. And in the PC version the game will immediately be closed. Also if the player approaches Upstate from the Portland side, and flies into the north-eastern hill mass their vehicle will disappear and reappear after a few seconds. The reason for the hills not being complete is it being the limits of the GTA III game engine. However in GTA LCS with new limitations most of the hills actually have backsides (which are unsolid) instead of having large holes in the landscape.

Road Tunnels
Two road tunnels located to the north of Cedar Grove, and Cochrane Dam respectively can be seen. The tunnels may be a clue to the actual location of Upstate. In GTA III the tunnels, are meant to appear to connect with each other. But in GTA LCS the tunnels connect to each other at an underground T-junction. And the tunnel that branches off leads to Upstate.

Grand Theft Auto III
The tunnels first appear in GTA III. For no apparent reason the tunnels are blocked off. They are never completed through the storyline. It should be noted that the small blockades, and signs aren't the barrier, but what is is an invisible wall. This is proven if the player uses an explosive on the barrier, the water tanks, and cones will either get blown away or destroyed. Then going into the placeholder of the item will still be blocked. And the construction signs aren't solid, which is why explosives don't affect them. The only solid part is the small path in front of the pile of rubble. In-game it would appear as if these are under construction, as mounds of dirt, and construction signs are visible. The tunnels appear to be at least twenty feet in length before they come to a stop. Past this wall there is nothing, however the tunnels still appear on the radar going all the way to the edge of Liberty City. It would also appear that the tunnels connect to each other (as seen in the interior, however they don't).

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
The two tunnels return in GTA LCS but this time it is accessible. They are in the same location; one in Cedar Grove, and one at the end of the Cochrane Dam. The two tunnels connect in the center where the Upstate name can be seen on all tunnel entrances. There is also another blockade planted here. The other side of the road appears to go uphill. This too is not solid. The edge of the gameworld is not present here but the blue hell entrances are. Unlike in GTA III the tunnel is located deep inside the hills instead of jutting out. Going under this road will result in the player falling in the water.

Radar Text
Close to the edge of Liberty City there are several names that can be seen on the radar: Chris's Town, Gary's Town, Adamton, Obbeburgh, Woodcunty, Les County, and Aaronsville, all of which were named after some of the programmers. To see these names the player would have to learn how to fly the Dodo and fly it behind the Shoreside Vale hills. These names may have been placed here just as easter eggs (which could be the purpose of the Dodo), or they may could be names for a part of the city that was never used. However, if the player goes too far north, they will cross the game's boundaries which are set at the name Aaronsville, and Gary's Town names and it will cause the game to freeze.