Grand Theft Auto III

"A game so great you wonder why less than perfect games are made!"

Hey, I've been a long time fan of the GTA series, and I am here to tell you what the game is truly like in an unbiased opinion. It rocks! It combines all the things we've always wanted to do in a role playing game and still lets us rome to and from where ever we please. Over all this is a must own (as I'm sure many have already told you) for any PS2 owner.

GAMEPLAY
What can I say other than....FINALLY. Finally a game with so much freedom it is nothing short astounding. The games enviornment is about the size of a virtual New York City, which by the way Rockstar games has already done in Midnight Club: Street Racing. If that wasn't enough there are three of them. You'll find yourself exploring the worlds for hours, never getting tired of it. If that wasn't enough Rockstar and DMA have paid very close attention to the smallest detail, that while not seeming very important, all contributes to the realness that can sometimes be confused with reality. Just grabbing a good old fasioned bat and beating down a few inocents can bring a smile to your face, let alone what other atrocities you can perfrom.

STORY
The story of the game really adds something to it. While other games seemed to have there story throne in just to have substance to it, GTA3 really can center around its story or can easily let go from its objectives and become another game completely. You start off being back-stabbed by your girlfriend who leaves you to take the fall for a bank heist. You are caught and are being shipped off with some other convicts to a prison when the truck is stopped by another gang. You and all the other convicts free yourselves when a bomb goes off on the bridge you were crossing. This is when you take over. Your stuck with a guy named 8-ball who is a demolition expert. He tells you he knows a safe place to lay low but his hands are mangled and he needs you to drive. You might as well take him up on the offer, it will give you a chance to learn the basics. You drive to a hide-out to get a change of clothes. 8-ball syas he knows a guy where he can give you some work to do and get a reputation. This is where you make a decision whether to go off on your own, or drive to ''Luigi's''. Either one yeilds entertainment, so I'll let you make that decision.

SOUND
This is where most games fall short, but for GTA3 this is yet another category where this game shines. The city is full of chatering people. Car wrecks and explosions sound fantastic. Sirins and the overall city can easily be mistaken for a TV show if your not playing the game. The games unique radio station option, while has been done in the other GTA game, has never been quite this real.There are nine radio stations for listing. Your covered no matter what music you like to listen too, plus theres this hilarious station called ''Chatterbox''. Over all the sation is nothing short of hilarious, and you can listen to it over and over again. It sounds crisp and clear. Sometimes you'll find yourself listening to the radio rather than consentrating on driving. Whatever your doing the sound blends in soo perfectly with the game you'll forget its just computer code your listening to.

GRAPHICS
Many will either praise the game or dislike the games graphics. If you hate when graphics cut in to each other or when the frame rate takes a dive worse than George Bush's daughter than this game may irritate you. But it really doesn't effect the gameplay when your having so much fun anyway. Most of it's hard to notice and you proabaly wont care, but its there. Otherwise everythings great from the cars breaking apart to the many different polygonal persons there are to beat down. Explosions and fire effects look pretty damn good. The flamethrower especialy captializes on this effect. The cars, while not Grand Tourismo 3 quality, will certainly earn your approval. Lets not forget the city thats bigger than D.C. It's a huge and lush enviornment that presents the question...how did they do it. Everything looks as if somebody slaved every night on one building to make it pain-stakingly detailed. All in all the visuals on the game are untouchable.

REPLAY VALUE
Are you kidding me. This games got more replay value than the amount of times George Bush has done a line of coke. You'll never run out of things to do, well even if you could I still havn't lost the feel of first playing it feel. Theres a seemingly endless amount of missions to complete, numerous side jobs, special missions, bonuses, and of couse killing sprees. If you run out of things to do then e-mail me and I'll find something you ahvn't done.

WARNING
Sorry to ruin your fun everybody, but I must warn all you feminest out there that there is a heaping quantity of blood, violence, sexual ineundo, car jacking, beat downing, and pretty much any crime you want to comit. While the game does not reward criminal behavior (unless it's in cash) it does try to put a stop to the killing spree your son or daughter may be completing by enforcing the law. So all you aprents our there who arn't sure whether or not to buy this game because of its content, think of it as teaching your kids why they shouldn't kill people and so on and so forth.

OVERVIEW
At all cost not matter what, you will procure this game. In case your all not qhick on the uptake here BUY THIS GAME AT ALL AND ANY COST. You'll understand if I'm not trying to presure you but it will be the smartest buy you'll ever make.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/01, Updated 12/28/01