Grand Theft Auto Double Pack

"Two of the Best Games Ever for the Price of One"

If you have never had the chance to play either “Grand Theft Auto” then by all means stop reading this review and rush out and pick-up this unbelievable package, no questions asked. Two of the greatest games in history are now available on Xbox, and they are certainly not to be missed by any Xbox owner who has yet to play them. The pack includes “Grand Theft Auto 3” and “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City”. This pack deserves to be in every collection, nested comfortably next to the greatest of all time “Halo: Combat Evolved”. There’s no thought to be given, “Grand Theft Auto 3” and “Vice City”, are two of the best games I’ll ever play, period.

For those unaware, and I certainly hope there aren’t any, “Grand Theft Auto” is a 3rd person action game. Players roam freely around massive 3-D cities, and are able to mug, jack cars and cause mayhem at will. The premise is obviously a winner for the game industry, and though many of its elements have been often imitated by other games, none have even come close to matching the instigator. “Grand Theft Auto 3” puts players in control of a nameless thug seeking revenge in the modern-day seedy underworld of Liberty City. While “Vice City” has you in the role of an ex-con named Tommy Vercetti rise to power in Miami of 1986.

Both games are absolutely brilliant. Even though “Vice City” improves in many areas over “GTA3” and the fact that “Grand Theft Auto 3” is 2 years old, it still plays incredible. As for the Xbox version, Rockstar has done a great job of porting both games. The controls have been very nicely mapped out onto the Xbox’s controller and make excellent use of the d-pad for the weapon inventory. The graphics have also witnessed a hefty upgrade. While the character models are only slightly improved from the PS2 version, the vehicle models and the environments look significantly better. All of the cars have reflective surfaces and look absolutely gorgeous; the cities are much sharper now and have a better draw distance. Yet perhaps one of the best enhancements is the loading times, they have been shortened by more than half of the original which is needless to say, quite impressive. The game also supports the custom soundtrack option that works incredibly well so you can now add even more 80's hits to Vice City and modern songs to GTA3.

If you’ve happened to already have played both of these titles before, this is a great way experience them again. The Xbox versions also happen to be the best manifestation of both games. As for those who have yet to play either version, you should not hesitate to add this to your collection as you are getting two of the best games ever.

Pros:
+ Gameplay is simply fantastic
+ Fantastic Voice Work
+ Great Controls
+ Improved Graphics
+ Faster Loading Times
+ Custom Soundtrack
+ Two of the Best Games Ever for $50

Cons:
- Downloadable Content would have be nice

Graphics- 9.5
Gameplay- 10
Sound- 10
Overall- 10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/07/03