The best game in the world (Grand Theft Auto III (PC))

Member Name: tom391

Product:	Grand Theft Auto III (PC)
Date:	29/03/03 (590 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: it's the best game in the world

Disadvantages: erm...see advantages...

GTA3 is the first 3D version of the Grand Theft Auto series of games. Set in fictional Liberty City, the 'worst place in America', and incarcerated for a botched bank robbery, you escape dramatically with the help of fellow convict (and, conveniently, explosives expert) 8-Ball. He puts you in contact of a local mob figurehead, Luigi, and so begins your ascension into the Liberty City Hall of Crime. Starting with small errands, the 'missions' get more and more difficult throughout the game. Although you cannot progress without completing at least some of the 70+ missions, there is so much more to Grand Theft Auto 3.

Firstly, the city is divided into three large boroughs; industrial and seedy Portland, commercial and financial Staunton Island, and suburban Shoreside Vale. At first you only have access to Portland, but, as you complete all the missions available there, the bridge connecting it to Staunton miraculously re-opens, allowing you access there as well. You continue to Shoreside Vale in the same manner.

In each of these boroughs, you have a starting base, affectionately labelled with a 'home' symbol on your radar, that allows you to store cars, weapons and save the game. You have a 'wanted level', which increases with the severity of your misdemeanours; kill a pedestrian, you'll get a wanted level of one, blow up a police helicopter and it'll go up to three or four. You can get rid of your wanted level in a variety of ways, such as finding a hologram of a sheriff's badge.

When you are not doing missions, you are free to wander round as much of Liberty as you have access to. The most convenient way of doing so is to hijack a car, but alternatively you can get on the subway, a boat, or just walk. To increase cash flow you can do a manner of extra jobs on the side; for example, hijack a taxi and you can ferry people around the city for money, a police car and you can help eliminate some of the
city's other criminals.

Gangs are another thing that will dominate your life. Get on the wrong side of the Columbian Cartel, or insult the Mafia, and just hope you don't accidentally wander into their turf unprotected. They all have their own adopted cars, each with different qualities. There are some 40 different types of vehicle in the game, some with superb acceleration or handling, others built like a tank.

When inside cars, you can listen to one of nine radio stations, each focusing on different subject matter; there's one talk station, one classical, one R&B, one retro etc. There is about half an hours worth of programming on each, but as you are in and out of cars so fast, it'll be weeks before you hear all of it. You also quickly develop personal favourites, and the commercials are hilarious.

It'll take you weeks to complete the first time around, but you'll immediately want to do it again to take advantage of everything you missed out the first time. I've had the game since Christmas, but am still playing it loads. There is, of course, large amounts of modifications you can make, such as downloading new skins (what your man looks like), new cars, and the large amounts of innovative cheats ensures there's never a dull moment.

Although this game is relatively old, its graphics are superb, but its minimum system requirements are not too demanding, considering those of some games out on the market now: 450Mhz processor, 96MB RAM, and 700MB HD space. And, when you can pick this up for £20, it's great value for money too. Although the sequel, GTA: Vice City comes out in May, I would still recommend buying this game now anyway.

What makes GTA3 the incredible game it is the awe-inspiring detail given to every aspect of the gameplay. It's just a game you do not get bored of. As Play magazine so eloquently put it, Grand Theft Auto 3 is "the best game in the world".

Summary: