Death to the Triads! (Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2))

Member Name: Boonoiy

Product:	Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2)
Date:	07/01/03 (814 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very detailed, Incredible gameplay and graphics, A game that'll keep you going for a long time

Disadvantages: Radio stations repeat themselves too much

Oh look - Boon's back. Well, it has been quite a while I suppose but, well, I've been in PS2 Heaven since I found the joy that is Grand Theft Auto 3 (Hereafter GTA3 - it's just easier to write!)

GTA3 has sat in my house since I got the PS2 in July, I thought it looked a good idea to begin with and gave it a go and then BAM - all sorts of stupid deaths and impossible missions came about and I really could not be bothered at all. I put it aside and thought to myself "Well what a waste of £35". Time rolls on, December comes and goes and with all that spare time and a few tries of BMX XXX (possibly the most dull game about except for the nudity and swearing - that's for another review though, if Dooyoo ever approve its addition...) I thought I'd go back to GTA3 and give it the old sporting chance I thought it deserved to begin with.

So, lets get to it shall we? What is the game all about? Who makes it? Where can it be bought?

Questions 1, 3 and 4 are simple enough to answer:

1. Yes Mr Boon, let's get to it.
3. Rockstar games.
4. Anywhere and everywhere, just don't think to ask for it with the frozen peas in Londis.

Question 2 is, as is often said across the Atlantic, a DOOZIE.

The game:

Now I will warn you, it's not for the faint hearted and I may well get just a little over-excited and start spilling the beans on a few ways to do things - simply comment on the op with all your complaints and we'll all be merry and bright.

Objective: Become the criminal overlord of all you survey.
Setting: Liberty City (Made up place - well DUH!) - broken into 3 sections: Portland, Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale.
Gameplay, Graphics, soundtrack and all you want to know about the game that made history (well, maybe not - I assume there is a GTA and a GTA2 also otherwise it'd just be daft - only George Lucas gets away with beginning at th
e 4th episode and then, only just).

Well, the gameplay is, quite frankly, Superb. On the PS2's controller you have 12 buttons and 2 analogue sticks (which also act as buttons if you want them too so make that 14 buttons altogether) and you will find that you use them all in this game. There are 2 different set-ups for the controller - I found it easiest to stick with the first one (the one you're given to begin with anyway) and won't be talking about the 2nd at all (as I know absolutely nothing about it).

Moving about:

On foot: Using the left analogue stick you can go in every direction of the compass or using the directional button thingies (you know - the 4 buttons next to the analogue stick which look like 4 black arrows all pointing inwards?) you can move in the direction you press. All nice and easy and these control your direction throughout. To run you need to press the X button down and hold it and you're sprinting away - just remember that you're not superman and can't keep this up for long without getting tired.

By Car or Boat: Same directional controls but you need to be able to go backwards and forwards in the vehicle and so an accelerator and a reverse button are needed. Well, lookie here - there's the X button to accelerate and there's the Square button for brakes and reverse. All well and good and we're motoring.

BUT BOON! How on earth do I get into a car?

Press the triangle button and you'll rake out the driver of the car and nick their wheels. On you go with the X and square bit.

By Plane: I'm sorry to say I have no Idea - not yet got far enough to get into a plane but I am assured that it does happen once onto the 3rd section of the city - Shoreside View.

So, now we know how to get about what do we do next?

From the beginning of the game you'll notice that you're some kind of thug, you've just bro
ken out of jail and are looking to get some kind of employment, the hood ion the car with you at the start takes you to one of his contacts in the city and you take the first step on the road to becoming the city's gangland ruler.

You get missions.

As simple as that.

You're allocated a hideout by the local gang boss (very important - this is also your save point for whenever you have to put the game down - work, sleep, ahem that's about it) and you'll be able to go from there to the boss's place to be allocated a mission. There is a map (well, more of a little localised radar thing) to show you where people are and where to go for your next mission and once you're allocated the mission it'll point you in the right direction to meet the objectives.

Missions include - dropping off call girls, assassinating people unfriendly to the boss, finding certain things, winning races and blowing up large numbers of cars belonging to a rival gang. Incur the wrath of a gang and you're in trouble as their minions will not leave you alone for the rest of your time on the game but incur their wrath you must in order to get onto further missions and so it goes on.....

The more missions you complete the higher your criminal rating will climb, you'll become more well respected in the criminal fraternity and more wanted by the police (yes - the police, they'll be onto you like a shot once you're a big mean gangster and take a step out of line).

You are helped out from the beginning of this game with little tips popping up on the screen, you're generally given instructions once you get a new weapon or a new set of mission objectives and there are those nice little movie things to break up the play (easily skipped by pressing X) and guide you along the path of the next mission - a boss will usually talk to you or leave a note.

So, we've got the game all laid out - do the
missions and become the all-powerful lord of Liberty.

Things to look out for:

1. Taxis - if you nick a taxi you'll be able to do a taxi mission. Press in the Right analogue stick (R3) and you'll have TAXI DRIVER flash up on your screen. Find a fare and drop him off at his destination (within the time limit and without too many bumps to scare him off) to get a bit of extra cash and to help you find your way around the city.

2. Cop cars - Same thing with the R3 button but you'll become a vigilante and have to track down criminals to get the reward.

3. Ambulance - R3 again and you're a paramedic - pick people up who're injured and drop them off at the hospital to get the reward.

4. Fire truck - R3 once more and now you've got to put fires out for the cash.

All add up to a bit of extra money which can be used to buy extra weapons from Ammunation (local gun-shop chain), to pay your medical bills when you are killed (which happens a lot) and to get yourself out of jail when you're busted by bribing the rozzers (which happens even more often).

There are bonuses to be earned by completing the rampage missions (take quite a bit of finding but they're VERY well paid) where you have to kill a certain number of people with unlimited bullets/grenades/rockets/Molotov cocktails etc. in a certain timeframe. These pay well and are great fun.

Find the hidden packages to get extra weapons at the hideout - again, they take some hunting down.

Soundtrack - 8 radio stations are available when you're in a car, you can scroll through these with the L1 Button and they'll suit just about every taste going. Rock, chat, oldies, classical, reggae etc.

These stations are OK but they do tend to repeat themselves a little too much. You'll soon get to know all about Lazlo's life on Chatterbox and get sick of the POGO THE MONKEY adverts on Flashback. They
're the real downfall of the game when you've got to be in a car for any length of time.

Graphics - all in all I think they're great, the cars look great, the landscapes are fantastic, the water is incredibly water-like and the people have well defined features even though they don't move quite as realistically as on some games.

Overall:
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Well, we had to get here sooner or later eh?

Overall the game is brilliant. I love the complexity of the missions, the superb handling of the controls, the graphics and the (it needs to be noted) gore when you kill or get killed. I think the game is incredibly well set up, it takes a while to get used to but once you're there, YOU ARE THERE.

It is definitely not a game for the young or feint hearted, there is a lot of violence and killing involved and a smidgen of swearing spattered throughout, you'll encounter hookers and pimps and all manner of mafia, triad, yazuka, yardie, columbian and all sorts of other gang members who are looking for you to help them or to kill you but if you look past all that then there's a great storyline and a great game to be played. I won't try to put anyone off this game, if you make up your own mind on the violence and killing but then you'll know whether to play this or leave it be altogether.

If you like to get involved in a game from start to end then you'll love GTA3.

Summary: