Grand Theft Auto III

Rockstar Games

PlayStation2

Grand Theft Auto III starts with a Seventies cop-movie feel, easy funk pulling users into an urban environment as the credits play. It all looks very pleasant. And then the anarchy begins.

GTA3 gets hard-core and gritty fast (right after the credits end, in fact). In a cinematic third-person presentation of a city in chaos, the gamer controls the actions of a longtime thug and opportunistic prison escapee. The best way to get around the city is definitely by car, and there are plenty of them around — just take one. Although it should be clear from the title, this primary element of the game (i.e., crime pays) comes as a bit of a surprise. But from a thug’s point of view, it would just make sense to be rewarded for thuggery, and in this digital society, the majority are apparently like-minded and willing to pay you well for various dirty deeds. Jackin’ fast cars is just the beginning of the mayhem you could cause on these huge, winding city maps: Different “employers” have plenty of tasks for you to complete as the timeline progresses and your skills increase. With plenty of sex and drug references and lots of rather graphic ultraviolence, this is by no means a children’s game. Regardless, GTA3 is without a doubt one of the most challenging, original, and fun games to come along in quite awhile, often hysterically funny, and with loads of sheer insanity.

This article appears in December 21 • 2001.

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