cars and bikes

Beat gta3 and it only took my forever! I really can't say how many hours I have put into this fabulous game, but I was definitely surprised on how many missions there are. I kept saying to myself "I've got to be getting close", but it just kept going. It amazed me that not only was there a lot of missions, but the missions were really well thought out and took quite a bit of unique strategy. It's possible for two different people to take on different methods for beating the same mission. After you beat the game you are still able to play, meaning you can save the game after you win and there will be no more missions for you to go on (your just left to have fun in the city). The music to this game is great. I've hooked up my minidisc player to the stereo and recorded some of the songs by chillin in a car with the radio on. Also when you beat the game and the credits role they play you a pretty good techno song as well. Now I just have to convert these nice sounds into mp3.

Couple things I have noticed that you may have not. There is a car out there that has hydraulics you can trigger by pressing L3 button or R3 (can't remember which). Second, one of the radio dj's name is DJ Michael Hunt. Why is that funny? Think about when Bart Simpson prank call's Moe's tavern.

First of all, let's get it out of the way...This game is extremely violent in nature and it's loaded with sexual undertones. Mission after mission involves whacking a rival gang member, or beating down a drug dealer for stringing out your bosses prostitutes on junk, or ganking a car and returning it after you've had your ex-con friend fit it with a pipebomb-- it's truly unbelieveable. So, if you're wondering whether or not your child is old enough to play it, he's not! It's definitely designed for adults and there's no way around it...period!

Now-- on to the game. It's simply incredible. The city is immense and bustling with activity. The nights bring out a nastier tougher crowd, while you can find "normal" people doing the 9-5 thing during daylight hours. Myself, I've found that some "jobs" that involve rubbing a guy out are easier during the day because there's less chance that gang-bangers hanging around will join in on the action and start blasting, but I've got no doubt that you'll adopt your own sytle.

In any event, the feeling of freedom in this game is un-rivaled. Like the other GTA's you can wander, but this is wandering on a whole new level. Just when you've stumbled into a shady alley in a dank neighborhood and start thinking, "What am I doing here?", you find a hidden package-- rewarding you for heading off the beaten path. Steal a cop car and you can start the vigilante mission, which awards you for hunting down and executing criminals. The game just encourages you to explore, explore, explore. BTW, I'd definitely recommend packing if you're exploring at night-- the subways can be downright brutal.

So, the gameplay is right on. The missions are similar a lot but the cutscenes are nice and they really bring you into the story line. The game isn't exactly the best in the graphics department, but once you play and see the depth that this game offers, I doubt you'll feel that the graphics are a legitimate complaint. Really, I don't know what are valid complaints. The control of the character is responsive, but you really can't see behind you too well-- that sucks. But I've learned to sprint until I get cover and then turn and return fire. Also, I have seen the framerate slow down twice, but on both occasions I had an army of cops chasing me, and exploding cars and bullets were flying everywhere. (Take out the police helicopter and the cops will freak-- it's a blast!!) I'm sure that some people will have things to gripe about, but there's no doubt that the Pros of this game outweigh the Cons-- by far.

And if you're wondering about replay value-- forget abot it. In addition to the fact that you can wonder around the city for hours starting trouble, there are also several other goodies and hidden missions. If you really wanted to collect each hidden package, find every jump point, and take on each of the secret missions, I'd bet that you're in for a good 50 hours-- easy. I've completed very few missions and I've already got probably 10 hours in. Granted, I spent a lot of time just crusing the city and getting to know shortcuts, alleyways- etc, but that's the kind of game it is. Like I said, it just begs you to explore.

There's so much to this game that it really can't be covered in a single review. (unless of course I was getting paid)

Bottom Line-- if you have a PS2 and you've been wondering when you're going to see developers take advantage of the hardware, you should defintely pick this up.

"I can't believe they did that!", these are the words that come out of the mouths of most people who try Grand Theft Auto III for the first time.

Never before has the graphical world been so interactive and not just background eye-candy. You can literally do just about anything... Superb graphics, incredible game play, limitless action and adventure choices, amazing in-depthness in its animated characters, cool cars, original missions, etc... I've been playing GTA3 non-stop since Christmas and I can't stop playing... What's even more amazing is that I've only completed 27% of all the missions... It's the ultimate Suprano's meets the Warriors action adventure!!

A note of caution to parents however, GTA3 is clearly an adult oriented game, it is loaded with over-the-top violence and adult oriented sexual themes. It is obvious why Senator Joe Lieberman has this in his top 10 most offensive games for minors.

That put aside, my hats off to Rockstar, I've never seen or played anything like it at home or in the arcade... Congratulations!