Here I’ve written two pages and almost on
my third, and there’s still so much to tell about what Grand Theft Auto 3
has to offer. So I’m better off just saying that Grand Theft Auto 3 is by
far the most fun I’ve had in years. A fan of the first two or not, I can
guarantee everyone will love this game as much as I did, you’d be insane
not to add this to your PS2 collection.
Graphics-
These graphics will knock you dead, now
granted the character models are no “Shenmue” detailed citizens but then again
look at how much is going on in the city and tell me how bad those graphics
are then. Buildings are entirely different from one another so you won’t
pass the same store twenty times when driving like every other title you
can name. Cars look and react very realistically to damage by using 18
“reaction panels” for each vehicle to add damage where you may smash into.
Even the little details like newspapers on the street and planes flying
overhead just add to the already great visuals.
Rating-
9.5
Controls-
Pick
up and play controls that make things easy to get into and require only
mere basics in button usage, punch, get in/out of car and jump, that’s
basically all you’ll need to move around. Of course you can begin to use
more intricate controls once you’re ready such as lock-on buttons for
weapons and controlling of the camera with the R3 stick. However, with that
being mentioned, the auto-lock is a poorly designed, granted it’ll lock
onto someone, but with three shots someone’s dead and you’ll have to keep
tapping it to try and hold off multiple which becomes very difficult.
Rockstar does the right thing however by knowing that this title doesn’t
have to have ridiculous controls, but rather toned down and overly
simplistic for beginners
Rating-
9.5
Gameplay-
Never
before has there been anything as free and fluid as Grand Theft Auto 3. The
total freedom to do the kind of things you only wish you could do in the
real world. It’s the place where bad guys always win, and the crime
syndicate of the city is the blood upon which you’ll live when playing
GTA3. This game is always fun, every time you come back for more, even
after you beaten every mission, shot every civilian, and jacked all of
those fancy sport cards. Its gameplay could be deemed “The Never End
Story”, except for the fairy tale ending.
Rating-
10
Sound-
No
background music is set to GTA3. However, inside cars, the unique factor
here is over 8 radio stations all playing a large variety of music from
techno, rap, oldies, opera, or even “Chatterbox”, a call-in radio station
with it’s wise-cracking D.J. “Laslow”. The music offered is fine, but the
commercials and calls to Chatterbox station are so good, that you may find
yourself parking somewhere just to make sure you don’t miss a word of what’s
being said. The in-game sound is great as well; voices for every character,
guns sound very real as do their reaction to what surface is being hit.
Nothing left out on this one, nicely done.
Rating-
9.5
Replay-
Tons
of missions and side missions including the traditional “Kill Frenzies”,
lots of mini-games, and many other hidden surprises like various ramps
scattered throughout the city with a gap behind them, clear the jump and
you’ll get a big reward, money is even awarded for great wipe-outs and crashes.
Add in the ability to play your saved game after you’ve beaten it and
you’ll be milking this one for all its worth.
Rating-
10
Overall-
You
can probably guess by now that Grand Theft Auto 3 is the most fun you can
have with video games today. Even though it doesn’t earn my number one spot
of the year, it is a benchmark in gaming history, you can’t go into Grand
Theft Auto 3 and stop playing and say “I’ve already played something like
that”, it’s the kind of game that no one has ever experienced, I have no
doubt this will become the “universal” PS2 title that all owners will come
to have.
Rating-
9.5
Reviewer: Jobe
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