Grand Theft Auto 3 for the Xbox

My God!! People! Don't you SEE? Its all about STEALING and KILLING and other BAD THINGS. Its BANNED in AUSTRALIA! Yes, Australia - the original land of convicts. If you're Australian turn back now before its too late! You're too impressionable to be reading dirty little violent video game reviews.

Now, for the rest of the world, who doesn't enjoy a little simulated vehicular homicide? Anyone? OK, lets begin.

Grand Theft Auto Three (GTA III) is a sick, sick game. Sick, but fun! How much fun you ask? Well, how about stealing a pickup truck and driving it off a bridge? Taking a fire truck and shooting at cops? Now that's fun!

Actually what's really good about Grand Theft Auto is the feeling that you can do ANYTHING you want. You can take missions from the crime syndicates if you like, or you can disregard the crime bosses and wreak havoc in the city. You can leap out of and into cars at any time. The GTA III city map is a good size, with access to other maps opening up once you have completed enough missions. The maps really give a good impression of a whole city - one where you get familiar with some areas, and others seem a bit strange.

In addition to the primary missions you can complete to work your way up the ladder of evil, there are many little goals and hidden tasks that greatly add to replayabilty. Find secret packages or do death-defying stunts in stolen cars, and the game keeps track of everything in stats: How many miles traveled on foot or by car, how far the farthest jump was, how many dead, etc.

The atmosphere is well done, and every time you jump into a vehicle you hear the car radio - This was one of my favorite elements. Using your trigger you can change stations and listen to pop hits, talk radio, gangsta rap, etc.. The talk radio was my personal favorite, with hilarious parodies of a call in show complete with commercials. They must have recorded hours and hours of custom radio content for this game, because there is enough there to eliminate feelings of too much repeating content.

Curious what society would be like if everyone was armed to the teeth?
Secret codes! - down, up, left, up, X, R1, R2, L1, L2
You may have trouble surviving for long, but it's an amusing cartoon of a well armed society. If you're the sort of person that would rather not be killed in the mayhem use -down, up, left, up, X, R1, R2, L2, L1 instead.

Have fun kids, and remember - don't try this at home.

Review by:
Pope Opinionated II