Product Description

Grand Theft Auto 3 lets you explore the fully realised universe that is Liberty City, and complete gangland missions. You can steal any car you see, from sports cars to taxis, and even boats. There are over a dozen ways to take out other characters, including fist-fighting, baseball bat, handgun, Uzi, rocket launcher, and Molotov cocktail. The game world has unpredictable weather, a variety of pedestrian types who act in unique ways, changing times of day and night, and a multi-tiered, fully corrupt police force. The revenge plot offers strong story elements that are balanced with the game's non-linear freedom-of-movement.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #836 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Rockstar Games
• Released on: 2001-10-26
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Number of items: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Ever fancied being a tooled-up hoodlum, living on the wrong side of the law and mixing it up with street gangs in a war over turf, drugs and cold, hard cash? Welcome to Grand Theft Auto 3 on the PlayStation 2. Big brother of previous outings on the PSone and PC, GTA 3 has gone fully 3-D to bring the fictitious environs of Liberty City to life. Any worries about graphical speed on the PS2 are quickly dispelled the first time you carjack a taxi and take off like a lunatic, mowing down the innocent and incurring the wrath of law enforcement. This is silky-smooth stuff and the graphical details are truly awesome--all the vehicles are fully deformable and ripping off car doors reveals a driver complete with steering wheels inside.

Sonically, GTA 3 cannot be beaten; in-car tunes are provided from one of nine radio stations, each with its own distinct feel, and the sounds of the city are all here too; walk around for a while and you'll hear far-off police sirens, motorists abusing one another and general chit-chat as people go about their business.

The game is very open-ended. Its major focus is the mission-based goals--start out as a convict accidentally sprung from jail and work your way up to become a shining light in one of the city's controlling gangs. If that gets dull, hijack a cab, police car, ambulance or fire engine and carry out missions suitable for your mode of transport, and if all else fails, find the ludicrously dangerous looking ramps and hit them hard for some big air and big cash bonuses.

It has to be said that GTA 3 fully warrants its 18 certificate, dealing as it does with mob warfare, indiscriminate murders, auto crimes, prostitution and more. The language gets a little "fruity" from time to time and you can't help but wince as you watch innocents get in the way of a good firefight. At the end of the day, though, this is a game and nothing more; thankfully, it's a good game, a very, very good game in fact, so buy it now. Or we'll send Luigi and the boys round. --Chris Russell

Maxim
"The most gleefully sociopathic slice of fun since Mr De Niro asked us what exactly we were looking at. 5/5."

Loaded
"Cross Gone In 60 Seconds with Reservoir Dogs and you'd probably knock up a tame version of GTA III. 9.9/10."

Customer Reviews

Groundbreaking - a true classic
Barcode: 5026555300490

GTA is not just a video game, it is a phenomenon. No other game as had so much unniversal praise, media attention and just simple become so massive. But upon playing the game you can see why. The first of the new generation GTA games in 3D on the PS2, the first thing that strikes you is just how big the game is. The world is massive, and filled with all kinds of madness.

Steal a car, drive around, speed crash, kill people for money, get into fights with gangs - all these are staples of GTA 3. Ignore whatever anyone tells you about the game setting a bad example for kids, what a load of rubbish! This is a game, pure and simple, it the amount of innocent fun you can have on here is nothing to do with the troubles in the real world.

The storyline isn't the strongest (something the series would remedy to great effect in the next two games) but the progression from mission to mission is fantastic, the difficulty of the tasks gradually increasing as you get access to new areas, new cars and new weapons.

That, in a nutshell, is the content of the game. But that doesn't do it justice because once you become engrossed in the game, it really is just the most amazing gaming experience in the world ever. It really is a world of its own, you have absolute freedom, and that is this game's true strength. It plays to all genres - it's an RPG, a shooting game, a driving game and excels at all.

The graphics are not the best for the PS2 but that is understandable when the world is so massive. After a while you don't even notice. There are just so many little intracacies that make this game a true joy to play - the 100 hidden packages scattered around in secret places, the radio stations and of course the most ultimate chaos-fest you can have ever, driving a tank round the city at full speed, crashing into cars and getting 6 police stars.

And there's more! I think what marks out truly amazing games is their capacity for longevity and GTA 3 has this in bucketloads. You can take things at whatever pace you want - go through the missions as quick as possible or take things slow, trying to get 100% completion, something which provides endless satisfaction after you win the game. There is just so much to do and my advice to you if you've never played a GTA game before, get this, become addicted and then get the other ones in the series!

A FANTASTIC GAME
What can I say, this game rocks.

The basic story is you are a criminal on the run. Your girlfriend and partner set you up after a bank robbery by shooting you and leaving you for the cops. You are busted but during the transportation to jail the Columbians (I think) bust out one of their men from the van, you and another convict (8-Ball) escape too. He sets you up with with Luigi and you start you work in the criminal underworld. The city is made up of three islands. But you can't just go from island to island right away. Yet the story makes sense why you can't. The bridge from the first island to the second is destroyed in the break out. So there is a huge gap in it. And the underground tunnel system project isn't finished yet either. But as soon as you've finished all the major missions on the first island, the bridge is repaired and part of the tunnel system is completed. (you hear it on the radio).

The story line has it all. Betrayal, little bit of love, violence, a little humor, lots of action, and more. This is by far one of the best made games I have ever played. It is so deep in gameplay. You choose when you want to take a mission by going to the proper place and get an assignment. Don't feel like taking a job at the moment? Just walk around the city if you feel like it. People pass you on the street and you hear lots of funny comments. I dub one guy "Village Person" type because he says lines like "There is a place you can go.." and a few other things that sound like lines from a Village People song. There are college students, gang members, Chinese Triads, Mafia, Spanish hoods, hookers, pimps, cops, and more! All the types have their own voices for that type and own lines of speech.

You can beat up people with a baseball bat if you like. Just don't it in front of the cops. They don't like that. Stand around and wait after you killed some one and an ambulance will come and heal that person. Hold off the paramedics for a while and the persons body disappears and a chalk outline appears for while. You can stick your gun in a person's face and hold them up.

All cars in this game can be stolen. Well some are locked so you are out of luck on them. But the car types also have their own driving styles too. Steal an ambulance and take a corner too fast at top speed and you may tip over. Steal a fast can and you may not be able to make the turn and you spin out a bit and hit a wall. Take a different can and you may not be fast enough to out run cops or keep up with the person you are chasing. This is great because cars do not simply have the same driving stlye like they do in games like Driver 2 and such. Plus this has a good physics engine. In some chases in Driver 2 I tried to ram a guy instead of just tailing him. It was like hitting a brick wall. I didn't do a thing to him but I was pretty much totaled. Not in GTA3. You hit them and they will feel it. Lots of cool cars are in the game even an ice cream truck and a small airplane, no wings but it still flys.

Next their is the voice acting. It is superb! Excellent cast! Also in the car you can listen to the radio. different channels to choose from. There is rap, ska, classic rock, opera, a talk radio (my fave), and more. The talk radio is a riot to listen too. There are calls such as one lady complaining about people on cell phones and is even in charge of an organization (ok there are three of them) called Citizens Raging Against Phones. Yes the organization is CRAP. Another guy wants to hire a nanny because he needs to be spanked. It even has guests on it. One is a pimp who runs Fernando's new beginnings and a self help guru/martial artist.

The cities are huge! It would take you a couple hours alone to walk the entire city. Plus their are more things to do in the game than just missions. There are 100 hidden packages scattered across the three islands that make up the city. Find them to have weapons created at your hideouts. Also their are places where you can ramp your car off of for uniqe stunt bonuses. This game is not something you will finish in a few short hours. This will take over 50 hours easily to finish.

This is my all time favorite game. I hope they make another one similar to this and add even more to it. 10/10

Revolutionary
Looking back this game transformed the PS2. You could justify this game as being the sole reason why the PS2 was the best console. It is the most revolutionary, original and enjoyable game made. Vice City was a better game, but for originality, this made the PS2 what it is. From the ability to roam freely across 'Liberty City', to the detailed and fun missions, this game was brilliantly done. GTA3 was one of those games that you could pick up for five minutes and explore, or just sit tere for hours doing missions. It's a shame San Andreas was overhyped and definitley overrated, while most people will agree that Vice City is the best GTA game, this revolutionised gaming.

How can you give it anything less than 5 stars? To anyone who has recently purchased the game thinking it isn't that original or it has been done before, you just had to be there.