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> Grand Theft Auto III: Written
by: Adam Keller
 Publisher: Rockstar Price: 19.99 Genre: Action M for Mature A massive crime spree that has became a big success... Is it revolutionary progress in the gaming industry or an
overrated “mainstream” game? A little of both. Either way, it has been and will remain one of the most important
video games in years.
First of all, many of you have heard the ranting of soccer moms and Sen. Joe Lieberman on TV. What they fail to see is
the dark humor and satire in the game. You shouldn’t take GTA: III too seriously. This is not The Godfather.
GTA: III does not particularly focus on the story, nor does it feature a particularly large story; but that’s not
what makes this game great. You play as a low-ranking criminal, who’s been betrayed by his girlfriend. You escape from
the police when the transport convoy is attacked and a fellow prisoner is “rescued”. Now with a new life of crime,
you will work for various gangs, ranging from the Italian mafia to a Hispanic street gang.
The missions (and there are A LOT of them) are well varied. The main missions, while some are wacky and fun, are for the
most part less than stellar driving missions. Due to the enormous amount of side missions and kill frenzies, there are plenty
of unique and enjoyable missions. Not only that, you don’t necessarily have to play the missions if you don’t
want to. That’s what this game is all about, freedom.
Freedom or rather the ability to do what you want is the basis of GTA: III. Whether killing innocent pedestrians with a
wide array of weapons, including grenades, a Uzi, a baseball bat, and of course, vehicles. You can hijack any of the over
80 vehicles featured in the game. This also creates fun side missions like driving a taxi cab, being a vigilante cop, putting
out fires, or saving lives in an ambulance (yep, you can actually do good things if you desire to).
One of the most enjoyed features of GTA: III is the wackiness and hilarity. The things random people say had me laughing
out loud on several occasions. I can’t forget to mention the radio. The uproarious commercial spoofs present a very
witty satire of the rampant commercialism of our society. The talk radio station, Chatterbox, is insanely funny and is very
accurate parody. Even the killing is presented in an almost cartoon-like manner, such as the “squishing” sound
when you run over people or the unrealistic blood.
While not the strongpoint of the game, the graphics are by no means horrible. Besides the occasional disappearances of
cars and city blocks, the visuals hold up. Considering the absolutely huge size and scale of GTA: III, it’s hard to
fault it too much. The people and cars look good, and it’s an overall nice package.
The sound is perfect and it makes up for any negatives in the graphics department. GTA: III features excellent voice acting,
incredible radio and music, and an overall top-quality sound.
The controls are pretty good, except for the occasional aiming problems. With some practice, everything will be going good.
This is the ultimate replay game! There are so many missions, hidden bonuses, and various things to do, in addition to
just causing chaos. It’s an addictive and fun experience that doesn’t have to end if you don’t want it to.
This is the poster boy for “mature” games. Like I said earlier, you can’t take this game too seriously.
Yes, there is crazy violence, lots of blood, some strong language, and hookers. I’m not going to put an age limit on
this game though. Obviously this game isn’t for little kids, but it should really be more of an individual decision,
based on the person’s maturity. It should be ok as long as the gamer is mature enough to separate fantasy from reality
and recognize this game for what it is: darkly humorous and satirical; basically an exaggeration of real life.
GTA: III has changed the industry. From various clones to unrelated games adapting many of its elements, the effects are
everywhere. It’s fun, addictive, and hilarious. The only problems are the somewhat boring driving missions, small emphasis
on story, and causing chaos can get boring after a while. The pros far outweigh the cons though. Grand Theft Auto: III is
an enormous game, with limitless fun, that should be in every mature gamer’s collection.
Graphics: 8.0 | Sound: 10 | Control: 9.0
| Replay: 10 | Overall Game Score: 9.0/10
                   
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