Review by: Mike Laidlaw
Published: November 8, 2001

Given the chance, how far would you push the boundaries of the law? Certainly, ninety-nine percent of us transgress some minor prohibition every day, be it removing the tag from our mattresses or changing lanes in the middle of an intersection. Suppose you could go further, and not face any serious consequences? Would you rob cars from the street? Or would you go even further and run down the former owner with his own car and then steal his money? These are the sorts of questions Rockstar Games and DMA Design have posed to PS2 owners the world over with their release of Grand Theft Auto 3; in a time when gaming is growing increasingly mature, this title marks a new outer limit.

Your role in Grand Theft Auto 3 starts out fairly restrictive, but becomes incredibly liberal in just a short while. Every gamer, and incidentally every gangster, must put in their time in the trenches, however, and the opening requires you to do just that. The setup could be ripped straight from the latest Hollywood gangster flick: as a small time hood, your character is betrayed by his girlfriend whose ambition leaves her exiting the scene of their latest gig carrying all the cash and two bullets short of a full clip. Those bullets, of course, are lodged in her boyfriend’s chest, which promptly results in his arrest, treatment and eventual transfer to the Liberty City maximum-security detention center. Luckily for our protagonist, he happens to be riding in the same prisoner transfer van as a major player, whose people carjack the transport and leave the police incapacitated. With the help of 8-Ball, a local bomb smith, the lead character steals away into the night and blends into the local riff-raff of the Portland district. Thankful for the aid, 8-Ball introduces the newcomer to Luigi, the local pimp, proud owner of Sex Club Seven and low-level made man in the ranks of the local mob.

After running a few quick errands for Luigi, and learning how to play the game in the process, Grand Theft Auto 3 leaves the player free to explore the city at their leisure. In the process, most gamers will be delighted to take note of the fully three-dimensional world, which serves as a refreshing change from the top-down perspective of the previous chapters of the Grand Theft Auto series. Just exploring the city can be rewarding as you listen to the comments tossed off by bystanders, watch as gang members beat up old men who’ve stumbled into their way, and generally learn the lay of the land. Once you’ve progressed far enough to unlock all three districts of Liberty City, you’ll also discover that life as a pedestrian can be interesting, especially when riding the L-Trains, subways and boats of the city.

Those looking to travel in style will hearken to the name of the game and really get into their role. Carjacking is still the order of the day, and you can snap up a huge variety of vehicles if you can find them rolling down the city’s streets or sitting unattended. Just like before, it pays to pick your targets carefully, since hauling a mafia soldier out of his souped up jaguar might warrant some retaliation, especially if he catches up and can steal the car back from you.

In some cases, the vehicle you steal will have more meaning than just a set of wheels. Ambulances, fire trucks, police cruisers, taxi cabs and more are constantly making their way through the city, and stealing one of these vehicles lets you temporarily set aside your life of crime and help out the good citizens of Liberty City. Not surprisingly, activating the taxi scenarios starts a mission obviously inspired by Crazy Taxi; racing against the clock you must try to make as much money as humanly possible and deliver your fares with a minimum of delay. The ambulance requires you to pick up wounded innocents and deliver them to the hospital, while you can become a vigilante cop and turn your attentions back upon your criminal brothers.