There had been few games that have succeeded in this kind of game before this. This is a truly revolutionary game.
Gameplay-There is so much to do in this game, it's not even funny. You play as a criminal on the street. You get hired by a lot of other criminals do do bad things like kill people and blow up cars. They get a little repetive but they are pretty varied and a lot of fun. But the missions are just one way to get money. You can also blow up cars, beat up people and get their money. Money can get you several things like guns and other things. Most of the time though, you will just steal cars and drive around the huge city. There's plenty of secrets and fun jumps to do too. The most fun of the game would have to be being chased by police. The more crime you do, the more stars you will get (1-6). Eventually, choppers will even chase you and tanks. It's just a whole lot of fun. The game is really fun but it can be exremely hard at times. Part of the problem is that you'll will keep replaying missions over and over, and that's what makes them repetive. But thankfully, there are tons of cheats. I'm sure that almost everyone who has this game knows some of the cheats. So just do what you want and explore the vast city. It's a ton of fun. The only major drawback with the gameplay is the camera (it's not controlable) and the lock on system for guns. But other than that, it's perfect.
Graphics-This game is huge. It looks awesome for a early PS2 game. The city is very detailed and, surprisingly, not very pop uppy. The characters are the only thing that don't look up to par, even for 2001 games. But this really looks amazing.
Sound-Radio stations are my favorite part of the sound. There are like 8 and they all can be accessed in a vehicle. They are really fun to listen too. Voice acting is really good too. Explosions don't sound the greatest though, and the game is pretty out of proportion, sound wise. Some things are extremely loud and others are barely loud enough.
Value-This game is really long. There are a lot of missions, and there is a lot to do in the city. The most fun thing is going on killing sprees with cops. I have spent probably 40 hours on that alone. Definately worth a buy.
GTA III remains my GTA game. It really changed the way these games are played. This can be picked up just about anywhere. I bought it used for 4 bucks. What a deal!