Not perfect by any means but this game is among the best and most important to gaming history up there with the classics
The free world-roaming gameplay mechanics mixed with the gritty and R-rated content made GTAIII an instant classic and spawned dozens of copy cat games within the next new years. I initially gave the game a 9 due to the many minor bugs and sub-par graphics but a life-changing game such as this shouldn't get less than a perfect score.
I'll get the bad stuff out first. GTAIII is one of the not-so-pretty games of the PS2 generation. The character models are blocky, glitches occur on an occasional basis with players falling through floors, getting stuck in walls or losing items because they magically vanished. It can get quite annoying but it doesn't come close to ruining this sweet ride.
The graphics may be so-so but sound is excellent - the game's soundtrack is not only varied but very listenable and the voice acting is superb. Dialogue is on par with most kick-ass mafia movies I've seen.
Players use a nameless protagonist fresh out of a prison escape. They quickly make a name for themselves working various odd jobs for mafia bosses, bent politicians and other eccentric denizens of Liberty City. Eventually, the back-stabbing ex-girlfriend responsible for the player's early incarceration.
The world of GTAIII is free for players to explore. There is no linear story line or time limit that holds players down. Over 10 hours alone can be spent simply exploring Liberty City.
Missions (explained briefly below) are open-ended as well. Players will be given one objective and how they achieve it is up to them. When they're tasked with killing a certain goon, they can crush him with a bat, run him over with a bus or blow his car up. Imagination's the limit.
Finding and finishing jobs pretty much encompasses the majority of the game. There's quite a lot to do. There are story line missions, which advance the... story, duh.
And second to that are optional missions. Both types of missions are acquired from various employers who send the player either on mob hits, robbery, extortion and other fun illegal activities.
Driving, shooting, melee fighting, scavenger hunting, navigating and stealth are just some of the few skills players will need to develop to prosper but I found the game to be quite easy it should take an hour or two for players to get the hang of it.
Thirdly, there's vehicle missions - driving takes a huge portion of the game so players who hate to drive or explore should stay away - cab driving, ambulance, firetruck and police missions are all accessible by hijacking respective vehicles.
Of course, being bad has its consequences. Cops will come after players in different groups. The more intense the crimes, the more of them come (including the SWAT, FBI and military). Evading them comes in many forms from obtaining police bribes to getting a vehicle you're driving sprayed.
Truth be told, nothing about the game is mind-blowing in concept. But when driving a cab and picking up and dropping off passengers or walking up to a random dude and beating him down with a bat becomes addictive, you know you're playing something special.
There is room for improvement with certain gameplay limitations. The main character can steal cars at will, evade capture from cops and military and slay over a thousand but he can't swim?! Yes, jumping into the water is the most sure way to commit suicide.
Transportation is varied but is pretty much limited to land 98% of the time and portions of Liberty City are blocked until the story is progressed (however, creative players will find ways to get through it).
The game is ripe with hundreds of side quests and things to do it will take even the best and fastest gamer over 60 hours to get through all of them. There is no shortage of things to do.
I can go on forever about what players can do but it'll only spoil the game for the very few gamers who haven't played this game. This lengthy review (longest I've written here) is my testament to how huge and epic this game is.