Overrated, buggy, but still quite fun if you give it a chance.
Gameplay: 8/10 - The game is fun, really fun. There's no doubt about that. But it could've been so much better if it weren't for the AI. Very bad AI indeed. There are quite a lot of missions to do and area to explore, this is a very long game. It will take you forever if you want to complete it 100%.
Atmosphere & Immersion: 4/10 - This is where the game fails. There isn't really any atmosphere at all. The game feels like an arcade game, and all the comments of the bystanders on the streets are SO RETARDED. It annoys the hell outta you. Also, the buggy AI doesn't make this game any more realistic either. Too bad it's the only do-what-you-want-in-a-large-city game out there (that I am aware of.)
Graphics: 6/10 - Oh please. It uses the same engine as GTA 3, what do you expect? But, the graphics still do their job quite well. They're just not top of the line.
Sound: 6.5/10 - Just about only really good thing in this game's sound is the voice acting on the major characters. The other sounds are mostly really bland, except that the distant sound of traffic is quite atmospheric. The radio channels are full of music that I don't really like, some I hate even. But that can be replaced by your own tracks. The rap channels fit the game's setting & story really well though.
Physics: 3/10 - Well, it doesn't really have any physics, except on vehicles. And they are very unrealistic in most cases. Very poor job here. Hopefully, GTA IV is much better in this area.
Replay value: 8/10 - I find myself often playing this game from the start again. It's mostly because you can customize CJ's (the player's) look, hairstyle, clothing, physique etc. And you could just run around in the cities, it's fun actually.
Value for money: 8/10 - Even with all it's shortcomings, the game is still worth the full 50 € in my opinion. First of all, it's very long. You won't finish this in a week unless you just run around from one mission to another as fast as possible. And second, the game is just fun to play.
Bugs, Stability & Performance: 5/10 - This is filled with bugs, or should I say "missing features". The AI is very basic, and the cops seem to appear from nowhere. There are also all kinds of clipping bugs & stuff. It performs quite well on a modern PC.
Will this game be remembered by old school gamers as a classic after 10 years?: - I think that the GTA series will be remembered, yes. But not this individual game.
Who would I recommend to buy the game?: - Pretty much anyone who doesn't except this to be atmospheric, immersive or realistic.
Final score (not necessarily an average): 8/10