This game is simply poor. Get GTA IV instead.
First complaint: the cops. They are very dogged and ALWAYS catch you. This spoils the fun of the game. I play these types of games to just sort of run around and destroy stuff. This is very hard when you are chased by inescapable cops every two minutes. In GTA 4, the cops are fairly easy to elude on wanted levels 1 and 2.
The graphics are horrible. By PS1 standards they are great. PS2 standards, par for the course. But this is 2009, not 2002 - and the graphics are plain, the damage modeling on the cars is as basic as GTA 3, and the physics are hopelessly exaggerated.
These complaints boil down to one thing: the game's not fun. And it's a pure rip-off. This game gives you about as much fun as a bar of soap. But this game doesn't clean you up, and it's $59.99 . You could get 60 bars of soap for the price.
I am saving this game from the worst reviews. There are a few little signs of a good game sprinkled throughout. The stunts are an amusing diversion, at least for a few minutes. And there are some GTA style elements - basic and halfhearted, but they are there.
This game is not terrible, but it falls short of even lackluster. A 4 out of 10 score, or F+.