[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gta3/cover.jpg[/floatleft]One day, a good friend of mine introduced me to a game called “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” for the Playstation 2. I got to playing it, walking around the city, shooting people at random, stealing cars whenever I felt like it, and trying to pick up hookers. Just from that, I was hooked. The gaming experience was so fun that I had a constant itch to go out and buy [b]Grand Theft Auto 3[/b] for the [b]PC[/b]. I finally caved in and threw the sombitch on my computer, and I’ve been badly addicted ever since.

Grand Theft Auto for the PC is quite a game, let me tell you what. Note, though, that I never played GTA3 for the Playstation 2, so I can’t tell you if the PC game is like the Playstation 2 game or not? But I can say that the gameplay is very similar to Vice City, although the city of Liberty City is much darker in colors than Vice City is.

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gta3/ss02_thumb.jpg[/floatright]If you’ve never played Grand Theft Auto before, the trick is that you’re some thug, fresh out of jail, and that your goal is to make money in life by doing special “jobs” for people. Those “jobs” range from picking up hookers for the police, humiliating gangsters, blowing up mobster’s cars, or just killing a person for someone. That’s how you make your big money. Now, you can shoot people on the street to get chump change, or even run over a hooker to get your money back, but the jobs are how you beat the game and make your best money.

And there are a crapload of jobs to take, too. Plus, there are other things to do. You can steal a cab and take fares as a mission. You can steal a fire truck and put out fires as a mission. Then, you’ll be in a long search for hidden packages, all 100 of them. This game, along with the PSX 2 Grand Theft Autos, will take a long time for you to beat. Hell, I’ve put many hours into GTA 3 for the PC already, and I’ve only put a small dent into the game, thus far.

The graphics for this game are top notch. Rockstar Games has done a great job on the graphics for the recent GTA games, putting a lot of realism into their people, buildings, scenary, and vehicles. The sound is great as well. Everything from gunshots, to the motors, to the people on the sidewalks. Crystal clear.

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gta3/ss04_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]From what I know and assume, GTA 3 for the PC has everything that the Playstation 2 game has, but possibly more. One feature I know Playstation does not have is the Mp3 radio station. You can store ANY mp3 file of your choosing in this folder, and when you’re on the road with a stolen vehicle, you can change the radio to the Mp3 station, and your music will play. If you’re just “dicking around” in the game, it’s fun to listen to your own music while you drive around the city like a madman. Awesome feature.

This PC game may not be for everybody. No, I’m not talking about the violence or content of the game. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. If you’re a parent, keep this game away from your kids. ‘Nuff said. But what I mean is the computer requirements to hold this game. Here are the specifications that the box [b]recommends[/b]: Windows 98 and up, 700 Mhz Pentium Processor, 128 MB of RAM, 8X Speed CD Rom, 700 MB of free space, and a few other things.

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gta3/ss05_thumb.jpg[/floatright]My school computer has these requirements, BUT still experiences slowdown every once in a while. I recommend not giving into the “minimum requirements” that are listed on the side of the box, because that could be disasterous and frustrating to deal with. If you have a Playstation 2, buy GTA 3 or Vice City before the PC version, unless you have a high powered computer and would love the Mp3 radio station feature.

For better gameplay, too, I recommend getting a USB controller. I have the Microsoft Sidewinder, and it’s pretty good overall. Playing with the mouse or keyboard can be hell, so I highly recommend getting a game controller to enhance your fun much more.

[b][u]CONCLUSION:[/u][/b] Mighty fine game we have here on the PC. Sure, I’ll probably go to hell for enjoying such a real game, but oh well. It’s all fun and games to me, and this is one of the most fun games I’ve ever played. Kudos to Rockstar Games for inventing such a great new concept in the video game market, and I hope they keep it up. I just hope it doesn’t invent a new breed of criminals in 10 years or so.

[u][b]TITO STATS (0 to 5 scale)[/b][/u]
Graphics: 4.5
Sound: 5.0
Control: 4.0
Challenge: 5.0
Fun Factor: 5.0

Email Mr. Tito at [email protected].