The basic idea remained the same as the original Grand Theft Auto with the player taking on the role of a small time hood and working their way up through the criminal underworld by performing various missions. The game retained a sandbox feel which allowed the player to adopt their own approach but this time a developed story line saw them rise through the ranks working for various dodgy organisations to become a well known criminal face in Liberty City.
The game starts with a cut scene intro in which the player is betrayed by his girlfriend and left for dead. After an escape from prison the player is turned loose in a huge fully 3D city environment and must take on jobs for various dodgy gangs. Working for the Mafia, corrupt police, a media mogul, the Yakuza and the Yardies amongst others the player eventually gets a chance to enact revenge on his traitor girlfriend.
The missions are beautifully designed and range from simple to extremely challenging. Tasks include assassination, robbery, drug dealing and of course car theft. Each mission is introduced with a short cut scene featuring in engine animation and great voiceover work. There is a structure to them but the player is free to choose when they perform a mission and to some extent the order they perform them in. It is also not necessary to complete every mission in order to progress through the story and the game is packed with incidental side tasks which help to create the illusion of a living breathing city in the grip of gang warfare.
One of the best things about the game is the fact that just exploring the beautifully realised city environment is enjoyable in itself. Cruising around in one of around fifty cars that are available there are plenty of sights to take in. There are also several opportunities to make cash from driving taxis and ambulances to working as a vigilante cop or a firefighter.
There is a massive choice of weaponry in the game including baseball bats, shotguns, Uzis, rocket launchers, AK-47s, sniper rifles, Molotov cocktails and hand grenades. You can also use the Uzi to perform drive by shootings by smashing out the side window and so you don’t even need to get out of the car to waste targets.
This game is frighteningly immersive and you can easily lose days driving round the streets of Liberty City. Every aspect of the game is highly polished and it plays like you are the central character in an epic gangster movie.
