Every now and then a game comes along that leaves its mark on the industry and imprints on a player's mind for a long time. Games that do this are remembered years later, after even their platforms are long since dead, with an almost warm sense of nostalgia. Grand Theft Auto was a headlining game long before anyone had even played it, which quickly alerted many to the fact that this would be a title that would stand out from the rest. That was of course if it was to ever be released. The content of the game caused an outrage; or rather some very smart publicists and public relations people got outraged statements from a few people that probably didn't even know what a computer game was. These outraged people warned that the game contained all sorts of illegal acts of such nature that it could influence the youth of today and that it was entertainment medium such as this that was the root cause of all today's ills. Subsequently, Grand Theft Auto went on to become one of the biggest selling games of that year, thanks to all that outrage! The expansions pack and sequel quickly followed on its heels, receiving much acclaim and enthusiasm from reviewers and gamers alike. Now, in the age of all singing, all dancing computers that can throw polygons at the screen like there was no tomorrow, a third instalment has hit the shelves - but does it live up to its ancestry?

The response to this can be summed up in two words: hell yeah! For the first time, GTA goes third person, bringing you down to street level rather than the eye in the sky view. It is possible to change the camera angle, but trust me, don't do it. From the new vantage point you will be served a visual treat that will give satisfaction even if when watching something as simple as flashing neon lights.

The setting of Liberty City is home to some of the best criminal protagonists that GTA has ever boasted. Each has their own style, vehicles, music tastes and, of course, their own turf. In fact, you will rarely be able to move through any part of town without being able to spot a group of rather shifty looking criminal types from one gang or another. The city is divided into three islands, which you will not have access to at the same time. As you complete one island you will move onto the next and still have access to the one you just left. But be warned if you upset too many people then going back will be very dangerous, especially in the areas controlled by the mafia, as they have little trouble in filling your car so full of holes it will explode. Liberty City itself is very well constructed with no end of places to explore. It also has hills, steep slopes with buildings and streets all on different levels. It might not sound like much, but it can give rise to some Steve McQueen style car chases.

In fact, at times this game plays much like Driver, which can only be a good thing as that was another game that gave so much from a simple gameplay premise. The same elements that we all know and love from the previous GTA titles are of course present this time, (they always worked well so why change them?) and are backed up by a host of others that add layer after layer or enjoyment.

The scripted storyline events are once again generated by going to a location and receiving a job. This time however it is not always a phone call, more often than not you do your business face to face with your employer. At these encounters your will be treated to a short cut scene of your character and those of the hierarchy of whichever criminal gang you happen to choose to be working for. During the course of the game you will work for many of the different gangs, sometimes working for one against another only to reach a point where you change sides and start making enemies of your former associates. The missions are also varied when dealing with the main characters and there so much elbow room in the genre that you will rarely do the same job twice.

There are other jobs on offer almost all of the time, depending on which area of the city you are and these smaller tasks normally pay well but are not as varied as those that deal with the storyline and have no impact on your advancement through the game, other than to pad your wallet. However it is worth taking time out to complete a few of these missions, as they can teach you to navigate your way around the city and are at times more enjoyable than some of the scripted missions. Once such mission is a simple theft of automobiles, where you are given a shopping list and have to steal everything on it (Gone In 60 Seconds anyone?) Simple, but very effective as it will have you looking for all manner of vehicles and take you all over the city. There are also little sub-games present when you steal certain cars in certain locations. Two of these are the Hum-vee that is in the parking lot of the shopping mall at the docks and also the Freelander in Bellville Park. When you get into these a small challenge will open up for you to do along the lines of driving through a set number of check points within a set time limit. They are not much, but add a little extra.

The characters you meet throughout your career as a criminal are a new introduction to GTA, in as much as you actually get to meet them rather than just be at the end of the phone line when they call. These cut scenes pad out not only the storyline, but also the feel for each stage of the game. When starting your missions you will be working for the minor league bad doers, but as you advance you will make acquaintances of bigger crime families or work your way up to the top of one. Each character has their own unique style, which is reflected in the missions you will carry out for them and each new character will take you deeper and deeper into the underworld. Watch out though as you will not want to get more popular than the boss, unless you plan on sacking him.

There are many vehicles that you can steal, ranging from the big wallowing American sedans to fast, high performance sports cars. There are also a number of trucks you can steal along with the usual emergency vehicles. Taxis are worth an extra mention, as when you steal one you will have access to Taxi missions. These are little more than picking up a fare and getting them to where they want to go inside a time limit. It's a bit like playing Crazy Taxi and the money you make will go into your wallet to fund your descent to the underworld.

The police play a big element of the game, simply because it would be no fun if you couldn't be caught. This time you can see just how wanted you are with a meter that will indicate your status. The more police badges that show up, the bigger a threat they consider you to be and so the larger, meaner and better equipped a response they will send. They have the usual squad cars at their disposal and the armoured police trucks, with the SWAT team making a welcome comeback, but this time they have a couple of extras waiting in the wings should they need them. If you manage to get yourself well and truly in their bad books, they will send FBI agents after you and even a police helicopter. The helicopter is the most entertaining as it will follow you around whether on foot or wheels and illuminate you with a spotlight. If you do not stop and surrender it will open fire on you with a machine gun. Okay, so the last bit isn't so good but you can take the helicopter out if you have the weapons to do so, then watch it crash onto the city streets. Another great twist with the police is stealing cop cars. When you do (and assuming that you are not hunted down) try to get back to your safe house. Once you enter the garage, you lose any wanted level incurred. When you exit the garage you will be able to carry out Vigilante missions and hunt down criminals on the road. They will appear on your map, you chase them down and take them out. You will receive extra credit for doing so, but be careful of the real police.

Music makes an impact in the game, as always the radio entertainment from in car is superbly done and worth having your speakers up a little higher than normal. There are a number of different stations to choose from, each one catering to a different taste be it classical to drum and bass to a talk show. The talk show is so good at times that it is almost appropriate to pull over and just sit and listen to it. There are some fantastically comic dialogs and the character of the host, Lazlo, is worthy of real airtime. The commercial breaks are also funny, some more than others but all worth a listen.

The music is taken a step further than just extra entertainment whilst racing around the city. Each gang has its own tastes and listens to a particular station, which furthers the feel of each gang and in turn what they do and how they do it. Each radio station also has its own building somewhere in the city, so keep your eyes open. One last thing on the radio, whilst on Portland (i.e. the first set of missions), after you meet Maria keep an ear on Chatterbox radio, it might just save your life if you're smart enough to put the pieces together. This is a great example of how the radio is made into another aspect of the game giving even greater depth.

As I mentioned earlier, graphically this game is beyond great. So much attention has been paid to little details that the whole game environment comes to life. The environmental effects are a big feather in this game's cap; rainstorms are much as you would expect, but little touches just add to them such as the rain coming in showers and different intensities. Thunderstorms light up the background and give a bass rumble. By far the best though is the mist and fog. At times it is light and hinders you very little but when it comes in thick the viewing distance is very limited. The way lights then show up and enhance the effect of the fog can give a real sense of the effort that went into this game. Watch for the Matrix-esque effects when bullets pass through the fog as they whip by you too.

Realistic body damage has been employed to make sure that you are always reminded just how flimsy your wheels are when everything else on the road is as big and hard as you if not bigger and harder. Couple this with the fact that you are almost always breaking the speed limit and I am sure you can begin to picture just what the majority of your cars begin to look like after a few minutes. Even bullet-proof armoured vehicles will begin to look like scrap on the move if you are less than mindful of other road users, or the police take an interest in you. There is so much to see and marvel at in this game that I could keep on listing little bits and still not get through them all, but trust me they are there you don't have to look for them, they will just leap out of the screen and smack your eyeballs about for a bit.

There is little I could find to complain about this game, I have played little else since it arrived, but nothing is perfect. Every now and then there have been small glitches in the graphics that have meant that textured surfaces have been left out until I have driven over them, texture maps and structures have been invisible until I have almost hit them. Now all of these could be a result of the machine I used to review it on, but it meets all the specifications. Before I could get the game to run properly I had to patch my version of DirectX because a couple of the files within it where older version than required despite loading the DirectX drivers on the game disc. It will be a common problem if you have an NVIDIA based graphics card. Game text will become distorted or disappear altogether unless a patch is downloaded from Microsoft. The web address for the patch and additional information can be found inside the read me file on the game CD.

Grand Theft Auto III is a game worthy of the series and worthy to be found in anyone's collection. In fact, I would say that if your PC can run this game and you haven't already bought it then why are you reading this review, get down to your local games retailer and buy it already! Better yet, go find it on the web and buy it. Go on, do it now, you won't regret it! Seriously though, this is a truly great game that will go into the gaming hall of fame, its content is very strong but that's why it has an 18 certificate and it is nothing you haven't already seen in dozens of movies and TV shows. All in all, this is an amazingly huge, free-roaming, entertaining game that will last you for ages and is a must-have for everyone old enough to own it.

Reviewed by AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).