In GTA3, you've been betrayed and left for dead. Naturally, revenge is high on your personal agenda. Finding out what happened and deciding what you are going to do about it is your main goal. GTA3 combines a structured narrative with non-linear gameplay. This means that even though there are objectives that have to be met, how you go about them is at your discretion.

You need to earn respect from the mafia bosses by executing (!) jobs for them. This can lead you into the criminal underwo ... more >>

In GTA3, you've been betrayed and left for dead. Naturally, revenge is high on your personal agenda. Finding out what happened and deciding what you are going to do about it is your main goal. GTA3 combines a structured narrative with non-linear gameplay. This means that even though there are objectives that have to be met, how you go about them is at your discretion.

You need to earn respect from the mafia bosses by executing (!) jobs for them. This can lead you into the criminal underworld of stealing and selling cars, taking out rival gang members and bombing designated targets. There are loads of vehicles to erm, commandeer for your own criminal ends, and as your notoriety and number of naughty deeds increases, the more intense the police presence on your tail. GTA3 blew a lot of people away in 2001, but what came next was even bigger and better.

Vice City's premise was to do it all over again, but this time in the decade of big hair and pastel-shaded suits - it's the 80's! And there's a questionable soundtrack to go with it too.

Returning to the streets of Liberty City after a long stretch in the nick, Tommy Vercetti is sent to Vice City by his old boss, Sonny Forelli, so he can keep a low profile. All does not run quite so smoothly in the glamorous, hedonistic metropolis of Vice City however, and soon Tommy finds himself set up and left with no money and no merchandise. Sonny wants his money back, but the biker gangs, Cuban gangsters, and corrupt politicians stand in his way. Most of Vice City seems to want Tommy dead. His only answer is to fight back and take over the city. Vice City itself is a huge urban sprawl, ranging from the beach to the swamps and from the glitz to the ghetto. A friendly place, it's populated by a diverse cast of characters, including athletes, pop stars, real estate agents, politicians and trailer trash. All the more people to rip off then!

Lastly, there's San Andreas, and your character, CJ, initially clad in a white vest and blue jeans, is fresh out of jail (there's a pattern here, yes?) and needs to fit into the early 1990's San Andreas lifestyle somehow. He can only do this by indulging in activities which may put him in danger of being caught by the fuzz again, or possibly being shot dead at point blank range for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, get a haircut, eat some food, keep yourself in shape, and try to earn some cash: pretty much the same as in Vice City, but with much more attention to detail, a less cheesy soundtrack, and an even bigger game world to explore than Vice City's offering. << less