Game Overview

Developer: Rockstar Games

Publisher: Rockstar Games

GTA3 official home page: http://www.rockstargames.com/grandtheftauto3/

Mischief. Mayhem. Hookers.

The Grand Theft Auto series features everything that would make a video game censor gag on their Metamucil. Rewards for random acts of violence, tons of vehicular homicide, cop killing, profanity, theft, racial stereotypes (why do Asians always have to be members of “Triads”?), guns, prostitution – the list doesn’t end. The only way this game could get any more offensive is if the hero was a kitten-eating Al-Qaida member who liked to burn Bibles for fun.

It’s not only that GTA3 has all these questionable things in it, but rather that it uses them as gameplay elements. There are a lot of arguments that making these activities fun diminishes their severity. Whatever. It’s a game. People play games to escape their dull, boring lives. The same reason people read books or even go to the theatre. You’ll never see anyone condemn Phantom of the Opera for promoting classically trained organists to stalk women.

Rollin’ in my 6-4

So how do you spin hookers, drivebys, and killing cops into a cohesive game? Grand Theft Auto has done it twice before, let’s see if they can do it again.

Who needs a story?

Grand Theft Auto 3 is definitely a game that doesn’t need a story. There’s no epic quest and the “hero” is no Homer. In fact, our hero (you) will do anything for anybody if the money is there. Steal cars, run drug money, off your boss – whatever it takes to make a buck. There is a thin story where you weave in and out of gang wars and corrupt cops, but that’s not what the game is about. GTA3 is about wreaking havoc; everything else is secondary.

GTA’s biggest asset is its sense of humor. Rockstar obviously had to take the violence lightly. Most of it goes over the top, like when you blow someone’s head off their neck gushes blood ten feet into the air. How funny is that? Everything from the names of cars to the billboards has some sort of joke attached to them. If you look closely I’m sure there’s some sort of joke in the trees.