Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Rating ESRB: Mature Genre action Publisher Rockstar Games External Links Official Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Website Official Rocstar Games Website

The Grand Theft Auto series may have begun back in 1998, but most gamers first took notice in 2001 with the release of Grand Theft Auto III for the PlayStation 2. Grand Theft Auto III brought the series into full 3D, providing the first great example of the open-world, sandbox genre. It became the best-selling game of that year, and subsequent iterations (Vice City and San Andreas) were even more popular and beloved. Of course, the millions of copies sold did not come without controversy: the extreme violence and language of the series made it a target for politicians, and hidden sexual content discovered in San Andreas got the game pulled from store shelves for several months in 2005.

Last year's release of the PlayStation Portable afforded Rockstar Games the opportunity to make a handheld version of the franchise, but there were certainly several obstacles. Could a system said to be a lesser version of the PlayStation 2 hardware run such a game? Would the loading times be horrendous (as they were in the PSP version of Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition)? And finally, would there be any concessions with the level of content after the San Andreas debacle? Luckily, all potential problems were overcome, and last fall saw the release of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. The game recreated the world of Grand Theft Auto III with an all-new storyline and characters.

And it was brilliant. Liberty City Stories was as good as Grand Theft Auto III - maybe even better. It may not have been up to the quality level of San Andreas, but nobody expected it to be. For all intents and purposes, this was another excellent entry in the series. The PSP has a very small installed base compared to the PlayStation 2, so when rumors swirled about an impending upwards port, very few were surprised. Here it is - Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the PlayStation 2, arriving at the budget price of just $19.99. The price indicates a quick-and-dirty port, but despite a handful of issues, Liberty City Stories is still a great value.

Toni Cipriani is the protagonist this time around, returning to Liberty City after going into hiding following the assassination of a rival gangster at his hands. Liberty City Stories takes place three years prior to Grand Theft Auto III, so the environment has some distinct visual differences. In terms of the gameplay, the title is a bit of a hodge-podge of the last three console titles, taking bits and pieces from each. It is not as fully formed as San Andreas, but it does have motorcycles and a taxi to return you to the site of a mission if you are injured or captured.

Liberty City is a living world - people and vehicles operate randomly and independently, and it is up to you to make decisions and deal with the consequences. If you go on a killing spree, you will likely find a gang of police cars on your tail. The "go anywhere, do anything" concept has yet to grow stale, and you will likely spend hours just riding around and seeing what is possible. Nothing has been compromised in the wake of the San Andreas scandal; the violence and language is as prevalent as ever. In the first couple hours of gameplay, you will get acquainted with a kinky sex addict and a promiscuous drug-addled thief. Rockstar has made their name on pushing boundaries - don't expect them to change now.

In regards to the PlayStation 2 version, most of the problems have to do with the visuals. Now, I'm not vain enough to claim that graphics trump gameplay, but there are times when poorly constructed graphics can hinder the gameplay experience. On the five-inch screen of the PSP, Liberty City Stories looked incredible. Frame-rate issues aside, the game is still one of the best-looking on the handheld. Blow it up to thirty inches and there are some very evident problems. The game uses a somewhat limited color palette, and details on the buildings come in very late, sometimes within a second of contact.

Those issues are much more forgivable than the frame-rate, which is downright appalling on a large screen. The previous console iterations of Grand Theft Auto never had rock-solid frame-rates, but they were better than this. That said, the game actually looks pretty decent when you're standing still. The detail in the cars and environments is better than in Grand Theft Auto III, which seems to be the benchmark here, since both games use the same setting. Also cut from the console release was the robust multiplayer mode, which was actually quite good. The only other issue I have is that turning in the vehicles seems a bit clunkier than in previous versions, which may have a lot to do with the transition from the PSP's awkward analog nub.

In the end, this is pretty much a faithful rendition of the PSP original - for better or worse. It may have flaws, but for twenty dollars, it is an absolute steal. While I would have preferred to pay more for an upgraded version, I cannot fault Rockstar for releasing it in this state. Still, if you have a PlayStation Portable, I highly recommend that version over this one. The visual flaws are less noticeable on the handheld, and you get the quality multiplayer modes in the process. More than anything, what this release proves to me is that even a lesser version of Grand Theft Auto outclasses its nearest competitor by far. Liberty City Stories is an excellent value on the PlayStation 2.