- Platform- Sony Playstation 1.
Product description
-------------------
Experience for yourself every classic car chase ever seen. Race
at breakneck speed through an immense, living city out-running
and out-witting rival gang members, mercenaries, hired killers
and an entire force.
Drive dozens of varied vehicles around three of America's
toughest cities. Only the best will be able to tame the fastest
cars. Only the smartest will know all the short-cuts and the
whereabouts of the hottest wheels. Only the toughest will be able
to take on the world and finish the job like a professional...
.com
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Grand Theft Auto places you in the role of a common street thug
whose job it is to carry out the will of ruthless crime bosses.
Stealing cars and settling drug deals are just some of your dirty
tasks as you run, , steal, and drive through three different
crime-infested cities. Fail and you get cussed out by your
superiors. Succeed and you rise through the ranks of the
organization, get more respect, and tackle tougher missions.
Still, through it all, you play an evil criminal who kills random
folks for dishonorable people. This is definitely not a game for
kids or the easily insulted.
But if you enjoy random acts of virtual violence, this game may
be for you. Just keep thinking, it's only a game. --Allen Stewart
Pros:
* You can steal any car on the screen
* Each car handles and sounds differently
* Easy game play and helpful arrows point your way
* Open-ended game: pick your own missions, go anywhere you want
Cons:* Very violent
* The game insults its players and cusses at them
* Outdated graphics, similar to the old Hunter game
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Review
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Grand Theft Auto puts you in the role of a small-time criminal
who is looking for a way to make a name for himself in the crime
business. The quickest way to do so is by getting on the good
side of the local crime boss by jacking cars, running drugs, and
the ever-popular contract killing. In one of the game's most
notable missions, you pick up a big rig loaded with explosives.
Your task is to drive the rig into the station, get out,
and get away before taking out the pigs where they live.
There are over 200 different missions like these, taking place in
three different cities. Each city is filled with cars and
pedestrians. There is a total of 20 unique types of vehicles
ranging from buses to sports cars, each of which accelerates and
handles differently. Which, of course, is something to keep in
mind when looking for a car to steal. When the are coming
after you, you may want a fast sports car to outrun them with, or
you might want to choose a heavier, more durable car to ram
through roadblocks with. If you're armed with weapons and a
strong disrespect for authority, you might just want to take that
Body Count song to heart and become a cop killer. There are four
different weapons you can get a hold of: a pistol, machine ,
flamethrower, and the mighty rocket launcher.
All of this onscreen terror is from a top-down view that zooms
out as your car speeds up to give you a higher vantage point,
allowing you to see traffic and turns further ahead. The camera
view zooms in when you slow down or are on foot so you can see
all of the carnage up close. The graphics overall are simple but
effective - little cars and little people. This simplicity seems
to take some of the edge off the harshness of the situations you
get yourself into. The view combined with the graphics of Grand
Theft Auto give it a similar look and feel to Atari's classic
arcade game A.P.B.
And although the graphics may look a little plain, the sound
effects and music of Grand Theft Auto are anything but. For
instance, each time you rip someone out of his car and take it
for a little test-drive, you hear the radio station he was
listening to. A pickup truck will have the country station tuned
in while a muscle car might have a hard rock station blaring, and
in between songs you sometimes hear the radio DJs give call
letters, news, and weather. The sound effects in Grand Theft Auto
are just as comical and realistic. For instance, when you block
traffic, the cars behind you honk. The cops use their sirens when
necessary, and pedestrians on the street shout obscenities when
you nearly run them over, of course making you take the time to
back up and do it right the second time.
The control scheme in GTA is needlessly cryptic. The D-pad
controls the direction you're facing, while the X button makes
you move forward, and the triangle button makes you move
backwards. The circle fires your , and the square button makes
you hop in and out of cars. Although the control is hard to get
used to at first, once you do you'll be zipping back and forth
across town with ease. The only other noticeable problem some
will have with the game is getting lost. The three cities have a
combined total of over 6,000 miles of roads, alleyways, and dead
ends. To help you navigate through the vast urban environment, a
little yellow arrow points in the direction you're supposed to be
headed. The only problem with this is that sometimes the arrow
will point in a direction that you can't go because a river
blocks your path. So you end up going in the site direction
that your guide arrow points, to find a bridge or another way
around. But after a while you get a sense of the city and kind of
know where things are and aren't driving down dead ends as much.
The real payoff of Grand Theft Auto is the freedom it allows.
With most games you can only go where the game tells you to go
when you're told to. In GTA you can go anywhere in the city, take
any car on the street, at anytime. The only two things you really
have to watch out for are getting killed or arrested. The true
joy of GTA is the giddy feeling you get when you decide for no
apparent reason to start launching rockets, blowing up cars,
setting people on fire, and then, just over the screams you hear
the sounds of approaching sirens. Then you're forced to
decide. Will you jack a car and get out of Dodge, or will you man
up and stick it to 5-0 with your gat? That's what the game is all
about, having that overwhelming feeling of slightly giddy doom
when the start to close in, and leaving the scene
unscathed in a shiny new car. But in all seriousness,
Grand Theft Auto is the most violent piece of gaming on the
PlayStation yet. Some will find the language and concept of the
game to be outrageously humorous, while others will just find it
atrocious. If you are a fan of R-rated action movies, then
nothing in this game will shock or damage you. However, if you
are a parent looking for a game for your 10-year-old, you may
want to skip this one. I, however, loved the game and would
recommend it to anyone who doesn't have any problems with
violence or adult language. --Ryan Mac Donald
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
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