So, with the background and the rather oddly placed conclusion out of the way, it's on with the review proper. Despite the obvious graphical shift, the gameplay and format hasn't changed altogether that much since the original, and on the whole, the new version plays like a mix of the better ideas of its two predecessors. So, while we have the gangs of the second game, we don't have the complex reputation system that was a turn off to many. This means that it shouldn't take a series veteran long to get into the swing of stealing a car, driving to the nearest gang headquarters/telephone box and performing a mission. Obviously, as before, you're not under any obligation to accept and complete missions. Hell, GTA3 would still be a fantastic game without the missions. They just give the game a structure that many gamers yearn for. In fact, much of the joy of the game is to be found in simply going for a joyride around Liberty City…

The thing that really makes GTA3 such a joy to play is the sheer depth and attention to detail on display. Case in point: stealing a taxi. Run around Liberty City for just a matter of seconds and you're invariably going to spot a cab. Jump behind the wheel, and you have the option of pressing R3 for bonus missions. Simply put, doing so activates the Taxi Driver mode, whereby your new mission is to go around the city, collecting passengers and delivering them to their location, unharmed, and under increasingly strict time conditions. Sound familiar? It should. Aside from the branding, there isn't really anything in Sega's Crazy Taxi series that isn't in GTA3. However, in GTA3, this merely a distraction, an infinitesimal part of the game as a whole. Take into account the fact that similar bonus missions exist for police cars, ambulances and fire engines, and you should be beginning to get an idea of simply how much there is to do in this game. And that's without mentioning the sick but hilarious rampages that can be found around the city, or the 80 hidden packages located in secret places, or the unique jumps.

Make no mistake, this is an absolutely huge game, and like its predecessors, can be played just about any way you want. Liberty City is, literally, a living, breathing city, and you're in total control. If you see it in the game, you can reach it, and there's almost certainly some kind of reward for getting there. Think the monorail (El train) track is just for getting around the city? Try driving along the track…

But the praise doesn't stop there. In terms of the actual game mechanics, GTA3 is, in the main, just as good. The handling is a particular high point. Every vehicle, and there are a lot in the game, handles differently. Some are subtler than others, but there is always a tangible difference, and very quickly you'll begin to develop favourites. For example, the police car is extremely fast, but requires very deft finger work to actually keep on the road, and simply won't be for everyone. An old favourite, the radio stations, return, just as witty and entertaining as ever. Anyone and everyone (particularly trashy pop music) receive a dig from the inspired stations, and they're always a joy to listen to. In most racing games, turning the music off is one of the first ports of call in the options menu. Here, such a choice would be a heinous crime! Sticking with audio, it's nice to see real actors involved in a project like this. While the voice acting on the whole is pretty poor, the inclusion of voices like Joe Pantoliano (The Fugitive, The Sopranos, Memento) and Kyle McLachlan (Twin Peaks, Sex and the City) is a welcome touch.

This leaves one final thing to praise, the graphics. And, let's face it, no modern game review is complete without a long, hard look at the graphics. As with the rest of the game, graphically GTA3 is very rich, full of neat little touches. The day and night effects are, in particular, lovely, and the deformation of the vehicles, for example, looks (and feels) spot on. The camera views, too, are excellent, and the inclusion of a familiar top down view for traditionalists is a really nice touch. However, it's in the graphics that the first of the cracks in the façade begins to appear. On foot, the graphics aren't quite so perfect. Characters are blocky and rather poorly animated, which is a real shame considering the quality of the rest of the graphics.

In fact, most of GTA3's problems only become apparent when you're in foot. The character collision detection is ropey, and clipping is a problem. Far worse, however, are the shooting mechanics. When you have a firearm, you use R1 to select a target and hold it to keep locked on them, using L2 and R2 to select different targets. This is all well and good, but the streets of GTA3 are very busy, and when a mission dictates that you kill one particular person with nothing but a pistol, things can get very frustrating, very fast. Similarly, drive-bys, a feature that should be a lot of fun, are ruined by the fact that they require three-buttons to be pressed at once, which means that some serious finger acrobatics are in order. This little problem is only really an issue because some missions dictate that you use firearms, but on the whole, it barely detracts from the game as a whole.

It's difficult to find anything else to criticise, in all honesty. Sure, the presentation could be slicker, but who cares? As I said earlier, GTA3 is all about pure gameplay, and it delivers, in spades. The sheer depth, the sheer amount of things to do ensure that it's next to impossible to become bored of this game. Sure, the whole thing is totally morally bankrupt, but when it's this much fun, who cares? GTA3 is the best PS2 game so far, the best game released so far this year, and a serious contender for game of the year. And if you don't believe me, I urge you to simply sit down with this game for five minutes. After three, you'll be converted. If you own a PS2, there's simply no excuse for not owning this game. And if you're waiting for the PC version, don't bother. I honestly don't see how it can improve on this version…