Grand Theft Auto 3 on Xbox (2004)

Brief synopsis of Grand Theft Auto 3

How much wanton violence and anti-social behaviour do you need from a videogame? No matter how much, this double whammy from Rockstar satisfies. The 2001/2002 offerings in the Grand Theft Auto series have been among the most successful games of their respective years, and the release of this double pack sees the series making its debut appearance on the Xbox console. You get two games for the price of one, and youre even graced with improved visuals, so get out on the streets, get some firepower, and start the car.

In GTA3, you've been betrayed by your partners in crime, and left for dead. When you come around, and you begin to piece everything together, revenge is naturally high on your agenda. Finding out what really happened to you 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 left up to you. Earning kudos from mafia bosses by (sometimes literally) executing jobs for them is the way forward. Getting respect from the Liberty City criminal fraternity can lead you into the bad-ass underworld of stealing and selling cars, taking out rival gang members and destroying certain targets. The job goes nicely with your own motives of revenge.

Playing through the whole of GTA3 takes a long time, and the cost of this double pack is almost justified by that game alone. But consider Vice City: set in the 1980's, the tone is lighter - dare we say, pastel-shaded - than GTA3, but the story is just as convoluted, and the brutish behaviour of central character Tommy Vercetti is just as appalling. Hurrah!

Tommy just wants a quiet life: he's fresh out of the big house after a long, difficult stretch, and his old boss, Sonny Forelli, sends Tommy to Liberty City to lay low for a while. Unfortunately, and very quickly, things go pear-shaped for him, as he finds himself penniless, merchandise-less, and hunted by his former boss. Assorted gangsters, corrupt politicians and biker gangs add to the conundrum. The decent thing to do, in a place known for its volatile atmosphere, is go on the rampage. And so you assume control of the unfortunate Tommy, and it's down to you to take up mission after mission, which will take you through the huge sprawl that is Vice City. It's a wide open environment with hundreds of interior and exterior locations and incredible details, full of inhabitants who interact with you and with one another. The non-linear gameplay means that you really can go anywhere you want and do almost anything you want to. From starting fights with innocent pedestrians, to stealing a police car, all the way to forcibly commandeering a heavily-armed helicopter, Vice City is yours for the taking.

The Grand Theft Auto twin pack is something of a bargain if you've been tempted by either GTA3 or Vice City before, but resisted taking the plunge. Go on, corrupt yourself!