Grand Theft Auto

The Good
Where to begin, where to begin... Well, it is amazingly playable for a console game (as the gameplay is exactly the same as on the PC) - even I, a guy who shivers at the thought of having to play a game on anything except my trusty old '87 IBM keyboard, can spend hour upon hour in front of the TV playing this masterpiece. I read Tomer Gabels infavourable review of the PC version, and I must say that the problems he describes are exactly the reason I bought a video game console in the first place, and GTA runs just perfectly on a PlayStation - no getting stuck in walls, no jerky graphics, no problems whatsoever.

In addition to being perfectly programmed, GTA really has excellent presentation. The first game disc I've ever popped into my CD player, GTA has brilliant sound. Every time you step into a vehicle, a "radio" soundtrack starts playing, and even though it isn't always the sort of music I'd tune in to, it perfectly suits the gameplay, and I found myself hijacking pick-up trucks just to hear the country track with the part that goes "menfolk found their women scary, 'cause they were so big and hairy". And it ain't 'arf bad effect-wise, either!

Nice sound doesn't make a good game, but GTA has well designed levels, enough hidden surprizes, and a concept original enough to keep me hooked until I've finished it.

(And the graphics are great for a 97 PS game - nothing fancy, but functional.)

The Bad
Frankly, I will never be able to understand games (I understand the reason, I just don't understand why that reason should matter) where you cannot save at any given point. In the contemporary console style, GTA only lets you save in between levels (city maps, that is), and it's pretty darn frustrating to botch the one last mission you need to finish a city by, say, driving off the pier or being cornered by police without your handy SMG.

The Bottom Line
I would hate to think that anyone who owns a PlayStation hasn't played this game, as it's the most rewarding single-player console game I've ever played. The bad-ass atmosphere and great presentation just grip you from the start and keep you hooked 'til your fingers drop off (not an unlikely conclusion for a person with normal-sized hands, when playing with the PS controllers).