The year 2001 will long be remembered as one of the greatest gaming years in history. The unprecedented string of high-quality games released during the last calendar year is enough to boggle the mind (and drain the bank account). There were times when I purchased three triple-A quality titles on the same day. In addition, 2001 saw the highly-anticipated introduction of not one, but two new game consoles. There was so much gaming goodness to go around that it was impossible to experience the full spectrum of top games, and as a result, each gamer did his or her best to pick out the best of the best. I did much the same thing, and ended up with an impressive library of top-quality games that I enjoyed quite a bit.

But what was the best game of 2001? That's an extremely tough call to make, with so many great games from which to choose. There is one game, however, that I simply cannot stop playing no matter how hard I try, and it calls me back every time I try to put down the controller. Is it Metal Gear Solid 2? Nah. Final Fantasy X? Nope. Rogue Leader? Eh, don't get me started. Halo? Puh-lease. Gran Turismo 3? Close, but you're way off. Only one game transcended the limits of normal gaming greatness and became a phenomenal entertainment property that everyone just had to play. And although we don't give out awards at Monster at Play (except on rare occasions), I have to give my personal Game of the Year award to that gritty, stylish and outrageously violent crime simulator, Grand Theft Auto III.

Grand Theft Auto III is the ambitious PlayStation2 sequel to the mildly successful Grand Theft Auto games that appeared on PlayStation and PC. It is an immersive 3D game composed of many disparate gaming concepts, and combines action, adventure, driving and role-playing into a unified whole like no other game. Developers DMA Design have gone to painstaking lengths to create a gritty, seedy and malevolent vision of the American lifestyle, and every single element comes together to form a brilliant and addicting experience. Through its unconventional approaches, GTAIII manages to present a tightly-focused storyline while allowing a high degree of gameplay freedom. This isn't another run-of-the-mill kiddie platformer; GTAIII is unflinchingly brutal at times, allowing you to run wild in a virtual world that closely resembles our own, instead of a traditional candy-coated castle swarming with magic robots. Frankly, this is the game I've always wanted to play, and I couldn't be happier with the overall experience that GTAIII provides.

The hallmark of Grand Theft Auto III is its unique sense of urban style, which is evident throughout the entire GTA experience. From the slick package design, to the Maxim-like instruction manual, right through to the stylish opening credits sequence and loading screens, GTAIII exudes an air of underground coolness that other games only dream about. The game plants you squarely in the sordid streets of Liberty City, a sprawling American metropolis spread across the massive boroughs of Portland, Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale. You start out as an anonymous thug doing odd jobs, but as you run errands you'll be rewarded with cash, credibility and a host of new crime opportunities. GTAIII presents a top-notch gangster story that unfolds over 73 missions, featuring excellent voice acting (from the likes of Robert Loggia, no less) and a non-linear mission selection system. This is a long, deep and involved game with countless secrets to find and countless things to do. GTAIII allows you to play at your own pace, as you can accept missions whenever you feel like it, and you even have a fair amount of choice as to the order of those missions. All told the game is a non-stop blast, and the amount of gameplay freedom is almost unmatched.

When talking about the graphics in Grand Theft Auto III, feelings of wonderment and dismay come to mind simultaneously. One the one hand, GTAIII is a remarkable accomplishment in virtual world design. The three islands of Liberty City are modeled with intricate detail and an abundance of visually realistic geometry. The game resembles a living, breathing city, with working street lights and criss-crossing streets, overpasses, bridges, buildings of every height and stature, rooftop hideouts, alleys, parks and even gun shops. There are even distinct neighborhoods, filled with different classes of people and different styles of architecture. Textures seem to be photo-digitized from real world buildings and lend the game a pseudo-realistic look, even though they tend to blur when the camera gets too close. The frame rate is unfortunately low, locked at around 30 frames per second but remains fairly steady even when the action heats up. The player models are disappointing, as they closely resemble the blocky, segmented models commonly found on the 32-bit PlayStation and are nowhere near as detailed as in games like MGS2 or Final Fantasy X. Overall the graphics get the job done, but the many graphical problems (discussed later) indicate that Rockstar and DMA are really struggling with the complex PS2 architecture.

Grand Theft Auto III is an action-adventure hybrid that employs a host of different control schemes, allowing you to kick ass freely and easily while driving or on foot. From an over-the-shoulder 3rd-person view, you can move your nameless character about using the left analog stick, while the right stick lets you look around in first-person view. Holding X will allow you to sprint short distances, though you can increase your stamina through routine running. Pressing R3 while walking shifts the camera to face you, so you can see who's chasing you. Although you start out with no weapons, you're not defenseless. Jamming on the circle button near a pedestrian causes you to cut loose with a flurry of punches, kicks, knees and headbutts. You can kick the crap out of your opponents when they're on the ground, even after they're dead. Most of the people you kill will drop cash which you can use to fuel future ventures in mayhem. Exploring on foot is the only way to scope out many secrets, and thankfully the control is fairly tight. You can only survive on foot for so long, though, and when things get hectic you're going to need some wheels.

As you might expect from a game entitled Grand Theft Auto, much of the action takes place behind the wheel, and thankfully the vehicle control is excellent. Liberty City is chock full of real-world vehicles, from sports cars to ambulances to delivery trucks to specialty vehicles, and you can carjack any of these vehicles at any time. Pressing the triangle button near a car will let you steal it, throwing out the driver if necessary, and the analog stick provides tight driving control. Each of the 80+ stealable cars exhibits different handling capabilities, and can take varying degrees of punishment. Light cars, like the Banshee or Infernus, possess great speed and acceleration, but are prone to flipping and explode easily. Heavier vehicles, like the Rumpo or Yankee, may be slow and cumbersome but are more stable and don't swerve out of control as much. (And just like in real life, SUVs tip over at the drop of a hat.) You vehicle choice is limited in some missions, but largely you can drive whatever you feel like. While your preference may vary, it's key to experiment with all the cars and trucks so you know which ones will get you out of a jam. You can store a vehicle in your hideout's garage, and this magic save spot will also repair your damage ride free of charge.

To keep tabs on your sordid capers, GTAIII features a Wanted Meter that increases as your crimes escalate. Some actions will immediately net you one star on the meter, like beating someone up in the presence of a cop or trying to steal an occupied police cruiser. One or two stars will usually disappear over time if you lay low for a while, but once your meter gets higher the only way to lower it is to collect the police Bribe Icons that are scattered about the city. The tenacity and recklessness of the police force will increase dramatically as your Wanted Level rises. At one star cops will run after you, but will quickly give up. At two stars you'll be greeted with two officers per squad car who might shoot at you. You've really pissed off the law if you get to three stars, and they respond with persistent vehicle chases and call in police helicopters. In these instances, violence against the police force will usually increase your wanted level very quickly, so once you get to three stars it's very difficult to clear your name. Luckily, you can drive your vehicle into one of the local Pay-N-Spray shops, which will get you a new coat of paint and completely clear your wanted meter. Watch out though, as they won't help you if your ride is too "hot".

Four stars will bring out the SWAT team, and you'll see roadblocks set up to try to slow you down. The FBI arrives on the scene when you've done sufficient damage to reach five stars, and their kamikaze driving style and super-fast cruisers will usually make quick work of whatever you're driving. If you do manage to get that sixth and final wanted star, the US Army comes barreling into town with Barracks OL trucks and even tanks. Getting hit by a tank is instant death if you're in a car, and the troopers that drive them will quickly gun you down with their M-16s. All this might sound like a huge deterrent to illicit behavior, but getting into trouble has never been as much fun as in GTAIII. Blowing up police cars and army trucks is an insane amount of fun, and running from the police in high-speed chases is thrilling every time. If you're arrested, you'll simply end up outside the police station, minus a few bucks and your weapons. Dying is a part of life in Liberty City, but you'll always just end up outside the local hospital a few dollars poorer. You're never really punished for your misdeeds in GTAIII, so you don't have to reload your saved game when you die. This is great game design, and as a result the game is a continuous caper of crime and corruption.

While driving through Liberty City you can change your viewpoint to one of five different cameras: close behind the car, tight behind the car, cockpit, classic overhead GTA and cinematic, which switches to various cool-looking angles while you drive (or attempt to, anyway). You can also look to each side and behind you by using the shoulder buttons, which is great for checking out the scenery and for quickly seeing who's on your tail. While looking out a side window, you can perform drive-by shootings with the uzi, which is simply a great idea and a lot of fun. DMA has even gone so far as to outfit certain vehicles with special features, such as the controllable hydraulics on the Yardie Lobo. I mean, that's just fucking cool. Every car is well-modeled and is almost fully destructible, with no fewer than 17 parts that can be broken or blown off your ride. Windows shatter, fenders fall off, the hood pops open as smoke billows from the engine, the doors come unhinged and flap in the breeze... you name it, it's in there. If your car takes too much damage it will catch fire, and you've gotta bail before it blows sky high. And when cars explode in GTAIII, they blow up good, with some extremely gratifying explosions. Some days I'm content to simply stand outside of my Portland hideout and lob grenades at passing motorists.

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