It would be impossible to overstate the impact that Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto games have had on the video game industry. Their fusion of action, adventure, driving, shooting and storytelling redefined what was possible in a next-generation title, and provided a unique experience that is still compelling today. These games proved that content aimed squarely at older game players could thrive in a market already saturated with M-rated titles. GTA's influence can be seen everywhere, from the hybrid driving action in crime-themed imitators (like True Crime: Streets of LA) to previously kid-friendly titles adopting a grittier edge (like the recent Jak II). To commemorate the saga's recent success, Rockstar is re-releasing both Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as part of a collector's edition Double Pack.

Available for both the PlayStation2 (as a value-priced Greatest Hits title) and the Xbox, the Double Pack presents both games in all their blood-soaked, car-jacking glory. The games in the PS2 set are straight ports of the previously-released versions for the system, but the Xbox iterations have been enhanced with a number of additional features. New graphical effects, custom soundtrack support and dramatically improved load times should provide some incentive to the six or so game players who didn't buy these games when they were first released. Both the PS2 and Xbox sets are a fantastic value, but it you've already own one of the games you might want to consider picking up the individual Greatest Hits release of either GTAIII or Vice City. Any way you slice it, there's a lot of great GTA gaming to be had right now for an unbeatable price.

Grand Theft Auto III is the game that set the gaming world on its ear when it was released in October 2001. Featuring a gigantic virtual city replete with architecturally distinct neighborhoods, crazy pedestrians and loads of traffic, the game let you live out your wildest, most blood-thirsty fantasies within the confines of cool mafioso storyline. Its non-linear mission structure and wealth of optional activities let you pick and choose how the game advanced. Its sense of freedom is nearly unmatched in console gaming and is a highly-praised feature that many games have emulated since its release. The ability to earn extra cash as a vigilante police office or a taxi driver is representative of the amount of depth and playability the game offers. Grand Theft Auto III also provided a surprising amount of sharply-written social commentary, mainly in the form of the outrageously awesome radio chatter and song rotation. In short, it was Game of the Year in 2001 for good reason.

In stark contrast to the dingy aesthetic of Liberty City, the pervasive neon glow of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City took players back in time to the hedonistic era of the 1980s. The game took the same excellent formula from GTAIII and added a host of new features, like motorcycles, helicopters, improved aiming control, property ownership and the ability to bail out of a moving car. Actor Ray Liotta lent his voice to the lead role of Tommy Vercetti and gave us a talkative, badass character to stomp around as. While not as innovative as GTAIII, the game nonetheless succeeded as a stylish lampoon of both 1980s America and our current society's obsession with nostalgia, as well as being one hell of a fun game. Throw in the best and largest licensed soundtrack in entertainment history, and it's no secret why the Grand Theft Auto series contended for Game of the Year honors in consecutive years.

The biggest enhancements evident in these games are in the form of visual effects. Unlike the original titles, the Xbox versions features reflections on all of its cars with some rudimentary environment mapping to boot. The characters are also slightly better, sporting one-piece bodies instead of those awkward segmented models, and individual fingers instead of club-fisted appendages. The games also feature some anti-aliasing, though it doesn't eliminate all jagged edges. The biggest difference is the amount of loading, or, more specifically, the lack thereof. Load times have been dramatically improved, especially on the initial title-screen boot-up. Traveling to a different island takes under five seconds and interrupts the game much less than before. And thanks to the Xbox hard drive, saving your game is nearly instantaneous. These things don't really affect the games in any significant way, but they're cool nonetheless.

The games play fairly well on the Xbox Controller S, but there are some unfortunate control issues. The default control scheme forces you to accelerate and brake with the triggers, and if you're like me you'll find the game nearly impossible to play like this. Thankfully, Rockstar has included a "Classic" control scheme that lets you drive like a normal player, with the face buttons. Thank you Rockstar! Of course, this means you'll be pressing down on those hard buttons all the time, and your fingers will take an awful beating. Since there are only two shoulder buttons, you'll need to use the D-pad to cycle through your weapons or to switch views while driving. It's here that I had the most trouble playing the game, as steering while attempting a drive-by is much harder than it ever was before. I think GTA veterans will be able to cope, but it must be said that the game is not as easy to play on Xbox as it was on PS2.

Both games share a number of new features, like custom soundtrack support. This would be a cool addition, except there is no way to turn it off. Imagine my chagrin when I booted up Vice City and the first car I jacked started blaring Tool from the custom CD station. Not cool. The presentation in both games has some curious audio bugs that cut off speech before characters are done speaking. Also, Rockstar needs a huge boot in the ass for cutting off the opening theme to GTAIII before it's finished playing. What were you guys thinking? While it's nice that Rockstar added niceties like reflections and fingers, both games share nearly all of the problems found in the older PS2 versions. Clipping, pop-in, slow-down, texture shredding and other visual defects are still par for the course in both of these games, though Vice City has a little less of them. You'll still find cars and people appearing and disappearing at random, and the camera is still as glitchy and unpredictable as ever.

It's disappointing that Rockstar didn't take any time to remedy the major problems in both games, as they still seriously affect the experience. Instead they just slapped on a fresh coat of paint and a $50 price tag. But to be fair the problems are really no worse than they were in the original releases, so that really shouldn't prevent you from owning either of these Double Pack sets. If you've never played either of these games, then you really need to purchase this set. It'll get you up to speed on two of the best games from the last few years. And if you're a veteran car jacker, this set is also a recommended purchase. The games aren't substantially different on Xbox, but then again there's never a bad time to play Grand Theft Auto, right? Of course I'm right. So pick up the Grand Theft Auto Double Pack on the platform of your choice, and get ready to beat up old ladies with baseball bats all over again.