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A.P.I Review:	GRAND THEFT AUTO
Developer:	DMA Design	OPTIONS:	SCREENSHOTS: No.1   No.2   No.3
Distributor:	BMG Interactive	1 Player
Game Type:	Shooter/Driving	Memory Card
Review Date:	July 1998	Standard Joypad

Setting the Scene

'There is no such thing as bad publicity, only publicity.'


"So, what do you want for your Birthday this year Billy?" said Aunt Lucy.


"I wouldn't mind a Playstation game to play on my new console that
Mummy and Daddy has hidden on top of the wardrobe in their
bedroom," replied Billy with a look of innocence wiped across his
face. 

"Ooh, that's a tricky one as I haven't much idea about these new
fangled gadgets. Computers are so difficult to understand when you
get to my age," was Aunt Lucy's response. 

"That's okay auntie, I understand. Perhaps I could help you make the
right decision," prompted the spotty faced youth. 

"You're such a lovely lad, in fact you remind me of your dad when he
was 13 years old," cooed Aunt Lucy. 

"My.... mate Jimmy said..... there is a terrific new game coming out
called..... GTA," said Billy hesitantly. 

"That sounds super, what does GTA stand for?" quizzed Aunt Lucy.
"Is is Guide To Astronomy? Or could it be Gardening Taught
Attentively? 

"Emm.... Err.... Grammmph Therrrn Auuuuu," mumbled Billy. 

"Speak up boy," said Aunt Lucy sternly. 

Genre

Billy's expression changed. His eyes widened. His fists clenched. His
chest expanded and his voice deepened. 
He took a deep breath. 

"It's Grand Theft Auto. You get to steal cars and beat up the
drivers. Your boss gives you orders that involve driving over 20 stolen
vehicles around 6,000 miles of freeways, roads, city streets, alleys
and dead ends in 3 sprawling cities where corruption, arson, murder,
drug pedaling and hijacking are all part of your days work. You can
mingle with prostitutes, shoot cops, slaughter pedestrians, set fire to
Monks, smoke underage and rob shipment of high explosives." 

"Everyone is talking about it at school, auntie. Can I have it for
my Birthday? Please. Please. Please." 

"Certainly not! What is this world coming to! Whatever happened to
Action Man and Barbie Dolls," screamed Aunt Lucy. 

"Aww, piss off you old bag. I'll buy it myself from the cash I
robbed from your purse last month." 

Graphics

Senseless, mindless violence sells and Grand Theft Auto will sell like
the proverbial hot cake because of it's controversial theme. So how
does the game look? 

GFT is viewed from a top down perspective as the camera follows
every law breaking event on your wanton trail of destruction through
the three massive sprawling cities. I generally find that top down
views can be a little off-putting as the cityscapes loose that feeling
of depth and dimension, but in this game the helpful camera
automatically zooms in and out, offering you the best possible view of
the proceedings. 

Each of the vehicles that travel along the urban highways have their
own individual look to avoid confusion. Yellow Cabs, coaches, HGV's,
motor bikes and open back trucks stand out for the obvious reason,
but it is the sheer number of different makes and models of motor
cars that impresses the most. Red cars, metallic blue cars, silver
cars, green cars. Hatchbacks, sports cars, saloons, limousines. Each
cars performance is affected by it's make and model so you know
exactly what your getting when you steal it. If you wish to shake off
the cops and mingle in with the traffic then grab an eight seater
caravette and drive carefully. If you need a quick getaway then go
for a top of the range sports car that has high acceleration and
handling to match. As a last resort you can even steal one of the
emergency service vehicles which are on active duty and can be
hijacked. Every collision will damage the vehicles body work until it
finally looks like a wreck, but thankfully there are a few dodgy
back-street dealers where, for a small fee, your car can be
re-sprayed and given new number plates. That should shake off the
law. 

Pedestrians wander around the city going about their everyday
business. They are visually small but leave a large nasty bloodstain on
the sidewalk if, for instance, you decide to take a short-cut through
a busy shopping mall in a bus. Your character is also quite small but
stands out from the crowds with his thug-like appearance. 

The cities are massive and it will take you some time before you get
your bearings. You must watch out for landmarks such as the city
park, the docks or railway station. Some of the roads are wide
multi-lane affairs while others are narrow back alleys that are tight
to negotiate. 

Sounds and Effects

The music that accompanies GTA is superb. In all there are over 60
minutes of original 16-bit digitally recorded new music that features
many styles including Techno, Dance, Funk, Hip-Hop and Industrial.
Check out the options to decide whether you wish to listen to the
sounds through a car radio or the normal channels. 

The in-game sound effects are equally impressive. GTA contains the
usual manic car horns, screeching tyres and every crash, bang and
wallop that is normally associated with this type of game, but it's
the additional touches that prick up your ears such as when a HGV is
backing up, the clear sound of a reverse alarm is audible. Wailing
police sirens are constant reminder that no matter where you go, the
law is not far behind. 

Playability

There are many things that Grand Theft Auto will undoubtedly be
accused of but there is no way that it could be found guilty of
lacking in gameplay. Not only is the playing area the size of a rather
large city but there are over 200 different missions and thousands of
crimes and misdemeanors to carry out before you can move up the
ranks from being a petty thief to the city's most wanted gangster. 

Before you begin a character must be selected from the rogues
gallery where the profiles of Travis, Bubba, Troy and a particularly
nasty looking bastard Kivlov, are displayed. You are given a set
number of lives which can be ended by getting busted, taking too
much damage, failing a crucial mission or even dying. When all lives
are lost your criminal record is displayed on the screen showing a
total of game points and a list of offenses which include hit and run,
stunts and bumps, bank jobs and murder one. Points are awarded for
successful missions and damage created. These points can also be
used to purchase firearms, lose a hot car or pay off an associate. 

The game is basically mission based where you receive your
instructions via a number of suspicious sources. A popular information
point is the public phone booths outside the city park. Your character
begins trudging the streets on foot and when you arrive at this
location the telephones are ringing merrily away. To receive your first
set of instructions simply walk up to a booth, press the action button
and the juvenile will pick up the receiver. Your contact will quickly
babble out a few lines which appear in text format on the bottom of
the screen. 

Missions are wide and varied. Some are timed, others require
thoughtful planning. The game has a gentle learning curve and you are
initially only expected to carry out a few 'trivial' crimes such as
dropping off suspicious packages, unloading hot cars and following
corrupt lawyers. Before you know it you are drawn into the seedy
world of crime with bigger and more profitable offers - the odd
assassination here and the occasional terrorist activity there. Petty
larceny becomes big time bank robberies and passing drug packages
becomes planting bombs in busy shopping centres. (Are you listening
kids, crime never pays in real life - For and behalf of Inspector
Plod.) 

Each mission is put across in a rough and ready way. 'Bring the stolen
car to West Park. Move it as we've got some fresh pussy here.' 'This
bus you've stolen is a trap. It's rigged to explode if you drop under
50 mph.' 'Take me to West Island as Bobby's got a sticky love nest
there.' 'Steal two yellow cabs and take them down to the docks.'
After a certain number of missions you are left to fend for yourself.
To do this you must search the streets for vehicles parked in
suspicious circumstances and upon entering the vehicle your new
instructions are offered. 

Of course getting around the city on foot would be insane as the cops
would pick you up in no time. You need wheels and to obtain the
motor of your choice is a simple enough process - walk in front of
any vehicle and it will grind to a halt. Press the 'enter/exit car'
button and the thug will grab the owner/occupier by the scruff of
the neck, rive him from the drivers seat, throw him to the ground
then take off in his vehicle, pausing only to run him over if it has
been a bad day. Simple process - devastating effect. Any vehicle
may be commandeered in this fashion but some missions involve
stealing specific vehicles. If you are feeling particularly brave you
could attempt to take off with a patrol car which has the best road
handling at maximum speed, but if you mess too much with the law
enforcers they will come down on you heavy handed and create road
blocks on every junction. This usually ends up in a gun fight which
you have little chance of survival. 

To drive the cars you have an accelerator, brake and reverse. On the
wide open highways the cars handle quite well. Top of the range cars
can powerslide around corners and the steering is responsive enough to
weave in and out of oncoming vehicles. Where the game becomes
frustrating is down those narrow backstreets and due to limited space
you can easily become jammed in between vehicles and buildings. 

To help you to find your objective point there is a helpful on screen
arrow which points directly at your destination, although negotiating
the complex routes can often lead to you becoming hopelessly lost.
Although the arrow always points from A to B there may be a river
blocking your direct route, therefore quite often you must backtrack
and find a bridge to cross over onto the other side of town. On your
travels you will come across the occasional information icon that
offers advice on the deeper aspects of the game such as where to
purchase weapons. To collect this helpful tip simply drive through the
icon. 

Another point worth mentioning is that you don't always have to
complete each mission to continue. Sometimes you will meet up with
crime bosses on your travels who may offer you a more dangerous but
rewarding alternative job. It's up to you to decide if the risk is
worth taking. 

The AI is set very high and the whole playing area appears to be a
living, breathing city. Should you start a fire a fire engine will roll
up to curtail the flames. Flatten a few pedestrians and an ambulance
will arrive to aid the wounded. All clever stuff. 

Value for Money

Regardless of what I say there will be many who will rush out and
buy this game because of it's 'touchy' contentious subject. To the
rest of you I say don't expect a graphical treasure but the gameplay
will take take some time to complete while raising a few smiles on the
way.