bit-tech Shopping: Take 2 Interactive Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy (PS2)

• Action/Adventure
• Racing
• Role Playing Games (RPG)
• Simulation

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: All three games for price of one, many hours of gameplay, good music.

Weaknesses: None so far

Summary: I was psyched to come across a three pack of these games for the price I would have paid for one. I hadn't played these games before, though I had watched my husband play. The story lines are interesting and being able to completely explore your world and interact with it is exciting. There are different missions and goals to accomplish and the games are challenging enough to keep playing for a long time. Obviously, it can be violent and is rated appropriately for older people. I would recommend this as a gift for a PS2 fan!

Rating: 8

Time with product: 10

Strengths: Fun to play, tight storyline, and a bargain price

Weaknesses: a censored version

Summary: This game is fun to play. Like everyday life, we play walk, run, drive, hit, and shoot. It has very interesting storyline, which is very interesting and tight, but flexible and changing by our choices. In addition, it is so cheap. You get three games, each which has rich storyline, just for one game price. However, San Andrea is a revised version, which cut a scene for broader appeal. Overall it is a good game, and I am happy with this purchase. I look forward to playing GTA 4 in near future...

Rating: 10

Time with product: 2 Months

Strengths: 3 genre-defining games, hundreds of hours of game play, budget price

Weaknesses: No "hot coffee" mod compatibility, shop around for best price

Summary: Grand Theft Auto 3 created the open 3D sandbox style of game play. It was a genre-defining PS2 system-seller. If you wanted to play this on a home console within a year or two of its initial release, you had to play it on PS2, and a lot of people did. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City saw the series expand to include a much larger city, a Miami Vice visual style and a greater licensed soundtrack. Series fans couldn't get enough of this, and once again, PS2 was the only home console you could play it on for several years after its initial release. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas saw the series widen to include a then popular urban theme, three unique cities to explore and an even larger licensed soundtrack. San Andreas saw an Xbox release within a year of the PS2 model, but most people who wanted to play it had already done so on PS2. The later Xbox ports of these games saw increased draw distances, shorter load times and custom soundtrack support, but otherwise the games were the same. The trilogy pack gives you all three games in one convenient package. Given the popularity of the series over the years, many people bought the games individually as they came out, so there isn't a big market for the series pack today (at full price anyway). The good news is that the PS2 GTA games are now being clearanced out. Whether you're a series fan or not, you should definitely consider purchasing this package if you come across it new for $15 or less. There are lots of used/abused copies out there for purchase, but you may want to consider a pristine new copy of each of these classics for your collection.