Grander Theft Auto

By Ben Barker

You knew it was coming. The rumors have been circulating for months, bits of half-whispered information all centered on one hard-to-prove statement: Grand Theft Auto 3 was Xbox-bound. Some said that the series, long assumed to be an untouchable property, would show up on the Xbox in some altered form or under a different name. Others claimed that only Grand Theft Auto: Vice City would appear on Xbox in a clever loophole around Sony’s exclusivity agreement with Rockstar. Much of the information, as it turned out, was wrong, but not in a bad way. Indeed, the end result is better for Xbox gamers than even the most hopeful rumormongers could have guessed. Not only has Rockstar brought both best-selling titles to the world’s most powerful gaming machine, but those rascals have put both games in one glorious package, the aptly named Grand Theft Auto Double Pack.

Liberty City’s Finest (It Ain’t the Cops)
And it gets better. Not content with merely giving Xbox players both Grand Theft Auto games for the price of one, Rockstar and developers Rockstar North and Rockstar Vienna have completely overhauled both graphics and sound while leaving what wasn’t broken—the gameplay—alone. If you thought the living, sort-of-breathing worlds of Liberty and Vice City were open-ended before, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. The processing muscle of the Xbox let the designers increase the draw distance on both games, so you can see more of your surroundings. The Xbox video game system’s extra memory capacity also enhances the Grand Theft Auto experience in more subtle ways. Jacked vehicles, for example, are more likely to be where you last left them.

At the same time, Rockstar has amped up the realism with reflective surfaces on vehicles, window glass, and other shiny objects; specular lighting for traffic signals, street lamps, and headlights; and amazing particle effects for everything from exploding gas tanks to splashing puddles. All of these cosmetic improvements are laid over characters and objects with much higher polygon counts than before. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to pick up a new TV, the Grand Theft Auto Double Pack is it.

Rock Stars
Since the game’s initial release, music has been a key component of both Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City—perhaps even more in the latter because the radio stations help place you firmly in the 1980s setting. The DJs in both games are an important part of the aural landscape and are often downright hilarious. But come on—what self-respecting car thief jacks a car with nothing but a radio? With the addition of the Grand Theft Auto 3 CD changer (or an era appropriate tape deck in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), you can now listen to your own custom soundtracks as you cruise through the worst cities in America. Who hasn’t dreamed of stepping out to administer a beatdown while Eminem blasts in the background, or eluding the authorities as Waylon Jennings croons about those good ol’ boys never meanin’ no harm? Okay, maybe that last one was just me. But that’s why it’s customizable, right?

Even with the addition of custom soundtracks, Grand Theft Auto audio improvements aren’t all about the music. Both games get enhanced Dolby 5.1 support, which lets you pick up directional audio clues that can be crucial to your survival. It also means you can pinpoint characters that are giving you grief more easily. In case you’re the vindictive type.

Of Bangs and Bucks
All of the above would be good news even if both Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City were coming separately to the Xbox as individual, full-priced games. But Rockstar has decided to reward our patience with the Double Pack, a best-case scenario that’s been a long time coming. If you’ve only seen Grand Theft Auto on the PS2 or PC, or are a complete newcomer to the series, you’re in for a wild new ride.