After a brilliant homage to the era of the Commodore 64 in the opening credits, the first thing you'll notice is the improved graphics, which are smoother and more detailed, and--with effects like neon lights reflected on rain-slick streets, and intense Florida sunlight--have a lush, tropical look that immediately gives you a strong sense of place. The architecture is more fabulous by tenfold, with art deco buildings, high-rise hotels, and believably seedy back alleys. The control scheme is essentially the same as in GTA3, but the cars handle much better, and in pedestrian mode there is a new crouch move. You will have access to fast, great-handling cars right away, as opposed to GTA3 which made you unlock the second island before you could get your hands on any respectable wheels. This game has such riches to offer that there is no need to be chintzy with the vehicles.

Cops are more vigilant this time--minor offenses like whacking innocent bystanders will more often than not get you a two-star wanted level--and are harder to elude (though they still can't seem to climb stairs or negotiate sharp turns). So while free-roaming exploration is as fun as ever, there is more incentive to perform the missions instead of randomly raising hell. Not that that's a bad thing: even lazy criminals like myself (in GTA3, I would rather toss hand grenades into traffic than follow orders from some rude Mafia boss) will be quickly caught up in the vivid characters and hilarious, fascinating story, in which you play an acid-washed-jeans-wearing thug named Tommy Vercetti. Where in GTA3 missions were blocky, schematic affairs only nominally connected to the story, this time tasks move the story briskly along and deftly blend cinematics and game action. For example, there is a scene of a character throwing Tommy a gun, at which point you are suddenly thrown back into the action and must make an instant decision about whom to trust and what to do.

There are more, and more detailed, indoor environments, including a hotel, police station, and mall (a slight downside to this is that some of the more elaborate indoor environments require load times). The layout of the city, with tons of backyards, narrow alleys, and fire escapes, encourages creativity when eluding pursuit, as does greater access to rooftops. Get your motorcycle up the fire escape and a whole new world of action is possible, including... well, use your imagination.

This overview barely scratches the surface of the Vice City experience, its colorful explosion of music, clothes, combat, and brilliant voice acting, not to mention the plot twist midway through the game that changes the very nature of the game itself. Though it was the outrageous, amoral violence that got all the press, the essential genius of GTA3 was its intoxicating blend of script and open-ended action. In Vice City this is--to use a cliché that is for once apropos--taken to a whole new level. --David Stoesz

Pros:

• Astonishing, innovative gameplay
• Godlike attention to detail
• Opportunity to drive on the beach at midnight listening to the Human League's "Fascination"

• More load times

Full Auto 2: Battlelines revs up its engines as the next generation of high-speed combat racing. The game is the sequel to the award-winning Full Auto, and this new standard of vehicular mayhem is exclusively available for the PlayStation 3 as a launch title. In Full Auto 2: Battlelines, the once-pleasant districts of Meridian City are turning into battle zones, rife with automotive destruction. Use explosive weapons, high-speed vehicles and skillful technologically-groundbreaking demolition of the environment to defeat your opponents and claim the city as your own.

Explosive racing arrives on the PlayStation 3.

Vehicles are more resilient than you'd expect. View larger.

Muscle cars make great weapon mounts. View larger.

Environments are more destructible than ever. View larger.

Team up with friends in online battles. View larger.

Start it up and never look back
Full Auto 2 takes you right into the action and doesn't bother itself with a fluffy story line or lengthy cinematics- this game is all about hardcore cars and even more hardcore weaponry. Thankfully, the vehicles handle well and it's easy to quickly feel comfortable directing your ride while firing rockets and other munitions. And speaking of weapons, all the classics are back and improved, such as the front-mounted machine guns, shotguns, Titan Missles, and mini rockets. Rear-mounted weapons such as the smoke screen, mine layer, and flamethrower are also available for selection.

The appeal of Full Auto 2 is not difficult to explain: cars and explosions go together like a wink and a smile. The game's developers know the sweet feeling that can only come from mounting a full frontal assault from the drivers seat of an armored SUV. While the scenarios in the game are sometimes over the top, they are always fulfilling and exciting. If SUVs aren't your cup of tea, there are also classic muscle cars, low riders, monster trucks, and industrial vehicles to drive, enjoy, and destroy.

A trip around the "Razetrack"
All four racing districts from Full Auto have returned, but most are barely recognizable. The Outskirts District, for example, barely resembles its previous form- bigger landmarks, smoother drive paths, and new traffic vehicles make the experience of racing in the city one second and a canyon the next even more exhilarating. Each district also has new shortcuts and alternate paths, so even if you had mastered a route before, be prepared for an entirely new environmental challenge.

As if the existing districts weren't already plenty, Full Auto 2 adds two additional districts to the mix. The impressive Financial District is a maze of glass and iron, just waiting for some heavy artillery to rip it apart. Taking out major glass structures opens up new paths for racing and shortcut options. Just don't miss the exit window, or you'll be the one that's looking for cover.

The new Industrial District is like a jungle of massive machinery. This district, more than any other, seems to be created for the sheer fun of blowing everything in sight sky high. Nearly everything you see or race around can become a target. Huge explosions will engulf your enemies as you speed to the next weapon upgrade- driving on the wrong side of the tracks was never this much fun!

The scale of destruction that you can unleash upon your enemies and the environment is truly unique, and simply cannot be matched by other racing titles. Explosions can even trigger additional, larger explosions, creating a literal chain of destruction. Take out an oil barrel and watch it ignite some unsuspecting traffic. If the burning traffic makes a wrong turn, it can bring an entire building down!

Unlimited firepower with friends
Multiplayer modes are the centerpiece of any quality racing title and in this regard, Full Auto 2 doesn't disappoint. Gladiator and Team Gladiator feature deathmatch rules with a challenging twist: how can you possibly cooperate with teammates with all that tempting firepower on the road? Fortunately, it's extremely fun to gang up on the other team, especially if you can ram them from both sides or force them into a building or off the road.

Base Assault is a new multiplayer mode that plays as a sort of "capture the flag" on very destructive wheels. Teams must find a bomb power-up and carry it to their enemies' base to cause massive damage and score points. The first team to destroy their opponents' base wins. Because of the strategy required, this mode is online-only, and works great as an excuse to take your PlayStation 3 online. Full Auto 2 is so much more than simple "drive and gun," and the huge variety in the vehicles and environments permits for hours and hours of rocket launching fun.

As in real life, there are consequences for your criminality. As your random acts of mayhem mount up, the police start hounding you, eventually calling in SWAT trucks, the FBI, and even the army if you continue down the path of destruction. Shaking these pursuers is easily the most fun part of the game, especially when a bunch of friends are packed in the room to witness your narrow escapes.

Grand Theft Auto III is fine-tuned to near perfection in every category. All the vehicles, from slick sports cars to lumbering dump trucks, handle exactly as you'd expect and smash apart realistically when abused. The three islands in the game are rendered in terrific detail considering their size, and are packed with traffic, pedestrians, and hidden jumps. The audio is equally amazing. Pedestrians talk, cops scream at you, and you can tune in nine different radio stations whenever you are in a car. It all adds up to a monumental achievement: the rare console game for adults that manages to get everything right. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Offers an enormous world for players to exploit, rendered in staggering detail
• Equally fun whether you go on plot-based missions or run around as a freelance crook

• Ultraviolence, foul language, and adult situations mean you'll want to keep this far away from kids
• It takes too long to get from one island to another, making some missions tedious

You play as Carl Johnson, known on the street as CJ.

Where Vice City took its cues, with tongue firmly in cheek, from the 1980s television series Miami Vice, San Andreas is a sincere homage to early 1990s innercity gangster films like Menace 2 Society and Boyz ‘N the Hood. This is an honest effort to create an engaging story about sympathetic characters caught up in a brutal environment that is on par with a movie or novel. If that effort hits a few flat notes (you would have to be totally desensitized not to wonder if it's OK to make entertainment out of driveby shootings), it may also mark the first step toward video games growing up. The first thing that fans of earlier GTA games will notice is the range of action is much wider now: Along with shooting, running, and driving, there's now swimming, eating, working out, shopping, and, yes, getting a haircut. All this means the game has a fairly steep learning curve. But, though the pick-up-and-play appeal of Grand Theft Auto III may be long gone, your access to the action becomes fairly transparent after a little practice. My only serious complaint is that, with the controller now crowded with such previously unheard-of functions like "Gang Active" and "Talk Positive," you can drive only with the left analog stick. A minor point, but it makes cars a lot more difficult to handle.

Bicycles take on a surprisingly central role.

Lackluster Graphics--but a Real Feel

Graphics--never a huge priority for Rockstar--actually take a step backward from the luscious, tropical look of Vice City. Textures are rendered with only a cursory attention to detail, and contours are often blocky. It scarcely matters, though, because no matter how San Andreas looks, it feels real. This is due in no small part to voice work by an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Ice T, James Woods, Peter Fonda, and Outkast's Big Boy and a stellar soundtrack with tunes by Soundgarden, 2Pac, Public Enemy, and even a few country classics from the likes of Willie Nelson. But it's not just realistic, San Andreas is also vast, encompassing three big urban centers and huge swaths of rural land (complete with shotgun-toting farmers) between them. This vastness does mean, however, that there can be a lot of tedious driving to get to the missions, which, along with some awkward sequencing of the cut scenes (they are in places stacked one on top of the other), means that there is a bit too much downtime. But never mind the quibbles. Ladies and gentlemen, we have another classic on our hands. --David Stoesz

Pros:

• Astonishingly vast game space
• Vivid character development
• Complex, engaging plot
• Enormous range of available actions

Cons:

• Occasionally awkward game design
• You can no longer steer cars with the directional buttons
• Steep learning curve

What's Your Strategy?
Get mission strategies and detailed maps to achieve every objective with the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Official Strategy Guide.