Pros: Cheap price, better controls, plenty of side missions
Cons: Horrible pixilated graphics
The bottom line: Only recommended to those who loved GTA 3 and want a decent sequel.
It's always weird when games are ported from one platform to another and it's no surprise that a PSP game being ported to PS2 should be the weirdest. Games are usually ported the other way around, first being released on PS2 and then becoming available on other platforms. In any case, the port to PS2 is a decent addition to the existing GTA series. Hardcore GTA gamers will notice a serious lack in quality and somewhat shortened gameplay but for a ported game I felt this addition to be a decent attempt. It's not trying to overtake what has always been accomplished on Vice City and San Andreas but is merely a simple yet addictive sequel to the original GTA 3 game released over six years ago.

Gameplay

Although not clear at first we find ourselves back in Liberty City but several years earlier than the original GTA 3 storyline. This time we're playing as Toni Cipriani, once again under the control of Salvatore Leone. Many of the regular characters are present including the wannabe mayor Donald Love, the biggest tramp ever Maria and the always heard but seldom seen Toni's mamma.

Getting into the swing of things shouldn't take very long especially if you're familiar with GTA 3. The layout, locations, cars, weapons and characters are all basically the same, after all very little has changed in three years. However, you will find that the underground freeway system is not yet built but you can take a ferry boat to other islands. Motorcycles are also present which doesn't make much sense in the game world because motorcycles are not present in GTA 3 which occurs after GTA LCS. Motorcycles are a great addition though, they come in handy.

The basics of the game are quite simple. You control a character in a real world environment and you must complete missions as noted by icons on the mini map in the lower left corner of the screen. You go to a marked location, watch a cut scene which further expands the plot and explains your next mission. You then steal cars, shoot people and do whatever is necessary to complete your mission. The regular missions are much more difficult and involved than those in GTA 3. You won't find many point A to point B type missions. There is a lot more shooting and missions where you must be patient or extremely cautious at certain times as to not accidentally kill the wrong person or damage your car too much. The auto taxi is also included for those times when you want to quickly transport back to the starting point of the previous mission, usually after death or getting busted.

All of the original emergency vehicle R3 side missions are here as well. The only change though is that you must complete level 12 of the mission, similar to the original paramedic mission. This makes the side missions much more difficult because you can't start and stop whenever you want, they must be completed in an all or nothing attempt. These side missions include vigilante, paramedic, fire truck, taxi and a new addition, the garbage truck trashman. Hidden packages, rampages, unique jumps and an import/export garage are all also present at some point in the game. I found some hidden packages extremely difficult to reach, only accessible with high end motorcycles. There are several new side jobs derived directly from San Andreas. One such side job is a pizza delivery service where you must toss pizzas to customers on the street. This proves to be an interesting challenge because the job is timed and you can only carry a few pizzas at a time. Similar to the paramedic mission, you must plan your routes and cover areas in a specific pattern to achieve success. There are several checkpoint races which require specific cars or motorcycles and you must finish first in order to win. A few turret style shooter games are also found around town, where you must blow up other cars while shooting machine guns on the back of a motorcycle.

Overall gameplay does provide a feeling of freedom and free choice over the original GTA 3. While the regular missions may be short, they are much more difficult. The addition of all these new mini games, side jobs and hidden missions provide long term gameplay and a higher replay value. You may beat the game in a week but it could take a month to locate and complete all those side missions, races, salesman jobs, delivery services and unique jumps.

Graphics

Because this is a ported PSP game the graphics are noticeably pixilated. Once you get over that major annoyance the rest of the game is actually quite nice. Every negative thing about GTA 3 has been redone using new technologies found in Vice City and San Andreas. There is now ambient lighting so textures appear lighter or darker at different times of day especially on cars, peds and objects within the environment. The lighting in general just gives the game a more realistic feeling rather than one bland color across the board. Along with new features comes new graphics. If you shoot a person in the head, you'll see blood spraying all over the place. If you shoot a person in the leg they'll fall down in agony and flop around a little. It's also possible to shoot out tires on vehicles so you'll also see smoke, sparks and debris effects while driving a nearly destroyed car. The cut scene videos are also of better quality and our character actually speaks for a change. Essentially this game is not much different than GTA 3 as far as world layout and textures, it's the lighting and small details that are reworked to look and feel more realistic than ever before. It's almost like a completely different game. Had the graphics been made specifically for PS2, the game would be nearly flawless.

Sounds

There isn't much to say about sound although it's much better than GTA 3. Everything is accounted for but then again nothing really stands out either. In GTA 3 most of the conversations are limited to the cut scenes and any in car dialogue was displayed with generic on screen text. However, in GTA LCS there is more in car dialogue where directions and casual conversations are spoken out loud by the characters. This is a welcomed change because it's easier to hear things while driving rather than being distracted by on screen text. I've never been a fan of the in car radio stations but you'll find a plethora of them with different rotations of music and radio talk. Some of the stations are funny if you really pay attention to what they are saying. As with most GTA radio stations, they become boring and redundant after awhile and you'll probably just turn off the music altogether.

Controls & Replay Value

The controls are very simple, easy to learn and easy to remember. A button for run/accelerate, a button for jump/brake, a button for enter/exit vehicle and a button for shoot/attack. In addition to these regular buttons you can also use R1 to access the targeting system and then L2 and R2 to switch between targets. This targeting system is much better than the original GTA 3 system. A new feature in GTA LCS is the ability to free mode shoot weapons. Rather than rely on an auto target you can manually aim at car tires or anything else, similar to the setup in San Andreas. Another new feature is the ability to rotate your camera angle with the R3 stick while walking and the L3 stick while driving. The default camera views aren't that great so it comes in handy for certain situations plus it's nice to see things from a different angle.

All these new side jobs and missions provide a high replay value and is something you can come back to at anytime even if you've already completed them before. There are several checkpoint races, motorbike delivery services, cars salesman, motorcycle salesman and motorcycle turret shooting. The old days of endlessly stealing cars and running over peds is long gone now that there is actually something else to do once the regular missions are complete.

Conclusion

GTA Liberty City Stories is a completely new and different game but yet still feels like GTA 3 in many ways. Sure, there's a new story, new characters, new weapons and plethora of extra side missions. But as you drive around the city you can almost feel as if you're still playing GTA 3. I guess that's just normal when playing a sequel to a six year old game. If you can look past the sequel aspects, the game itself has some nice additions that you won't find in GTA 3. There are plenty of side missions to you keep you coming back for more, the targeting system is significantly improved, you can shoot out tires, change clothes, go inside buildings like San Andreas and interact in the environment in many different ways.

If you enjoyed anything about GTA 3 and walked away wanting more of it, then Liberty City Stories is a must have sequel. If you love San Andreas and despise old games, don't bother. Liberty City Stories takes a step back in time, so to speak, since the release of San Andreas. Don't except any ground breaking new features, graphics or sounds, this game is pretty much a rehashed combination of everything Rockstar has put out in past years. It's still a solid game worth trying and you can probably find a used copy for under $5.