Every Grand Theft Auto game we've ended up reviewing has received high marks. And, hey, why not? Every release that's come down the pike thus far has been nothing short of absolutely astounding, especially when it comes to the last two releases. San Andreas put many changes into the formula to make it that much more harrowing of an experience, putting you in the shoes of a would-be gangsta forced to fight back against corrupt cops and street gangs. And Liberty City Stories for the PSP was a wonderful introduction for the series on a portable front, not missing a beat in terms of its development and pace.

So, then, why is a Grand Theft Auto game getting less than five stars for a change? Hell, four even? Well, it's because we've seen this one before. Liberty City Stories is in fact just a port of the hit PSP game that we remember last year, a revisit back to the corrupt Liberty City with Tony Cipriani back behind the wheel, becoming a right-hand man for a top figurehead in the Mafia by completing a number of jobs and missions. Everything you accomplished in the PSP game has been brought over to the PS2 game, complete with side missions, and you can't help but think that some of the wonder's worn off in the transition.

But that's okay, because even if it does feel like you've done most of this before, the experience is still Grand Theft Auto, giving you hours upon hours of playing the bad guy and completing a number of intriguing missions, ranging from "whacking" some intended targets to completing side duties that involve a taxicab and driving an ambulance. The controls are still the best in the business, as you're able to maneuver around freely, stealing cars and taking on basically anybody in fistcuffs if you feel like you want to pick up a quick buck. Weapons are available mostly all over the place, ranging from typical handguns to the kind of hardware that you really want to endure the criminal life, keeping your "wanted" rating in check so the police don't make it a deep desire to bring down your sorry ass. This is still GTA through and through.

The main problem with the game is that you can tell it still needed a bit of clean-up in its transition from handheld to console. The graphics do feature a wider draw distance than in the PSP edition, but, as a result, the details manage to wane off just a little bit, particularly with the frame rate. There are times that Liberty City Stories manages to chug in performance, causing things to unnecessarily slow down a little bit. Other little things are noticeable as well, like loss of some details that force you to stop for a second and readjust to the game map. It's nothing hideous in terms of how the game turned out, but you scratch your head and wonder if the words "rush job" enter your mind.

The game's sound is still faithfully represented with great voice acting and some radio stations that you can choose from during your visit, although the music tends to loop from time to time more often than you'd like. It doesn't present itself on as much of a dynamic as you might expect because of this, and, although the experience is still immersive, it's slightly flawed. Also, even though the characters sound convincing (and a few may be recognizable from previous games), some of them seem a bit flat in comparison to the menaces we've met in previous games.

There is one thing working in Liberty City Stories' favor, however, and that's Rockstar's incredibly good decision to price it at $20. This is a very reasonable price for a GTA experience, even if it is mostly a repeat, because the experience still leans on the formula that's worked so well over the years, meaning that some of you will have a great time busting over cars and running amuck over the pedestrians out of sheer summer guilty pleasure. If the game was $50, I definitely wouldn't recommend it. $20, however, is enough of a suitable price to add it to your collection alongside San Andreas and the twin pack of GTA III and Vice City.

Liberty City Stories is by no means a terrible game, as it still manages to deliver most of the goods we remember from the PSP effort we went through last year in console form. But it could've used a little bit of touching-up to go along with its terrific price, so that the game could've gotten the same kind of respect and recognition that its previous chapters received. It's time for Rockstar to go back to work on something new, something blazing, something that shifted the paradigm just like GTA III did years ago, and I have a good feeling they can do it with next year's forthcoming fourth chapter. In the meantime, give Liberty City a second visit on rental and then decide if it deserves a permanent residence with you.

Our Final ScoreOK

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