I have to admit that I was skeptical when Rockstar announced that they were bringing their much-loved and controversial Grand Theft Auto series to the PSP. It’s not that I didn’t think they’d bring a game true to the franchise (the recent Grand Theft Auto for the Game Boy Advance was brilliant) but I didn’t think they’d be able to offer an experience that was a nearly as compelling or as similar to the series’ third game or Vice City or even San Andreas for that matter. Boy was I wrong. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the PSP is everything we could have asked for in a game that offers all the things we love about the console games. Really, this is the reason you and your PSP will not be seen apart for a very long time.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that this is a portable version of the GTA series, Liberty City Stories does not sacrifice any familiar element in its gameplay mechanics or its recreation of its playing world. You will still find pedestrians going about their business (some even flag down taxis and get in them … something I haven’t seen in any of the console games) and there’s still a healthy flow of traffic on the roads. There’s hidden packages to collect, various side missions and the same mission structure of the console games. There are plenty of cars to jack, gang members to piss off , unique jumps and weapons to buy at the nearest Ammu-Nation. If it was in the console versions you’ll find it all here in all its car-jacking glory.

If Liberty City feels very familiar it’s because the game faithfully recreates Grand Theft Auto III’s massive playground that is Liberty City without leaving anything out. Remember the auto dealership in Portland’s Callahan Point or the Liberty Memorial Coliseum in Staunton Island? Well it’s all there and, since the story takes place a few years before the events that transpire in GTAIII. Certain buildings are under construction and some, like the apartment building in Portland’s Red Light District, are still in the development phase. Yes you’ll be blown away by Sony’s portable gaming machine and its ability to cram all of these elements into one UMD.

The game’s story follows wise guy Toni Cipriani, the same mama’s boy Mafioso we met in Grand Theft Auto III, as he returns to Liberty City after having carried out a job for mob boss Salvatore Leone. The Leone family is a powerful presence in Liberty City but that hasn’t stopped other warring families such as the Forelli family and the Sindacco crime syndicate. Toni soon finds himself deeply involved in a war that rages from the streets Liberty City’s three main regions to city hall itself.

Like most GTA games you start as a low-level thug as you start off working for Vincenzo Cilli and performing simple tasks for him. One mission, for example, has you picking up a drug dealer that works for Cilli and forcing him to go back to work while another has you searching the city for the gang members that killed the same drug dealer not too long after you dropped him off. You’ll later come to work for others like JD O’Toole who so badly wants to be a Leone. As usual anyone who has a mission for you appears on the map and you can turn to them for work whenever you feel like it so if you want to explore to your heart’s content you definitely can.

The assortment of vehicles (both cars, boats and tanks) are similar to those of the series third game with the exception of the addition of motorcycles. You can drive dirt bikes, choppers or Ninja-styled bikes. Jack a taxi cab, ambulance, police cruiser or fire engine and you can activate each vehicles individual missions. Yet if you want to advance the story it’s the game's main mission objective that must be completed in order to open another area of the city such as Staunton Island or Shoreside Vale. The game’s missions range from good to not-so good to just downright fun. There are a few missions that require you to complete them before the time expires to missions (especially later in the game) that pushes a gamer's patience by piling on the multiple objectives. Then again the console games suffers from this too, although, much like the big boys, there are more good missions than weak ones.

Control-wise the game moves at a very steady framerate and that’s good news indeed. Sure you’ll find the same pop-up issues but other than that the game flows nicely. Controlling Toni on foot feels a lot like the console games without the ability to crouch (which was introduced in Vice City). You can target your enemies well enough but you can also aim on your own (for when you want to shoot explosive barrels an enemy is standing behind). Driving is also handled beautifully and like the console games each vehicles has its own feel (trucks are hard to steer while the gorgeous muscle car that is the Diablo car is fast and handles turns perfectly). Cars in this game, though, get seriously damaged a bit too quickly so you’ll be thankful for the Pay ‘n’ Spray.

The game’s story is a good one, although it does lack the appealing character interactions and relationships San Andreas possessed in spades. Still it's quite enjoyable seeing things through Toni’s eyes and we get to understand a bit more about how he became the man we’ve come to know in the third console game. Surprisingly lengthy the story mode will not fail to keep you deeply infatuated with its universe even if you think you’ve seen everything Liberty City had the offer the first time around with GTAIII. If that wasn’t enough the PSP game tosses in the best multiplayer game to be introduced to the series and the PSP.

Through its Ad Hoc connection you can play through seven addictive multiplayer modes for up to six players. There’s the usual deathmatch mode, called Liberty City Survivor, that has players attempting to rack up enough kills before the timer runs out. Protection Racket divides the action into two gangs as each gang takes turns defending or attempting to destroy four limos. Get Stretch is a capture the flag mode that has you stealing the opposing team’s car and attempt to take it your base and vice verse. Tanks for the Memories has you occupying a tank and cause as much destruction before your rivals destroy your tank. Then there’s The Hit List that has a player “marked” for death as they attempt to survive the longest while Street Rage is the game’s racing mode. Finally there’s The Wedding List, a free-for-all where players must collect a series of cars scattered throughout the map and deliver as many as possible. Not only is multiplayer fun but there’s enough powerups and player skins (civilians, mobsters and cops) to keep everyone happy.

The game’s graphics are pretty sharp and similar to GTA III. Liberty City looks great even in the PSP’s widescreen format and much of what we’ve loved about the city can be found here with great detail. The cutscenes look great but it’s the little effects (explosions and gunfire) that will win you over. It’s still impressive to see the screen filled with pedestrians and cars and even more so when you leave the game alone to watch them go about their business. It’s good work, alright.

Liberty City Stories also faithfully recreates the game’s marvelous sound from the great soundtrack you’ll find on the radio to the top-notch voice acting filled with deliciously hilarious and well-written dialogue. Once again you’ll find a radio filled with stations that carry everything from classic rock, boy bands, classical, talk radio (with Lazlow!) and even Jamaican music. The music is great but the highlight here is the commercials and the breaking news (usually bringing up events you caused during a mission). The dialogue is great and it's voiced appropriately, although Toni is voiced by somebody else this time around.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, quite simply, is the reason you should run out and buy a Sony PSP. It not only pushes the handheld to its limits but it also brings us a Grand Theft Auto game that plays just as well as the console game without any real sacrifices. Add an amazing multiplayer feature to an addictive story mode and you have a game that should be on any PSP owner’s holiday wish list.

Gameplay: 8.7
The game’s solid controls are pure GTA and so is the driving. The game moves at a steady framerate but the camera isn’t as responsive as it should be but it’s not bad at all. The mission variety brings us some great missions and some really not-so good ones too.

Graphics: 9.2
Liberty City Stories captures the feel of the free-roaming franchise and its great to come back to our old favorite stomping grounds. The city still looks good day or night and Staunton Island is just as colorful as it was when we first saw it. There’s plenty of detail and flashy effects to go with the good cutscenes.

Sound: 9.5
There are ten radio stations filled with an eclectic mix of tunes that range from rap (from artists like DMX) to hilarious talk (one of them featuring Nurse Bob). The game’s dialogue is witty and well-written but the exclusion of Michael Madsen as Toni makes me wonder if its punishment for DRIV3R.

Difficulty: Medium
The mission variety ranges from the usual destruction missions to some assassination runs that have you killing gang members or other wise guys. The hardest missions come towards the end and some of them even have you going from Shoreside Vale to Portland and back.

Concept: 9.5
Aside from the fact that this is a portable version of the series, all the elements we love can be found here include the various side missions and the total freedom to do whatever you want. The characters are good but not compared to San Andreas. Adding multiplayer to this is like adding a layer of chocolate icing to an already sweetened chocolate cake.

Multiplayer: 9.2
Angelina isn’t able to come to the phone right now so leave a message and she’ll get back to you … in about a couple of months or until somebody manages to pry the PSP out of her hands. Really, with great multiplayer like this you’ll be playing this one long after you completed the game’s main mode.

Overall: 9.2
Just about the best thing to happen to portable gaming, Liberty City Stories will hook you from the very start and make you glad you bought a PSP. Aside from brilliantly recreating the series’ look, feel and universe, the game’s multiplayer feature will make you feel the true power of the PSP.