Grand Theft Auto III

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Ten years after original release, it's still not for kids.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Grand Theft Auto III is a game that is not meant for kids in any way whatsoever. The original console version was one of the more controversial titles in the video game industry's history and little has changed beyond the control scheme in this version. Players can lead a life of crime, shoot police officers (as well as civilians and gangsters), drink and drive, and have sex with prostitutes. Even the songs on the radio are filled with offensive language.

  • There are a lot of controls on screen, making it sometimes hard to control actions. This is especially true for iPhone players. 
  • Players can kill other humans, including police officers, or drive into pedestrians on sidewalks and parks. There are beatings, gang warfare, drive-by shootings, and bloody deaths, many shown in up-close detail. For example, players can drive on teh sidewalk, running over pedestrians at will or assault a pedestrian on the street, beating them to death to get money (or beating a police officer to death to get his weapon). 
  • Prostitutes are prominent characters in the game, both as part of the story and non-player characters -- and they're dressed in low-cut apparel, true to the streetwalker cliche. You can gain "health points" by having implied sex with a prostitute in your car, where you hear what is happening and watch rhythmic actions of the couple from a distance, but don't actually see the act.
  • If you can think of it, you will hear it in this game. No obscenity is left unturned.
  • The game is part of a long-running franchise, and players may be moved to buy a more recent version of the game after playing this. This 10th anniversary edition also comes as the fifth installment of "Grand Theft Auto" is looming. 
  • Alcohol and drugs are spoken of and consumed frequently throughout the game. 
  • Not applicable.

Is it any good?

 

Let's be very clear: GRAND THEFT AUTO III is not -- and will never be -- a game for kids. The language, violence, and overt sexuality in it are entirely inappropriate for anyone under 17. Adult gamers who pick it up and enjoy action games that push the envelope will find it to be a captivating experience, however. 

The game, now 10 years old, makes a very smooth transition to the iOS world, not changing its controversial gameplay, whose content sometimes overshadowed its groundbreaking achievements in the gaming world. The open world aspects of the game still shine through -- and the details that made the original so compelling are here as well. The control structure is a little too complicated, though, since there are so many actions to choose from. It clutters the screen on an iPad and truly overwhelms an iPhone or iPod Touch. And the aiming system isn't as advanced as newer titles by Rockstar. It would have been nice to see that updated a tad. Despite the flaws, it's still a momentous game and one of the deepest in the app store catalog for mature gamers. For $5, it's a steal. 


This review was written by Chris Morris
Kid, 10 years old
December 21, 2011
 
bad!!!!!!
Hate grand theft auto series!!!!

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Adult
January 11, 2012
 
Pretty darn good
I love this app! but Grand Theft Auto III IS about the other side of the law. When not playing the missions, (Some of which can be hard to complete) one can have sex with a prostitiute for more life points.They just sit in the car while the car bumps up and down. (Nothing explicit, it's only implied) The player can go on random killing rampages, though there is almost no blood in the app version. Rough language is peppered throughout the game. I haven't heard any F**ks yet though. You can steal cars, drive boats, and fly a plane. The player can commit suicide with grenades, or by jumping into water that's over the head. All in all, this game is for teens, but they should know that not everything in GTAIII is for the greater good. This game is just ENTERTAINMENT.

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Parent
February 10, 2012
 
bad no more gta
i do not like gta all of it is crap boooooooooooooo gta

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Teen, 13 years old
February 20, 2012
 
Bugs and glitches,please fix.
I have this for my Android ,IPod,IPad and IPhone.Its the. iPhone and IPod version which is not working,please fix and I'll give you a cookie. Update: YESSSS,THANKS APPLE.THE CRASHES AND ERRORS HAVE BEEN FIXED,THANKS A MILLION.*Chomps down cookie*

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Kid, 12 years old
February 26, 2012
 
Review
Great for adults and older teens,I have seen my younger friend playing it and hes 9. I admit I played it when I was younger but I didn't follow the story line.

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Kid, 13 years old
May 6, 2012
 
Pretty bad but not terrible for a mature teen
(I have the PC version not the mobile one. The mobile one is in fact watered down with less blood.)Although fun this game can be excessive. It the game you play as a criminal who seeks revenge for his betrayal at the hands of his girlfriend. If you play just the story line you could probably beat the game without killing any innocent people. However it is very easy to acciendentally run over someone while driving fast. The violence is mild for an M rated game, however if someone is blown up by a car there is a chance mangled limbs will appear on the ground. Their is swearing, far less than other games in the series however. The sex in the game is (in my opinion) not that bad. You CAN have sex with prostitutes, but all you see is a shaking car and yes there is a red light district. However this district is comprised of two stores with XXX symbols and one club with two women in bikinis on a billboard. You cannot go inside any of these places. I have not played the game extensively so I don't know if you do drug running missions in the game, though i presume you do.

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Teen, 16 years old
April 28, 2012
 
CAPS LOCK!
:)()(.....THATS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOUR FACE IF YOU LICK THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING...

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Kid, 10 years old
April 22, 2012
 
grand theft auto 3 10 up
no volume no subtitles is fine for 10 years and up

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Kid, 9 years old
April 14, 2012
 
Good game
This is a good game the violence is high there really isn't to much language I'm reviewing for the console version

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This review was written by Chris Morris
Category:Action Games
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
Price:$4.99
Size:462.00 MB
Publisher:Rockstar Games
Version:1.0
Release date:December 15, 2011
Minimum software requirements: iOS 4.3 or later

This review was written by Chris Morris
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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