Once I had the controls down pat, I started playing some of the missions, beginning with one called "Snuff." Tasked with killing a rival gang member who had been intimidating a potential informant to the Leone, I had to first hit the local Ammunation for a pistol, then head out to a construction site to finish the job. The targeting system is surprisingly easy to use, as holding down the right shoulder button will lock-on to the nearest enemy, at which point you can press the O button to fire at him. For those moments when you want more control, you can press the D-pad down to enter a free aim mode. If you want to be even more precise, just hold down the left shoulder button to make your reticle move slower.


After I took care of the Sindacco family's men, I skipped ahead to a mission that takes place later in the game. Like the other games in the series, Liberty City Stories features several areas (in this case, islands) that can't be accessed right away. The "Driving Mr. Leone" mission allows you to get onto Staunton Island, though it's not easy. When the missions started, I had to bring the Don to a meeting at the docks, but we had to hightail it out of there quickly once the cops showed up.

They gave chase, and it was immediately apparent that the police are much more aggressive than they were in the other GTA games. No matter how well I drove, they were constantly on my tail, attempting to bump and nudge me in an effort to make me lose control. After a few failed attempts (thank god for the game's trip-skip taxi that you can access after dying or being busted), I was able to make it to the bridge. The only problem was that it still wasn't finished, so I had to floor it to clear the jump. Once we landed, Staunton Island was mine for the taking.

Even though I only got to play a few of the game's many missions, it's pretty clear that Rockstar Leeds has succeeded in creating a game that retains everything that makes the GTA series great. Liberty City Stories feature plenty of exciting moments, from battling it out with swarms of rival gang members to protecting your boat during a high-speed chase on the bay. We can't wait to take a look at some more of the city's stories in the near future.