Grand Theft Auto III hit stores at the end of last year. The highly popular yet controversial video game hasn’t stolen any of the national spotlight from Osama bin Laden or Enron, but it has gotten a whisper or two in the video game world. The game has stunning graphics and an unreal attention to detail, but it is probably the most violent mass-marketed video game ever. It was even banned by the Australian government. GTAIII has the characteristics of video games that parents try desperately to keep their children from playing. There’s plenty of blood and even some sex and bad language. It makes Mortal Combat look like Tetris.The game takes place in a fictional metropolis called Liberty City. By completing missions, given to you by the local mob, you gain access to more parts of the city and more vehicles. One mission involves delivering something, while another involves killing a member of another gang.Liberty City, though fictional, is amazingly realistic. Though you can perform missions, it’s more fun to experience the city. Steal a car, get chased by cops, pick up a prostitute, shoot people, run people over, go off jumps or steal a boat. Even though you can beat the game, it never really ends.Sound violent? It is.Despite a Mature rating, requiring buyers to be 17, it has been PlayStation 2’s number one selling game. It has also been labeled Video Game of the Year by a number of Web sites and “Rolling Stone.”. GTAIII has the ability to capture even the most docile person and throw them into the criminal life of Liberty City. It makes you feel guilty, but for some reason you want to do it again.As you do more evil, you also become more wanted, indicated by the amount of stars in the upper left corner of the screen. Becoming more wanted means there will be more cars chasing you. But that just makes things more fun.Beyond missions you can perform small tasks to earn money. Steal a taxi and take someone to his destination. Steal a police car and become a vigilante. Steal an ambulance or a fire truck and rescue someone. The attention to detail, however, is what sets GTAIII apart of other games. After you steal a car, the door even stays open if you take off too fast. Don’t like what you’re listening too? Change the radio station. Rockstar Games even hired actors, including Michael Rapaport, to be the crime bosses who explain each mission. Your character is a bank robber recently framed by your girlfriend. Your friend 8-ball broke you out of prison and hooked you up with the mob.GTAIII is by far the most violent game I have ever played. It also probably the most fun. In the real world, I would never run somebody over, let alone label it as fun. In the Liberty City dream world, however, anything goes.It’s just a video game.