Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

 PSP
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 632 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 433 out of 632
  2. Mixed: 111 out of 632
  3. Negative: 88 out of 632
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  1. sinadoom
    Oct 2, 2011
    7
    Not as good as Vice City Stories but you still get the same Liberty City as in GTA 3 and the missions are pretty decent. It is basically a more up-to-date version of GTA 3 but on a portable console. Is there anything wrong with that? No! How can there be?!?
  2. Jack97
    Jan 1, 2014
    6
    Its not the best GTA game but Liberty City Stories is still entertaining and has great characters and a good storyline. Plus it being the first PSP GTA its another big leap for the series.
  3. DominikCZE
    Nov 16, 2013
    6
    I have a feeling that Liberty City was just a bit too big of a bite for the original PSP and its main bottleneck the UMD. I never got around to finishing this game, because it just felt too dumbed down compared to GTA games that I've played on the PC before it. I also couldn't care less about the characters, which felt very shallow. Something not common for a GTA game. And then there wereI have a feeling that Liberty City was just a bit too big of a bite for the original PSP and its main bottleneck the UMD. I never got around to finishing this game, because it just felt too dumbed down compared to GTA games that I've played on the PC before it. I also couldn't care less about the characters, which felt very shallow. Something not common for a GTA game. And then there were the controls, PSP in general had terrible controls whit just one thumb stick and this game made the lack of the second one very obvious. The targeting system was downright terrible.… Expand
  4. ashketchum
    Dec 15, 2017
    7
    GTA: LCS is a game that is impressive performance-wise for a PSP game. It features a pretty large world, with a variety of distinct characters and locations. There are problems however, such as controls being frustrating at times, espescially with targeting and some driving sections. Overall though, it is a good game for the PSP.
  5. BobX.
    Nov 7, 2005
    5
    The game is allright but the controlls are so HORRIBLE that I want to just shoot myself in the head. Also, the psp doesnt lend itself well ot games that require a bit of time to play as the battery tends to crap out quickly and with little warning. if you get grand theft you bettter stay close to a power source at all times. Three times nowI've had it quit on me mid mission. Still it The game is allright but the controlls are so HORRIBLE that I want to just shoot myself in the head. Also, the psp doesnt lend itself well ot games that require a bit of time to play as the battery tends to crap out quickly and with little warning. if you get grand theft you bettter stay close to a power source at all times. Three times nowI've had it quit on me mid mission. Still it is by far the best psp game.… Expand
  6. LexNEX
    Nov 7, 2005
    6
    Reading the reviews from the websites is like stepping into the twilight zone. They complain about controls that piss them off, lame story, lame missions and yet, they still get a high score. Why? Because it's on the PSP? Well, if that's a good excuse for a game being bad, then I don't want to be playing portable games anymore. Did they rate it high because of the graphics? Reading the reviews from the websites is like stepping into the twilight zone. They complain about controls that piss them off, lame story, lame missions and yet, they still get a high score. Why? Because it's on the PSP? Well, if that's a good excuse for a game being bad, then I don't want to be playing portable games anymore. Did they rate it high because of the graphics? Perhaps, but it does get overloaded at times. If Metacritic posted their reviews based on the wording of these reviews and not scores, it would be in the 6 range, where it belongs. They didn't take the time to make sure the game plays right on the PSP. What a waste, this could have been great.… Expand
  7. GameFAQs
    Oct 26, 2005
    5
    The IGN review gets it mostly right but i think the minor plusses don't make up for all the problems.
  8. DaveandB
    Oct 28, 2005
    5
    I'm sick of people praising this game as a "technical achievement." It's just not fun! Who cares how many polygons they got the PSP to push. I'm all about gameplay, and they took out lots of things I like about the series. GTA purists will find a lot of faults with this game.
  9. TechniM.
    Oct 28, 2005
    6
    While technically proficient, this portable version of the great GTA series is lacking in several catagories. Yes, the controls are wonky. Yes, the missions aren't as interesting. But there's still a lot to do, so if you can look beyond those things, you might like this game. I hope Vice City Stories is better, though.
  10. Sengouku
    Oct 29, 2005
    6
    This game is looking to be overrated. The reviews list nearly every problem I have with the game. But, sorry, I'm not going to give the game a super high score because the city is so big or whatever. The gameplay still has serious problems and they need a bigger battery.
  11. Toni
    Oct 31, 2005
    5
    It's the same city as Grand Theft Auto 3 and the same problems controls and camera and graphics are still here. About the only thing that's new is the transportation system which is totally useless. If you've been waiting to buy a PSP for this game, maybe you should save your $300 for a new console or something. This isn't worth it.
  12. CoryD
    Dec 7, 2008
    7
    Targeting issues. That sounds like way less of a problem than it really is. If you're on a mission where you have to kill a few people who are around you, good luck. The frustration of this game comes not from the difficulty, but from the fact that you'll be aiming at cars and random passers-by over the shoulders of the guys killing you, and you'll die in those same spots Targeting issues. That sounds like way less of a problem than it really is. If you're on a mission where you have to kill a few people who are around you, good luck. The frustration of this game comes not from the difficulty, but from the fact that you'll be aiming at cars and random passers-by over the shoulders of the guys killing you, and you'll die in those same spots again and again, until you get a lucky run at that mission.… Expand
  13. AnonymousMC
    Jun 23, 2009
    6
    good game with large world for the psp, but i thought it was real slow and boring. ive never been a real big fan of GTA anyway(except San Andreas, cuz i find it fast and interesting). i would suggest a rental, but don't buy it unless ur a hgardcore fan of gta
  14. Slithy
    Nov 4, 2005
    5
    What I gather from these reviews is that the controls are bad (this I agree with) and it's still the best PSP game (this I disagree with, Coded Arms is the best). I suggest you play a demo or even rent this game first. The media has been overrating this series for a long time. This time, I think, they went too far. Most of the good reviews from fans are probably from one or two What I gather from these reviews is that the controls are bad (this I agree with) and it's still the best PSP game (this I disagree with, Coded Arms is the best). I suggest you play a demo or even rent this game first. The media has been overrating this series for a long time. This time, I think, they went too far. Most of the good reviews from fans are probably from one or two people (they do come in groups), who bought the PSP just for this game. It's easy to convince yourself when you really want to.… Expand
  15. Danza
    Nov 6, 2005
    7
    Seven 10's in a row? Looks like someone is having fun with the vote button...Come on, this game isnt all that. Wait til you play Final Fantasy VII for the PSP, that will be a great game.
  16. Yana
    Nov 7, 2005
    6
    the thing that continues to make me mad about the gta series is the targeting. they manage to mess it up with every game. This game is awesome as long as you don't get out of your car, because the driving is awesome.
  17. Pressfield
    Dec 21, 2005
    5
    it really wants to be like the PS2 versions, but comes up short in so many ways. i could go on about the mindless missions, but most of the reviews, even the good ones (!) already pointed this out. the biggest problem is with the aiming, which totally blows. when a game doesn't do what you want it to do, thats not a challenge, that's bad game design.
  18. SteveM.
    Oct 25, 2005
    6
    Overly ambitious...this just doesnt work on the PSP. the screen has "ghosting" problem all the time. and its hard to tell what's going on. Read the reviews, don't look at the scores. lots of the reviews say tons of negative things about the game, yet they give it a grwat score? why? I don't like this game and I'm a big GTA fan.
  19. Mappy
    Oct 26, 2005
    6
    What happened to my GTA? Now it seems too cheesy and the analog nub takes a long time to get used to. And forget about multiplayer. The battery life sucks!
  20. ShaneB.
    Oct 27, 2005
    7
    Is it just me or is this a disappointment? Like others have said, the controls are hard to get used to, but even when you get used to them the aiming is still wacky. This may be the best PSP game, but its still just going through the motions.
  21. SeanS.
    Oct 28, 2005
    6
    Not the game we were promised. This seems like GTA-lite. If you're a fan of GTA games, then you will notice were they cut corners. There are fewer people in the city, the missions are short and dull and the action isnt as intense. This game wasn't made by the same team as the PS2 versions. Keep that in mind.
  22. Tag
    Oct 28, 2005
    5
    Gamespot got it right. The missions are DULL. I was expecting shorter missions, but not this boring. Maybe if they spent some more time making creative, fun missions, this would be worth it, but bad controls make this one a dud. [Ed: A dud yet still a 5? Hmmm...]
  23. Kurgan
    Oct 31, 2005
    7
    I'm not going to insult the people who gave this game a bad review (unlike the damage controllers), because I see where they are coming from. Yes, the controls stink when you just start out. And the missions do range from boring to just average. But this is still GTA, and the missions are only a small part of the game. It's flawed, but it still has the same big city to explore. I'm not going to insult the people who gave this game a bad review (unlike the damage controllers), because I see where they are coming from. Yes, the controls stink when you just start out. And the missions do range from boring to just average. But this is still GTA, and the missions are only a small part of the game. It's flawed, but it still has the same big city to explore. If they had spent more time on this game, then it could have been great. As it is, it's merely pretty good.… Expand
  24. Theron
    Oct 30, 2005
    6
    An above averge game, but waaaay below the other GTA games. I struggled with the controls for a while before I got the hang of it and even then I didn't think the game was so hot.
  25. MikeP.
    Aug 23, 2007
    5
    I am a pro game reveiwer and I have to say that this game isn't what it seems.Ya its controls are iffy but, it doesnt mean it can't be a good game and it isn't.If you ask me a playstation 2 is this games proper home for the psp 5/10 for the ps2 9/10
  26. Libby
    Nov 4, 2005
    5
    Maybe a bit too much for the PSP. They did scale back a lot of the misisons (this seems to be the number one complaint), but also, the driving is hard with the analog on the PSP. It's not as sensitive as on the PS2.
  27. Greatwoods
    Nov 4, 2005
    7
    Amazing graphics on the PSP. Maybe a rental at best cuz the gameplay gets old.
  28. Packard
    Nov 6, 2005
    5
    Take GTA, remove the cool missions, add some serious problems with the camera and this is what you get. GTA fans might want to pick it up, but the rest of us will be wondering what the big deal is. It's GTA and it's 3D. Does that always mean a game should get 9's? Not to me.
  29. EasyMoney
    Nov 6, 2005
    6
    The last time we saw Liberty City was in the landmark game Grand Theft Auto 3. Since then, the game has been milked to death. Now, going back to the Liberty City, there's a little nostalgia, but I can't get over the fact that this is just more of the same. I can't find one thing different in this game. They took out heliocopters and other innovations, and there's less The last time we saw Liberty City was in the landmark game Grand Theft Auto 3. Since then, the game has been milked to death. Now, going back to the Liberty City, there's a little nostalgia, but I can't get over the fact that this is just more of the same. I can't find one thing different in this game. They took out heliocopters and other innovations, and there's less you can do during the missions. After a while you'll find youself running over someone just to outrun the cops. This was hilarious in the other games, because you could play with some buddies in front of the TV.… Expand
  30. MatthewJ.
    Oct 21, 2005
    6
    Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is the second handheld game in the popular franchise. Unlike the console games, however, LCS was produced by Rockstar Leeds, whose previous projects include Barbie Horse Adventure and the disappointing PSP port of Rockstar's own Midnight Club 3. It's unfortunate that the talent that produced the console games was not fully behind this Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is the second handheld game in the popular franchise. Unlike the console games, however, LCS was produced by Rockstar Leeds, whose previous projects include Barbie Horse Adventure and the disappointing PSP port of Rockstar's own Midnight Club 3. It's unfortunate that the talent that produced the console games was not fully behind this project, because this game reminds the player around every corner that it's inferior to its big brothers. The random, exciting violence that attracted millions of gamers (and lots of controversy) has been toned down. Liberty City itself looks like a ghost town, which is there just for you to finish your objectives. Indeed, the game seems to want to hold your hand through most of the story, and there's not much opportunity to start some mindless mayhem. While the loading times are better than in Midnight Club, they are still unacceptable for a handheld title. Games like this should let you pick up and play, not wait a minute for the game to start. The best part of the game is the colorful graphics, which look better than in the PS2 original. Liberty City looks great on the small screen. If you want GTA action on the go, this game is for you. Just don't expect the same kind of experience as the console games. This one is quite underwhelming.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PSP Game of 2005
1
#1 Most Discussed PSP Game of 2005
1
#1 Most Shared PSP Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 65 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 65
  3. Negative: 0 out of 65
  1. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    90
    As a value proposition, there's nothing on PSP that comes close. It's a gigantic game; the core gameplay will probably take you 40 or 50 hours to get through, and it has 33 additional "games" that have the potential to occupy you another five or even 10 hours, if you really want to push it.
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  2. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    92
    Although flawed, Liberty City Stories is a remarkable achievement; it shames the efforts that many other developers have put into their PSP games.
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  3. IGN
    90
    While rough around the edges, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories offers a deep, console-like GTA experience. There's so much to see and do that finishing the main story portion leaves around 60% of the game to experience.
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