Your goal throughout the game is to rise through the ranks of a seedy criminal syndicate. Gain the crime boss' favor by stealing cars, running narcotics, performing hits, kidnapping, and various other criminal acts. You get a top down view brought to you by a camera that zooms in and out depending on the surroundings and situation. All of this action takes place in 3 huge cities (Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas). Each city has its own personality and the authorities will react differently to your actions. Since each of the cities is quite large, you can expedite your mission by using the public transportation available, or simply steal a car. The latter is a lot quicker and a heck of a lot more fun.