Toni Cipriani returns from exile and Liberty City's underworld pulses exactly like it does in GTA III, on a PSP screen. Rockstar delivers an ambitious prequel, with a six-mode ad hoc multiplayer that genuinely shakes things up.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player18+
Description
Toni Cipriani returns from exile to help the Leone family dominate Liberty City in this prequel to Grand Theft Auto III. Published by Rockstar Games, released in Korea in November 2005. Open Liberty City, mob missions, side activities and races, ad hoc multiplayer with six distinct modes. Multilingual version in several languages.
Grand Theft Auto - Liberty City Stories review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Rockstar Leeds rebuilds the 1998 Liberty City in three dimensions on a pocket screen, from the rusted Portland docks to the Staunton Island office towers under a permanently low sky. Grey light and grimy façades set up an underworld from before the flashy years, harsh rather than showy.
Faithful to the series' recipe, the licensed selection brings the turn of the 2000s back to life across radio stations of distinct identity. From rap to alternative rock, each station dresses Liberty City in a unique sonic colour. This polished soundtrack, cut for urban wandering, wonderfully extends the saga's spirit.
Back in a Liberty City riddled with clan wars, a hitman climbs the criminal hierarchy at the cost of blood. A prequel of classic tone, the tale blends betrayals, ambition and revenge with the series' efficiency. This handheld plunge into the underworld delivers on all the promises of its big brother.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Rediscovering a whole metropolis to explore at will, stealing any vehicle and building your criminal rise: the open-world formula fits in your pocket, with no compromise. The pleasure springs from this total freedom, where every joyride can turn into gleeful chaos. Rich, snappy and packed with missions, a feat that brings the urban sandbox to handheld.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Crossing Liberty City on foot or behind the wheel, stringing together scripted missions and side challenges always pushes toward just one more contract. Races, hideouts and urban chaos chain short objectives and rewards. A few rigid missions show their age, but the scale of the roaming sandbox and the total freedom keep a lasting pull.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Helping the Leone family dominate Liberty City unfolds an open world rich in missions, activities and freely explorable zones. Driving the story, completing the side challenges and combing every corner fills long hours. That sandbox scope, brought to PSP, offers a lifespan action-adventure fans cultivate.
The first GTA designed for handheld, a feat that brought Rockstar's open criminal world to PSP with resounding success. Sold in volume and issued in many revisions, it stays everywhere and lightly priced. Its collector interest lies in its role as proof that the sandbox fit in your pocket, a console milestone, more than scarcity.
A questionable morality
The vast playground invites you to do anything, and you fairly quickly opt to steal cars, run errands for criminals and turn traffic into chaos. The story dresses it all as a rise through the underworld, but the freedom on offer mostly works as an official permit to chain together offences, something you grant yourself with thoroughly pixelated delight.
Is Grand Theft Auto - Liberty City Stories still worth playing in 2026?
Grand Theft Auto - Liberty City Stories brings Toni Cipriani back from exile and Liberty City's underworld pulses exactly like in GTA III, on a PSP screen. Rockstar delivers an ambitious prequel, with a six-mode ad hoc multiplayer that genuinely changes the deal and generous solo content. PSP controls adapt well. An absolute portable peak today.
