Grand Theft Auto

Part of the appeal of a lot of video games is wish fulfillment. The gamer can singlehandedly defeat the Nazis or the Galactic Empire, battle larger-than-life foes, and live to talk about it. Some video games allow players to act as heroes, whether it's as Spider-Man or in a Final Fantasy adventure. These games provide largely harmless, escapist fun. Then there's the Grand Theft Auto series.

In the Grand Theft Auto games, the player is a criminal, working for criminals, and often fighting the police. The games are cartoonishly violent, and often the games involve copious examples of actual (or virtual, as the case may be) grand theft auto. And they're incredibly fun.

Ever since the release of Grand Theft Auto III, which was a huge blockbuster hit, controversy has dogged these games. Following the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the game was denounced on the floor of the United States Senate. This criticism, while arguably valid, misses the point. These are not games for children, or even teenagers, but rather for adults. A game like this can provide a genuine release and offer challenging gameplay that's genuinely absorbing.

The Grand Theft Auto series, including GTA: San Andreas and GTA: Vice City, have been commercial as well as critical successes. The games allow the player an uncommon amount of freedom. As opposed to most video games that follow a roughly linear structure, Grand Theft Auto allows players to pick and choose missions at will, and the game changes as a result of these choices. The games popularity can be measured by the number of big-name celebrities who have lent their voices to it. Stars ranging from Samuel L. Jackson and James Woods to Miss Cleo have all been featured voices in Grand Theft Auto games.