Parents' Guide to Grand Theft Auto III

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Common Sense Media Review

Chris Morris By Chris Morris , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 18+

Ten years after original release, it's still not for kids.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 18+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 15 parent reviews

age 13+

Based on 37 kid reviews

Kids say this game is one of the tamest in the series but still contains significant violence, some mild profanity, and occasional sexual references. Reviewers suggest that while it could be enjoyable for older children and teens, parents should ensure their kids are mature enough to handle its themes and can choose to avoid violent content if desired.

  • mild violence
  • some profanity
  • sexual references
  • for older kids
  • recommended for teens
  • fun gameplay
Summarized with AI

Privacy Rating Warning

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 15 ):
Kids say ( 37 ):

Let's be very clear: GRAND THEFT AUTO III is not -- and will never be -- a game for kids. The language, violence, and overt sexuality in it are entirely inappropriate for anyone under 17. Adult gamers who pick it up and enjoy action games that push the envelope will find it to be a captivating experience, however.

The game, now 10 years old, makes a very smooth transition to the iOS world, not changing its controversial gameplay, whose content sometimes overshadowed its groundbreaking achievements in the gaming world. The open world aspects of the game still shine through -- and the details that made the original so compelling are here as well. The control structure is a little too complicated, though, since there are so many actions to choose from. It clutters the screen on an iPad and truly overwhelms an iPhone or iPod Touch. And the aiming system isn't as advanced as newer titles by Rockstar. It would have been nice to see that updated a tad. Despite the flaws, it's still a momentous game and one of the deepest in the app store catalog for mature gamers. For $5, it's a steal.

App Details

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