GTA: Liberty City Stories

The prevailing myth said an open-world Grand Theft Auto would never fit on a handheld – Liberty City Stories shot that myth down with a grin. Rockstar transferred an entire living city into the palm of your hand and proved that the freedom of the criminal sandbox doesn't need a television.

The game returns to the Liberty City known from GTA III, only in an earlier time line and with a new protagonist. The player gets what they expect from the series: a sprawling open city where you can complete story missions, steal cars, roam the streets and cause chaos to your heart's content. The missions combine shooting, driving and running errands for various underworld bosses, and it's all held together by the cynical, ironic tone the brand is famous for. All of this ran surprisingly smoothly on the PSP and with the kind of freedom players were used to from the big consoles.

Technically it was a small miracle – a complete 3D open world with traffic, pedestrians and missions that fit onto a handheld device. Liberty City Stories thus served as proof that the PSP is a genuine home console in your pocket, capable of accommodating even the most demanding genres. For Rockstar it meant a successful entry into the world of handheld gaming.

A city full of possibilities, black humor and the trademark GTA gameplay made the title one of the console's must-have pieces. Players could finally take an open world of crime with them anywhere.

Why play it: A full-fledged open-world GTA in your pocket – all of Liberty City, the series' freedom and chaos on the go, with no need to sit down in front of a TV.