Your goal through the game is to rise through the ranks of the criminal element which you attempt to achieve by stealing cars, running narcotics, performing hits, kidnapping, and other criminal acts. The game is viewed from the top down with a camera that zooms in and out depending on the surroundings and the situation. All of this action takes place in 3 huge cities (Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City). Each city has its own personality and the authorities will react differently to your actions. Each of the cities is quite large and to expedite your mission you can either use the public transportation available, or simply steal a car which is a lot quicker and a hell of a lot more fun.