I remember watching a Star Trek episode years ago. It was the one where Professor Moriarty escapes from the holodeck (always going wrong that darned holodeck - I've no idea how it passed the annual Starfleet safety inspections) and in the end they put him inside a computer simulation, where he can live out his life having adventures and never knowing his world is not real. Very clever, and a nice plot device. At the end the the computer (which was around the size of a book - but plastic and full of flashing lights) was carefully placed out of the way.

When I saw Grand Theft Auto on the PSP I got a similar kind of feeling. You get the impression you are holding a living, breathing, city in your hands. You can enter that world, which seems pretty real to me, and spend hours just wandering around and having adventures. The adventures seem to involve large guns and bloodshed, but they are all there.

Graphically the game is very impressive, the frame rate seems to keep up with the action pretty well, and although there is a bit of pop-up, things are looking very good. The realisation of things like the radio stations has also been carried over to the portable device - I wonder how many people are just going to pop the PSP in their pocket and listen to the audio tracks through headphones?

I'm not that impressed with the controls though, the little analogue thumbpad is a bit fiddly and I'd rather they'd provided an option where you could use the larger directional pad instead. Shooting, punching and targeting enemies is a bit tricky too. It is the first game I've come accross where you really have to use the shoulder buttons in anger and I don't think they are that easy to press in a hurry. Having said that, things are getting easier with practice and the first few missions give you a nice introduction to the various options. I've not tried the networked missions yet, there are quite a few of them and getting a bunch of people together for a thrash is a must do in my book - even though I'm not that good at the game.

But I must add a word of warning folks, this is an adult game. The content is very grown up, to the point of using the f-word and other nasty things during the (very well voiced) introductions to the missions. Whereas there was never a problem playing this kind of thing on your XBOX in the privacy of your own room, having your PSP suddenly say things like "..and then I want you to blow away that sucka..." may offend fellow bus travellers, so I'd advise you to either turn the volume right down or wear headphones to avoid offending other people. And don't let anyone under 16 near the thing. Really. 

If you liked Grand Theft Auto, and you want to carry it around, you will be well pleased. As a showcase for the PSP (and perhaps it's defining product at the moment) it is superb. It really underlines what the PSP is all about - it is a Playstation you can carry around - and it definitely gives you a full bore video game experience. If you are looking for a new kind of video game you will be disappointed, but if you want to dominate the kind of universe that a small plastic box can now create for you, then go to it.