A very very guilty pleasure. A fan of the movie and of GTA style gameplay will love this game.
In this case I think perhaps Gamespot made a mistake.
The game is so much fun in many ways, in some ways BETTER than Grand Theft Auto. I will elaborate my point of view:
1. Game play: I feel the missions are pretty much what you would expect from a game like this. Deliver this, kill this guy, save this girl, etc. The ways of dealing drugs has been compared to a golf game with the gauge. I dont mind this myself. You have to make some way of doing these things, and this is just the best way there is. I feel the story fits with the gameplay.
The missions range from easy to stroke inducing. The blind rage mode works well if used in the correct manner and at the right time. One area of gameplay that bugs me is when you have fronts that are being attacked. Sometimes its very hard to get to a front to defend it, and then if you go in and just way waste you lose a TON of cash (your front sells stuff, blow it up and its got to be replaced!) That can get a bit irritating, especially if your in the middle of a drug run.
2. Graphics: This game proves that it is none too soon for the PS3. The game pushes the PS2 to the limit. During large gun battles, the framerates can drop a bit. Not so bad that its gonna get you killed, but you can notice it. My PS2 is a launch day machine, so it could be showing its age. Tony looks like he just stepped off the banana boat, ready to take the world again. 3. Voices: Very well done, I have not laughed so hard at a game in a long time. Just going up and talking to random people on the street is funny. The game does push the f-bombs to the max, makes the subject material seem downright tame.
Personally I feel the game is a good substitute for Grand Theft Auto, and anyone who likes the movie will love the game. The game could have been priced a bit lower, $49.99 in the twilight of the PS2s reign is a bit high.