Respect is everything. Join one of the rival gangs – seven, to be exact, including the Yakuza, Scientists, Looneys, Rednecks, Zaibatsu, the Russian Mob and Hare Krishnas. Earn your respect with each gang. Reap the benefits with all manner of shady work-for-hire gigs contracted your way. And climb your way to the top of the criminal pile.
Simple, elegant, classic.
The best thing about this game is that you can cause simple mayhem and still get paid for it. Grab a car, ram others while driving peds and elvis-clones over. What more could you ask for?