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Desert Island Games is simple. You’re deserted on a lost island, but don’t fret because it’s got every console imaginable, constant electricity and a decent internet connection. The catch? You can only take three games. This week Andy Marsh makes his three picks.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

When I was asked to write this feature there was one game above all others that immediately sprang to mind, that game was GTA. At first I went for GTA3, but as I thought more and more I started leaning towards CJ’s adventures in San Andreas.

While San Andreas is not my most favourite GTA, (that honour will always go to Vice City) if I’m going to be stuck on this desert island for the foreseeable future I’m going to need a game with legs. How Rockstar managed to fit three cities and large chunks of countryside onto a PS2 disk can only be contributed to some sort of black magic.

For an explorer like me not many games can come close to GTA:SA. There is so much to see and do, that it could, in all probability keep me going on this little island all by itself. The shear amount of things to do is just staggering. Aside from the story missions there are collectibles to gather to unlock new weapons at hideouts, massive triathlon events to win and much more. There is a massive amount to accomplish to gain the illusive 100 percent completion stat and that will keep me going for a long time.

When the vast array of varied missions inevitably dry up there is always one of my favourite GTA pastimes left, causing mayhem. Evading the police in GTA has always been a big part of the game and something I like to mess about with at every opportunity. The scope for huge police chases is amazing, trying to use every form of transport available in one chase with a four star wanted level is quite the challenge. Planes, trains and auto-mobiles are all fair game as well as a dash of jet packs, BMX’s and parachutes. The shear scope for just messing about is almost endless and always fun.

Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

A game that contains two of my favourite past times, gaming and rock, is an easy distraction from the solitude of island life. Thrashing out tunes on a plastic guitar to some of my all time favourite bands like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden will always be an empowering experience. The huge track list would keep me busy for a long time and I’ll presume I would be able to extend it through DLC, if only I could find where my wallet washed up. While Rock Band may have been a better pick for longevity reasons with the drum and vocals tours and with even more DLC, Guitar Hero has something RB doesn’t and that is Dragonforce.

I have had one dream since buying GH3 and that is to play Through the Fire and the Flames on expert. The free time I have on the dessert island will afford me the time needed to dedicate to the insanely difficult expert mode. I have only ever completed the game on medium and muddled my way through a couple of songs on hard. The introduction of the orange fret has long befuddled my hand eye coordination, and I yearn to unlock the secrets of hitting all five frets without tying my fingers in knots. Honing these skills will take up a lot of time, and when I finally master them I probably be off this island. But even if expert still eludes me all is not lost, I can always hollow out a PS3 and use the guitar as paddle and get the hell out of here.

Crackdown

Now I know I’ve already included a sandbox title in my list but games don’t get any more sandbox than Crackdown. A bold move by Realtime Worlds produced one of my all-time favourite games. Only having one mission may seem like not much to do, but that is totally missing the point of the game. Many people I know smashed their way through the main game in 5 hours totally bypassing the point of Crackdown and that is experimentation.

Taking down the gang leaders offers plenty of scope for inventive strategies, going in guns blazing is fun but there are better ways of causing havoc. Setting up ramps for high speed jumps in the SUV into the bases is a good tactic. Even better if not more risky is filling a truck with explosive barrels and driving in through the front to let off a huge devastating explosion to rip your foes apart. This is the beauty of Crackdown, it is only limited by your imagination.

A friend and I spent countless hours just larking about in Pacific City. Building massive piles of explosive barrels for huge pyrotechnic displays was common place and before the Keys to the City expansion a hugely time-consuming task for the best effects. Games of cat and mouse across the rooftops, kicking each other off the top of the Agency tower all in a day’s work for our agents. And let’s not forget the hugely addictive task of finding all the agility and special orbs. Crackdown in my opinion is a perfect fit for island life.

Check back next Tuesday for another three picks from another writer… In the meantime tell us what you would take in the comments below or check out previous entries.