With the recent release of GTA: Chinatown Wars on the PSP, I took another look at the game. It had been on my list of games to play, but seeing the reviews made me go get a copy. I chose to get the DS version based on the reviews commenting on the difficulty of the various mini-games using the PSP controls, as well as cell shaded art style on the DS.
The game controls very well. GTA4 was the first game in the series that I’d finished, because it was the first where I felt my character (specifically in gunfights) was doing what I wanted him to, and would actually shoot the right target. The controls on the DS worked very well. The lock-on often chose the wrong target, but it wasn’t a big problem. My biggest problem was tossing grenades/Molotov cocktails. The says you flick to throw them, but doing that I would often drop them at my feet (to great detriment). It turns out holding an area on the target circles that come up let you chose direction and distance. You don’t need to flick. Once I found that out, aiming was easy.The story was pretty good, and it’s got some nice twists and turns. There are a some semi-likable characters, and some who you are ready to kill from day one.
Liberty City is amazing. The game looks fantastic, and reminiscent of the first 2 GTA games (which was purposeful). What I wasn’t expecting was all the little details. As cars drive around, you’ll find that some of them have neon undercarriage lights, and they use their turn signals. Even on the DS, police chase people around, and other cars get into accidents and hit pedestrians on their own. Liberty City feels alive, much like in GTA4.
And speaking of GTA4, you’ll see so many landmarks you remember if you played through that game. The game takes place in the same city, and you get all the islands except for the fourth, Alderny. As you drive around, you’ll recognize all sorts of locations. I saw the turn out by where Roman’s shop was, that you pass through 40 times on the way to see Brucie. You’ll see the amusement park, the Burger Shot up in Bohan, the museum where you help with the diamond heist, the game’s equivalent of Times Square, the abandoned mansion on one of the smaller islands that was a big gang hangout in GTA4, and more. While the road map isn’t identical, you’ll see so many land marks during the game, you feel like you are still in Liberty City.
The game was fantastic. I spent tons of time trading drugs (basically Drug Wars with a car), blowing up security cameras (I got 53 or so), and collecting safe houses (got all but 1!). It was easily worth the $35. I hope Rockstar makes another portable GTA game in this style. The GTA3 style games (Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories on the PSP) had horrible control problems, mostly shooting, that made them nearly unplayable. It was great to have a working GTA game to play on the go.
