Last March, Rockstar Games gave Nintendo DS owners the chance to romp through Liberty City with Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Despite disappointing sales, the game was a huge step forward for the series on portable systems. Not to leave PSP owners out in the cold, Rockstar brought a port of the game to PSP, both at retail and digital download. Did it survive the transition? Yes, for the most part.
In the game, you play Huang Lee, a snot-nosed kid living the sweet life off his dad. It turns out Huang's pop was waist-deep in a million-dollar business with the Triads. However, when the old man is suddenly murdered, a power struggle ensues. Huang tries to make peace by delivering a sacred sword during a trip to Liberty City, but is soon stripped of it and left for dead by gun-toting rivals. In an effort to make good on his father's name and restore order with his would-be business associates, Huang vows to get the sword back, even if that means spilling blood along the way.
Like previous Grand Theft Auto games, you've got a pre-set mission structure to follow, but you don't have to stay on it. If you feel like running over hookers, there's nothing standing in your way (except for the cops if your star level rises too high, of course). If you want to deal some drugs on the street to raise cash, have at it. Even smaller jobs are available, including Chinese food delivery and completing errands for smaller members of the Liberty City community. The world is your oyster, and you can do whatever you please.
This isn't just another Grand Theft Auto game, though. The perspective is entirely different. Instead of playing from a behind-the-shoulder third-person viewpoint, you see everything from above. This makes it easier to see what's happening around your world. There are times that the camera's auto-direction gets lost, spinning around to get back to a good view. Other than that, the game looks superb on PSP. Even the smaller things, like the trains that pass overhead and the residents walking around the city, add to the ambience.
Another change is the lack of in-game dialogue. Chinatown Wars' story is told through cut-scenes, with still images of the characters appearing in the top portion and subtitles sitting at the bottom. Although it doesn't feature voice actors, the game still has cool audio, including police sirens, gunfire and our personal favorite, bone-rattling explosions. There are also a variety of radio stations to listen to in the car, from classical to rock. It's good to see some things haven't changed in the Grand Theft Auto universe.
Finally, there's the gameplay. For the most part, the controls do the job, as you'll be able to coast around Liberty City on foot or in a vehicle with little to no problem. Stealing cars is still just a matter of pressing a button next to the door and yanking the poor sap out (and then running over him or her if you feel so inclined). Even the minor mechanics play a major part in the game, whether you're running police cars off the road or vaulting over walls to keep up with someone in a foot chase.
That said, not everything works. For some reason, Rockstar opted to modify the touch-screen DS games to a PSP format, rather than going from scratch or leaving them out entirely. Using the nub and the shoulder buttons to complete these games isn't impossible, but it's just not that enjoyable. Take the lottery game, for instance. With the DS, you simply use the stylus to rub off the squares. On the PSP, you have to direct the nub back and forth over them.
If the single-player part of Chinatown Wars isn't enough for you, there's also AdHoc/Infrastructure games, both co-op and versus. Two players take part in these contests, whether you're racing after illegal contraband or holding down a fort against continuous waves of enemies (think Horde Mode, but criminals instead of mutants). These modes are great, although there are times when slowdown pops up, particularly if you're in a vehicle. In the end, though, we're glad these were included.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has problems, but we're still giving it a hefty thumbs up. The brutal nature of the series remains intact, the new top-down perspective rocks on PSP and there's plenty to do, both on your own and with a friend. Unless the violence offends you, it's a must have game.
Reader Comments (0)