Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Review
By Gaetano Prestia
Put simply, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on the DS is probably the most fun you’re going to have on the handheld. Developer Rockstar Leeds did an amazing job to bring a genuine GTA experience to the DS by changing the look but maintaining the GTA charm and accessibility we’ve all come to love over the years. Its use of the touch-screen introduced us to a whole new level of GTA gameplay, giving gamers the ability to be more involved in the basic nitty-gritty of everyday life in Liberty City. Yet, unlike its closest competitors in the Stories series on the PSP, no one really expected the game to appear anywhere besides the DS. It was made just for it and it was difficult to imagine playing it without the touch-screen. But somehow the folks at Rockstar Leeds managed to port the game over to the PSP, and while it might be missing many of the great aspects that are exclusive to the DS, it still maintains the core Chinatown Wars experience.
Chinatown Wars on PSP is a port. It’s as simple as that. If you’ve played through the DS version to death there’s really nothing new here except a slicker presentation, better audio and a few extra missions. It’s still an awesome game though, so don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a watered down version of the DS game, gameplay wise. It’s still just as fun to play, although the loss of the touch-screen gameplay does hinder the experience a bit.
The story hasn’t changed at all, which is great because Chinatown Wars was actually a refreshing and often very funny story told through the streets of Liberty City. While there is no voice acting, the dialogue is delivered through comic-book style panels with text. Surprisingly, this technique of storytelling does a great job of introducing us to characters and offering a compelling narrative. It actually helps out with the pacing of the experience. Chinatown Wars is meant to be an overly accessible game that you can pick up and play on the go, so the transition from actual cutscenes to text fits the game’s style well.
As for the how the game plays, the core experience is still very much intact. That’s ultimately what matters most, because improving the visuals and sound yet sacrificing gameplay would probably defeat the purpose of porting the title in the first place. Thankfully, the game feels exactly the same on the PSP as it did on the DS for the most part. The missions themselves are great, some of which are absolutely hilarious, and the learning curve is essentially identical to that of the original. This isn’t a game that’s going to really challenge you, but it has enough depth and originality in its missions to make it a worthwhile experience.
Drug dealing in Chinatown Wars was the more controversial aspect of the game on the DS and thankfully the experience is just as compelling and rewarding on the PSP. The GPS looks great on the handheld and while you don’t have the touch-screen to shift through things, it’s still pretty easy to search for drug dealers and make some extra dough on the side. Using the d-pad actually makes for quicker searches, so this is probably one of a few aspects that made the transition from touch-screen gameplay to the PSP perfectly.
Yet it’s not all rosy with this port. As expected, the move over to the PSP saw the sacrifice of many of the game’s more unique attributes. No longer can you shift through garbage by flicking away items using the touch-screen, or twist together wires using the stylus to hot-wire a car. All of the small cool and intuitive aspects that helped distance the DS version from every other GTA experience is gone, shifting the PSP back towards “been there, done that” territory. The fact is that using the R and L buttons to open something up isn’t quite as inventive as a flick of the wrist on the touch-screen.
However, Chinatown Wars wasn’t praised solely for its use of the touch-screen. While many of those aspects were great additions to the franchise by offering something new and fun, the story, missions and core gameplay that let you move through a perfect rendition of Liberty City are ultimately what made the game so great. The game has some of the most memorable and explosive missions we’ve ever seen in a GTA game and the improved visuals and audio on the PSP only make them more spectacular.
The top-down perspective has made a solid case for its revival, especially on handhelds, and this GTA experience is far more rewarding and original than the 3D Stories games we got a few years ago. Furthermore, Chinatown Wars’ presentation has been improved for the PSP, with nicer lighting and particle effects to give the city more personality. Everything is in a higher resolution, namely the comic-book panels that tell the story, which look stunning on the PSP’s screen.
In the audio department, all of the original tunes from the DS version have been remixed and thankfully are a little less painful on the ears. The radio stations have always been an essential part of the GTA experience, yet the PSP version still lacks the memorable commercials and radio programs that are accustomed to console GTA games.
The Final Verdict
Chinatown Wars on the PSP is exactly the sort of game the handheld needs. It’s a genuine on-the-go gaming experience. While it’s not as fresh as it was on the DS, it’s still so much fun and great all round. It still has the same core experience from the DS. While it doesn’t have the great touch-screen gameplay aspects, the missions are still all there and the main gameplay mechanics work well on the PSP. It has a great story with plenty of charm and humour. There’s plenty of depth here to keep it in your PSP for a long time, plus PSP-exclusive missions and content through the Rockstar Social Club.
Gameplay
9.0/10
It might not be as inventive as the DS version, but the core experience is still very much intact. While the transition from touch-screen gameplay aspects to the PSP take away a bit of the game’s originality, the drug dealing component is still just as enjoyable, if not more so.
Graphics
9.0/10
It looks better than the DS version, yet that version achieved more considering the DS' limitations. Still, the comic-book panels look great on the lush PSP screen, and lighting effects have been improved. The city looks more alive than it did on the DS.
Sound
8.5/10
Remixes of all the original tunes, including new tracks from Anvil, Turntables on the Hudson and DJ Khalil, just to name a few. Audio as a whole is a big improvement on the DS version.
Value
10/10
15-hour single-player experience, plus plenty of side-missions, tasks and multiplayer. Over 30 hours of gameplay.
Overall
9.0/10
Submitted by Gaetano
21/10/2009
117
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