Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars sets the standard of what each Nintendo DS game, that is released, should actually be!
However, Rockstar have completely outperformed themselves with the release of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Even the from the quality of the graphics, and due to it being released on the Nintendo DS platform that is not an easy feat to achieve, and also the game-play, and in a very brief description here - Is AWESOME! You, the player, can actually see that Rockstar North, and Rockstar Leeds, have put, what seems to be, an endless amount of dedication, time, love and other factors to make this game be the best it can be! And, in my opinion, it actually did become the best it could be!
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars open with you, the main character Huang Lee, being ambushed in the all too familiar, Francis International Airport, and being shot in the head, the Frontal Lobe, or "temple" to be exact! And then being left for dead in a "ditched" car, in the ocean no less! Well, I think its the ocean! Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars immediately introduces the player to an "unexpected" 'mini-game', in which the player must use the Nintendo DS stylus, on the bottom-screen, of course! And proceed to smash the car's window before the actual car becomes "oxygen-deprived", which is what happens if you don't break the window and it results in your DEATH! Anyway, the actual game has these little "mini-games" thrown in a certain times, and are quite nice as they are not too long or too short!
The actual city of Liberty City, has been nicely detailed to a three-dimensional perspective and is in every the identical twin of Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV, so a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series feels "right-at-home". As I mentioned prior to this paragraph, the graphics for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars are truly amazing, considering it is for the "DS" platform. It gives the experience of being there! In Liberty City, as you can witness *VERY*-minor characters of the street going at each other in an epic BRAWL! Or you can relax and have a..... Well, relaxing taxi or train journey around Liberty City!
The "free-roaming" gameplay is pretty much identical to Grand Theft Auto games prior to this one. However, the storyline missions are varied and are quite fun! For example, in a particular mission entitled "Pimp His Ride", you must follow a street-race 'champion', or so he claims, until he exits his vehicle. You then proceed to steal it and begin to "modify" his vehicle. You are given a choice of three tools to use, they are:
- A hammer...
- A pliers...
- A Screwdriver...
When the player chooses a hammer and with the use of the "DS" stylus and, of couse, the bottom-screen you must procced to smash the engine and air condtioning. Then if the player chooses the pliers, he must cut certain wires, which ultimately results in the handling being affected. Then, the screwdriver is next. The player must damage the coolant tank. Finally, a fish must be placed in the damaged air conditioning, to "spoil" it! Then, finally you must return the car before a pick-up truck arrives! It is a relatively easy mission, but it delivers something new and creative!
The newest edition to the Grand Theft Auto series is the "Drug Trafficking/Trading System". Now, the reason I use both terms is that I am unsure of which term to use. Anyway, this is a great new feature, as you can buy and sell certain drugs, from "Powders" to "Hallucinogens", from and to certain dealers you discover around Liberty City. You get to establish yourself as a "novice" drug dealer relatively early in the game and this is good as it can earn you a large amount of money, as early-on in the game's storyline missions - MONEY IS GIVEN IN A LOW SUM. :( I know it sounds terrible, but! With this great, and fun, new feature you'll, with some luck when you are trading, be floating in twenty dollar bills before you know! (Not literally, of course!) But there are terms and conditions. Well, only one! CAPITALISM! The price of drugs remain high because of he pleniful supply of security cameras, which are located around the entire islands of Liberty City. But, they are not indestuctible and you can get rid of them! However, I'll let you figure that out by yourself! Sorry! Also, when dealing random police busts can occur which, in my opinion, is excellent as it gives you a sense of paranoia when dealing. Police busts on drug transactions can ensure that you are chased by the police which, in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, is good thing! Hey, isn't it a good thing in each Grand Theft Auto game?
The only actual techincal problem *I* encountered while enjoying my playing experience of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was th "FR" slowing-down during very large police chases. This only seemed to happen when was a lot of things happening at once, so it is definately not the actual game "breaking", but I felt, personally, it was worth mentioning!
All-in-all, *I* thought that this version of Grand Theft Auto was one of *THE* best in the series. As it is evident that the developers, well... Rockstar, put effort, time, money and, of course, love into this game. Now, if you are not a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series chances are you are not going to actually like this game, but that is common sense. However, "Die-Hard" fans of the series, *I THINK*, will be in favour of this game. Anyway, I hoped this review assisted you in any way!
This EXTENSIVE review was brought to you by;
- ThatGameSpotGuy
:)