A Brilliant Game that Delivers Just What it Promises.
Gameplay- 10
What can I say? It's Grand Theft Auto, and even on a handheld it keeps the same trademark gameplay that the GTA series has defined and that no other game that
tries to emulate the series has ever succeeded in copying.
The missions are designed for the the PSP's "Pick up and play" appeal, with the time taken for each mission being roughly two to three minutes. Although the early missions seem rather bland, the game soon picks up and begins to integrate more and more interesting ideas. One of the stand out missions in the game is where you take over a rival mobster's car using a satellite system and frame him for killing several of his own gang members, this shows the true ingenuity of the
game's team.
Summary- The gameplay is smooth, and is just like what you would have expected from one of the PS2 or Xbox Grand Theft Auto games.
Graphics- 7
Liberty City Stories' graphics on the whole are very, very good; but there are a few areas that could be improved. The cars can look rather grainy when viewed close up and some cars when viewed from far away look like big, blurry coloured boxes. These, however are minor gripes and do not really affect the game. One, rather large problems is ghosting, this is when an image seems to blur on the PSP's screen. This is not caused by the game itself, but by the PSP, as it does not refresh as quickly as a normal television screen. For example, if you look at Toni's legs from the side it looks like he has four legs. This can be a major problem as it can strain your eyes a lot and make some missions where precision is needed rather hard.
The draw distance, however is extremely impressive, and never fails to impress, you can see the Shoreside Vale Lift Bridge from the ferry terminal in Harwood in Portland on the other side of the city.
Another nice touch are the reflections on cars, there have not been seen in any of the PS2 Grand Theft Autos
Summary- Graphics are usually okay, but are a let down in some areas
Controls- 6
If the game has one failing point, it has to be the controls. After playing for about half an hour your left thumb will start to hurt, increasingly so if you are using controls setup one as this involves a great amount of manipulation of the thumbstick, drive-by shootings in setup one are extremely hard to pull off successfully, often forcing you to stop your car to carry them out.
A problem for people that prefer to use controller configuration one for cars but not on foot due to the use of the D-Pad for on-foot control is the constant need to switch control configurations on entering and exiting vehicles.
This game requires a lot of controls, and to be fair to Rockstar, they have done an alright job for what they have had to work with.
Summary- Controls are dodgy, but not impossible to use
Story- 9
The story is one of, if not the most important aspect of any Grand Theft Auto game. And the guys and girls at Rockstar Leeds have done a fine job.
You are Toni Cipriani, a loyal Leone Family Mafia soldier who has just returned from hiding after carrying out a hit for his don, Salvatore Leone. During the game's storyline you will work for your mother; a bent cop; the Don's unfaithful wife; the wife of a Yakuza leader, who is hellbent on revenge and let's not forget: Donald Love, the necrophiliac, cannibal who's dream is to become Mayor of Liberty City.
The one thing preventing Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories from getting a ten in the story department is the absence of any major protagonist. In Grand Theft Auto 3 you had Catalina; in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, you had Sonny Forrelli and in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas you had Officer Frank Tennpenny.
In Liberty City Stories, however, you only have faceless rival gangs.
Summary- You're Toni Cipriani, you honestly don't care and nothing will stand in you way of your don's wishes. A good storyline, well devised and just as as epic as its console cousins
Soundtrack- 7 (Without the use of custom soundtracks)
The music in this game is not as well known as in the other Grand Theft Auto games and the stations are also shorter. Fan's favorite Lazlow returns on "Chatterbox" on "Liberty City Free Radio", although this time his show is not as funny as his others, but still has some classic, side-splitting moments.
The major change is the inclusion of custom tracks, these can only be ripped from a CD by using The "Rockstar Custom Tracks" programme found on the official Liberty City Stories website. I scored this part of the review without the custom soundtracks, but with them, the score is 10/10 as you can listen to almost anything that you want. What's not to like?
Summary- Not as good as previous Grand Theft Auto games, but still quite good. The inclusion of custom soundtracks, however makes the experience a whole lot better.
Lifespan- 10
The score for this category was inevitable, it took me around 11 hours to complete the main story missions, this left me with a percentage of roughly 40%. This means more than half them game are side-missions or the collection of hidden packages. There are more side missions than in any previous Grand Theft Auto games there are Motorcycle sales missions. car sales missions, paramedic missions, vigilante missions; to name a few. This is perfect for the PSP, as you can just dip in and play straight away.
Summary- Hours, upon hours of gaming goodness, with less than half the game involved in the main storyline.
Rent Or Buy?
Buy. Renting is not an option, as you will want to play this game again, and again.
Review Summary
In the end, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is a not just a spin-off, it's a fully fledged member of the Grand Theft Auto family and is by far the best game out for the PSP.
Quite simply, if you own a PSP get this game, it's the best experience that you will probably have on this console.