Paul Frew
Dr Game's Second Opinion - GTA Chinatown Wars
March 30th 2009 00:37
Chinatown Wars takes place in the same Liberty City as GTA IV but with a few differences. Firstly the look - the game returns to it's roots with a top-down perspective and a cel-shaded appearance that works fairly well.
The majority of the action takes place on the top screen. You can do all the same actions from previous GTA games like carjacking, shooting, brawling and jumping fences. There are occasions where you will need to use the bottom screen such as hotwiring a car, making molotovs and dealing drugs. It can be a little tricky because while the running and gunning uses the face buttons - the touch screen elements require the stylus so you need to have it handy at all times.
Another difference is when the fuzz is alerted by your presence. You need to perform Burnout-style takedowns in order to escape the heat. It works well but I don't see why the GTA IV system wasn't used as it would have worked just as well.
The story, as usual, is great. It's told through still animations via subtitles. There is a lot of humour and the emotions of character does come across on most occasions. I won't give any details of the story because I think it's best you experience it without knowing anything about it.
The only issue I have is the sound - or lack of sound. It's more a fault on the DS rather than the game. There are no licensed tracks - or if they are then they're unrecognisable and there is no speech either. This is part of what makes GTA games fantastic to play is the feeling you're in a real world with real sounds and banter and it doesn't pull that part of it off. But this is really just nitpicking.
DIAGNOSIS - RECOMMEND
The DS has a lack of quality titles for real gamers and anyone who disagrees is wrong. Sure you've got your Chrono Triggers and Hotel Dusks but for every one of these games you've got 20 Dogz titles. GTA Chinatown Wars is a gem and one worth getting if you're a GTA fan or just looking for something different on the DS.
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