Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Review - Liberty City in your palm

Mike Bantick
Thursday, 26 March 2009 16:32

Entertainment

The dual screen aspect of the DS is sometimes hamstrings the game, with action taking place on both simultaneous, street-view at the top and a touch activated PDA/GPS map on the bottom.  It is tough sometimes keeping an eye on both the action and the directional/status screens as the game becomes frenzied.  RockStar thoughtfully provided options to have the GPS directions, and other status icons on the top screen, to aid the peripherally challenged.

The on-foot use of the control-pad to provide direction is a little hit-miss, requiring skill to keep Lee on the straight and narrow, physical direction wise at least.  Again, playing with the camera orientation options can help out here.

Lee, can buy new safe-houses, gamble on scratch cards, and generally hang around Liberty City in between missions as per other GTA titles.  Whilst a cut-down on the bigger versions, it is once again amazing the level of interaction crammed into the DS game chip.

Even the central theme of vehicles in Chinatown Wars is handled with detail.  Cars, bikes, vans and trucks all have a differing weight, with physics making a miniature appearance in the game, and the thankful removal of a slight bump to a police car not causing a full scale chase situation.  But do be careful of petrol pumps.

The streets are packed, and difficult to negotiate to the point where, running either straight down the centre of the street, or more amusingly (!) straight down the pedestrian filled sidewalks.  Exclaims of ‘But I’m still a virgin’ emanating from folks desperately diving away from your vehicle add to the mirth.

Night and the rain falls, bringing out the umbrellas and only marginally washing away the grime of a miniature crime ridden populous.  Rockstar have yet again crafted a world to immerse ourselves in.  It is miniature, mature escapism and welcome to the DS platform.

8.5 squished pedestrians out of 10