The True GTA Experience Comes To The DS
How do you take the massive, open world that is Liberty City of Grand Theft Auto IV fame and translate it onto the DS, and more importantly make it NOT feel stripped down?
You make Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars, a game that plays to the strengths of the system while sending the player on a well executed and sharply written adventure throughout the streets of .
You play as Huang, a young rich kid fresh off the plane from , with a sword in the wake of his father’s murder. Unfortunately the sword is stolen, forcing Huang to start working for various mobsters and corrupt cops as he tries to work out who murdered his father and recover the sword.
The game is played from an isometric viewpoint, but you do have some control over the camera. The controls are simple and use the D-pad to move and the face buttons to shoot, jack cars and leap over obstacles, and like its big brother you can also hail cabs to take you where you need to go.
The touch screen is used ingeniously, and the mini games on offer feel true and right in the context of the world. So when you jack a parked car, you have to hotwire it in one of three ways, such as placing a screwdriver in the key slot and turning it or hacking the security system by tapping the correct numbers as they flash past on a display.
Weapon selection and your in game radar are all on the bottom screen as well, and it also houses a great innovation, the PDA. This nifty device lets you receive emails which give you missions and tips on drug offers, as well as view your in game stats and even order weapons and armour to be delivered to your door.
The biggest problem with the touch screen is that you use it to throw grenades and Molotov cocktails and it isn’t very accurate. When you tap the grenade icon, a small circle appears, and you simple slash in the direction you want to throw, but you have to stand still to do this, and cant throw very far or precisely, but this is a small compliant in an otherwise brilliant control scheme.
GTA: Wars will take about 10-12 hours to complete, so it is a fairly lengthy adventure, and with 100 security cameras dotted around the city to destroy there is plenty to keep you busy, but the greatest thing about the game play is the drug smuggling.
Drug dealers are never far from your current position and at different times will offer different things to sell. By buying a drug from one dealer then going to another in a different area, you can make a profit as some pushers will buy at a higher price. At times though, you will get emails saying that certain dealers need specific drugs or are selling them at a discounted price, allowing you to make more cash as you sell downers, weed, heroin, crack, coke and acid.
Spending bit of time drug running means that money wont be a worry for the majority of the game, which means you can outfit yourself with an array of weapons and armour, which, since AmmuNation stores are no more, you can get delivered to the nearest safe house. These range from chainsaws and swords, right up to rocket launchers and mini guns and all are fantastic to use.
By pressing the right shoulder button, you automatically lock on to the nearest enemy, allowing fast death to be brought to your enemies. The biggest problem is that sometimes the camera doesn’t afford you the best view of the action, as level geometry can get in the way, which is a conceit of getting the game on the DS in the first place and it doesn’t happen that often, but just enough to make it noticeable.
The writing in most GTA games is sharp, but here especially so, as the limitations of the system mean full voice acting is not possible, and neither is a licensed track list, but you honestly wont miss the voice acting that much and the music that is in there is generic but functional.
As the writing is so good, the usual array of eccentric and despicable characters lurks around every corner, from your porn loving uncle, to the triad sex pest with a penchant for Thai lady boys. It really does feel like a full GTA game, and that is what makes it so special.
Aside from the lengthy story, you can compete with a friend via local multiplayer, which is a massive shame and honestly a reason to put the game down when the story is complete. The modes that are there are customizable, and getting the default vehicle to a tank and then letting loose on the city and your friend is a blast, but one that will fade quickly.
There is some online functionality that allows weapon and drug trades, as well as the ability to sync up with Rockstar’s website and upload your stats. It is neatly done and a nice fit, but online multiplayer is still sorely missed.
In all, this is a fantastic, extremely mature and witty game, and the sheer fact Rockstar Leeds were able to make it in the first place is enough reason to play. If you do, however, you will that great Grand Theft Auto experience you would get on the consoles and one of the best DS games available. Truly great gaming at its best.
