GTA: Chinatown Wars Review

by gtaadmin on 25/03/09 at 1:51 pm

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars recently debuted on the Nintendo DS and is an amazing game. Released on 17th March 2009, this isn’t the first time the franchise has landed on a portable platform but it is a first for the DS. The same backdrop is used as the game’s predecessors, Liberty City, and the city is huge considering the size of the little DS. Liberty City, of course, is a pseudonym for New York.

It's uncanny that Rockstar was able to squeeze this much information and detail into a tiny DS portable cartridge. The DS game disk is, as usual, the size of a postage stamp. Nevertheless, Chinatown Wars looks, sounds and plays like one of its console predecessors.

Owing to the fact that there are no licensed songs used in the game, the music, although good, does just blend into the background. Also, there is little to no voice acting.

There is a mass of mischief you can get up to, including:

hot wiring a car
disarming a bomb
hacking a security system
driving taxis for fares
slaying pedestrians

Even though Chinatown Wars sports a top down perspective, some may find that this actually makes exploring the vast city more manageable than being immersed the street-level view offered by GTA IV. And this 2 dimensional view has the added bonus of making driving much easier. Notwithstanding the top down view, there are still the land marks and layout that will often tweak a memory of running around as Nico.

GTA: Chinatown Wars - Adult Nature

This title is definitely for adults only as there is:

sexual innuendo
profanity
graphic violence
frequent reference to drug use

This title is thoroughly deserving of its “M” rating - meaning it’s intended for “mature” audiences, or players age 17 and older. However, as the Nintendo DS is popular among the under-age-17 set, releasing such an adult themed title to this console invites controversy.

GTA: Chinatown Wars Plot

The story is told in a graphic novel style using still images and subtitles with the odd animated section scattered throughout, rather than the more customary in-engine 3D cutscene.

The protagonist is Huang Lee, a spoiled rich kid who arrives from Hong Kong carrying an ancient ceremonial sword (the "Yu Jian"). The sword belonged to his father, the leader of the Triads, who is murdered. He now intends to hand over the sword to his uncle, Wu Lee. Shortly after arriving in Liberty City, Huang is beaten up and left for dead, while his attackers make off with the sword. Of course, Huang has to find the sword and return it to his uncle.

Missions are given by his scheming uncle, sociopathic rivals and strung-out cops, to name a few. However, in addition to the official missions, Chinatown Wars also offers an amazing array of mini-games and side quests. For example, players can deliver noodles, drive taxis, race, hijack ammunition vans and buy and sell drugs.

GTA: Chinatown Wars Weapons

The following dazzling assortment of weaponry is available to Huang:

Handguns

Pistol
Twin Pistols
Revolver

Sumarine Guns

Micro SMG
SMG

Shotguns

Shotgun
Stubby Shotgun
Double barreled shotgun

Rifles

Assault Rifles
Carbine Rifle
Sniper Rifle

Heavy Weapons

Flame Thrower
RPG
Minigun

Projectiles

Flashbangs
Molotov Cocktails
Grenades
Proximity Mines

Special Melee weapons

Taser
Nightstick
Baseball bat
Chainsaw
Sword