Liberty City Stories On PSP

by gtaadmin on 31/03/09 at 4:59 pm

GTA On PSP

The GTA revolution is going portable

We have to be honest when we first heard that GTA was coming to our favourite portable system, we were skeptical. First, we thought it would be a top-down game, similar to the original GTA on PSone. Then we thought it would look like GTA 3, but wouldnt have the open city, like the PSP version of spiderman 2.

After all , GTA's open city would be impossible on the PSP...right?

How wrong we were. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is exactly what you'd expect from a GTA game, only portable.

Guns? Check. Carjacking? Check. A fully realized 3D world in which you are free to do pretty much anything you want, including meeting with shady characters who send you on missions of questionable legality? Check, check and check. Yep, this is GTA alright.

So what's it all about? Well, it's not a port of GTA3, if that's what your're thinking.

Yes , as the title explicity suggests, it takes place in Liberty City, the landscape made famous in GTA 3. But there's a new star this time around. Or rather an old one.

Tony Cipriani Returns

Let's take the Wayback machine to when you played GTA 3. Do you remember a guy named Tony Cipriani who handed out missions at his mom's restaurant? He was the guy who hated the Triads and sent you on missions to deal with them. Let's just say you weren't very popular with the Triads by the time you completed all of his tasks. Ever wonder what his deal was? Well, now you'll be able to find out, because Toni Cipriani is the main character of Liberty City Stories.

Taking place three years before the events of GTA3 (that's about 1998 or so, for those who dont want to do the math) Liberty City Stories follows Toni Cipriani as he moves up in the criminal world. While it may not seem like it, three years is alot of time, and there are bound to be some changes. For example, three years before Sex Club 7 became the place where Luigi (Joe Pantoliano) gave work to the mute GTA 3 protagonist, the strip club was called Paulie's Revue Bar.

The Triads Are Coming

One of the two missions we saw actually starts out at the club: Toni is given the task of protecting one of the mob's properties from the incoming Triads, so he jacks a cab and chases them down, but it quickly becomes an all out war. It's the Triads versus Toni, and neither side cares who gets caught in the crossfire. The Triads try sending out a Patriot (aka Humvee) , but Toni quickly deals with them by ramming the Patriot into some traffic. It's like shooting firs in a highly explosive barrel. Then a large truck packed with explosives drives up, leaving Toni with barely enough time to jack it, drive it a safe distance away from the club, and run to safety outside of the blast radius. This is definitely the GTA we all know and love.

In case you're still not convinced, here's another example: this mission has mob boss Salvatore Leone (who has made appearances in GTA 3, and more recently in GTA: San Andreas) telling you to fetch some money for him at the docks. A simple endeavour, but one that suddenly gets more complicated once the Triads rears its head. They blow the building up , and now you have to run into the inferno, nab all the cash, and kill any Triad you see.

GTA Improvements On PSP

Fortunately, running and gunning are actually a bit better and a bit easier this time around. Rockstar have taken the already improved targeting system from San Andreas and polished it, so the target lock system should be much  better than before. Of course there are other elements from the previous games that show up here as well. Unlike the Liberty City of 2001, this Liberty City is filled with motocycles that are just waiting to be jacked. Also, it looks like Toni will be able to keep up with the latest fashions, though we dont know if the wardrobe customization will be as in depth as in San Andreas or more simple like in Vice City.

There is also no word on whether there are any airplanes in the game, but it doesnt look likely right now. You could even fly ( kind of) in GTA3, so we certainly hope there's some kind of air travel, but we understand if Toni's stuck on the ground - after all this is GTA on PSP, and that in itself is impressive. The soundtrack hasn't been nailed down yet but you can be assured that it will appropriately reflect the time period, just as the soundtracks in the previous GTA's did.

We certainly hope the game supports custom soundtracks (via memory stick) as well, but Rockstar is tight lipped about this. And Michael Madsen better reprise his role, because it just wouldn't be Toni Cipriani without him.

What we do know is that Toni, like the GTA 3 guy and Tommy Vercetti before him, will drown if he falls into a large body of water, leaving CJ as the only GTA character who took swimming lessons. Just stay away from the ocean and you should be fine. But dont try to run inside of a building just because of your aquaphobia - there are no interior environments, just like in GTA 3

Despite these concessions, this is still a proper GTA on PSP we're talking about here, and that's remarkable in and of itself. It looks about as good as its console brethren , perhaps even better thanks to the gorgeous PSP screen and it has all the elements that make the GTA series so great. Without a doubt, GTA Liberty City Stories is the reason to get a PSP, its the killer app that we've all been waiting for. Just as GTA 3 redefined gaming four years ago, GTA Liberty City Stories is set to redefine portable game as we know it.......... and we just cant wait.

[The following are quotes from the screenshots in the magazine.]

The cars look highly realistic as showcased by the dirt stains on the side.

To sweeten the deal even more, GTA Liberty City Stories will support downloadable content. More vehicles and/or weapons , more outfits, more songs more missions!!! Cool!

There is a wide variety of vehicles and weapons already but dont be surprised to find even more!

Multiplayer Mayhem?

Rockstar was tight lipped when we asked about the possibility of Wi-Fi multiplayer in GTA libery City Stories, but we hope they're at least considering it. We enjoyed the cooperative missions in San Andreas well enough, but think how cool it would be to have deathmatches on the streets of liberty city, or even complete story missions with some assistance from you buddies!!!!