When Chinatown Wars was announced during the Nintendo presser at E3 2008, many were skeptical. We had already seen what Rockstar could do in the portable space with the PSP, so we knew they had the talent, but what could they do with their advanced 3-D technology on the DS which features tiny touch-screens? Well apparently, you can do a lot. Not only did the game turn out to be one of the best this year, it now stands as the best reviewed DS game in history, and has since become one of my favorite games.
GAMEPLAY
As with every Grand Theft Auto game, the gameplay is hectic and fast. Rockstar managed to capture every aspect that makes the console GTA's so enjoyable and cram it into the DS. While on foot, you are able to hold a gun and run around and shoot freely. There is an auto aim system that works really well for most of the time which will target the nearest enemy. To change your target simply move the d-pad in the direction you want to shoot and it will almost always lock onto whom ever your violent heart desires. When changing weapons, the game will temporally pause while you have the weapons cache open and then resume when you choose a weapon. The game has a lot of choices when it comes to weapons. You have your traditional guns such as pistols, machine guns, shotguns, etc, but its the weapons such as the sword, tazer, and flame-thrower that will separate the men from the boys. When in a car, truck, or anything on wheels, the gameplay still stays top notch. You play the entire game through a birds eye view and it really works for the gameplay, especially while in a set of wheels. While driving, you can only use hand guns to shoot people on the streets. This is where the auto aim system shows its flaws as you really have no control over where and who you want to shoot, but it will still get the job done. The camera stays with you 100% of the time and is one the best in game cameras I have ever seen. Its with you while your speeding down the street, stop short, and do a complete 360 with the car. The missions in the game are very well sequenced and are a blast to play, with each of them having a little back story to them.
GRAPHICS
There was a lot of speculation about the overall graphics and presentation when the the game was first announced. Would it follow in the foot steps of the PSP games, or go back to the overhead view of the Game Boy games? It would indeed go back to a birds-eye view, but the style of the game would be greatly improved and very unique. I played the game before it was released at New York Comic-Con and was absolutely blown away by what Rockstar was able to accomplish on the DS. Even though it is a birds eye view, the game is done in all 3-D, and the engine it runs on is beautiful. All of the buildings surrounding you are very detailed, as are the environments. The car models look great, but not so much the character models. The characters in game really just look like 3-D stick figures, but it isn't anything that going to bother you or affect the gameplay. While roaming the city you will see train tracks over head, bridges, awnings and all sorts of details that weren't even needed for the game, but are there just to make it feel that much more realistic. The water effects are nothing special, and even look ugly sometimes, however most of the game will take place on land. The fact that Rockstar was able to create a HUGE world, probably the biggest on the DS, and make it look fantastic, is an achievement in its self.
PRESENTATION/LONGEVITY
Before every mission you will get a comic strip kind of cut scene which explains why you are set out to do the mission. They are just still frames but the art within them is pretty well done and gets the point across. The dialogue is very cheesy and sometimes painful to read, but your not really playing this game for the writing. The story is alright with a good twist at the end. The menus are VERY well done and make finding information and locations a breeze. Also, the GPS system is key to finding your way around the city and its very easy to plot your point from A to B. Some people who are really into the console GTA's might not appreciate the style of the game, but once they get past that, it's the same GTA formula that we have come to love. You can still "earn" your wanted level by building up the stars, but the way in which you get rid of them is a lot more engaging and is almost too much fun. Instead of just trying to escape from the police force, you can ram into their cars or into the sides of buildings. If you hit them hard enough you will see a red X on the car and this will take away a cop car symbol for your wanted level. It's a great addition that should be put in all future GTA titles. The game will take you roughly 10 hours, give or take a few, to complete. After that though, you have tons of challenges, 100 security cameras to hunt down and destroy, and 30 unique stunt jumps. This alone will expand your game time by at least 10 to 15 hours. Also, you can link your game to the Rockstar social club website. When you have your game connected to your account, 2 golden lions will be placed in the city randomly and it is up to you to find them. Once you do hunt them down, you have too sync up your stats again and this will unlock the 'true' final mission in the game.
Basically, if you have a Nintendo DS, you have yo pick this game up. It will be knows as a classic hand-held game for years to come, and is worth your time, even if your not into the open-world type of games. If you don't have a DS, I would actually suggest investing in one just to play this game, it's that good.
9.8
It will be in stores tomorrow, please go out and buy it, pretty please?
