Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

In terms of game play, Chinatown Wars is very similar to every Grand Theft Auto that’s been made since Grand Theft Auto III. You’re given the freedom to explore a massive, crime-ridden city and you’re given the freedom to do just about anything you want. You can steal cars, do drive-by shootings, hotwire vehicles, buy and sell drugs, commit arson, attach tracking devices to vehicles, get into shootouts and go on killing sprees just to name a few things.

You progress through the game by completing missions that involve carrying out dodgy work for the city’s power brokers i.e. the crime bosses. The game starts dramatically as you have to break the back windscreen of the car before you drown. As soon as you swim to the shore, you have to hotwire a car using a screwdriver. The next dramatic moment comes in the next mission, where you have to lose your wanted level (stop the cops to stop chasing you) by forcing them to wreck Demolition Derby-style.

The game is full of parts that are just simply awesome, including the entertaining cut scenes. When not busy on a mission, you can basically chill out and do whatever you want. If you need money, you might steal a Taxi Cab or Police car and act as a taxi driver. There are also Fire Trucks and Ambulance that you can use for Paramedic and Fire-fighter missions; however those two vehicles are rare to encounter. If you’re stuck on a mission that you simply can’t seem to complete, then you can always stock up on weapons and armour (often useful).

Chinatown Wars is now much more forgiving i.e. when you fail a mission, instead of having to backtrack all the way to the beginning to start again, all you have to do is press select and you’re back to the mission. Also helpful is the “Trip Skip” option that you can sometimes use. Basically if you fail a mission, when you restart you can sometimes skip certain parts of it that you’ve already done. This is very helpful, especially when you’re stuck on a specific part of a mission. Other features include getting information on important things going on in the city via e-mail and using a GPS to help you navigate around the city.

Graphically, this game is excellent. Even though the view is isometric, the city is completely 3D and its smooth, finely detailed buildings and vehicles look fantastic. The characters are 2D sprites and they animate very well. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is one awesome game. Not only did Rockstar fit a full-length Grand Theft Auto game on the DS, a task that seemed impossible, it even manages to look good while doing it. This game is funny, full of diverse interesting game play and most importantly, fun to play.