GTA goes portable in a classic fashion (Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS))

Member Name: chiefo

Product:	Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)
Date:	13/05/09 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tight game play, great new graphics. Multiplayer. Improved PDA. Controls

Disadvantages: Sound is lacking.

GTA comes to the DS. I wasn't sure what to expect when playing this because I thought the game would need a bigger screen, I was wrong. Firstly the camera seems to be further back than in the previous games, and the graphics are cell shaded. I am guessing this is down to trying to make it look better on the DS. Getting your way around the city takes some getting used to as it is fairly big, I find myself going by foot so that It is easier to remember specific locations.

The gaming world has your usual pedestrians as well as cars, bikes and, police. Making money is slightly different, you can now do missions such as drug deals to earn cash faster, taxi missions to get some spare change. Be careful though as they can go wrong, you'll find the Police trying to bust a cap in you if you aren't careful. This has been my main income though and is fun. You can choose to either run away and hide from the police or man up and take them on. It is your choice. It is great now that you can reduce the wanted stars by attacking them. There are new weapons (20 in all) in this version such as the proximity mines. The R button is a pain at times though and doesn't always select the target that you want to attack.

You'll be using the PDA a lot in game, it has your emails, contacts, map, sat nav. You can also save at any time throughout the game which is ace. In addition to that, you can plot routes using your stylus which comes in real handy so that you never get lost and remember where to go. Knowing where your favourite dealers are and safehouses are always good, this is where you will be keeping items such as drugs and cars. There is also a welcomed notice board that allows you to replay any mission. There is a more varied amount of missions to experience this time around, I won't spoil it by telling you what they are, but it makes the game feel less repetitive.

The game is great but it lacks a few things the previous versions had, this is down to a limited space on cartridge. There is no more Radio, or cut scenes which did add a lot. The new game play though makes up for it and has the GTA series heading in the right direction.

5 out of 5.

Summary: One of the best versions of GTA, a pleasant surprise for the DS that many will love.