GTA: Chinatown Wars!

[Warbie]

Ok, I know there's a GTA sub-forum, but why the **** aren't more people talking about this game!? Is this some weird parallel dimension where people aren't excited about arguably the best GTA to date? Come on, own up, who has a DS (or access to a DS) and is not playing this?

Chinatown Wars is the best sandbox GTA there has been. There are gun lorries all over the city to hijack, enemy warehouses to raid over and over, drugs to buy/sell, missions to replay. There's almost enough sandbox content to be a game in itself and that's without including the main story missions, which are more varied than those we saw in GTA4. Even if you're firmly in the 3d GTA camp you're going to love this. Maybe not as much as me, but you'll still love it. If you miss the old GTAs then Christmas has come early. If you hated the pace and babysitting in GTA4 then this will restore all your faith in Rockstar.

You can cut policemen in half with chainsaws.

 

[CptStern]

I have a DS ..actually my son and wife have a DS ..I've thought about getting it just so I can play. That good huh? I'm guessing it's top down view like gta and gta2?

 

[StardogChampion]

It looked lame from the screenshots, but the videos look good. Too bad I don't have a DS.

 

[Kyorisu]

Urgh I can't enjoy any DS game no matter how hard I try.

 

[Warbie]

That good huh?

It is very good. There's a reviews thread in the GTA forum - the Eurogamer review (10/10!) is pretty spot on.

I'm guessing it's top down view like gta and gta2?

It's a similar isometric view. Quite alot has been borrowed from the more recent games, but gameplay wise it has more in common with the original. You pretty much spend your whole time tearing around the city and being a naughty triad.

Urgh I can't enjoy any DS game no matter how hard I try.

You would like this one.

 

[CptStern]

thanks for the info, it does sound interesting and I've wanted a DS game that I can play

 

[Warbie]

If you do get it don't let the youngster play There's still plenty of naughty words, blood and drugs.

 

[Kyorisu]

I'll give it a go after I finish Mana Khemia Student Alliance on my PSP.

 

[nurizeko]

Ok, I know there's a GTA sub-forum, but why the **** aren't more people talking about this game!?

Its on the Nintendo DS.

I haven't had a hand-held games console since the Game Boy colour.

I'm just too old for that shit, no offence, but those hand helds really do come across as kid territory to me, even while I simultaneously recognise gaming in general is a grown-up's entertainment industry.

 

[Fishlore]

Its on the Nintendo DS.

I haven't had a hand-held games console since the Game Boy colour.

I'm just too old for that shit, no offence, but those hand helds really do come across as kid territory to me, even while I simultaneously recognise gaming in general is a grown-up's entertainment industry.

LOL, I'm 33 and my DS is about the only gaming system I use. Luckily my peers don't make my gaming decisions for me because the DS is a great platform. The kiddie excuse is certainly a tired one and not even remotely grounded in reality.

Anyways, I think I'll definitely get this game. I completely forgot about it and now that I see the glowing reviews, I'll definitely have to pick it up at some point in the near future. The last GTA I played on my PS3 was decent, but I never got further than about 20%. I'm worried that the same type of thing might happen in the handheld version.

 

[Warbie]

For what it's worth, Fishlore, I got bored of GTA4 pretty quick (never finished it), but have been glued to Chinatown Wars since its release. It's more pickup and play and there is no downtime. The only hurdle I found was getting used to the controls - once that's done you're set.

The way you throw grenades - touch the touch screen with your right thumb and choose distance/trajectory by pushing in the direction you want to throw - is awesome. You'll be throwing molotovs over walls into traffic and from moving vehicles with ease

 

[Dekstar]

I've got a black DS lite and it's had Brain Training in it for far too long.
And yes, this game does look awesome. Will pick it up soon most likely.

 

[Fishlore]

For what it's worth, Fishlore, I got bored of GTA4 pretty quick (never finished it), but have been glued to Chinatown Wars since its release. It's more pickup and play and there is no downtime. The only hurdle I found was getting used to the controls - once that's done you're set.

The way you throw grenades - touch the touch screen with your right thumb and choose distance/trajectory by pushing in the direction you want to throw - is awesome. You'll be throwing molotovs over walls into traffic and from moving vehicles with ease

Good to know Warbie, thanks. What control hurdles were there? For example, getting used to Metroid on the DS was VERRRRRYYY tough for me because of the thumb strap thing. Is this mostly Dpad and buttons, aside from the throwing of course which sounds perfect?

 

[Warbie]

Gameplay is pretty much all d-pad and buttons, while PDA/map/sat nav/emails etc is done with the touch screen. I find things work best using the nail of my little finger to plot sat nav routes and open mail, but prefer to use the stylus to hotwire cars/cut open lorry doors etc. It's like this uber swiss army knife that contains screwdrivers, clippers, blowtorches etc There's plenty of options and you're bound to find a method that suits.

The only hurdle I found - which wasn't really a hurdle - was getting used to running and driving about. It's a bit different to GTA 1 & 2 and there's a driving assist that helps you stick to the road. Driving is harder than in the original - the roads are narrow - but otherwise it's very similar. It took a little while to click with the shooting too - the R button targets and locks onto the closest person/car allowing you to move in and out of cover - but again it's easy to get the hang of.

 

[Darkangel]

I can't wait to pick up this amazing game, it got a 9.5 from ign.

 

[smwScott]

Heh, I like it quite a lot but it's a bit hyperbolic to declare it one of the best GTA games ever .

It's probably the best top-down GTA game, but it's not the best GTA game. GTAIV and the PS2/PSP games are all better. However, I would say that had Chinatown Wars been made with more capable tech it would definitely be a contender.

Once again, I think this game is ****ing awesome, especially for what it is. It just it loses a LOT of what makes a GTA game great in terms of atmosphere and overall production quality, and the story/writing is a serious disappointment for a GTA title.

On anotehr note, the Drug Wars thing is an awesome evolution of the property management system from VCS and some form of similar management mini-game needs to make it into the next real release.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Been playing it a bit, it's indeed very awesome. The drug trafficking is addictive as crap and the cop chases are a lot more interesting since you can take out their cars to lose wanted level instead of just running all the time (they're also a lot harder to shake, I've been busted twice and lost all my guns/drugs each time D: ). Definitely a lot of fun, but I wouldn't say it's really on the same "level" as the hi-def games, ie GTA IV. It does the sandbox element a lot better though, and there are a bunch of ideas here that I really hope they use in the next console GTA.

 

[Jintor]

I am on 76.85 percent completion! It got a lot easier once I realised that unique jumps always force you to crash through a specific type of signboard!

Honestly my favourite feature is the actual ability to actually outrun the cops (or to force them to crash, anyway). Finally, my fancy driving is worth something!

 

[Bad^Hat]

Oh yeah, question. Where are the street races? I got notified that I could do them a while ago but there's no map marker or anything. Had to find the gun club myself as well...

 

[Warbie]

Heh, I like it quite a lot but it's a bit hyperbolic to declare it one of the best GTA games ever .

Why? I haven't enjoyed GTA as much as this in years. I'm certainly enjoying it a whole lot more than no. 4. Reviews have been universally high too (for what that's worth). It's certainly better as a pick up and play handheld game than the PSP versions too, and slays them sandbox wise. Perhaps not for everyone, but for people who remember their GTA as fast and full of action, then it's all good.

Maybe try playing it on the DS I'm sure playing it on an emulator can give some idea of how good the game is, but much of what makes Chinatown Wars so good, and much of what Rockstar spent so long trying to achieve, is how well it all comes together on the chosen hardware. Swtiching from pad to mouse and looking at a tiny portion of the screen, bah! How do you run about and throw grenades?

 

[Gargantou]

Maybe try playing it on the DS I'm sure playing it on an emulator can give some idea of how good the game is, but much of what makes Chinatown Wars so good, and much of what Rockstar spent so long trying to achieve, is how well it all comes together on the chosen hardware. Swtiching from pad to mouse and looking at a tiny portion of the screen, bah! How do you run about and throw grenades?

Erm, you obviously have no idea about NDS emulation, right now I'm playing GTA Chinatown Wars on NO$GBA, upscaled to fill my 40" HDTV that's connected to my comp, so I have no idea where you go about "looking at a tiny portion of the screen".

Also fyi, the upscaling gives me no performance loss whatsoever.

Does your DS have some homemade 40" 1080p HDTV built into it?:O

 

[Warbie]

You're upscaling a DS game to 1080p on a 40" screen?! Each to their own (how can that not look like arse?!)

I think Chinatown Wars looks gorgeous, but even on a tiny screen the jaggies are present. Anyways, I was referring more to the controls, the immedicacy of having touch screen, and how it all integrates. So when you change weapons you have to let go of the joypad, grab your mouse, change weapon, then grab your pad again?

 

[Bad^Hat]

Erm, you obviously have no idea about NDS emulation, right now I'm playing GTA Chinatown Wars on NO$GBA, upscaled to fill my 40" HDTV that's connected to my comp, so I have no idea where you go about "looking at a tiny portion of the screen".

Also fyi, the upscaling gives me no performance loss whatsoever.

Does your DS have some homemade 40" 1080p HDTV built into it?:O

 

[Jintor]

Erm, you obviously have no idea about NDS emulation, right now I'm playing GTA Chinatown Wars on NO$GBA, upscaled to fill my 40" HDTV that's connected to my comp, so I have no idea where you go about "looking at a tiny portion of the screen".

Also fyi, the upscaling gives me no performance loss whatsoever.

Does your DS have some homemade 40" 1080p HDTV built into it?:O

I don't know about you, but part of the reason I play portable games is because I have epic downtime on public transport. Hat's right. Stop showing us your willy.

Hat: Races are in some building somewhere on the massive left island, whatever it's called... slightly south and to the west of the giant middle park.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Algonquin, southwest of middle park, gotcha.

I played way too much GTA IV.

 

[smwScott]

Anyways, I was referring more to the controls, the immedicacy of having touch screen, and how it all integrates. So when you change weapons you have to let go of the joypad, grab your mouse, change weapon, then grab your pad again?

I'm just using a PS2 pad to play the game and the mouse for the touch screen. Yeah, you have to let go of the right side of the controller to do it, but you can still do things like run and throw grenades. Don't you have to take your hand off the right hand side buttons to do the same on the DS? If so, how is it different?

Now I will agree that I'm sure the experience is a bit better on the DS. I'll also say that had this game been done on the GTAIV engine, the gameplay would definitely be in competition with GTAIV. However, much of what makes GTA so great is the characters, writing, story, atmosphere, and production values ... which this version has almost none of.

Nevertheless, I am still having a ton of fun with the game, highly enjoyable. If a lot of these ideas transfer smoothly to the next console version without losing any of what made GTAIV great ... we're going to have an amazing ****ing game.

It should also be noted that my main experience with the top-down GTAs came from the demo of GTA2 that my friends and I would play the crap out of on school computers. While that certainly holds a bit of nostalgia value, I never got into the games themselves and I am judging CW purely against the newer games in the series.

 

[Jintor]

I won't argue that the story was an epic masterpiece or anything, but I would say that it was pretty strong in the GTA tradition, and while I feel a lot of it was fairly immature and somewhat like 'How many times can we say **** on a ds?', I still think it was pretty great all up.

 

[Gargantou]

I don't know about you, but part of the reason I play portable games is because I have epic downtime on public transport. Hat's right. Stop showing us your willy.

Hat: Races are in some building somewhere on the massive left island, whatever it's called... slightly south and to the west of the giant middle park.

EY! Don't be hatin' me beautiful crotch-muscle!

You're upscaling a DS game to 1080p on a 40" screen?! Each to their own (how can that not look like arse?!)

Technically it's not upscaling to 1080p, seeing as it has to maintain aspect ratio, so it doesn't fill the screen completely.

Besides, that's not actually how I play the game regularly, I use my PC monitor generally, at 1024x768 res, upscale it to that, and it doesn't really look arse, it has some nice 3D filters to improve it so.

That's the pros of emus, you can do things the normal console can't.