Is There Enough Sambal Here?

11th Apr 2009 | 1,866 views 

kirby007

User Score
9.6

Presentation - 10
Gameplay - 9.5
Value - 9.5

This game shouldn't be on the DS, at least not if you see the handheld demography: housewives and young children, because GTA Chinatown Wars is an extremely rough and violent game. Cursing, people set on fire, people get driven over or chainsawed to pieces.
This game is a game for us real gamers! A game you don't wanna miss.

Huang Lee
In case you do not remember: GTA Chinatown Wars (CTW) takes place in the world of Grand Theft Auto IV. So you have that entire area at your disposal, minus the island of Alderney.
You control Huang Lee, who is on his way to Liberty City to the family sword, the Yu Jian, and bring it to his uncle (Wu "Kenny" Lee). Huang's father and head of the Triads, is murdered and his brother Wu is his legitimate successor. Upon arrival at the airport of Liberty City, in an ambush Huang is deprived of his sword. He survives the attack and starts looking for the sword but also the murderer of his father.

Details
Thus begins CTW and what follows is a DS adventure like you've never seen. This is perhaps not so much with the story of CTW to do more with the game itself.
Rarely you have seen such a beautifully finished and great world on the DS. There is so much to see on the upper screen ... Liberty City is full of people, all doing their own thing, such as reading their paper or just walk on the street and when it starts to rain take out their umbrella.
It is bizarre to see that by Rockstar as much time in such small details stabbed. But there is more. The world itself is full of details, such as garbage bins for houses, or what do you think of flying parts of your car if you collide? Really, it's bizarre. The screens do the game no right, you need this in motion.

Flames
But not only the look and feel of the game are convincing, also the missions were original and fun.
Lets say you steal a tank and then drive away while the gasoline is leaking from the tank and ignite it. Then you not only nhave to escape the cops who chase you, but also those flames continue.
Or what about a mission where you steal an ambulance WITH patient. The goal is not only to deliver the ambulance, but also keeping the patient alive, even though you are a mess with the police on your heels. Regularly giving CPR to the victim through the DS touchscreen!
And the game is full of missions who let you regular exchange the upper and the lower screen.

Lock-on
Is there not any single flaw with this GTA game? Well, now you say I'm not entirely happy with the lock-on system. It takes a lot of exercise before you a master it. The same goes for throwing hand grenades and Molotov cocktails, which is done through the touchscreen, and this is not really intuitive. But ... once you master the controls, you throw a grenade out the window while empting an uzi on some badguys.
I can not think of any other minus. The game looks amazing from plays like a tit (with no loading times) and has some missions that you won't forget soon!

Conclusion
Grand Theft Auto China Town Wars is a fantastic experience. However it feels a bit strange playing this game on a handheld that is flooded by games for housewives and children.