As I'm currently writing a review of Chinatown Wars for my student newspaper, I feel inclined to sketch a quick history of my relationship with the series.
I only had access to the first two GTAs (the 2D ones) around my friends. I used to be a bit of a Nintendo fan boy, you see, and would frown upon the thought of buying a non-Ninty console. But, coming to the end of the N64's life, I needed a DVD player and was drawn in both by the PlayStation 2's DVD capabilities and the outstanding universal reviews of GTA III. This was how it started. While I'd only been attracted to the PS2 for practical reasons, GTA III and PES immediately convinced me there was more to video gaming than Nintendo. Strangely enough, though, San Andreas didn't appeal. I like my games to be small and focussed, so the notion of a game world three times the size of Vice City's daunted me. Besides, with my PES addiction at its peak back then, I couldn't risk another time-consuming, addictive title - my life would have been over. So I stayed out of the way of San Andreas, no matter how much everybody else sang its praises.
When it finally came around to GTA IV, I was all set for another instalment of my favourite anger-venting series. However, I was disappointed to see the new, realistic direction Rockstar had gone in. I decided not to buy it immediately; instead I decided to sample a friend's copy. Getting my hands on the game at last, I was amazed by its photo-realistic graphics, movie-esque storyline, and tight control mechanics. From a technical standpoint, it deserved the acclaim. However, something was missing, something vital: fun. And this is what had drawn me to the series in the first place. The surprises that made me want to explore Liberty City's vast network of roads, alleyways and pathways were no more. Even the story had become serious and a little po-faced. Everything felt too close to reality: the cars had lost their bouncy, arcade feel; the weaponry was out of Call of Duty; and the gameplay seemed bogged down by filler. I like games to offer a degree of escapism, but this GTA felt like a chore compared to the freedom and experimentation I'd enjoyed with the earlier titles.
So when Chinatown Wars was announced, I was initially dismayed to discover Rockstar were basing the game world on GTA IV's. But my fears were unfounded: Rockstar has returned the series to its roots. Sure, the story may not be as complex and well-written as GTA IV's, but everything else is back to how it should be: the violence cartoonish and the side-missions plentiful.
The scale of Chinatown Wars may be smaller than GTA IV, and I doubt it will win many awards (if any), but as a title that restores my confidence in a series, it's up there with the very best.
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