GTA: Chinatown Wars

Run. Drive. Shoot. Okay, it does GTA a slight disservice but these actions sum up the basic structure of Rockstar's genre-defining series. Through the years it has emerged as a riveting formula, one that reached its peak with the release of GTA IV in 2008. GTA IV saw Rockstar turn away from the cartoon violence of GTA III and its offspring in favour of a grittier, more realistic experience. Although it was met with widespread critical acclaim and mind-boggling sales figures, a minority felt the series had lost its sense of fun. Chinatown Wars, just released on the Nintendo DS, sees Rockstar change artistic direction with a return to an arcade feel. But does it live up to its console counterparts? The answer is a resounding yes.

You play as Huang Lee, a Triad member tasked with delivering his father’s sword to his uncle in Liberty City. Huang's father has just been assassinated but he has no idea of the perpetrators. Arriving by plane, Huang is set upon and dumped into the sea, the sword stolen. The story that follows sees you fight to retrieve the family heirloom and revenge the death of his father. Played out in a series of static, 2D cut-scenes, the story has an interesting cast and plenty of twists in the tale. But while the dialogue retains the humour characteristic of the series, the cut-scenes lack the cinematic ambition of GTA IV. While this is understandable given the limitations of the DS, you may still find yourself rushing through the cut-scenes.

While the story's presentation may be stripped down, the same cannot be the said of the rest of the game. The cel shaded graphics – new to the series – are extremely impressive, with a pleasing variety and colour to Liberty City's districts, plus all the pools of blood and mangled vehicles that you'd expect from a GTA title. The use of an isometric viewpoint is also a first, making the game fall in between 2D and 3D. This grants more immersion than the flatness of the early GTAs, with cars flipping through the air. In fact, the DS’s capabilities are pushed to the very limit in recreating the same Liberty City as in GTA IV (with the notable omission of the Alderney island). Taxis and ambulances career down the street while pedestrians are seen crossing roads and buying hot dogs. All this action is handled with a minimum of fuss with not a loading screen in sight. The only niggle in this area is a jarring frame rate when a cop chase gets particularly heated. This apart, though, the production values are of the same quality as a triple-A Nintendo game and more than hold a candle to the sharp, precise visuals of GTA IV.

Comparisons with the latest GTA are all too easy to make and it may seem unfair to compare the two, given the differences in technology involved. Rockstar has nonetheless done a remarkable job of translating the action onto a handheld. The main missions - although not quite matching the epic scale of GTA IV’s - are full of variety and multiple goals. Almost all of the missions are engaging, meaning you're likely to zip through the twenty-hour storyline. And this is without taking into account the drugs mini-game, which sees you traffic drugs in Liberty City, trying to make a profit by pulling off the right deals. For such a small part of Chinatown Wars, this mini-game is remarkably in-depth; it’s possible to while away hours on this alone.

Other features unique to Chinatown Wars include the use of the stylus and the touch screen. Tapping the PDA box at the top left of the bottom screen allows you to set paths to the next mission, as well as seeking out the best profits in the drugs mini game. The stylus is also used in the missions: one sees you tap the screen in order to escape from a sinking car, while a later mission sees you assembling the sniper rifle by connecting its parts together on the bottom screen. While other titles can make heavy-handed use of the DS, the touch screen is used seamlessly here. Granted, throwing molotovs and grenades by sliding the stylus across the bottom screen can be awkward, but this only constitutes a tiny portion of the gameplay.

Outside of the main storyline, there's a welcome return for the rampage mini-game, and more variety in general than GTA IV. Hidden missions are strung about the city, while the police, ambulance and fire truck missions also return. Whereas GTA IV's core story was more impressive than its predecessors, it had lost a degree of freedom and fun. Since a handheld title has no chance of matching its more powerful counterparts, Rockstar has made a wise decision to strip back the visuals, but chuck in a huge array of features. Chinatown Wars thus never feels inferior to the console versions; it even manages to introduce new ideas to the series. Police chases can be cut short by ramming their squad cars off the road, while if you fail a mission, you no longer have to trek back to its starting point. Every mission can now be replayed in a click of a button, eliminating any previous frustration.

This successful refinement of GTA’s basic template adds to the feeling that Chinatown Wars is more than just a handheld GTA. Taking the main ingredients of GTA IV along with the cartoon feel of GTA III, Rockstar has created a game with the same thrills and guilty joys of its predecessors. Time to move over Mario.