Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Everybody wanted GTA: Chinatown Wars DS to do well. Not only was it an innovative and terrifically executed title, it carried a sense of promise of a more mature direction for the DS, a console commonly associated with safe, friendly family fare. We now know of its critical acclaim – it currently holds a score of 93% on Metacritic – however, after its release in March, sales figures have been less encouraging. Long-term success is not under dispute, but one can’t argue with Rockstar’s decision to broaden its audience by releasing GTA: Chinatown Wars on the PSP, a handheld long associated with the franchise.

Regardless of its new home on the beefier handheld, the transition remains faithful. GTA: Chinatown Wars does not push the PSP in any way; instead, Rockstar has chosen to let the game, in its original, built-for-the-DS incarnation, speak for itself. The manga-esque cut scenes remain, as do the cartoonish visuals and top-down viewpoint.

There are, predictably, deviations that utilize the grunt of the PSP, although these are slight, implemented in an effort to enhance the original experience rather than evolve it. Liberty City is now painted in a higher resolution, lighting effects and textures more detailed and moody. The Liberty City in this incarnation is more in line with previous GTA outings on the PSP – yet the sprites remain resolutely polygon-shaded, perhaps a jarring contrast for newcomers. The day/night cycle has also been tinkered with, operating on a more regular internal clock than the approximated cycle in the DS version.

Over 100 minutes of new music and a small set of original missions complete the PSP additions, and although these were yet to be revealed in detail, one can only assume they are in a similar tradition to the original game. As for the mini-games, built with the DS stylus in mind, the PSP gamedpad operates in a simple– if rather uninspired - manner.

If the PSP sounds like an unlikely home for a game built from the ground up for the DS, by the time this preview is published, the news that GTA: Chinatown Wars for iPhone and iPod touch is coming will have dropped. It seems that Rockstar are casting GTA: Chinatown Wars out to the vast masses, and with such an accomplished, yet largely unappreciated game on their hands, who could blame them?