GTA: Chinatown Wars - An evolution of a franchise

It didn't take long from the time Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was announced to when it was actually released. In fact, it was right around 9 months, which is a pretty short time for any GTA game from when it's officially announced. When Nintendo revealed it during their E3 2008 Press Conference last year, it was met with both hype and raised eyebrows - how would Rockstar bring the franchise to the DS, a limited piece of gaming hardware, when it's already evolved so dramatically over the past decade?

Now that it's been released, that question has been answered. GTA: Chinatown Wars is a spectacular game. It's a title that propels the DS to "must own" territory (if it wasn't already there). In our review we gave it a 9.7/10, claiming that it may very well be the handhelds first system-seller.

Since we've played the game for an extended period of time, we thought it was a good idea to highlight how we think this game evolves the franchise. With every new addition to the GTA series, we've seen some sort of evolving, be it through the basic gameplay or visuals. It'd be easy to automatically dismiss Chinatown Wars considering it's played from a top-down perspective, a style that is (seemingly) dated and has never really been used in a mainstream title since GTA 2. So now the question to ask is: What has Chinatown Wars done for the franchise?

What does Chinatown Wars do?

1. Working your way up

In GTA IV, we experienced Liberty City through the eyes of Niko Bellic. He was an Eastern European immigrant with no money, no clue and no real place to go. All he had was a dream. It was pretty easy to achieve that dream too, considering most missions paid significant funds right from the get go.

Chinatown Wars works differently and in a manner we hope is implemented in future GTA titles. Huang comes to the city with plenty of honour and class, having worked within the confounds of a wealthy bracket in Hong Kong. However, coming into Liberty City, the characters all treat him like a spoiled little brat who doesn't really understand what it means to work and earn. We see this through the text between characters as well as in the amount of money he earns after missions. Huang really has to work his way up, not only by doing jobs for people, but also by buying what he needs, instead of having them being given to him.

We're not saying that we want every mission to only be worth a few hundred dollars, but with Chinatown Wars, there was always a sense of, "is that it!?" when you complete a mission. What's important to recognise in this situation is that, like with any GTA title, we are meant to go on the journey with the character, not just ourselves. So if we've earned little money, so have they.

Should it be included in future GTA titles?

We say yes. It really helps get the character across and would have even made Niko more likable had he had to work that little bit harder to get what he wanted.

2. Cutting the pig

Getting away from the cops and ditching your wanted star level has always been a major aspect of the GTA games. The method has evolved slightly since its first appearance, with the first major change happening in GTA IV. Instead of a simple star-wanted level which dictated how many cops were after you, you had to actually exit the police search area to get rid of your stars - the higher your wanted level, the larger the area.

It was an applauded method that added a bit of realism to the chase. However, with Chinatown Wars, there's a slight twist on the whole cop-chase scenario. This time round, you have to destroy a certain number of police vehicles to drop down a star level. For example, if you're on a two star level, you'll have to take out two police vehicles to drop down to one star.

Perhaps it's the accessibility and pick-up-and-play style of the title as a whole, but the system works incredibly well. It adds a touch of aggression to the chase.

Should it be included in future GTA titles?

Yes and no. While it might be great fun on the DS because of its slightly more arcadey approach, it might not work on a full-blown console title. Mainly because the car handling physics are a lot more realistic, and it takes a lot more to damage a police vehicle than simply ramming it into a pole like you can in Chinatown Wars. Still, Rockstar have surprised us before, so you never know.

3. Drugs are bad, mmmm kay?!

If Chinatown Wars is anything, it's not a game for minors. Not even in the slightest. Forget the fact that it's on the DS and forget the fact that it's got an MA15+ rating in Australia - the game is purely for adults. That's pretty evident in the fact that the title has a dedicated drug trading system, which works surprisingly well to create a fun side-track experience.

While the drug system doesn't have a major focus in the game, it has a strong influence and addictive nature (pun intended, of course!) that makes you want to find the best possible deal. Rockstar have also implemented the security system, which acts as an all new aspect of the gameplay. The cameras around the city influence drug prices and taking out these cameras will ultimately cause prices to fluctuate, but they'll also help you achieve 100% completion.

Should it be included in future GTA titles?

It's not so much that we want to see a dedicated drug system used in future GTA games, but rather a similar trading system. Perhaps the main character could get involved in an illegal fake clothing syndicate and sell clothes on park benches. Or maybe he can help record films illegally in a cinema, with the quality of the film dictating the price of the tape. What's worth noting is that the drug system in Chinatown Wars wasn't totally reliant upon the touch-screen and style, so it wasn't overly unique in the way you handled it.

4. Join a violent gang today!

Gangs play a predominate part in Chinatown Wars. Not in the same way that they did in San Andreas, but in a more organized way. That gang feeling was missing from GTA IV as the story went for a more mafia-centric narrative, which worked well for the most part.

What we really liked about San Andreas is that you had the right to fight for your district and take over someones. There was a sense of ownership. It's sort of similar in Chinatown Wars as wars break out between different ethnic-based gangs. The gangs can also be used within the confounds of the drug trading system, as some might be looking to purchase large quantities of a specific drug that you can get your hands on for cheap.

Should it be included in future GTA titles?

It pretty much already is, but it lost its aggressive and violent nature in GTA IV. GTA IV had a "The Godfather" feel about, which isn't quite as "street". That's fine, but it takes away the fun in some aspects. Chinatown Wars brought that street-war feeling back to the franchise, and hopefully it can be used in future GTA games.

5. I wanna play again! I wanna play again!

Chinatown Wars gives you the option to replay missions. This is a feature that works well because it offers a gold, silver or bronze medal depending on your time.

Should it be included in future GTA titles?

Yes! Can you imagine timing yourself through a mission you've already played, trying to beat your mates time on XBOX Live? Yeah, we think it would be pretty awesome, too!

6. That's not a knife! *pulls out fork* This...is a knife!

Chinatown Wars allows you to purchase weapons straight from your PDA and have them delivered to your door. While this will set you back a few extra bux, it's very much worth it if you can't be bothered getting into a car and driving to the closest Ammunation. The safehouses also allow you to stash weapons and drugs so if you get caught by police you won't risk losing them.

Should it be included in future GTA titles?

Yes. Considering maps in console versions are bigger and take longer to get around it, it might just be easier to have guns delivered to your safehouse than to jump into a cab and drive to Ammunation, especially if you then have to go back to your safehouse to save your game. Furthermore, the option to dump stuff in a bag in your safehouse is a fantastic feature that should be used in future GTA titles probably more than anything else.

So, that's some of the things we think have allowed the GTA franchise to evolve (again) and what we hope will be used in future GTA titles.

What things in Chinatown Wars would you like to see in future GTA titles?

Article by: MMGN 113Kudos 18/03/2009

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