Edge gets up close and personal with GTA: Chinatown Wars
Edge has posted an extensive (and extremely positive) hands-on preview of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, describing Rockstar's DS debut in luscious detail.
The overriding message seems to be: Chinatown Wars on the DS really works, in the sense that it feels like any other Grand Theft Auto title. Despite the hardware limitations, Liberty City comes across as a living, breathing city, with civilians who exit and enter houses, get into cars, engage in conversation with one another, purchase snacks from fast-food carts, and put up umbrellas when it rains. Assisting this illusion is a full day and night cycle, along with a dynamic weather system and realtime shadowing.
As you'd expect, any vehicle can be hijacked (and driving an ambulance to people in need is one way of making some extra cash), and your surroundings can be trashed, too -- Edge mentions how "fences, street lamps, and newsstands can all be smashed aside." Meanwhile, driving does feature a "little bit of auto-alignment." According to Rockstar's Dan Houser, this is to "make the driving a little forgiving, without it feeling like you're wearing armbands or something." When out of your car, a stun gun and flamethrower are just two of the weapons you'll be able to use. Toasty.
Houser also discusses how missions have been made shorter, to accomodate shorter bursts of play, and describes one "outlandish" errand where hero Huang Lee robs a bank and escapes through Chinatown by blending into a parade, disguised as a dragon. Hit up the full preview at the link below, and don't forget to stop by our gallery!
%Gallery-35102%
