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Product information

Publication Date

October 20, 2009

Computer Platform

Sony PSP

ASIN

B002F87WEW

Release date

October 20, 2009

Customer Reviews

4.5 660 ratings

4.5 out of 5 stars

Best Sellers Rank

#56,606 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
#192 in Sony PSP Games

Product Dimensions

7.02 x 4.09 x 0.62 inches; 4.16 ounces

Type of item

Video Game

Language

English

Rated

Mature

Item model number

33692

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer

No

Item Weight

4.2 ounces

Manufacturer

Rockstar Games

Date First Available

June 17, 2003

Warranty & Support

Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here

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Product Description

Following his father’s murder, Huang Lee has a simple mission: deliver an ancient sword to his Uncle Kenny to ensure his family retains control of the Triad gangs of Liberty City. Huang is a spoiled rich kid who expects everything to run smoothly, but his trip does not go exactly as planned. After being robbed and left to die, he will search for honor, riches and revenge in the most dangerous and morally bankrupt city in the world.

Amazon.com

PSP owners, rejoice - Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Metacritic.com's highest-rated DS game of all-time is now available for PlayStation Portable. Specifically retooled for the PSP platform, this is a full-fledged game that stands on its own. With an all-new, deep story and visuals complete with upscaled widescreen graphics, enhanced lighting, animations and including all new story missions, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars promises a powerful experience on the PSP, and one not to be missed, .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -15px; } table.callout { font-family: verdana; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1. 3em; } td.vgoverview { height: 125px; background: #9DC4D8 url(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/callout-bg.png) repeat-x; border-left: 1px solid #999999; border-right: 1px solid #999999; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; width: 250px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; }

Liberty City's newest tough guy, Huang Lee.
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Brutally hot weapons.
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Vehicles big and small.
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Major mayhem in Rampage Mode.
View larger. The Story: Left for Dead in the Worst Place in America
Following his father’s murder, Huang Lee is given what would on the surface seem to be a simple mission: to deliver an ancient sword to his Uncle Kenny to ensure his family retains control of the Triad gangs of Liberty City. Huang is a spoiled rich kid who expects everything to run smoothly, but his trip does not go exactly as planned. Only minutes after arriving at the Liberty City airport at the far end of town, he is attacked, robbed and left for dead. Only through quickly thinking is he able to survive and make his way back to his neighborhood, but the damage to he and his family has been done. Now his destiny is to search for honor, riches and revenge in the most dangerous and morally bankrupt city in the world.

Gameplay
Chinatown Wars is set in the Grand Theft Auto IV-imagined version of Liberty City, and contains most of its boroughs and neighborhoods. In exploring and exploiting this vast area, players use the game's rotatable camera to take in a 3D, 360-degree view of their environment, providing an elevated and somewhat skewed third-person perspective, that switches to first-person with the appropriate player action. Assuming the role of Huang Lee your goal is to rise up in the ranks of the underworld to challenge the Triad of Chinatown gangs that have usurped your family's position and recover the stolen heirloom and your lost honor. In true GTA fashion this entails gameplay that embraces the seedy underbelly that Liberty City is famous for. Throughout the game's 70+ missions -- all of which can be replayed even after completion -- and its myriad of side quests, players earn cash by completing jobs ranging from petty street crime, all the way up to drug dealing and assassination. As in other GTA releases, rising competence at crime raises the amount of attention received by police, but unlike previous games here players can not simply outrun alerted authorities. With each additional star added to your 'wanted rating' players must disable or destroy more of the pursuing police units to keep them off your tail. In addition to mission play, the game also contains many opportunities, such as the safe cracking and car hot-wiring mini-games and the various items and weapons hidden throughout the game that demand skill with the PSP's analog nub for success. By whatever means, once players have attained a certain level of cash and street cred they will also be able to recruit members for their own gang who pledge their loyalty by allowing themselves to be tattooed with the mark of the player's choosing.

Cars and Controls
Cars and control schemes play a prominent role in Chinatown Wars. All cars feature GPS functionality based on available roadways. Directions are shown on the lower of the screen as part of the in-game PDA interface, but players may take vehicles off roads wherever possible, with the GPs automatically resetting when back on the pavement. While driving players also have access to five in-game radio stations and use of their weapons. Your PDA provides efficient management tools for your growing crime empire, including quick weapons switching, a running total of available cash, in-game e-mail and Internet access and nearly instant game saves any time. The control scheme in Chinatown Wars utilizes an easy to use and comfortable to play combination of steering and manual and automatic weapon locks and unlocks via shoulder buttons.

Key Game Features:

Audio and Video Upgrades - Utilizing the superior audio and visual processing power of the PSP, Chinatown Wars is reborn with noticeable boosts in graphic and sound quality.
An Expansive Liberty City at Your Fingertips - Contemporary Liberty City is a massive world complete with pedestrians, weather and traffic patterns, five different radio stations and four different sprawling boroughs to explore.
Endless Gameplay - Mature storyline with over 70+ story missions; plus dozens of side quests, collectibles, contextual mini-games and the all new mission replay feature.
Street Economics - Addictive drug dealing side game with 6 different drug types, 80+ drug dealers and a supply / demand driven narcotics economy.
Play with Friends - Take your game online with the PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities for head-to-head and co-op multiplayer mayhem.
Bragging Rights - Chat, trade guns and commodities with your friends, and compete for glory via online tournaments and leaderboards on the Rockstar Games Social Club.
PDA Interface - Use the touch screen as a PDA device to set GPs waypoints, change radio stations, communicate via e-mail with in-game characters and order weapons on the Internet.

Online Bragging Rights and Multiplayer
Care has been taken to ensure that players can share their PSP Chinatown Wars experiences with friends and fellow players in different ways. First, players will have access to the Chinatown Wars as well as the greater Grand Theft Auto communities through the Rockstar Games Social Club. Here they can chat, trade commodities, purchase special in-game items with in-game currency, check the leaderboards and compete in online tournaments. The PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities also gives players the opportunity to take their game online as they battle for supremacy in their own little corner of Liberty City in both head-to-head and co-op multiplayer battles.

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

660 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers like the quality, value, touch screen, and graphics of the game. They say it's a great game with a lot of content for a handheld game. Customers also appreciate the touch screen interaction and detailed graphics. They mention the missions are very interactive and packed with things to do.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

74 customers mention64 positive10 negative

Customers like the quality of the game. They say it's a blast, has great videos, and is addictive. They also say the combat is fun but not really challenging.

"...The game play is addicting and the story is intriguing and heavy with sometimes hilarious dialogue (especially Chan)...." Read more

"...There are plenty of weapons, well-designed missions, lots of random pedestrians, a good deal of side missions..." Read more

"...The graphics is decent, and the gameplay is excellent. And it's really the details that elevate this game from a good one to a _great_ one...." Read more

"what can I say? This game is great. As I started playing it, I got more and more excited finding out all the different things you can do...." Read more

17 customers mention14 positive3 negative

Customers like the graphics in the video game. They say the graphics are impressive, detailed, and cartoonish. They also mention that the world is 3D and has a very cartoonish cell-shading that is not characteristic of the product.

"...The world is 3D and has a very cartoonish cell-shading that is not characteristic at all for GTA games on the bigger consoles...." Read more

"...The graphics is decent, and the gameplay is excellent. And it's really the details that elevate this game from a good one to a _great_ one...." Read more

"...SO wrong! the graphics are great. The city is the best part. The people graphics are a little lacking, but it's really not bad...." Read more

"...It looks better than other console versions, and plays much smoother...." Read more

10 customers mention10 positive0 negative

Customers find the game very time consuming, but say it's self-explanatory and smooth. They also say the missions are easy and fun. Customers also say that the game is very lengthy with 70+ missions and countless side diversions. They say the gameplay is fast and the progressing is tough but worth it.

"...Well, there is no problems getting lost as the game is self-explanatory and very smooth. It is also mission oriented which I really like...." Read more

"...There's no annoying talk that slows you down. Gameplay is fast, load time is minimal, and you always feel engaged while playing the game...." Read more

"...but it's just so much fun. The missions have been quite easy so far, but fun!..." Read more

"...The game is also very time consuming, you will be innocently heading to a mission and before you know it you will be sidetracked running from the..." Read more

10 customers mention10 positive0 negative

Customers find the value of the video game software to be great. They say it's well worth the money, has a great price, and is a good game in a little package.

"...*Very short story.--My biggest gripe. Though money well spent, and its fun just driving through town shooting people, stealing cars etc.,..." Read more

"...You can hotwire cars, deal smack, and unlike the other portable GTA's, you can swim without the risk of drowning in a pool of your own urine!..." Read more

"...I brought this for a very good price and it was worth the money." Read more

"...be questionable for young teen boy, but for my money it is one well worth the money." Read more

7 customers mention7 positive0 negative

Customers find the missions in the video game very interactive and packed with little things to do. They also say the game is mission oriented and has plenty of weapons.

"...It is also mission oriented which I really like. Mission-driven games like Sims Bustin' Out and The Urbz are my favorites...." Read more

"...There are a smattering of random of missions, odd jobs, and games throughout the map to provide variation...." Read more

"...well-designed missions, lots of random pedestrians, a good deal of side missions (in the form of pedestrians that periodically talk to you), and..." Read more

"...My biggest compliment for this game is the fact that there is so much to do. Want to do missions? Go for it!..." Read more

7 customers mention7 positive0 negative

Customers are impressed with the performance of the game. They say it makes good use of the DS touch screen and looks and works like a new game.

"...PROS* Makes very well use out of the DS touch screen.--I thought it was real innovative using the DS as a PDA...." Read more

"...Looked and worked like a new game. Will come back here to shop for games." Read more

"As a veteran player of Grand Theft Auto games, I was amazed at how well this game played...." Read more

"...I'm constantly amazed how well this game plays, it's very impressive for the DS." Read more

7 customers mention7 positive0 negative

Customers like the touch screen in the video game. They mention it uses the touch pad very well and is extremely creative.

"...Other touch screen innovations are abound, and that leads me to why I am conflicted...This innovation was made for the family...." Read more

"...Ups:1. Uses the touch screen in extremely creative ways.2. Very lengthy game with 70+ missions and countless side diversions.3...." Read more

"...Also, the game does a great job of incorporating the touchscreen into the game.If I had to make one gripe, it would be with the camera...." Read more

"...I like the touch screen interaction with the game as well, throws a new twist (digging in dumpsters for weapons, etc.)..." Read more

6 customers mention6 positive0 negative

Customers like the GTA series. They say it's a great addition to the series, a true traditional GTA game, and a solid addition to a gamer's library.

"...Like most of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, this game is multifaceted...." Read more

"...This game is a solid addition to a gamer's library as long as they are of age." Read more

"...This is a true traditional GTA game with so much content for a handheld game I was shocked...." Read more

"Rockstar never disappoints. This is a great addition to the GTA series. If you own a DS then this game is a much have." Read more

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"Oh God, I need to change my pants"--Chan Jaoming

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2010

Color: Nintendo DSVerified Purchase

This game is awesome! I was skeptical how a complicated game like this would work on Nintendo DS. I was also worried, since I'm of the Atari generation and have never played Grand Theft Auto or many other popular highfalutin modern games, that I would be completely lost. Well, there is no problems getting lost as the game is self-explanatory and very smooth. It is also mission oriented which I really like. Mission-driven games like Sims Bustin' Out and The Urbz are my favorites. You visit or sometimes you are emailed by the rival bosses and the story begins with the game explaining what you need to do and guiding you along the way. That does not mean it is easy, it can be quite difficult to complete each mission but, if you choose the option to manually save, you can repeat the missions as many times as needed to pass. I'll admit it has sometimes taken me 7 or more tries to get through a mission. Be sure to save in the safe house closest to the next story.

You are Huang Lee and arrive in Liberty City, a violent hellhole where drugs are plentiful, life is worth nil, and the drivers are the worst in the world--no fire hydrant, street lamp, or pedestrian is safe. You would think chastity would be a rare commodity in such a city; but, surprisingly, a lot of the pedestrians you run over will declare, "I'm still a virgin!" The reason for the visit is to deliver a sword to your uncle. Before you can accomplish the task, you are beaten, the sword is stolen and you are left to die in a car plunged into the water. Once you escape you are dropped smack dab in the middle of a gang war and battle between rival bosses to get control of Triad--the gang once lead by your father who was murdered. Avenging your father's death and recovering the sword is the ultimate goals but they may be hard to remember during all the missions and drug dealing you will be doing.

The game play is guided by a GPS system which is excellent. It is easy to go anywhere because the navigation system maps out the exact route and, if you miss a turn, it will update the map automatically with a new route. You can walk or drive--either your own car, leader's cars, or any car you can steal by hot wiring or grabbing the driver and throwing him or her out. The maps include safe houses, auto repair shops, drug dealers, leader's headquarters and other important stops. One tip is to create "Favorite" tags on the armor icons (blue bullet-proof vests--builds up your bullet defense) and maybe health icons (green crosses) although you can replenish your health once you've saved inside a safe house. During missions that are not timed and especially those where you are not being chased ("Street of Rage" and "The Wages of Hsin" are good examples), take time out to find those spots and re-build your armor and health levels before continuing the mission. You can also take time out to fix up your car if it is smoking (i.e. "Driven to Destruction").

One aspect of the game I really like is the freedom you have. You are not forced to begin a new mission until you are ready. Take some time to walk around the city. Check dumpsters for weapons and other goodies (as well as some nasty stuff) or make a few Molotov cocktails. Earn money as a tattoo artist or cab driver. The Taxi Driver mission is tough because of the time limits but, if you can manage 15 successful fares in a row, all the cabs become bullet-proof which really helps in certain story missions like "Offshore Offload". During a barrage of emails from dealers, you might take time traveling to each one and buying and selling all sorts of drugs and realize that is where the real money is at. There are also side missions you'll encounter on the streets that could consist of such things as planting a bug on a car or taking a woman on a joy ride. You'll meet these characters again for updates.

The game play is addicting and the story is intriguing and heavy with sometimes hilarious dialogue (especially Chan). Your character will witness all sorts of carnage including a rival boss cutting out an adversary's heart! Oh the humanity! As I'm sure other reviewers have noted, this game is rated mature with a capital M. Drugs, obscene language, racist remarks, bloody murders, sexual paraphernalia and situations--it's all here! It is fun to live vicariously in such a world through Lee Huang and it's incredible such a world can be packed in a little DS game cartridge. To anyone wanting to take their Nintendo DS on a hella ride, I recommend this game without hesitation!

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

S. F. Robinson

What an entertaining game!

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2012

Color: Nintendo DSVerified Purchase

My dissertation writing productivity has almost certainly taken a hit with the purchase of this game. Like most of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, this game is multifaceted. Of course there are the numerous missions that are somewhat diverse in what you need to accomplish. There are a number of gang-boss characters and your missions differ somewhat depending on the person you're working for at the moment. You can take part in a large economy of illegal drug sales, pulling in big profits by purchasing cheap and selling when demand increases. There are a smattering of random of missions, odd jobs, and games throughout the map to provide variation. And of course when you get bored one can always go on a rampage, seeing how long you can last as an infinite number of law enforcement comes your way.

I've only played snippets of the GTA series on larger consoles, so I can't make much of a comparison. However, compared with most DS games, Chinatown wars is simply outstanding. Most games on the the DS are pretty one-dimensional as the dynamics of the gameplay tend to remain the same throughout. This is fine if, like me, you generally want ten to twenty minutes to take a break from books or work or life. This game however is more than a beeping diversion. It's a small world crammed into a DS cartridge.

My only critiques are that it is sometimes awkward integrating the stylus into gameplay. It's easy when you have to complete neat little puzzles (hot wiring a car, digging through a trash bin, breaking through a window), but very hard when you need to chuck an explosive at the seven police cars chasing you while simultaneously shooting back at them, avoiding gun fire, and/or holding the accelerator button in your car. It might be better if you just grew a single fingernail out really long in lieu if the stylus. But that would be a strange indeed.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dylan Hart

My Favorite GTA

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2010

Color: Nintendo DSVerified Purchase

I've played Vice City, San Andreas, and IV, and this game took Vice City's place as my favorite title in the Grand Theft Auto series.

Graphically, I thoroughly enjoyed almost every piece of artwork in the game. The world is 3D and has a very cartoonish cell-shading that is not characteristic at all for GTA games on the bigger consoles. A few things were off-putting to me (especially the artwork used for rummaging through dumpsters), but overall the visuals were so good that I had serious doubts about how free and large this GTA world would be on a DS.

The world proved to be fairly large. Large enough that size wasn't a concern to me. That is, I never felt that the cities were too small. I was always exploring a new area somehow... And thankfully the game has an incredible GPS system for navigating. You can look up and find people you have met or places of interest that are automatically saved in the game's GPS system, or you can add your own color-coded waypoints (four colors available).

The gameplay is almost exactly everything I would ever ask for in a GTA game. There are plenty of weapons, well-designed missions, lots of random pedestrians, a good deal of side missions (in the form of pedestrians that periodically talk to you), and tons of little things to do, including ramping through all advertising billboards, destroying all security cameras, dealing drugs for insane amounts of money, discovering and beating all rampages, finding and beating the go-kart time trials, buying scratch-off lottery tickets (touchscreen!), and more.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this game.

One last sentence: I've heard it's much closer to the original GTA games.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful