How ironic that I posted in this thread that I was unsure about the game, and now I have it. I've only played a few missions, but I am LOVING it so far. This is GTA on the DS, and it does a lot of really interesting things. I really enjoy the setting, as I have been clamoring for a GTA game to take place in Tokyo or China. It's not the same, but it's still a unique perspective. BREAKDOWN:
Awesome:
Dialogue: Classic GTA black humor. Making the main character a slacker is a nice touch and it really relates to the DS audience who is far too lazy to get up and turn on a console.
Graphics: The early screens of the game were less than flattering, but it looks a lot better now. The people look a bit goofy as they're almost the same size of the cars, but that's the only hangup I have with the graphics. It looks great in motion and the buildings are nicely detailed.
Touch screen controls: So far I've only used them for minigames, but the touch screen controls were immensely well. The minigames are creative, ranging from hotwiring cars to scratching off lotto tickets. The first time you get to use them is also a pretty cool moment that really sets up the game well.
New features: I never liked how you had to avoid cops in GTA. The game allows you to be more aggressive by reducing your wanted level if you cause a cop to crash his car. It's way more fun than just running and hiding. Another awesome addition is trip skip. This allows you to warp directly to the mission point if you fail a mission. This was available in some missions for GTA SA but I think it's for all missions in this game. It needs to be MANDATORY for other installments. Another great feature is the ability to replay missions you already beat, which makes up for the lack of save spots.
Dynamic world: Many people praised GTA IV for making a realistic city that seemed alive. CW follows suit with a really awe-inspiring world where you will constantly see new things. So far I've seen a cop kill a guy, a firetruck trying to douse the flames of a truck that just exploded with cop cars surrounding the area, people break out umbrellas during rain, the ambulance racing to save someone who was run over by a truck with pedestrians looking on etc. You never know what you'll run into.
Not Awesome:
View is constantly blocked: Signs and train tracks frequently pop up and block my view. This can get really annoying during cop chases. It looks cool in cutscenes, but it's a pain when you're driving around.
Also I was dumpster diving, and instead of a gun I found a used condom. That sucked.
The game has been awesome so far, and I haven't even seen most of the weapons nor have I started the drug trade. GTA WII BELIEVE.
