App review: Grand Theft Auto: Chniatown Wars for iPhone

Despite being the first month that we’ve struggled to find any decent titles at all for other formats, the appearance of the mighty Grand Theft Auto surely marks a more significant turning point. Up to now, most iPhone games have been characterised by their inventive use of the technology but also their relatively small scale.

Chinatown Wars, however, is bigger in every sense to anything we’ve seen thus far. So, is it all it’s cracked up to be?

By and large, the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’. Everything that was on the DS or PSP versions is here, and realised in stunning detail. From the 5 genre-based radio stations (easily the best iPhone soundtrack to date) to the huge variety of gaming styles Chinatown Wars never lets up in terms of variety or fully immersive gameplay.

And, as you might expect, the storyline is brilliant – this time involving your hero in his quest to rise through the Chinese Triads through a combination of street racing, fighting for territory and pulling off various street deals.  Naturally, some parents might have a problem with this kind of material, but given the game’s 17 rating that’s hardly surprising.

There are a few quibbles however. In porting the DS game to iPhone, the interface has been crammed onto a single screen, leading to some fiddly onscreen buttons and a bevy of irritating extra menus.

The onscreen analogue joystick works fine for the street-based sections with the addition of auto-targeting while directional arrows make for perfectly controllable driving sections. However, the PSP version still has the edge in terms of graphics.

All in all Chinatown Wars is a stunning success. At £5.99 it’s a bargain compared to the £30 DS version and it’s by far the most accomplished iPhone game to date.

Price: £5.99
Web: App Store

Verdict: 9/10

Written by Mike Anderiesz.

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