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Review: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PSP)

January 3rd, 2006

Game: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Platform: PSP
Publisher: Rockstar
Price: £29.99 (Amazon.co.uk)
Reviewer: Jay Neill (TechSmec.com staff)

The GTA series is obscenely popular (in fact some would say just plain obscene after the Hot Coffee scandal), but even the most hardened fan would have to admit that since GTA 3 it’s been a case of same-old same-old. However, this new installment really is a case of deja-vu as we leap back to Liberty City where it all began for a PSP-exclusive dose of Mafiosi action.

Set in 1998 GTA: Liberty City Stories sees you take control of Tony, a Mafia heavy who returns to the town after laying low following a big job for the Don. He immediately falls back into his old ways and the crime spree commences.

The general format hasn’t changed. Steal a car (or a bike - that’s the new innovation for GTA:LCS) and head over to a gang-land boss’s hideout. He’ll give you a job and off you head to complete it by whatever means necessary. If you’re successful you’ll get some cash and move up the underworld ladder of badness. Screw up and you’ll end up busted, or worse, dead. However, this being GTA, even death won’t keep a good (bad) man down and you’ll show Lazurus-like abilities at the local hospital. The only permenant effect is a dent in your wallet.

In and around the main career path are a variety of mini-games; taxi driving, working as a paramedic, crazy driving stunts. All will earn you cash, or at the least, kudos.

Once again, you’ll find your immersion into the world of Liberty City is complete. The place feels lived in. It’s a pleasure just to steal a car and cruise around town. If the weather’s good, we’ve even taking to strolling along the sea-front.

The graphics are the best yet on the PSP and really push the handheld to the limits of its abilities. In a way this almost feels a shame as it’s hard to believe that there’s anywhere to go from here for the device, but for the moment just forget that you’re looking at a 3.5 inch screen and drink it all in.

If you thought the graphics were immersive, wait until you hear the sound. The ambient sound is remarkably detailed - cars passing, people arguing on street corners. The radio stations, which play whenever you get in a vehicle, are back but there is less variety than before. Even so, most of the DJs will have you in stitches the first time you hear them. Even once you do get bored, the ability is there to import your own playlists, adding even more to the feeling that you really live in Liberty City.

The only area where GTA:LCS is a let down is the controls. As a gamer I was brought up on the PC, not a console, so I’ve never been a fan of mouse-less gaming. Even allowing for my own deficiencies, the analogue stick makes steering, walking and even fighting a bit of a pig. More often than not you’ll end up going in the wrong direction as the camera pans wildly around. However, this is more of a flaw with the PSP in general than in the game, so there’s not much that Rockstar could have done to improve things.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is the standout title on the PSP so far and if you haven’t bought it yet then get yourself a copy before you do anything else.

Graphics

The best yet seen on the PSP. Good textures, good frame rate, great visuals - 9/10

Sound

Fantastic ambient sound and (as usual) an entertaining soundtrack - 8/10

Gameplay

As fun as GTA ever was, but the difficult controls just stop us awarding a 10 out of 10 - 9/10

Verdict

A “must own” game for all PSP fans. The fact that it’s exclusive to Sony’s hand held is certainly going to shift a lot of devices and we can find very little reason to doubt that it will stay a benchmark game for months, if not years, to come - 9/10

Entry Filed under: PSP Reviews