I have to admit
that I was skeptical when Rockstar announced that they were bringing their
much-loved and controversial Grand Theft Auto series to the PSP. It’s not
that I didn’t think they’d bring a game true to the franchise (the recent
Grand Theft Auto for the Game Boy Advance was brilliant) but I didn’t think
they’d be able to offer an experience that was a nearly as compelling or as
similar to the series’ third game or Vice City or even San Andreas
for that matter. Boy was I wrong. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
for the PSP is everything we could have asked for in a game that offers all the
things we love about the console games. Really, this is the reason you and your
PSP will not be seen apart for a very long time.
Don’t be fooled
by the fact that this is a portable version of the GTA series, Liberty
City Stories does not sacrifice any familiar element in its gameplay
mechanics or its recreation of its playing world. You will still find
pedestrians going about their business (some even flag down taxis and get in
them … something I haven’t seen in any of the console games) and there’s still a
healthy flow of traffic on the roads. There’s hidden packages to collect,
various side missions and the same mission structure of the console games. There
are plenty of cars to jack, gang members to piss off , unique jumps and weapons
to buy at the nearest Ammu-Nation. If it was in the console versions you’ll find
it all here in all its car-jacking glory.
If Liberty City
feels very familiar it’s because the game faithfully recreates Grand Theft
Auto III’s massive playground that is Liberty City without leaving anything
out. Remember the auto dealership in Portland’s Callahan Point or the Liberty
Memorial Coliseum in Staunton Island? Well it’s all there and, since the story
takes place a few years before the events that transpire in GTAIII.
Certain buildings are under construction and some, like the apartment building
in Portland’s Red Light District, are still in the development phase. Yes you’ll
be blown away by Sony’s portable gaming machine and its ability to cram all of
these elements into one UMD.
The game’s story
follows wise guy Toni Cipriani, the same mama’s boy Mafioso we met in Grand
Theft Auto III, as he returns to Liberty City after having carried out a job
for mob boss Salvatore Leone. The Leone family is a powerful presence in Liberty
City but that hasn’t stopped other warring families such as the Forelli family
and the Sindacco crime syndicate. Toni soon finds himself deeply involved in a
war that rages from the streets Liberty City’s three main regions to city hall
itself.
Like most GTA
games you start as a low-level thug as you start off working for Vincenzo
Cilli and performing simple tasks for him. One mission, for example, has you
picking up a drug dealer that works for Cilli and forcing him to go back to work
while another has you searching the city for the gang members that killed the
same drug dealer not too long after you dropped him off. You’ll later come to
work for others like JD O’Toole who so badly wants to be a Leone. As usual
anyone who has a mission for you appears on the map and you can turn to them for
work whenever you feel like it so if you want to explore to your heart’s content
you definitely can.
The assortment
of vehicles (both cars, boats and tanks) are similar to those of the series
third game with the exception of the addition of motorcycles. You can drive dirt
bikes, choppers or Ninja-styled bikes. Jack a taxi cab, ambulance, police
cruiser or fire engine and you can activate each vehicles individual missions.
Yet if you want to advance the story it’s the game’s main mission objective that
must be completed in order to open another area of the city such as Staunton
Island or Shoreside Vale. The game’s missions range from good to not-so good to
just downright fun. There are a few missions that require you to complete them
before the time expires to missions (especially later in the game) that pushes a
gamer’s patience by piling on the multiple objectives. Then again the console
games suffers from this too, although, much like the big boys, there are more
good missions than weak ones.
Control-wise the
game moves at a very steady framerate and that’s good news indeed. Sure you’ll
find the same pop-up issues but other than that the game flows nicely.
Controlling Toni on foot feels a lot like the console games without the ability
to crouch (which was introduced in Vice City). You can target your enemies well
enough but you can also aim on your own (for when you want to shoot explosive
barrels an enemy is standing behind). Driving is also handled beautifully and
like the console games each vehicles has its own feel (trucks are hard to steer
while the gorgeous muscle car that is the Diablo car is fast and handles turns
perfectly). Cars in this game, though, get seriously damaged a bit too quickly
so you’ll be thankful for the Pay ‘n’ Spray.
The game’s story
is a good one, although it does lack the appealing character interactions and
relationships San Andreas possessed in spades. Still it’s quite enjoyable
seeing things through Toni’s eyes and we get to understand a bit more about how
he became the man we’ve come to know in the third console game. Surprisingly
lengthy the story mode will not fail to keep you deeply infatuated with its
universe even if you think you’ve seen everything Liberty City had the offer the
first time around with GTAIII. If that wasn’t enough the PSP game tosses
in the best multiplayer game to be introduced to the series and the PSP.
Through its Ad
Hoc connection you can play through seven addictive multiplayer modes for up to
six players. There’s the usual deathmatch mode, called Liberty City Survivor,
that has players attempting to rack up enough kills before the timer runs out.
Protection Racket divides the action into two gangs as each gang takes turns
defending or attempting to destroy four limos. Get Stretch is a capture the flag
mode that has you stealing the opposing team’s car and attempt to take it your
base and vice verse. Tanks for the Memories has you occupying a tank and cause
as much destruction before your rivals destroy your tank. Then there’s The Hit
List that has a player “marked” for death as they attempt to survive the longest
while Street Rage is the game’s racing mode. Finally there’s The Wedding List, a
free-for-all where players must collect a series of cars scattered throughout
the map and deliver as many as possible. Not only is multiplayer fun but there’s
enough powerups and player skins (civilians, mobsters and cops) to keep everyone
happy.
The game’s
graphics are pretty sharp and similar to GTA III. Liberty City looks
great even in the PSP’s widescreen format and much of what we’ve loved about the
city can be found here with great detail. The cutscenes look great but it’s the
little effects (explosions and gunfire) that will win you over. It’s still
impressive to see the screen filled with pedestrians and cars and even more so
when you leave the game alone to watch them go about their business. It’s good
work, alright.
Liberty City
Stories also
faithfully recreates the game’s marvelous sound from the great soundtrack you’ll
find on the radio to the top-notch voice acting filled with deliciously
hilarious and well-written dialogue. Once again you’ll find a radio filled with
stations that carry everything from classic rock, boy bands, classical, talk
radio (with Lazlow!) and even Jamaican music. The music is great but the
highlight here is the commercials and the breaking news (usually bringing up
events you caused during a mission). The dialogue is great and it’s voiced
appropriately, although Toni is voiced by somebody else this time around.
Grand Theft
Auto: Liberty City Stories,
quite simply, is the reason you should run out and buy a Sony PSP. It not only
pushes the handheld to its limits but it also brings us a Grand Theft Auto
game that plays just as well as the console game without any real
sacrifices. Add an amazing multiplayer feature to an addictive story mode and
you have a game that should be on any PSP owner’s holiday wish list.
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Gameplay: 8.7
The game’s
solid controls are pure GTA and so is the driving. The game moves at a
steady framerate but the camera isn’t as responsive as it should be but it’s not
bad at all. The mission variety brings us some great missions and some really
not-so good ones too.
Graphics: 9.2
Liberty
City Stories
captures the feel of the free-roaming franchise and its great to come back to
our old favorite stomping grounds. The city still looks good day or night and
Staunton Island is just as colorful as it was when we first saw it. There’s
plenty of detail and flashy effects to go with the good cutscenes.
Sound: 9.5
There are ten
radio stations filled with an eclectic mix of tunes that range from rap (from
artists like DMX) to hilarious talk (one of them featuring Nurse Bob). The
game’s dialogue is witty and well-written but the exclusion of Michael Madsen as
Toni makes me wonder if its punishment for DRIV3R.
Difficulty:
Medium
The mission
variety ranges from the usual destruction missions to some assassination runs
that have you killing gang members or other wise guys. The hardest missions come
towards the end and some of them even have you going from Shoreside Vale to
Portland and back.
Concept: 9.5
Aside from the
fact that this is a portable version of the series, all the elements we love can
be found here include the various side missions and the total freedom to do
whatever you want. The characters are good but not compared to San Andreas.
Adding multiplayer to this is like adding a layer of chocolate icing to an
already sweetened chocolate cake.
Multiplayer:
9.2
Angelina isn’t
able to come to the phone right now so leave a message and she’ll get back to
you … in about a couple of months or until somebody manages to pry the PSP out
of her hands. Really, with great multiplayer like this you’ll be playing this
one long after you completed the game’s main mode.
Overall: 9.2
Just about the
best thing to happen to portable gaming, Liberty City Stories will hook
you from the very start and make you glad you bought a PSP. Aside from
brilliantly recreating the series’ look, feel and universe, the game’s
multiplayer feature will make you feel the true power of the PSP.
