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Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Review / Preview for the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Review / Preview for the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)

It’s amazing to me that a game like GTA 3 was technically impossible to pull off not even 5 years ago on the consoles and yet here we are a few short years later enjoying another chapter in Rockstar’s infamous Liberty City on Sony’s handheld; and without missing anything in the translation! The existence of LCS on the PSP is a testament to Rockstar North and the power of the PSP which hasn’t seen a game this ambitious yet.

Much like the game development revolution which occured after Rockstar released GTA 3 on the PS2, it won’t be long before you see other software teams attempting to raise the benchmark of PSP software thanks to LCS. If you own a PSP I don’t have to tell you that the system is in dire need of some kick ass software – I’m certain you’re well aware of that fact – and Liberty City Stories fills that aching void. The only negative aspect of LCS is that you’ll need to upgrade to 2.0 firmware to run it – which could mean having to give up all of those juicy illicit extras you’ve been extorting out of your PSP over the last little while. You know what I’m talking about…..Check the net and you may locate some instructions which involve downgrading once you’ve finished with Rockstar’s “must have” PSP title.

They say you always remember your first time and I guess that’s why GTA lovers will never quite erase the sites, sounds and smells of Liberty City (GTA 3) from their emotional memory banks. Luckily the three islands that comprise Liberty City made for the smallest game environment when compared to Vice City or the sprawling state of San Andreas, so cramming all of it into the PSP made for a slightly easier, but no less impressive feat than attempting to base the game on recent GTA titles. Everything you remember about Liberty City has been faithfully recreated on your PSP although the game takes place before the events in GTA 3 so certain landmarks such as bridges will be under construction. But other than that, heading back to Liberty City will be like revisiting an old friend. One of those psycho crazy violent friends, mind you, but nevertheless.

Even I was surprised to see how vibrant Liberty City turned out to be. The draw distance is great, the framerate is decent and manages to really hold it together save for when there is a ton of action on screen and no shortcuts were taken in terms of maneuverability, vehicle selection or story. The control will undoubtedly take awhile to get the hang of simply due to the absence of an R analog stick for camera control. The camera can only be moved while your character is standing still which is difficult in situations where you have a screen full of enemies who outnumber and outpower you. The camera hindrance will definitely lead to any number of unfair deaths and your ability to forgive and forget will be directly proportionate to just how much you love playing GTA on the PSP. For some it may be inexcusable, for others a minor annoyance. For me, it was a little of both. What is totally unacceptable however is the games hamfisted lock on controls. Unless you’re up against one guy in a back alley, your lock on will target the NPC closest to you and you’ll have a helluva time trying to nail your intended target.

Since the heart of GTA has been exploration combined with missions, LCS is no different. The mission structure plays out indentical to previous titles – you’ll be introduced to a variety of characters, some of whom you’ll already be familiar with if you’ve played GTA 3 – and a letter will appear on your HUD when their missions become available. Consistent with the franchise, missions range in difficulty from cakewalk to requiring a horseshoe located in your posterior to complete, but you’ll always have fun experimenting with a variety of ways to beat them.

All the trappings of the series are here – carjacking, side missions, hilarious radio shows featuring soundtrack tunes and commercials (you’ll even hear reports on the carnage you’re creating!), car collecting, buying weapons, tons of vehicles (boats and motorcycles included), great voice acting and a whopping array of missions that will most likely take anywhere from 30 – 40 hours + to complete. That’s a lot of game to stick onto one disk.

The story hasn’t been toned down either, despite the controversy surrounding M rated games these days. It features all of the hallmarks of an M rated title, such as drug use, sexual content, obcenities and of course blood, gore and violence. If you were thinking that Rockstar would cowtow to the critics and release something on the PSP that was a watered-down shrinking violet of a story, rest easy. Liberty City Stories is as brutal and harsh as you’ve come to expect from the series.

One entirely new area, never before seen in a GTA game which is worth the price of admission alone is the Wi-Fi multiplayer games. There are 7 overall to choose from and chances are since everyone you know with a PSP will be buying LCS, you’ll have a posse of gamers to play with. Unlike other games which cram multiplayer modes into small arenas to boost productivity, Rockstar gives you free reign of Liberty City to do what you want in. Weapons are spawned in strategic spots as are some pretty intense upgrades that will tilt the game in your favor if you are lucky enough to find them. The games offered in multiplayer mode are well thought and offer a glimpse as to what we can expect during the next generation of GTA on the consoles in terms of multiplayer. They range from races (8 on each island = 24 in total), a tank mode where you’ve got the tank and your 5 enemies have rocket launchers, a Capture the Limo mode, standard Deathmatch and a vehicle collecting game to name a few. The lag is fairly non-existent which is darn near incredible for a game of this magnitude.

Certainly not everything is hunky dory in Liberty City, primarily due to the camera and lock on troubles, but while these will frustrate you at a few points during your time with the game, they aren’t dealbreakers by any stretch. Everything you loved about Rockstar’s flagship title is present and accounted for. Liberty City Stories is a full-fledged GTA adventure with all of the trimmings and more, thanks to the robust and entertaining multiplayer mode. Featuring hours upon hours of playability, the only reason you shouldn’t be buying this game for your PSP is because you’re under 17. All others should rush out immediately and get a ticket to Liberty City. It’s a dirty, disgusting place but someone’s got to make it worse.

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