The player takes control of Huang Lee, a member of the Triads in modern Liberty City, in Chinatown Wars. Huang returns from China to bring a ceremonial sword to his uncle Wu “Kenny” Lee to safeguard the Triad lords’ inheritance. However, soon after his arrival, he is jumped, shot, robbed, and left for dead, only to survive and swear revenge for his father and the recovery of the stolen sword to restore respect to his family.
While Chinatown Wars is a mission-based game in the spirit of the 3D Grand Theft Auto games, it returns to the more classic top-down view while employing a new cel-shaded 3D Engine. Many of the most recent GTA games’ features have been added, such as the safe house, where the protagonist can receive e-mails from other characters in the game and store cars and things. A configurable GPS also assists gamers in navigating Liberty City. A replay feature also allows participants to rerun prior missions by accessing them through their safehouses.
While the protagonist can earn money by performing objectives, he can also trade drugs with the numerous dealers in Liberty City. There are multiple narcotics to pick from, including cocaine, heroin, LSD, and cannabis; it is possible to acquire them cheaply and sell them to other dealers by using the PDA to check their market worth. Occasionally, an e-mail will be sent to the protagonist informing him about dealers selling drugs at a low cost or purchasing them at above-market prices. However, the player should be mindful that buying in bulk will draw the notice of the police when the transaction is completed, leading the main character’s star level to rise immediately. If the protagonist gets apprehended, he will lose all the drugs he carries.
Carjacking drug vans (marked by a red arrow above them), returning them to the safe house, and searching them for narcotics or cash is feasible. Weapons can be obtained by hijacking Amm-u-nation vehicles, although the trucks are well-armored and have armed drivers.
Police pursuits have been altered in this installment. While it still has a star level, it also has a symbol resembling a cop car. While players may still use Pay ‘n Spray shops to disguise their vehicle to elude the authorities, they can also smash any following police car, removing the car icon. If the cop vehicle icons at that level are removed, so will their star level.
The DS version uses the system’s features, such as using the stylus pen as a screwdriver to turn the car’s ignition or removing a plate in the automobile and hotwiring it with the stylus. The pen can also be used to scratch off lottery tickets at businesses strewn around the game, as well as to launch explosive devices such as grenades and Molotov cocktails, or even smash objects such as security panels or a car windshield when the player falls into water while driving. The microphone can also be used to hail an approaching on-duty cab by blowing into it. This version also includes Nintendo WFC compatibility for uploading statistics to the Rockstar Social Club and multi-player gaming.
The PSP version includes several new objectives and radio stations. The DS employs a touch screen, but the PSP version uses an analog stick.
