So after completing Dragon Quest VI, I've chosen that Chinatown Wars was the next game to knock off my backlog. I'm not in the mood to follow an RPG up with another RPG (which is mainly what my backlog is made out of), and this is a lengthy game that will feel good to put behind me. Plus, it came up recently on RFN and that reminded me that it is super fun. There's no good reason why I stopped playing it other than something newer and shinier came along.
Because I'm trying to play my handhelds on the go more than before (traditionally, I've just played them at home), I'm definitely feeling the complaints about the forced touch controls more. It's a bit annoying to suddenly have a QTE that requires you to pull the stylus out quickly, and sure, I
could keep it between my fingers while playing, but it's a) uncomfortable and b) a sure way to drop the stylus and lose it in the subway.
That complaint aside, it's a blast. Running drugs is a simple series of "go from A to B" but buying low and selling high is damn addictive. The writing is top notch with very funny dialog, and the pacing is a thousand times better than the only other GTA game I've played much of: GTA4.
There is seriously very little that is not improved by the changes made to accommodate portable play. The shorter missions, the smaller map and the cutscenes that don't linger and don't take forever to get to the point provide such a better experience.
I don't know if I'll complete it, though. I looked at a FAQ and there are a tooon of missions left. I better stop getting sidetracked with the drug-running if I don't want to get sick of Chinatown Wars before it ends.
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