Rockstar did a great job of pulling off the same experience that we are used to and love from the full console releases. And better yet they managed to fit it on an UMD making it fast and easy to download. While the load times are obviously not as brief as you’d expect from the PS2 for example, the load times are still fairly quick and you aren’t left at long loading screens.
Where Rockstar falls short is in the gameplay. Missions are usually one tiered and don’t offer that much variety. The zoomed aiming functionality is what disappointed me more than anything else. The PSP’s weak controller scheme makes taking out a large number of enemies far from pleasant, and you’d be better off picking off targets from a distance which makes you miss the fun of the fire fights we’ve grown to love from the previous installments of the GTA series.
Again I’ve got to give the makers credit for managing create probably the best free roaming action games to ever hit a handheld system. And if you’re like me and loved Grand Theft Auto 3 then you’ll love this continuation of the story. Though the storyline may seem mundane in much of Liberty City Stories, it still manages to carry on Toni Cipriani’s story, even though the cut scenes leave much to be desired. However if you’re new to the GTA:3 story or the GTA series all together the story will still make sense and not knowing the story won’t hold you back in the game in any way.
The radio stations, one of the most entertaining features of the last few games in the series, aren’t quite up to par in Liberty City Stories. While the DJ’s and commercials are still as hilarious as ever, the soundtrack is full of custom-written songs that fail to bring the feeling of nostalgia that the previous games offered.
Overall GTA: Liberty City Stories is a well put together game and is a must have for any GTA fan.
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