5 distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars that prove it deserves a remake

There are several distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars, but they don't get talked about that often as the game is still quite underrated. While this may have been a result of it releasing close to Grand Theft Auto 4 and not arriving on major platforms, now is a great time to drop a remake or at least a port for modern platforms. Many fans are bored of GTA 5 and Online and there still seems to be some time in Grand Theft Auto 6's release.

Additionally, a remake being released on modern consoles and PC could provide this game with the attention and mainstream recognition it deserves. So, in this article, we will take a look at five distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars that prove it deserves a remake.

Note - This article is subjective and only reflects the writer's opinions.

Distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars that prove it deserves a remake

GTA Chinatown Wars, developed by Rockstar Leeds, was first released on the Nintendo DS in 2009. It was then ported over to the Sony PlayStation Portable (PS), iOS, and Android devices, in 2009, 2010, and 2014, respectively.

1) Art style

Chinatown Wars has comic book-like visuals (Image via YouTube/GTA Series Videos)

One of the key distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars is the art style. Rockstar Games didn't adhere to realistic visual effects for GTA Chinatown Wars and implemented a distinct art style that separates it from other titles in the GTA series. While this likely had something to do with its supported platforms — the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS — it does make the game look unique.

A remake would let players enjoy these stylized visual effects in better resolution, which has the potential to provide a deeply refreshing experience from the typical Grand Theft Auto gameplay.

2) Top-down camera

The Grand Theft Auto series kicked off in 1997, with the first few entries adopting a top-down camera angle. The release of GTA 3 in 2001 changed that as the franchise stepped into the 3D realm. However, GTA Chinatown Wars brought it back, as developers combined it with in-game 3D assets to create a unique combination.

So, the unique top-down camera is another one of the distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars. A remake would be somewhat of an unconventional GTA experience on modern consoles. Rockstar Games can also consider adding an optional third-person camera angle to let fans experience Chinatown Wars like never before.

3) Detailed carjacking

Stealing cars is the core mechanic in Grand Theft Auto games. Notably, this is extremely simple in modern titles as players can get in a car and drive away with the press of a button. However, carjacking is another one of the distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars. The game adopted an original and creative approach for the same by involving carjacking mini-games.

The GTA 6 leaks have suggested that stealing cars in the sequel may not be as easy as it usually has been. Such features might be showcased in GTA 6 trailer 2 and a remake of Chinatown Wars could familiarize the playerbase with the concept.

4) Evading the cops

Cop car count displayed in the top right (Image via YouTube/BLG)

Losing an attained wanted level in GTA Online can be frustrating as the cops always seem to know your exact location. However, the mechanic is also very simplistic as it only requires staying out of cops' sight for a certain amount of time. The wanted level system is also among the distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars.

Rockstar's take on this in Chinatown Wars is much more realistic. Players can destroy/ram into cop cars (corresponding to their wanted level stars) to make them dysfunctional and get away. A remake might allow Rockstar to flesh out this mechanic a little more and let fans experience something very unique.

5) CCTV cameras

The map can also be considered one of the distinctive features of GTA Chinatown Wars, but the collectibles in the map are also unique. There are several CCTV cameras to destroy in the Chinatown Wars map and while other GTA games also feature several collectibles, the former rewards players in terms of gameplay.

Destroying all CCTV cameras is required for 100% completion, but it also lowers the chance of getting caught by the police. This provides an actual incentive for seeking and destroying them across the map. Such creative mechanics being brought to mainstream attention via a remake could give Chinatown Wars the appreciation it deserves.

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