History VideoGame / GrandTheftAutoChinatownWars

* TakeYourTime: Later in the game, [[spoiler:The Triads are ratted out to the FIB and Hsin believes Huang to be the culprit. Thanks to Kennny intervening, Hsin gives Haung time to prove his innocence.]] Of course you can explore Liberty City and do side quests as long as you please and [[spoiler: Hsin won't place a hit on Haung until the plot demands it.]]

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler:Ling. In one of the downloadable mission packs, her brother comes for revenge.]]

* GenreThrowback: ''Chinatown Wars'' brings back the top-down view from the first two ''GTA'' games. Even more interesting considering that it came after ''Liberty City Stories'' and ''Vice City Stories'' proved that open-world ''GTA'' games could work on handheld systems.

* CrapsaccharineWorld: Not as vivid as the 3D Universe's [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity Vice City]] or HD Universe's [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV San Andreas]], but ''Chinatown Wars'' portrays Liberty City in vivid colors like ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIvTheBalladOfGayTony The Ballad of Gay Tony]]'' before it. Yet like any and all cities before and after, Liberty City is still a WretchedHive disguised as a SugarBowl.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Huang is now the head of the Triads, but nearly everyone he came into contact with during the course of the game is dead, [[TragicVillain rightfully or otherwise]], and he learnt that it was his EvilUncle Kenny that was responsible for his father's death all along.]]

* TooDumbToLive: Chan. He is always either drunk or on drugs (or both), which leads to him making poor decisions throughout the game. [[spoiler:He ended up becoming a TragicVillain at the end, getting blamed for something he didn't do in spite of FIB's accusations, resulting in his death.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: Almost every member of the cast is an unsympathetic jerk to some extent, but Chan Jaoming (the oblivious kind) and Zhou Ming (the egotistically dismissive kind) stand out. The two exceptions are Wade Heston and Lester, who both treat Huang with a modicum of respect.

* DisposableSexWorker: Unlike other games in the series this doesn't have the "hire a hooker to regain health then run her over to get your money back" trick. However, there's one random encounter in which a hooker you stumble upon assumes this exact thing will happen and preemptively attacks Huang.

* ManChild: Chan Jaomin is 40 years old, but acts like an irresponsible teenager.

** The general tone was shifted back to the darker tones after ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIVTheBalladOfGayTony The Ballad of Gay Tony]]'', being more in line with ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV''.

* DenserAndWackier: While the story maintains the gritty tone established by ''IV'', the game does bring back some of the more outlandish elements of the 3D-era games, like [[GatlingGood a usable minigun]] and [[TankGoodness]] drivable tanks.

* ManChild: Chan Jaoming, who acts like a teenager despite being forty years old.

* RevolversAreJustBetter: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. The Revolver packs a punch, but the expectedly low capacity, slow fire-rate, and inability to move while firing considerably hampers its effectiveness.

* SniperRifle: Unlike past ''Grand Theft Auto'' games, sniper rifles are only usable in select missions. The design of which is inconsistent:

* DirtyCop: Wade Heston. His only motivation for doing actual police work is InternalAffairs breathing down his neck. Amusingly enough, he's less of a prick than most characters.

* DirtyCop: Wade Heston. His only motivation to do some actual policing work is InternalAffairs breathing down his neck. Amusingly enough, he's less of a prick than most characters.

* FireBreathingWeapon: The flamethrower is one of the heavy weapons available.

* DisposableSexWorker: Unlike other games in the series this doesn't have the "hire a hooker to regain health then run her over to get your money back" trick. However, there's one random encounter in which you encounter a hooker that assumes this exact thing will happen and attacks Huang when he approaches her.

* NoRespectGuy: Huang. Competently deals with everyone's dirty work? Check. Gets treated with contempt in spite of that? Double check.

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler:[[EvilUncle Kenny]]]] as he gets desperate to to get away with his deeds.

* CosmeticAward: ''Chinatown Wars'' has eight trophies to be unlocked. All but one of them are related to the drug dealing activity in some capacity.[[note]] The last one is unlocked by owning every safehouse.[[/note]]

* DeadStarWalking: [[spoiler:Ling gets a poster in the packaging and is quickly set up as a potential love interest. Then is killed after two missions.]]

* DirtyCop: Wade Heston, though he is more or less a ReasonableAuthorityFigure for Huang.

* DisposableSexWorker: Unlike other games in the series this doesn't have the "hire a hooker to regain health then run her over to get your money back" trick. However, the one you can pick up instantly assumes that's what's going to happen and turns violent.

* TheEveryman: Huang, the most Everyman protagonist GTA has ever had.

* GambitPileup: The plot is possibly the most convoluted of all GTA games.

* {{Jerkass}}: Every member of the cast is an unsympathetic jerk to some extent, but Chan Jaoming (the oblivious kind) and Zhou Ming (the egotistically dismissive kind) stand out. Wade Heston on the [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure other hand]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold however...]]
* KillEmAll: By the ending, only three of named characters are left alive: [[spoiler:[[TheProtagonist Huang Lee]], [[TakingTheBullet Hsin Jiao-Ming]] and [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Wade Heston]]]].

* MedalOfDishonor: The [[CosmeticAward Wooden Spoon]] is "awarded" for making a $500 loss in a single drug deal. Since making a profit is more desirable, the player [[ViolationOfCommonSense will have to actively lose money]] for that unlock.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Hsin becomes so frustrated with leading the Tongs that he decides to leave [[spoiler:and give the leadership to Kenny]].

* TokenGoodTeammate: [[spoiler:How Officer Wade Heston describes Huang at the end.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Wade Heston''': Hell, you might as well take in everyone in this place... except Huang. He's a good kid, for a rich snot.]]

* KillEmAll: By the ending, only three of named characters are left alive: [[spoiler:[[DeadpanSnarker Huang Lee]], [[TakingTheBullet Hsin Jiao-Ming]] and [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Wade Heston]]]].

* NeverMyFault: One mission has you helping Chan win a street race by sabotaging the other racers. When this gets him kidnapped in the next mission, he blames Huang for sabotaging the race, despite the fact that Huang did it on his orders.

%%* FatIdiot: Chan Jaoming.
%%* FireBreathingWeapon: The flamethrower.

%%* GatlingGood: It's a great minigun.

* NotWithTheSafetyOnYouWont: Played with. One of the characters in a random encounter complains the guns Huang got him don't work. Huang asks if he's tried releasing the safety.

* SarcasmBlind: Chan takes every bit of Huan's scathing sarcasm as genuine compliments.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Huang is now the head of the Triads, but nearly everyone he came into contact with during the course of the game is dead, rightfully or otherwise, and he learnt that it was his Uncle Kenny that was responsible for his father's death all along.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Huang is now the head of the Triads, but nearly everyone he came into contact with during the course of the game is dead, rightfully or otherwise, and he learns that it was his Uncle Kenny that was responsible for his father's death all along.]]

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler:Kenny]] as he gets desperate to to get away with his deeds.

* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler:Uncle Kenny]] was the man who ordered Huang's father's death. While possessing the family's sword, he manipulated Huang to do his dirty work.

* KillEmAll: By the ending, only three of named characters are left alive: [[DeadpanSnarker Huang Lee]], [[TakingABullet Hsin Jiao-Ming]] and [[Reasonable AuthorityFigure Wade Heston]].

* {{Jerkass}}: Every member of the cast is an unsympathetic jerk to some extent, but Chan Jaoming (the oblivious kind) and Zhou Ming (the egotistically dismissive kind) stand out.
* KillEmAll: By the ending, only a couple of named characters are left alive.

* TooDumbToLive: Chan. He is always either drunk or on drugs (or both), which leads to him making poor decisions throughout the game.

* TokenGoodTeammate: How Officer Wade Heston describes Huang.
--> '''Wade Heston''': Hell, you might as well take in everyone in this place... except Huang. He's a good kid, for a rich snot.

* CrapsaccharineWorld: Not as vivid as the 3D Universe's [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity Vice City]] or HD Universe's [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV San Andreas]], but ''Chinatown Wars'' brought Liberty City in some vivid colors like ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIvTheBalladOfGayTony The Ballad of Gay Tony]]'' before it. Yet like any and all cities before and after, Liberty City is still a bunch of WretchedHive disguised as a SugarBowl.