You can believe the hype. Just don't believe it too much.
Gameplay:
Shockingly good, the controls are perfect, the camera always shows what you're supposed to see, things almost never get frustrating. Saying that the camera is like in GTA 1 and 2 would be a lie. It actually is a mix between the GTA 1-2 and the 3D third-person one we're used to since GTA 3. No blind driving. The drug-dealing, the shooting and even using grenades while driving is easy and lots of fun. Evading the police by messing up their cars is a great idea, I'd love to see it back in future games in the series. Another huge feature is the Ammunation website, where you can order your weapons to your nearest safehouse. Perhaps the only low point is the minigames. See, this game was designed for the DS, and as such some minigames just aren't fun. You won't be buying lottery tickets for long because the minigame that comes with it is boring and annoying. I also predict that you will get your molotovs from Ammunation, because making them yourself is just isn't fun.
Story
The true low point of the entire game. I can't believe how bad it is, considering the fact that GTA games usually have amazing tales to tell. All the characters are annoying, most Triad leaders could be the SAME PERSON because they are all perverted, arrogant, and love to belittle you. The biggest difference between them are their names and how they look, and that's bad. Everyone is a stereotype or a cliché, not one person is likeable, except maybe Huang himself. He is a spoiled and arrogant, but also quite intelligent person who loyally follows the orders he's given, despite the fact that everyone above him are a bunch of morons. But one somewhat OK character is not nearly enough in this series. Where are the original, great characters like Lance Vance, The Truth, Frank Tenpenny and Donald Love? That's what I'd like to know. Of all the modern GTA games (all since GTA III) this one has the weakest story and weakest characters. It's a pity, becuase the rest of the game is wonderful.
Visuals
Seen much better graphics on the PSP, but it more than gets the job done. The cars look really well, but the greatest things are the comic-ish images of the characters and the night lights.
Sound
It's a shame that there's zero voice work to speak of, because ever since GTA III quality voice acting was one of the things the series was famous for. But perhaps it wouldn't have been good anyway, since all the characters are thin, annoying and a disgrace to the franchise. The music in the radio is good, no matter which channel you're listening to, the sound effects are well done, everything sounds awesome.
In the end, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a great game with an unbearable story. I don't know how it turned out like that, perhaps it was rushed or something. There are many things to like here, but if you loved all the dirty stories the franchise had to offer for all these years ever since the revolutionary masterpiece that is GTA III, expect to be really disappointed.
Gameplay: 9.0/10
Story: 3.8/10
Visuals: 7.5/10
Sound: 9.0/10
Final score(has nothing to do with the scores above): 8.0/10