GTA: Liberty City Stories - Weapons & Targeting Feature

Since GTA made the move into 3D every subsequent release has made dramatic improvements to the targeting system, refining the technique to improve its intuition and accuracy. Unsurprisingly GTA: Liberty City Stories carries on this methodology with Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North working closely to ensure the targeting system evolves to sit comfortably on the PSP.

As previously explained during our First Look, the targeting system is engaged by pressing the right shoulder button which in turn activates an automatic lock-on based around a â??priority over proximityâ? technique, targeting the nearest threat instead of innocent bystanders. To switch between different targets players can use the d-pad, which allows Toni to stay locked on and take out multiple threats in quick succession.

For precision targeting free aim is also available, simply press the right shoulder button and tap down on the d-pad to freely aim at any target you so wish â?“ highly useful for taking out car tyres or exploding barrels.

Previously mentioned in the First Look, GTA: Liberty City Stories also allows players to slow down the movement rate of the reticule by holding onto the left shoulder button whilst in free-aim mode â?“ a likely god-send given the twitchy nature of the PSPs nipple.

GTA: Liberty City Stories presents several options to customise the button layout, making it possible to perform drive-by shootings with the left andright shoulder buttons or to use the nipple to swing the camera around.

Naturally you can always expect the Rockstar guys to provide us with a range of artillery to test out the technique, in this respect GTA: Liberty City Stories shows no sign of disappointing from long-range sniper rifles to the subtle delights of the chisel. In total over 30 weapons feature within the game, as we take a look at some of the most important to be found in Liberty City.

The Chisel: Having put their time in various prisons to good use, it seems that the criminal element of Liberty City have begun popularizing the use of chisels to shank their victims. Easily concealed, these weapons can pass undetected and are the perfect weapon for a kill that won't draw a lot of attention.

Hockey Stick: Taking a cue from the sports world, thugs have been known recently to wield these long sturdy hockey sticks to take a whack at more than just pucks. Easily passed off as just a sports fan's favorite piece of memorabilia, these hockey sticks can get you more than just a few minutes in the penalty box if you're caught using it for "illegal roughage".

Katana: Once the weapons of the noble samurai in ancient Japan, the local Yakuza has decided to â??keep it realâ?? and turn many of their enemies into thinly sliced sashimi with these long, razor sharp swords.

Pistol: Light, compact and dependable, this Austrian engineered Pistol is the perfect sidearm for any made man the go. A new arrival in Liberty City, the Pistol has won many awards for its performance and sleek design.

Semi Automatic Shotgun: This Semi Automatic Shotgun is one of the fiercest shotguns on the market. Originally used by the SWAT teams and police forces to control riots and handle major situations, this semi-automatic rifles heavy and can deliver powerful loads of buckshot in quick succession. An extremely dangerous tool in the ongoing Family Wars of Liberty City, the government is looking the ban this rifle altogether.

M4: This light weight version of the M-16, is capable of a firing rate of 700-1,000 rounds a minute. Once a standard weapon of the US Special Forced, the M4 has quickly become very popular among Liberty Cities Elite Mafia soldiers capable of taking out multiple targets and shredding unarmored cars in a matter of seconds.

Flame Thrower: The flamethrower is certainly one of the most visceral and intimidating weapons ever devised by man. Shooting a thirty-foot column of flaming fuel, the flame thrower can create long lasting fires that burn well after you've made your escape, engulfing everything and anything nearby in searing hot flames.

MiniGun: Originally developed for use mounted on military helicopters, this devastating weapon was popularized by the movie "Predator" in 1987. It has electrically-driven rotating barrels and an absolutely incredibly high rate of fire when maxed to its full potential and is capable of mowing down everything in path in hail of bullets. With great power however, comes, a price. The minigun is extremely heavy and difficult to wield, making it fairly impractical to tote around on a regular basis and thus a rare find in Liberty City.

Weâ??ll have more on GTA: Liberty City Stories very, very soonâ?¦