The licecned games tend to be pretty poor as the developers know it will sell purely on the fact it's based on a popular film/TV show. Then adding to that the dreaded "GTA clone", cos let's be honest here NO ONE can pull off a GTA -esque game other than Rockstar North. So it already has a lot to live up to.
Quick, the backstory....You play as Tony Montana in events set after the end of the film. Fans of the film will know that is pretty much impossible. But this game goes the "what if?" route by offereing what could have been if the film had ended differently. So this works as a kind of "psuedo-sequel" to the picture. Anyway, Tony has lost everything he built up in the movie and is now left back where he started, at the bottom of the pile. Tony wants vengeance on those that wronged him, and he wants his empire back too....game on!
While this will be compared to GTA (mianly Vice City)...I think that is unfair. This does have the bare basics gameplay that GTA has...but at the same time it's also very different. GTA has always had a very cartoon, over the top style to it. This game is much more realistic as it takes place in the same universe invented by the film. Your basic GTA standard clone style gameplay is here, run around a free-roaming city, steal cars, etc. But it also adds some nice "new" ideas too. I'll not bore you with the basic gameplay style, if you have played 1 GTA clone...you have played them all. So I'll get straight into some of the interesting features this game offers. The side missions are very varied. As you lose everything Tony "earnt" in the movie, you have to rebuild his empire from the ground up....including his mansion. When you do finally get it back...it's a dump (due the the events at the end of the film and the start of the game), so you have to renovate it and get it back up to a high standard. And you do this by spending money on items and furniture which you can place around the mansion. A nice little diversion on the violence the game does contain. You can also buy new cars that you keep and can call a driver to deliver to you as and when you need them. Adding to these you can also hire staff in the shape of henchmen, hire an assassin and even take control of them too...makes a change from being Tony. All of these things help build you reputation and respect so you rise from the gutter back to the top. There are also things like street racing sub-missions and others (just like every other GTA clone). Drug deals, deliveries, etc...all here too. Take out rival gangmembers to "clean up" the streets leaving them open for Tony to take over. You can even buy bussineses as "fronts" for what is really going on, but these are left open for attacks from rivals...so you can upgrade them with added security.
Speaking of attacks, the aiming system is really good too. You don't just lock on and shoot at the enemy. You can aim at individual body parts and each part has a different effect. Shot the leg and the guys will be limping, shot the arm and you'll find their aim impaired, shoot the head and well...you get the idea. You can even aim low and shoot their "cojones"...oww. Then there is this thing called "balls"...which Tony has in spades. Kill some bad guys and do a Tony -esque taunt, you get "balls". Do some dangerous but skillful driving, you get "balls". Once the "balls" meter is full, you can unleash it in only a way Tony can do, a screaming, rage fueled blowout of a bender "Say hello to my little friend". Something else done differently (and better) than GTA are the police chases. The AI of the police is very good. And you can actually out-run and out-drive them via skill. Makes the game much more interesting as well as the chases.
But one of the things I LOVE about this game is Tony himself. The developers not only make him look and sound like Tony from the movie (dispite no Al), but he also "acts" like him too. Every mannerism Movie Tony had, Game Tony also has. The way he walks, talks, his taunts. Everything that made Tony Montana such a great movie character has been duplicated in game form....right down to little details like the tattoo on his hand. All of which just adds to the charm of this game. You can even have really impressive converstions with the endless NPCs within the game...and each converstion will be different. Go to a bar and try to pick up some girls in the way only Tony Montana can pull off..."You want some Ice cream?". It's pointless...but really good fun. They have even included Tony's "morals" from the film. Yes Tony is a bad man...but he still had standards, like not killing random people and only those that desereve to die. So in the game, you can not go around on a murderous rampage killing inoccent bystanders...well not as Tony anyway. Another little touch I like.
Overall, this is a great game. Sure it has it's flaws, all games do. But for the chance to play as Tony Montana...this game is pure genius just for that alone. It's by far one of the better GTA clones and also one of the better licenced games too. Gamers will love the game. Fans of the film and games will just adore it even more. There is plenty to see and do outside of the main story, you really get your money's worth here.
