Gangland

"Great in theory but poorly executed"

Introduction

Gangland attempts to cash in on the widely popular ''mob'' theme that oddly hasn't been seen in many games. Unfortunately, it's hybrid blend of strategy/rpg/simulation falls short on every level. The result is a unpolished game that produces little entertainment and a great deal of frustration.

Gameplay

The concept of Gangland is rather enticing. You select a character and start in the new world fresh from Italy. Your goal is to create a family and compete with others. There is a single campaign consisting of several missions to play through, as well as a multiplayer component. Along the way you to absolute power, you build up your character, fight with police, engage in gangland politics and duke it out in the streets. There is also a car driving component.

Unfortunately, none of this is executed well. The RPG elements lack depth. The combat elements are rather unbalanced. The AI is usually overpowered or dumbed down with no in-between. Even the driving physics fail to provide much entertainment. There are a number of bugs in the game that I won't bother to point out as there are at least patches in the works.

There also seems to be a lack of immersion in the game. The environments are not convincing. The streets fail to give the impression of being alive. Gangland never actually makes you feel like you are involved in a gang setting and not finding creative ways around monotonous missions.

Graphics/Sound

The graphics are sub-par. This would not be much of an issue if the rest of the elements provided a great deal of fun...but unfortunately they do not. The game is a standard top-view two dimensional format. The only thing worthy of a small praise would be some decent character models and faces that stand out against the drab environments. Additionally, many of the environments are far too dark for playability. The game desperately needs a gamma control feature but doesn't provide one.

The sound is generic and not immersive. It does it's job to provide a background but there is really nothing noteworthy I could say about it.

Replayability

The single player missions can be completed in about a week of regular playing. Of course, there will be a lot of frustration at the A.I and bugs in attempting to complete this process. After getting through the single player campaign, there is no real incentive to go through again.

If you enjoy the components of the game, there is a multiplayer game included. This module allows you to compete over the internet with other player's families.

Final Recommendation

If you simply must play this game because you are a die-hard mafia/gangster theme fan then by all means do so. Be warned that the game is not for everyone. It is buggy and not very entertaining. My best advice would be to wait for at least a few more patches to be released and the price to drop.

If the concept of Gangland does not appeal to you then the lack-luster game will certainly be a waist of both your money and time.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 03/18/04