Scarface: The World is Yours

UPC: 020626722810

Platform: PlayStation 2

Publisher: Sierra Entertainment, Inc.

Developer: Radical Entertainment

Category: Shooter

Style(s): Third-Person 3D Shooter

Synopsis: It's time to "make way for the bad guy" in this adaptation of Brian De Palma's 1983 film starring Al Pacino as Cuban drug dealer Tony Montana. The game picks up where the movie left off, albeit with the stunning revelation that Montana isn't dead. Montana survives the assassination attempt and vows revenge on the kingpin who nearly put him out of commission: Alejandro Sosa. Players assume the role of power-hungry Montana in his bid to reclaim his cocaine empire and extravagant lifestyle. This, of course, means resorting to graphic violence and colorful profanity as a means of "persuasion." Montana can freely explore 1980s Miami and its surrounding islands as he tries to amass a fortune by smuggling drugs. Along the way, players must purchase fronts for laundering money, defeat rival gangs, elude capture from the DEA, and discover creative uses for a chainsaw. One notable feature is the ability to target individual body parts, with stylish moves rewarded in "balls points." As Montana flexes his machismo, he will gradually build to a blind rage, a temporary state that switches the default third-person view to a first-person perspective with time-slowing effects, allowing players to inflict heavy damage. Another key element is the lack of loading screens while visiting different areas of Miami, including such familiar haunts as Freedom Town, the Babylon Club, and Lopez Motors. As he earns respect and power, Montana can use a satellite phone to hire henchmen, request vehicles, weapons, and other tools of the drug trade. The game also features Al Pacino's likeness as Tony Montana, and several film actors have lent their voices to the project, including original cast members Robert Loggia and Steven Bauer. Screenwriter David McKenna, whose film credits include American History X and Blow, penned the game's original storyline. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Package Contents: 16-page Instruction Manual

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

The documentation is pretty skimpy. There is no fold out map of the city, there is very little in the way of background information in the booklet, and very few of the game's objectives are outlined. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The graphics are pretty average, though predictably Tony's face and mannerisms are animated well. The Miami landscape is nicely rendered, but there is scant variation in character design. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Tony Montana is one of the great anti-heroes in movie history. He is a ruthless drug-dealer, he swears more than just about any other character in film history, and he kills those in his way without mercy. At the same time, he is a loyal family man guided by principle. What he is not, however, is some sort of superhero or secret agent. And this is where the developers of Scarface: The World is Yours missed the mark. They have turned an outrageous, yet still believable film character, into a cartoonish video game character. The problem lies within the convergence of the game missions and the character fleshed out in the movie. Most of the things Tony does in the game simply don't jibe with the character from the movie. Why is he on a tanker in the Caribbean trying to diffuse bombs? It is easy to see that a lot of work went into this game, which is one of the reasons it's a disappointment. It features one of the most dramatic, explosive, and violent (someone gets eaten by a tiger) opening scenes in video game history, as gamers guide Tony away from the hit squad sent by his South American supplier Alejandro Sosa. The premise behind the game is that Tony has lost everything he had, and he must work his way back to the top by making money and rebuilding his reputation. The result is a game filled with missions that are generally enjoyable, though they are pretty much standard Grand Theft Auto-clone fare: acquire property, kill gang members, race cars, and even the now cliche missions involving manning a helicopter machine gun and discharging ammo ad infinitum. The game also follows the GTA standard practice of allowing gamers to wander around a large map and do as they please, although Tony won't kill innocent people, so the amount of mayhem one can produce is lessened a bit. The game features a rage meter, (although it goes by another name that starts with a "B" and ends with "alls") and when the meter is full Tony can launch into a slow-motion, black-and-white killing spree that not only automatically aims his weapon, but also heals his wounds. This is convenient for the game, but it certainly takes away from any sort of realism. Another problem that comes with adapting a movie into a video game is that miniscule scenes from the film become large parts of the game. For example, the other druglords who are mentioned only a handful of times in the movie become Tony's sworn enemies, killing Sosa has become Tony's mission in life, and Tony has an odd fascination with eating ice cream with girls. One final problem with the game is that a lot of the missions aren't exactly fleshed out; things just seem to happen with no explanation. Scarface: The World is Yours is still a good game, but the potential was there for so much more, and in that sense the game is a disappointment. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The game is pretty long, although there aren't nearly as many side missions as there are in the GTA series. After regaining Tony's empire, it is doubtful many players will go back for more. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The man voicing Tony Montana sounds pretty good, and most of the other random characters have distinct voices and participate in interesting conversations. The sound effects are decent, and the music is good, although the musical selection doesn't make much sense. There are songs from the movie's era, but there are also songs from the present, and songs from years in between. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Beating up gang members for drugs and money is a joy, though it gets repetitive. The missions are typically fun, although occasionally they drag on for too long. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.