Wednesday 29 Aug 2007

I guess that in this day and age there are only a small amount of young people out there that have watched the original 1983 movie “Scarface” with Al Pachino being at the top of his game. Thing is, when it comes to these movie license games one does not expect much. Scarface: The World is Yours is an exception to this rule as it comes out and blows the crap out of everything out there.

Gangsters don’t mince their words

Before going any deeper into this game I should mention that one aspect of the movie that has been portrayed into the game in a near identical way is the amount of times you hear the “F” word (and any other swear word you can think of for that matter). The game is very expressive and in this case it actually provides you with the grunge feeling of the drug lord underworld, so it works but it’s not for the faint at heart! This is one of those 18 certificate games I’ve played for a long, long time, but unlike many other hideously violent games (*cough* 50 Cent *cough*), the excess isn’t there to distract from the poor game play. The World is yours is intelligent, intoxicating and beautifully put together.

It is very difficult not to spoil it but the game takes off from a point in the movie, about 5 minutes before the actual ending, when Tony Montana claims back his reputation in Miami. Watching the movie before playing it would encourage you to help out Tony as he is actually a guy with exceptional morals, for example, he does not shoot innocent civilians in the game as, in his words, “I don’t shoot people that don’t f#%k with me.” Great morals!

Sosa is the man that Tony is after, being the man that ended Tony’s reign at the top in Miami, and Tony is out for his blood. First things first though, you need to build up your empire by buying and selling drugs. Do a couple of odd jobs like beating up some gang members or running others off the road and collect money for your efforts; meet with a large drug dealer, buy the “cocaine” and sell it off to smaller drug dealers; or buy property estates and use it as means to sell your drugs. Once you have enough money you can buy all kinds of exotics like cars, boats, furniture and décor to increase your reputation.

Tony has a huge range of weapons at his disposal and can call a driver to deliver a car for him at any point and time in the game, seeing that you used your money to buy a driver and cars for your garage that is. The cars aren’t delivered empty handed, in the trunk you have access to all your weapons. This was something in the Grand Theft Auto series that has been a problem for some time, as when you ran out of weapons you would have to beat someone up who had a weapon to get another weapon and in most cases you’d end up second best.

Blowing things up is so much fun but when it comes to using the Wii controller it brings a whole new level to the fun. It’s quite simple really: use the analogue stick on the Nunchuck to move your character and use the Wii Remote to pan your camera left and right by pointing left or right towards your television. The great thing about this is that developer Radical Entertainment provides you with four options for the Wii Remote’s pointing sensitivity, it works a charm and it is one of the main reasons why it plays so well. To shoot someone press the “Z” button to lock on and then aim with the Wii Remote to shoot the victim. On top of this you can shoot the exact body part of the victim, if you wish to do so, as aiming is quick and simple on the Wii…in fact, it’s just plain awesome!

You will need balls!

There is one small addition to this game and that is your “balls” meter. The more you shoot the enemy and taunt them (by flicking the Nunchuck) the more the balls meter will fill up. This becomes crucial towards the end of the game. Once it has been filled, you shake your Nunchuck back and forth a couple of times to activate it and it places you in a first person view with a short period of invincibility. This is your chance to mow down the enemy and build up some health as each victim shot increases your health bar by a quarter. Very clever indeed!

Graphically the game is a straight port of the PS2 and Xbox versions of the same game. Tony Montana is very well modeled and this gives you the sensation that you are running around in Miami blowing up stuff as a possessed Al Pachino. The surroundings are decent as well, but it is everything that we would expect of a Wii title. In comparison to the GTA titles I would say that it is actually a bit better, but not so much that it would be a vital aspect of the game.

The voiceovers are extremely well done as, like Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, it is not the real actors of the movie lending their voice talents. Thumbs up to the sound team for pulling that off! Another aspect that creates an immense amount of atmosphere is the music in the game. With songs like “Rush Rush” (Debbie Harry) and “Dance Dance Dance” (Beth Anderson) straight out of the movie, it is spot on. Then we have classics such as “Don’t Believe The Hype” (Public Enemy), “Sucker MCs” (Run DMC), “Breaking the Law” (Judas Priest), “Super Freak” (Rick James) and “The Message” (Grandmaster Flash) to name just a few of the other tracks that add to the experience. You really do feel like a gangster!

Even gangstering can get tedious

On the less entertaining side of things there is a bit of a downside to this game and that is that it can feel a bit repetitive. Do a job, get paid, buy drugs, sell it, make money and buy land or exotics. However, the way in which you achieve it just feels so good that it does hide the repetition. Another irritating part in the game is that when you buy a large amount of stock (drugs) for your warehouse you need to flee from the pirates at sea when on a boat. This took me up to 6 or 7 tries before making it and this procedure would be done about 20-30 times in the game. Those are just minor problems that are overshadowed by a great overall game.

If you are old enough and can handle vulgar language then be sure to pick this up as it is most definitely a great title on then Wii system that showcases just what can be done with the Wii Remote if given a bit of time. Great stuff!

I’ll end off with this, the final level in the game is extremely challenging, but when you crack it you will feel like “The World is Yours!”

Pro’s: Excellent use of the Wii Remote; great follow-up story to the movie; ideas that the GTA series can learn from.
Con’s: Can be a bit repetitive; if you have not watched the original movie it might be a bit confusing; near the end things can get a bit tough and extremely challenging.

Rating:
Contributor:	Dawid

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