Gangsters 2

The original Gangsters had some serious flaws but all-in-all it was a good game. The open-ended game play enabled you to play over and over and still have fun and learn new tricks. Gangsters 2 got rid of all this. Now there is no open-ended gameplay, it's all mission based.

The best way to describe this game is to liken it to Commandos. Similar feel, gameplay qualities, graphics and interface. But unlike Commandos Gangsters 2 doesn't do anything new.

I don't know what to say except that I felt betrayed. They've changed so much in the way of gameplay that it doesn't even feel, let alone look, like the original.

To be fair, I didn't even finish the game before I unistalled and threw it in the closet. I think it was mission #7 when I was supposed to resuce the mayor's brother who had been kidnapped by a rival gang that I realized that I was not having fun and that I had just wasted forty bucks on I game I bought a long time ago. You want this game in various forms? Go buy Commandos Behind Enemy Lines, or Fate of the Dragon, or Mob Rule, or...

The negative side of this game is that there are three levels of maps. Of course the one we'd like to see most is the 3D one where you get to see the buildings, cars, people, etc. The 3D map of the city is similar to the sims. So I wouldn't say the graphics are at all good. The graphics basically look like the Gangsters 1 and this dissapointed me. But besides that sometimes you'd be stuck playing in map 2 which is a flat map of the city with symbols for the people, car, buildings, etc. It's a lot easier to control all the businesses but when you are being attacked from all different directions, it just leaves out the excitement seeing your men fight in glory or dying in battle. Another flaw with this is say you want to control your men to a certain position and there is enemy nearby, your men might not follow your orders instead just go right away to attack that guy.

The good part of the story is that there is just so much to do and so many characters. Also characters have different attribute points and you can add attributes after each level and make then stronger. Different characters are also good at different techniques, let's say bombing, driving, kidnapping, etc. Of course the most fun is hopping into a 1920s car and speeding by an enemy office and shooting them with your maching gun as you drive by. You can also bribe people, purchase different weapons, car, the list goes on. I think this is really a great game, I just wish they improved the graphics. It's worth buying but I'm not so certain this is a game people will play over and over again. So maybe it'd be a good idea to get a used one or buy a new one and sell it when your done. There just so much I can write about this game, it would take pages so I'll just end it here.

Hot House and Eidos listened to the gamers feedback and implemented many features to make Gangsters 2 much more accessible to players. The first thing you will notice is a much more intuitive interface. While I am still a little hesitant to give the interface a glowing review (It's a bit tricky to read some windows and decipher information at the building level), it is much more simpler than the original. And with the lack of micromanagement of each individual gangster (like the original), you control the main character, Joey Bane, and his lieutenants. All other hired muscle is controlled by you immediate family or built in AI scripts which are pretty good.

Upon loading the game, you will notice that Gangsters 2 revolves around the story of Joey Bane, (you). It seems your father (a big time mobster) was killed by the opposing family moving into the city. It is your job, over individual episodes, to move back into your home town, avenge your fathers death, and assume the role of mob leader. You start small, just taking over a neighborhood, but as he story progresses and you move on to episodes, you eventually take over the city, then neighboring cities, then eventually cross state lines setting up your empire.

Cut scenes between each episode move the story along in a concise fashion, and a pre-episode briefing is really good in defining your primary and secondary objectives. There is good feedback (could always be better) during the game from a 'family' advisor and reading the local newspaper. The Newspaper all allows you to hire 'specialists' that can carry on special assignments for you, lists obituaries, and clues you into other subtle hints and game progress.

The graphics are pretty good, but not top notch. A new addition to the game is being able to play at night, where street lamps light the streets and shading effects are more visible. Also there are seasons, so later in the game you'll notice the snow falling.

Game control is better than the original but is still tricky. Good thing there is a pause button (the game is real time) to re-issue orders. I found I made a few errors in assigning tasks to my gangsters only because selecting them is very sensitive. Game A.I. is also good, but could be better. When in trouble I have selected my gangsters to flee, only for them to sit around idle for a few seconds and get shot at before they run. And they seem to sometime run the wrong way! Also navigating your cars can be a bit frustrating. Seems that sometimes that computer chooses the longest path to get somewhere via car, when your car could easily take a turn down another street and get to a destination in half the time.

The manual is nice, explains pretty thoroughly what you can and can not do, and even walks you through the 1st two episodes. The only complaint about the manual is a few screenshots used for explanation are blurry.

Gangsters 2 offers multiplayer support!! Now that's awesome. You can have up to 4 Godfathers trying to compete over a city. However, it would have been much better if there was a random map generator for not only multi, but single players as well. After you complete the game in 16 episodes, you just restart it again at a higher difficulty level, but it's the same cities and same objectives.

As you move on from episode to episode, you take your hired hands with you, and dole out experience points to them in different categories based on performance: combat, stealth, or special skill (diplomat, distiller, bomber, hit man, driver, etc..)

When you take over buildings in the city, either by buying them, by force, etc., you must stay in control. For the building generate you money, and if you set up an illegal business (speakeasy, card den, brothels, brewery, distiller, gun smith, etc..) you rake in more money to expand your empire. Use money to buy better guns, recruit muscle, buy better armored cars, and buy influence over the police, the judge, the DA, etc...Bribery is big, however, the FBI are incorruptible, but every other figure in the game is. I love the drive by shootings!!! I often eliminate my opponent by taking out enemy gangs by Tommy and shotguns via a drive by, hop out of the car, and bust up their business (either by bombing, or killing those inside massacre style) and speed off before the police arrive. This disrupts the cash flow for your opponent, and even better if you can capture the business yourself and set up shop. You generate more money while increasing your influence in town! But be careful, you better hire guards for you new place, because your opponent doesn't like you taking over and will soon dispatch his own thugs to reclaim lost businesses.

One of your gang members in jail? No problem! Maybe you just need to put the judge or the DA on your payroll. Or maybe a breakout is more your style.

I'm just touching the base of things you can do. There are many illegal business to set up, cars to steal, people to kidnap, patrol your area, buy of the mayor, etc....

All in all, a very worthy sequel and worth the money.