25 to Life – PS2 – Preview 2

If you’ve ever played a team deathmatch driven
game such as Battlefield or Star Wars Battlefront then you’ll be very familiar
with 25 to Life. The only difference is that there are smaller battlefields (so
no vehicles) and it’s set in modern day using the idea of cops and robbers.

When playing a multiplayer game you pick a side, police or the street thugs,
and then go to war in one of many urban environments. To distinguish characters
you can set up a custom profile and set up the way they look, from features to
clothing. With this feature 25 to Life was not only allowing players to design
their character however they like, but also opening up the way clans are built.
Now you can start a gang that wears the same color scheme. Both PS2 and Xbox
versions of the game will also support the use of headsets.

You will be able to take down your enemy with over 40 weapons, both lethal
and non-lethal. There’s no penalty for using lethal force, but you are rewarded
for using non-lethal combat. For example, in a multiplayer match you can shoot
someone as usual, or sneak up and cuff them which increases
their spawn time. So for many that will be incentive to
master the non-lethal techniques.

25 to Life will have 4 different multiplayer modes. Raid sets a stage for the
police to attack a gang hideout, defended by the gang side.
Conversely, Robbery has the thugs infiltrate a location and
extract an item, all while the cops are protecting
it. Tag mode’s goal is to control as much area as you can by spraying your tag
all over. Tags will be available to all characters, and many choices will be
available. Finally there’s your typical deathmatch
mode called War.

But 25 to Life isn’t all about the multiplayer. A
deep, twisting single player mode has been provided, driven by P. Frank
William’s original story. In the story mode you will follow main characters on
both sides of the law, watching the story unfold from each perspective.

There is also a fully licensed soundtrack featuring many big names in
hip-hop, such as DMX and Tupac. The soundtrack
credits are still growing too, so it should be full of music to accompany the
killing. In fact, during a fight you can actually seek out the
boombox set up somewhere within the level and change
the track at will.

25 to Life is looking good, and is currently set
for a summer release on PS2 and Xbox.

For All E3 2005
Previews