Welcome to the SimMafia world of Gangsters 2: The
Mobsters Sin. You are the dark and brooding Joey Bane and you’re on a
mission to avenge the death of your father at the hands of local mob forces.
But once you mess with the Mob there’s no turning back.
Installation was simple and quick. In
addition, the Installation screen offers you the first glimpse of what passes
for graphics in this game. The still shots aren’t bad but they’re not
particularly good either. And that’s the story with the graphics
throughout the game. Short animated sequences between each mission help to
push the overall graphics to just above average, but there certainly not there
to be the focus. This is a simulation style game after all so as long as
the gameplay is good it really shouldn’t matter. Unfortunately, the
gameplay is marred by an awkward control system that requires constant micro
management of multiple targets, and an annoying way of layering the map so that
buildings disappear and reappear all the time.
There are however some upsides to this game.
Among them are the sound effects. I
could listen to the dying yells of enemy Mobsters all day. In addition,
large sections of spoken dialogue and the film noir style animations help to
give you a feel for the gritty personality of this game. Other effects
such as the use of chalk outlines also add to the Mob world feel. But
perhaps most importantly you get to play a Mobster. You get to join the
ranks of people like Al Capone, Meyer Lanski and Bugsy Segal. This is the
world of Elliot Ness and the Untouchables. And it is arguably one of the
most interesting periods in American history.
However, even highlights like these cannot
overcome the overwhelming mediocrity of this game. It’s neither good nor
bad. Take it or leave it. But if you like Mob movies, if the word
"Prohibition" brings images of blazing Tommy guns to your mind, and if
you have the patience this could be a game for you.
Install: Easy
Autorun install process minimizes any
difficulty
Gameplay: 6
Awkward controls.
Graphics: 6
Not the greatest graphics but for a sim
style game they suffice. Also the way in which the building graphics layer
is annoying.
Sound: 7
A lot of spoken dialogue though it
is slightly stilted. Otherwise the sound effects an music are pretty good.
Difficulty: 9
I had it on easy and found the game
challenging. Most of this however comes from control problems.
Concept: 8
Classic concept of 1920’s fame revamped
and made accessible to everyone.
Multiplayer: 7
If you like the game then playing against
others who enjoy it would probably be a lot of fun.
Overall: 6
Its a decently done game but it offers
little to highlight its less than average graphics and poorly designed control
system.
