New Gangsters 2 Shots. April 9, 2001 - Eidos and developer Hothouse are working on a nice little sequel called Gangsters 2. From what we've seen before - and what we see now - this is a lot more.
Management games. The PC's drowning in them like a gangster in concrete slip-ons. And it would be safe to say that they all come down to a basic template of effectively controlling resources to increase your power. Therefore we have to look at all the other factors that govern what makes a good game, and one that immediately jumps out is setting.
With its 1930s mob theme, the original Gangsters should have been a great concept to work such a template around. Of course, that's 'should' because, despite its setting, it was let down by an extremely shoddy interface and a tendency to overwhelm those not of a hardcore strategic disposition. What's the good news, then? Well, Hothouse Creations, didn't seem too happy with the game either, as they've gone and draped a shiny new coat over the sequel. One that'll hopefully cover the mess that was the first game.
G For VendettaThe less than intuitive interface has been redesigned in order to make it more user-friendly than its predecessor. Orders are now context-sensitive: with areas of the world dictating the kind of instructions you can carry out when clicking on them. The same strategies as before will be employed, however, instead of the original's turn-based play, your commands are issued in real-time. Profiting from the likes of protection rackets, prostitution, or gambling while keeping your hands clean with respectable fronts and skilled accountants should become easier, thus allowing the true strategy to shine through.Objectives are completed by recruiting lieutenants and assigning numerous tasks to each of your operatives.
Subsequently, each lieutenant can recruit four henchmen to help out and protect him while specific missions will require the skills of individual specialists - like safecrackers - to help you accomplish your goals. After successful completion of each mission, your employees are given experience points and characters are carried over from previous missions. You have a lot to lose if your characters get killed, so it'll take a lot of planning to get them through in one piece.All this is wrapped up in a story in which your character, Joey Bane, returns from overseas to find his father on the wrong side of the mob with his brains on the wrong side of his face. For Joey that's the perfect excuse to declare war on the mob element and take over the entire state using any method he can think of. Plot aside, what this means in practice is instead of randomly generated maps, the levels are purposefully designed to incorporate a set campaign - around 25 missions set over 15 different cities. Married To The MobWhat's more, the addition of day and night cycles should lead to more strategic manipulation of the environment. Certain tasks are going to be easier to accomplish under the cover of darkness, while your more respectable business fronts should operate at a premium during working hours.An additional deadunatcli mode is based around a number of styles, with 12 specially constructed multiplayer maps to battle on.
There won't be a map editor packaged with the game, and the developers are undecided as to whether to include one at a later date. It probably all depends on how well the game sells. When we've had a chance to settle down with the finished game we'll find out if it's any cop or whether we'll have to break out die baseball bats. Let's hope it's more Goodfellas than Godfather 3 otherwise you can just fuggedaboudit.
On the brink. This is what Im dealing with: cash dwindling down to nothing, two hybrid girls who have no idea who they are or where they come from, a snot-nosed little goblin whos constantly leeching me for money but also my best friend, a lunatic billionaire and a crime lord who I just stole their prized possession from.Oh, not to mention the On the road. On the brink. This is what I’m dealing with: cash dwindling down to nothing, two hybrid girls who have no idea who they are or where they come from, a snot-nosed little goblin who’s constantly leeching me for money but also my best friend, a lunatic billionaire and a crime lord who I just stole their prized possession from.Oh, not to mention the cops.Returning to my hometown of Philly, I got even more problems. My cappo cousin demands to know why I abandoned the family all those years ago—and he asks with fists and bullets.
My sushi-making kobold landlord is constantly squeezing me for rent, and my two hybrid girls are burning a hole in my pocket and a raging fire. Down there.What’s a hobgoblin wise guy like me to do? Why, man up and do the one thing I know how: be a stone cold gangster.Warning if you didn't pay attention to the warning on Book 1: This book contains explicit language, explicit action, explicit nudity, explicit lyrics, explicit everything.
Adults only, all that jazz. If you’re a precious snowflake, this book is a friggin’ flame thrower. I read this second book as the first one looked like there was some interesting stuff coming down the line. That interesting stuff is still hinted at, but I just found this book really didn't move things in a meaningful fashion.Depending on your appreciation of 'gangsta' talk you will like this more or less than I did; I was initially looking for more of an Elmore Leonard vibe, but that has not really materialized. The MC just isn't clicking with me, and the aforementioned lack of forward I read this second book as the first one looked like there was some interesting stuff coming down the line.
That interesting stuff is still hinted at, but I just found this book really didn't move things in a meaningful fashion.Depending on your appreciation of 'gangsta' talk you will like this more or less than I did; I was initially looking for more of an Elmore Leonard vibe, but that has not really materialized. The MC just isn't clicking with me, and the aforementioned lack of forward impetus to the story has left me feeling rather 'meh' about the whole thing. I'll pick the next one up to see if that's when things start moving again, but I'm not holding my breath.