Scarface:
The World is Yours


So, with the recent release of Grand Theft Auto 4 and the failure of my Xbox 360 (making me unable to play the new game) I've decided to give other "open world", "sandbox" titles a try. Scarface is the first...



Scarface: The World is Yours comes from developer Radical Entertainment (Hulk, The Simpsons: Hit and Run) and publisher Vivendi Universal Games. Released in 2006, the game was supposed to be a PS2 exclusive but was soon ported to the PC and the Xbox. In 2007, a version for the Wii was released. An Xbox 360 version was planned to be released but was canceled.

Review:

Graphics:
As one would expect from both the Wii and the fact that the game is a sixth generation title, the graphics aren't necessarily worth writing home about. If I had to put it into one sentence I'd say that graphically, Scarface, is just one level above Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Don't get me wrong, they're not unbearable...1980s Miami is very much alive and vehicle/environment/character models are pretty detailed. I was actually somewhat impressed on the detail put into the faces and such of the character models, especially Tony Montana's model. Yet, there were still plenty of graphical glitches and tweaks, the game also had some trouble in the fact that it would appear blurry sometimes.


Graphics = 7.5/10

Gameplay:
In the greater scheme of things and with other "open world" titles like the Grand Theft Auto series and Saint's Row, it's sad to say that Scarface doesn't much stick out from the crowd. Sure, it has it's own unique characteristics to it but nothing too special or groundbreaking. Much like in any title like this you have free roam of the map and can traverse it using an assortment of cars and other vehicles. You have plenty of weapons at your disposal ranging from a .38 special to a shotgun, a rocket launcher, and even the infamous chainsaw we all know from the film.

Scarface introduces a few small new mechanics. First the concept of "balls" which act as sort of a reputation mechanic but also helps you gain an edge when you're in a fight with your enemies. A result of this is the "Blind Rage" mechanic where when activated, Tony will go crazy with bloodlust and the camera will go into a first person view point where Tony can shoot at his enemies around him, gaining health for every one he hits.

Another mechanic are the mounds of luxuries and such you can purchase. You can purchase things like furniture and such for your mansion when you get it back, and are able to place it wherever you want. The problem with this however is that the movement system to place things is clunky and the objects you spend money on are worthless after that, you can't interact with them, all they do is give you reputation. You can also use money to purchase different kinds of cars and boats and even things like drivers (who will bring you a car no matter where you are) and bodyguards etc.

Beyond that nothing else is too new. You can buy businesses and fronts for drug operations. Bribe people, make drug deals, buy black market weapons, etc.

Missions are nothing new, most of the time they're bland. Either driving somewhere and killing someone or stealing something. There's really no excitement or anything unique in Scarface's missions.

On the Wii, something gets lost in translation in the controls. While this is only the first game like this to come to the Wii it still just doesn't feel right. Things that could be easily done on a gamepad take practice and time to get right, which makes for not only challenging play but also frustrating play.

Gameplay = 6/10

Audio:
Unfortunately the great Al Pacino doesn't lend his voice for Tony, but instead we do get to hear a guy (Andre Sogliuzzo) do an extremely good impression of him. If there's anything that this game gets semi-right it's its voice acting. It's pretty stable, the script on the other hand is a bit of a mess (which makes the voice acting look bad). For some reason, you cannot go 3 minutes in this game without someone yelling about "balls" and "cockroaches". The music in game is alright, ranging from modern music to music from the 1980s and 1990s. Nothing special though.

Audio = 3/5

Replay Value:
I guess if you really like this game enough to keep playing it even when there are no missions to do then more power to you. However, I found it even hard to keep playing the game only after about 4 hours. This game leaves something out of the equation as far as keeping your attention goes.

Replay Value = 3.5/5

Story/Plot:
Unlike most games based on the movies, Scarface doesn't run parallel to the story within the film. Instead it takes place after the film. Now, those who've seen the film are wondering how that's possible seeing as how we all saw Tony take multiple shots to the chest and a shotgun blast from point blank in the back...

Well as far as the game's concerned Tony makes it out of there alive and goes into hiding. Meanwhile, his mansion is destroyed and his crime empire razed. As Tony you must gain your power once more and rise above the streets of Miami to deal with your number one enemy - Sosa.

Story/Plot = 8/10

Conclusion:

Simply put, Scarface: The World is Yours doesn't bring anything new to the table beyond some unimpressive mechanics and such. On the Wii, the controls are terrible but if you're unlucky enough to ONLY own a Wii then this is the closest you're gonna get to Grand Theft Auto IV. After playing Scarface for more than a few hours you'll begin to realize that pretending you're in Scarface while playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is way more satisfying than playing this title.

Final Score = 27.5/40 or 68%