GTA Clone...........that sucks.
So I bet most of you guys if not everyone heard of the game 25 to Life. I originally preordered the game last February when it suppose to be released however, it went through some major delays before it hit the store shelves just last month. The media coverage and reviews of the game were nothing more but negative bashings. So despite all of the bad reviews I still wanted to try out this game for myself, as I couldn't believe Eidos would take soo long to release a game that has no value in it.
So here I am after all of my College exams on my way to EB Games to pick up a copy of 25 to Life. Before I even tried the game I had my own expectations in mind however the fact that the game's graphics are not the state of the art didn't bother me. After creating my account I obviously went online to try the sucker out. I have to be honest with you guys that at first glance the game didn't impress me at all. The connection issues, cheaters playing online and the whole apperance of the game even though set in great environments and the whole urban theme attached to it, wasn't much impressive. At first I really have thought that I wasted my money on the game as the whole game and online aspect of it (which I was looking forward to the most as I barely play single-player anymore) basically sucked.
But let me tell you something. It wasn't untill I sat down with the game for good few hours, when I realized that this game is practically amazing. Despite it's flaws it became one of my favorite games right off the bat. While the graphics look quite dated the looks of characters, level design and character customization are well done. The game is really fun to play(remember I am referring to the online aspect of the game). It's fast paced unlike Socom(though I am not saying it is a bad game or anything), with great shooting mechanism which might not be as realistic but makes the game fun as hell. The whole urban-gangster feel to the game is really appealing and I bet alot of people will find it same way.
Gameplay:
As for the gameplay, it falls short as well. The control system (which cannot be customized beyond 4 very similar layouts) was obviously designed for keyboard/mouse and does not translate well to a console controller. The aiming system is very non-intuitive and although you get used to it eventually, it can never be as precise as the manual aim in games such as GTA. In fact, getting used to the awkward controls is the only real challenge. Your characters also move around in this slow motion jog, so strafing or zigzagging is practically useless. The only strategy is to hide behind walls, then pop out to shoot.
Graphics:
The graphics look like something on par with a late release PS1 game. The animations are terrible, and your enimies running back and forth mindlessly remind me of the AI in those countless "Doom Clones" of the mid 90's. The backgrounds lack any real detail, and everything has a generic look.
Sound:
Another great thing about the game is the sound. Not only the guns sound great but the music in the game honestly rocks. The game features lots of great artists such as 2pac, Xhibit, Shane, Tech N9ne and DMX. I didn't really find a track I didn't like and I have only seen that in few games such as GTA:SA and NFS:U but 25 to Life's soundtrack is even better. It's not only the fact that the music is off the hook but it also creates a great type of atmosphere while playing the game. It sets a theme in the game which just feels right and at the same time pumps you up.