Gangland Preview

The critical and commercial successes of games like Grand Theft Auto and Mafia have proven that the public has an appetite for crime- and gangster-themed games. Whiptail Interactive is banking on that interest with its upcoming game Gangland, a strategy game that combines elements from both of these games as well some elements from Republic: The Revolution. We recently had the chance to take a first look at the game.

You start the game by choosing to play as one of four different immigrant brothers who arrive in a fictional city similar to '20s- and '30s-era Chicago. As you'd expect from a game of this type, Gangland's city is alive with activity. Pedestrians and civilians stroll around by the dozen, going about their business. Various shops and other establishments serve customers, while cars roll around the city streets, waiting for you to steal them. Paperboys on city corners yell out recent headlines and keep you informed of the latest news, while other citizens gossip about current events. If a gang war erupts in the street, nearby civilians run and scatter, and you'll soon hear about the incident from the paperboys. And, of course, the police play a significant role in the game, since bribery becomes a common theme as you work to keep them off your back.

You start the game by working for a mafia don. Your role is to perform simple jobs to work your way up the gang hierarchy. These jobs include extorting money from local businesses as well as handling some hitman duties. As you earn money for completing these jobs, you're able to hire henchmen who can help you in combat. These henchmen vary from large meatheads (who are good at pummeling people), to lithe female assassins (who are armed with automatic weapons), to bazooka and sniper rifle-armed gangsters. You and your lackeys gain experience and become more skillful as you use your weapons and equipment--which you can upgrade at stores. As you work your way up the gang ladder, eventually becoming a trusted lieutenant and captain, you gain the ability to hire more and more henchmen. Soon you'll become powerful enough to overthrow your own don and take over his gang.

Once you become the leader of the gang, your responsibilities grow, and the game then takes on a more strategic scope. All of a sudden, the money coming in from the businesses you were extorting and buying off comes directly into your coffers instead of the gang's. It becomes even more important to capture and buy off businesses in the city to gain more turf than the other mafia dons you're competing against. You also need to set up businesses, like restaurants, gun shops, speakeasies, and brothels, to gain the funds you need to operate your gang. Paying off all the police who are lined up outside your headquarters, for example, becomes a task of paramount importance. You're also able to use your money to leverage help from international connections; these connections will open up new weapons and unit types for you to use.

Another interesting gameplay aspect of Gangland is the inclusion of family. Eventually you're able to get married and have children. These children will grow up to become powerful and autonomous captains in your gang, and you'll need them to expand your criminal empire and to control more turf.

Gangland's graphics engine seems to be shaping up nicely, rendering a detailed and convincingly lifelike city. All the objects in the environment can be used as cover during a firefight, and you're able to use the alleyways and insides of buildings to hide from enemies and set up ambushes--taking full advantage of line-of-sight. Characters, as well as static objects like telephone poles, phone booths, and trees, cast shadows on the ground during the daytime, while lights from buildings and lampposts provide illumination at night. The 3D engine lets you zoom in and out, and you can rotate the map in any direction you need.

One especially unique thing we noticed about the game's graphics, at this point, was the anachronistic nature of some of the cars. The game's vehicles appear similar to real-life car designs from the latter half of the 20th century, while the themes, buildings, and weapons (like the Thompson submachine guns) are clearly inspired by the '20s and '30s gangster era. Given the fictional setting of Gangland, the developers at Media Mobsters seem to be exercising some creative license.

Currently, the developers plan on including a map editor as well as eight-player multiplayer capability over a LAN or on the Internet. Details on the multiplayer aspect are sparse at this time, but given everything else it has to offer, the game seems promising. Gangland is currently scheduled for release for the PC next February.