Scarface: The World is Yours - Xbox (XB), Playstation 2 (PS2) Previews


	Platform PC, Playstation 2, Xbox Genre Action Publisher Vivendi Developer Radical Entertainment ETA Fall 2006
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Scarface: The World is Yours

In 1983, in the film Scarface, the brutal and paranoid Tony Montana showed us what the Miami drug scene was all about: chainsaws, Cuban criminals, how to get the power and the women, killing anyone in your way and illegal narcotics, lots and lots of narcotics. At the climax of the film Tony was shown getting his just reward for his criminal behavior and avarice, which was about a thousand or so bullets and a short plunge into a decorative pool.

It's unlikely that Tony lived to see another day, but that is exactly the premise of Scarface: The World is Yours. Somehow, Tony has survived. What's a deposed gang lord to do? Rebuild of course. That's where the gamer comes in.

With an original event-driven storyline, complete with historical events, by David McKenna and Al Pacino giving the okay to use his likeness, the game already seems to be on firm footing, at least in terms of laying the groundwork for a successful film-to-game translation. Also helping is the voice talent already tapped, including Robert Loggia, Steven Bauer, Cheech Marin, James Woods, and Michael York. (There's no mention anywhere of Pacino adding his voice as well as face to the game, though the impression included in the trailers is one of the better Tony Montana ones I've heard so it might not be such a big deal.)

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It could be argued that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City culled most of its "inspiration" from Scarface; there are too many parallels to write them off as coincidence. Now it seems that it's time for Tony Montana to return the favor. If Radical Entertainment weren't at the helm of Scarface: The World is Yours I might actually be worried that the game would simply be a Grand Theft Auto rip-off -- their Simpsons: Hit

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& Run and The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction are in my Top 20 Games of the last five years -- so I have hopes that they'll do the source material justice. I'm expecting a deft mix of Max Payne style action and Grand Theft Auto exploration of a massive environment, by land, air, and water (and the trailers confirm that).

If you've seen the film, you already know that Tony has a hair-trigger temper and to include this anger in the game Radical has included a Blind Rage Mode -- one can image it will lead to heightened health and aiming.

To keep in the spirit of the film Tony won't be able to harm "women, children, or NPCs." (One assumes that NPC in this case does not include enemy drug lords or DEA agents.)

There is also much ado made about the customized soundtrack options, which again takes a page from the Grand Theft Auto playbook. The included tracks promise to use "music from the film's time period."

Scarface: The World is Yours is scheduled to ship Q4 2006 for PC, Playstation 2 and Xbox.

- Omni

(July 20, 2006)