Scarface: The World is Yours Preview September 4,2005 -

Generally speaking, games based on film licenses have had less than stellar track records. Despite the popularity of the brand name, videogame critics revel in the mediocrity of the many sub-par movie and book tie-ins that are seemingly released with the goal of cashing-in. Scarface, Brian De Palma's 1983 film, has become a cult hit over time with a fan-following that blows other “classics� out of the water. Al Pacino’s portrayal of the uncompromising and menacing Tony Montana is brilliant, and due to the originality of the character and film, Tony Montana has become nothing less than a pop-culture phenomenon. Both the character and the movie live on with a staggering fanbase…

This brings us to Scarface: The World Is Yours, the aptly named up-and-coming videogame from Radical Entertainment. The developers do indeed hold the movie license, but instead of creating a rehash of the film, Scarface will assume that Tony survives the firefight that acted as De Palma's dénouement (you will have to dispatch the enemies, though). However, Tony’s days of “getting high on his own supply� in complete wealth are long gone as the game begins. It’ll be up to you, as the player, to usurp the men who have taken Montana’s empire from him.

In line with the fact that previews are supposed to make things clear, let’s lay it out like this: from screenshots, videos and every tidbit of information we’ve come across, Scarface: The World Is Yours looks awfully similar to GTA: Vice City. That isn’t “awfully� in the respect that we believe Scarface will flop, but it’s a cause for concern nonetheless. Al Pacino has been lending his likeness to the game to assure its authenticity, and we’re anticipating other nuances to please fans of the film.

In terms of similarities to Vice City, in addition to the Miami milieu, Scarface also plays from a third-person viewpoint. However, when engaging in combat the camera will move directly over Tony’s shoulder. Moreover, the game makes use of context-based damage to – it would seem – make the firefights more than a simple process of aiming and jabbing the appropriate button. So, text will appear to indicate where you are hitting the enemy, although with the bigger weapons at your disposal, they go down quickly no matter where they are shot.

As the developers of the game rightly say, the Tony Montana of film was not one to keep his mouth shut, even during intense battles. So, to keep in-line with the fact that the protagonist had a penchant for exercising his vocal chords in the heat of battle, the Tony in the game will shout and scream and, as the player, you’ll even have the opportunity to press a taunt button.

Essentially what this does is draws enemies from their cover and into your line of fire. If you use the taunt feature effectively, you can pick off enemies as they search for you. Taunting can also be used in one-on-one battles. Though it renders you vulnerable for a split second, it does also mean your enemy will reply himself and thus, become vulnerable for a moment.

During the movie, Montana occasionally snapped. When doing so, he would enter a rage and perform seemingly death-defying maneuvers, disregarding the fact that he was heavily outnumbered. Radical has introduced a feature aptly titled "Blind Rage Mode", which is the videogame equivalent replete with some awe-inspiring slow-motion effects. Montana will have a meter that slowly fills with every kill and Rage mode will be the reward. Once full, Tony automatically locks onto targets and a cone of destruction moves around the room. You must simply control the cone and, as the clichéd saying goes, the rest is history.

Above all else, Scarface will be home to a huge world. There will be side missions that involve a wide tapestry of tasks, from selling drugs and laundering money--simply put, you have to be blind to the law to progress. This doesn’t include harming and killing civilians however, and Tony will actually refuse to shoot any civilian he meets, although drawing a gun in public will cause passers-by to quiver in fear. Possibly the most important aspect of Scarface’s gameplay is that of reputation. Reputation must be earned by purchasing property and other items of value. Story-based missions can only be accessed once you have enough reputation, so indulging in the game’s variety of sub-tasks will be essential to getting the chance to enact revenge.

Since the game will be coming to both consoles and the PC, its visual prowess might vary markedly depending on the system. For instance, we imagine that it will look superior on the imminent Xbox 360 over the ageing Playstation 2. The size of the game world is being kept under wraps and we’re unsure as to whether or not it will match the scope of the Grand Theft Auto games.

A few snippets of information about the Scarface game: it will not feature Pacino’s voice, but it will include two other actors from the film; both Robert Loggia and Steven Bauer, who are lending both their likenesses and vocal talents to the game. And although VU recently stated that Radical’s title would be hitting stores this fall, the date has been re-evaluated and set to sometime in 2006. Surprised? You shouldn’t be, since there isn't really much known about the game as of now. However, we’re confident that there will be a steady stream of screenshots, news and videos to treat ourselves prior to release, and we'll gladly say hello to Tony and his little friend when the game finally appears.

Games, News, Reviews, Media and More