As we know, games based on movies usually aren’t really any good, well they aren’t are they? maybe this is due to the limited time developers have to get the game out in time for the movies release, maybe, so it comes as a surprise then that Scarface, which hits Nintendo’s Wii this month is probably one of the best games based on a movie yet, if you want to know why then read on.
The game is based in sunny Miami and you are free to roam the city until your hearts content, the whole object of the game is to reclaim your turf and build your empire, this can be done in many ways, through intimidation, shady deals or just good old violence, however one of the best ways is to buy properties and use them to sell drugs, this will obviously help you to earn the money needed to get you back to the top of the crime charts, in fact just owning properties can reward you so it’s definitely worth it.
Vivendi have included a few nice features to help you get through the missions, one of these is the balls meter which by taunting enemies or hitting them with accurate shots fills it up, enabling you to become temporarily invincible, this also allows you to gain health back for every kill meaning that there is no need to pick up the handy health packs which are lying around.
While the balls meter has it’s advantages, it is wise to make proper use of it as this will help you get through the missions a lot easier, some of the missions can be very tough and without the filled up balls meter you may find yourself struggling to get through them, although should you get killed the meter is reset anyway, meaning that you could be in for a tough time.
One of the best things about this game is the controls, aiming your gun has never been easier, you simply point your Wii Remote at the screen to take aim and then fire, so simple yet so effective and it just shows how well the Wii’s controllers have been designed, even if they weren’t thinking of games like this when they were at the drawing board. To move or turn your character you simple use the nunchuck, you can also shake the nunchuck to taunt enemies, which is quite amusing.
As well as the balls meter mentioned earlier you also have the Heat system. You have two separate heat levels for gangs and the police, the higher your heat, the more likely you are to be shot at and although you can pay to have this reduced using your phone this also reduces your profits.
The police heat level works by two meters appearing on the screen, the first one shows the area in which they will be able to track you, if you leave this area then you should be safe. The other meter comes in the form of a white line which surrounds the map to show how hot the cops are on your tail, when this meter surrounds the map, it fills up with a red bar and basically you must get out of the area before this fills up completely as otherwise it will be game over.
Graphically the game looks very nice indeed, it has a very GTA feel to it, with it’s free roaming city and 3rd person action, the scenery looks well drawn and the action is very smooth, the sound also compliments this well with the realistic sound of chainsaws and bullets giving a real sense of authenticity.
Scarface: The World is Yours plays very well indeed on the Wii, so much so that you would think that this game was specifically made for it rather than just being the same version from consoles such as PS2 with a few extra features added, perhaps the most impressive aspect (which we mention earlier) is the controls as they just work brilliantly, if you are looking for a game which is a world away from Mario and gives you some real action then you can’t go wrong with this.
