Mob Rule Platinum Edition is a real time strategy game with a bit of a gangster, godfather flavor. This is a somewhat cagey topic for a game, as it deals with gangsters and murder and bribery. However MRPE manages to keep a light-hearted disposition throughout with humorous undertones rather than taking things too seriously. The result is an RTS title that is amusing with the right amount of game play combined with a cool gang war background that is fun to play, and not offending despite the violent content. I must admit that I laughed out loud several times, as I ran out of places to keep dead bodies.  

In any RTS, building and resource management is a primary goal. In MRPE resource management takes the form of workers. You must breed workers like there is no tomorrow. They are the foundation of your fledgling crime empire. Your workers can build, and fix and they can even hide dead bodies so the cops aren’t constantly up your butt snooping around. Once you have enough workers you can cash them in for gangsters. That’s when the real fun begins. You can contract your gangsters to go out and take care of rival crime families. You can even choose to upgrade the type of gun your gangster uses. A better gun allows you to kill more people at a faster pace. This is an efficient business tactic when a crime boss is trying to construct the biggest crime empire of them all. Pretty devious isn’t it?

Each mission has its own set of objectives. The big boss delivers these goals to the player at the beginning of the level in a cut scene. In order to proceed through the game, you must complete these objectives. Building the most lucrative crime empire can be tricky. You must obtain real estate, upgrade your housing, keep your tenants happy, avoid the coppers, and kill off rival families. I might add that I enjoyed killing off rival families. When a business needs to be upgraded it is usually a simple process. Gadget shops allow upgrades. Perhaps installing a better oven will upgrade a diner to a restaurant, or perhaps you would like to change your pub to a distillery. Each time you improve a business, the potential to make more money increases. Money makes the world go round.

The graphics are a bit dated here. It doesn’t appear any changes were made since the original release. The game is played from a god’s view, over the top perspective. Much like Pharaoh, and Age of Empires. While the in-game graphics are fine, the cut scenes are rather weak in both appearance and content. The music is fine, but does not add that 1930’s gangster atmosphere it should have. Instead, the music tends to be quirky and upbeat. Sound effects are appropriate, but not very imaginative. Character voiceovers are tongue in cheek, and are amusing at times. The learning curve is rather quick. Point and click to your hearts content with the mouse. Veterans of the RTS genre will feel right at home popping a cap in an unsuspecting rival worker. The controls are not as complicated as some other popular RTS games, so even if you are a casual gamer MRPE won’t take long to master. This title is a good choice for those casual gamers who have always wanted to play an RTS game, but were a little intimidated by the more complicated offerings out there such as Homeworld. Which is an excellent game by the way. If you passed on Mob Rule the first time around, I am here to tell you it’s worth a look. Especially for the price.  

Install: Easy
No problems here. Nothing unusual.

Gameplay: 8
Easy to learn, with enough content to keep it interesting and enjoyable.

Graphics: 7.5 
The in-game graphics are fine. The cut scene graphics are rather weak, and out dated.

Sound: 7
Appropriate sound effects, and humorous character voiceovers. Quirky music, and silly character animations.

Difficulty: 7
Veteran RTS fans won’t have any problems mastering this game. Casual gamers might want to check this title out because the learning curve is easy.

Concept: 8
Perhaps it is too silly at times, but the idea of a mob based real time strategy game kicks ass. I would have gone for the dark, brooding, film noir aspect myself. How long must I wait for Max Payne to be released?

Multiplayer: 7
Network play is available.