25 to Life

In 25 to Life you get a taste of an intriguing story line from three different perspectives. A criminal, a cop, and a gang member who just wants to get the hell out from under a life of crime. You can play from a first- or third-person perspective depending on your preference, and both play equally well. The game is littered with profanity and violence, but what would you expect from a gang type of game? This game is solely directed towards a mature audience and that is the only gamers I can honestly recommend this to. The game is very graphic with blood enabled, but that’s what makes this game even more realistic. There are some great cutscenes when your character dies played in slow motion that end up with your man laying in a pool of blood spilling over the concrete. Graphic yes, something you would find in any R rated gang movie? Most definitely. Some may say it might be pushing the envelope a bit, but it really did enhance the game.

Visually the game looked pretty darn good. I would not say that it was all that and a bag of chips or anything, but it’s the little things that immerse you into the game. There are plenty of noticeable items in all of the maps that are subtle, but enough to add a realism to the environment. I liked that bullet holes actually stayed in walls that you shot and that you could shoot glass, bottles, vases, etc. Blood splattered stains never hurt after you blow a guy's head off with a sawed-off shot gun either. Audibly the game is fantastic. The sound effects are top notch and the voice-overs are amazing too. Like most games repeated dialogue can get a bit old, but in this title it was tolerable. The high marks go to an awesome soundtrack. If you like Rap or Hip Hop you will be delighted to know that the music in the game is from some actual musical artists like Public Enemy, 2Pac, Xzibit, Tech N9ne, and DMX. There are roughly two dozen songs that can be heard any time you are near a boom box and you can change the song track as well. I rarely customize characters for online play but with the countless choices after you unlock items for completing special objectives in your missions turned out to be a blast. Couple that with some great tunes playing while you create your "gangster" and it puts you in the mood to decide what kind of tattoo to choose and where to put it.

There are plenty of weapons that you can acquire after blowing away anyone trying to stop you. Machine guns, pistols, sniper rifles, tear gas, Molotov Cocktails, etc. to give you an idea if what you can wield. You can even grab a hostage and use them as human shield. There are main and secondary objectives to complete and you get bonuses for completing them. The bonus is unlocking different customizations for your character. The environments hold pretty true to the storyline and are nicely done. You will find yourself in shady parts of town, Mexico, escaping from a prison, and a mansion to name a few.

Multiplayer Online and LAN is supported, but at the time of review I was only able to play for a short time. There are still reported issues according to some forums I found and hopefully a patch will be available soon. You can either play as a criminal or as a cop, and there are four types of games. There are many different options to choose from if you are hosting a game so you can pretty much customize just about everything. You can even join clans right on the Web site rather than finding a bunch of guys online and piecing one together like you have to do with most other titles. My online experience was short, but fun and I cannot wait until the bugs are worked out.

I have to say I was surprised how much I enjoyed this game. Normally, violent criminal games that play a lot of rap music are not something I would select. I’m usually one of the good guys and/or fighting on the US side of a military FPS, or the like. I also have to confess that I am not a huge fan of rap or hip-hop, but the music truly enhanced the game and game play. All these elements combined added to a realistic gaming experience. I requested this title to review as a change of pace and I am happy that I did.

Graphics: 8.0
Visually the game looked great. Special attention to blood was definitely made if you so choose to enable it. It is definitely violent and is what you would expect from this type of game.

Sound: 8.5
Though the sound effects and voice-overs were decent, I have to note that the soundtrack is fantastic. If you don’t really care for Rap or Hip Hop you have to appreciate that the music is composed from real artists and not something just made for the game. The music compliments the game 110%.

Concept: 8.0
Though we have seen a few titles that carry criminal-type attributes, you have to appreciate a title that has a good story line to go with all the fighting.

Multiplayer: 8.0
Still some bugs need to be worked out at time of review but hopefully there will be a patch soon. There are several games to choose from and if you want you can even join clans if you like. I liked that you could customize the characters with loads of gang paraphernalia including spray painting your "tag".

Overall: 8.0
I liked the game and would recommend it for a Mature gamer who likes this type FPS. I am a bit disappointed at time of review it was difficult to play Multiplayer with some online issues. Fortunately I was able to play a bit to get a feel for the review. Now let’s get that patch released!