Scarface: Money. Power. Respect. - PlayStation Portable
Platform:
PlayStation Portable
Release date:
2006-10-06
Genre:
Strategy
Score:
7.2
Publisher:
Vivendi Games, Inc.
Developer:
FarSight Technologies Inc.
Game description
Scarface: Money. Power. Respect. is a turn-based strategy game based on the 1983 movie Scarface. Players need to manage their drugs business and expand their turf to rule and expand the drug trade in Miami, just like the movie. The game can be played in a single-player mode, either as scenarios from the movie or as a cartel challenge managing one of several unlockable cartels. Each scenario has different objectives such as gathering wealth, building a certain amount of structures or taking over rivals. Usually there is a main goal with several, optional secondary goals. The movie scenarios are interspersed with clips from the movie.
Most of the game is played on a single, fixed-screen where a map of the environment is shown, divided into different turfs with colours signalling whom it belongs to. Players interact through different menu structures as each round goes to three phases. The buy phase is used to hire thugs to fight or pushers to distribute, while constructing buildings such as labs and warehouses. Next is the power moves. These are advantages that can be bought in the areas of combat, drugs and law to influence the odds and apply pressure. The final planning phase is the dealing phase where the drugs is sold, based on the pushers and the structures of the first phase. This is done by going through the available turfs and determining where and what to sell (cocaine, heroin, pot) and which amount.
There is also a combat phase to the game as a final step as players decide to either invade a neighboring cartel or defend. Unlike the rest of the game the execution of the combat phase is shown in a full 3D environment showing the fighting thugs as the camera swings around automatically to show the action. The combat is turn-based and player interaction is limited to attacking, defending or using power moves. Power moves can turn around a disadvantageous position for instance by providing grenade launchers or hiring snipers. Other option are setting car bombs, killing reinforcements or preventing the enemy from calling in reinforcements. In the planning phase it also possible to offer an alliance to a rival player.
The multiplayer gameplay is similar, but played between friends each representing a different cartel. Each cartel is different based on three statistics. Like in the single-player cartel challenges it starts with players taking turns selecting the different turfs on the map at the start of the game.