Gangsters 2: Vendetta

Management games. The PC's drowning in them like a gangster in concrete slip-ons. And it would be safe to say that they all come down to a basic template of effectively controlling resources to increase your power. Therefore we have to look at all the other factors that govern what makes a good game, and one that immediately jumps out is setting. With its 1930s mob theme, the original Gangsters should have been a great concept to work such a template around. Of course, that's "should" because, despite its setting, it was let down by an extremely shoddy interface and a tendency to overwhelm those not of a hardcore strategic disposition. What's the good news, then? Well, Hothouse Creations, didn't seem too happy with the game either, as they've gone and draped a shiny new coat over the sequel. One that'll hopefully cover the mess that was the first game.

G For Vendetta

The less than intuitive interface has been redesigned in order to make it more user-friendly than its predecessor. Orders are now context-sensitive: with areas of the world dictating the kind of instructions you can carry out when clicking on them. The same strategies as before will be employed, however, instead of the original's turn-based play, your commands are issued in real-time. Profiting from the likes of protection rackets, prostitution, or gambling while keeping your hands clean with respectable fronts and skilled accountants should become easier, thus allowing the true strategy to shine through.

Objectives are completed by recruiting lieutenants and assigning numerous tasks to each of your operatives. Subsequently, each lieutenant can recruit four henchmen to help out and protect him while specific missions will require the skills of individual specialists - like safecrackers - to help you accomplish your goals. After successful completion of each mission, your employees are given experience points and characters are carried over from previous missions. You have a lot to lose if your characters get killed, so it'll take a lot of planning to get them through in one piece. All this is wrapped up in a story in which your character, Joey Bane, returns from overseas to find his father on the wrong side of the mob with his brains on the wrong side of his face. For Joey that's the perfect excuse to declare war on the mob element and take over the entire state using any method he can think of. Plot aside, what this means in practice is instead of randomly generated maps, the levels are purposefully designed to incorporate a set campaign - around 25 missions set over 15 different cities.

Married To The Mob

What's more, the addition of day and night cycles should lead to more strategic manipulation of the environment. Certain tasks are going to be easier to accomplish under the cover of darkness, while your more respectable business fronts should operate at a premium during working hours.

An additional deadunatcli mode is based around a number of styles, with 12 specially constructed multiplayer maps to battle on. There won't be a map editor packaged with the game, and the developers are undecided as to whether to include one at a later date. It probably all depends on how well the game sells. When we've had a chance to settle down with the finished game we'll find out if it's any cop or whether we'll have to break out die baseball bats. Let's hope it's more Goodfellas than Godfather 3 otherwise you can just fuggedaboudit.