“Scarface: The World Is Yours” was released in 2006 (same year The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess came out) on PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It received positive reviews from critics and gamers alike. In addition to praise, the game sold enough copies. The game later came out on the Nintendo Wii in 2007. There are four reasons why I wanted to share my thoughts on this game. One, Al Pacino’s most recent film is Ridley Scott’s “House Of Gucci” with Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto & Jeremy Irons. Second, Al’s next film is “King Lear” which is currently in the works. Third, The Godfather has recently turned 50. Fourth, As of March 2022, a remake of “Scarface” is in development with The Coen Brothers hired to write the script. Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria) signed on to direct.
For those who haven’t seen Scarface, it’s a requirement, because the game opens with Tony mowing down Sosa’s men.
Rise & Fall Aspects
Rise: Even though Al Pacino didn’t voice Tony Montana due to years of smoking, his likeness is used. Thankfully, an impersonator did an excellent job mimicking Al’s Cuban accent. You can feel Al’s presence.
Many celebrities such as James Woods, Ice-T, Oliver Platt, Cheech Marin, Michael Rapaport, Jay Mohr, Cree Summer, Ricky Gervais, Richard Roundtree, Bam Margera, Tommy Lee, Anthony Anderson, Daniel Dae Kim, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kevin Dillon, Sen Dog, B-Real, Jason Mews, Jerry Ferrara, Wilmer Valderrama, Michael Rooker, Robert Davi & the late Tiny Lister Jr. all did a decent job for their respective voiceover performances. Many of them wanted to partake in this game, because they mentioned Scarface as one of their favorite movies.
Despite killed off, Steven Bauer plays a different character. A cocaine producer named, “The Sandman.” Has nothing to do with Spider-Man. He previously played Tony’s best friend, Manny Ribera. Robert Loggia narrates the game. He previously played Tony’s boss, Frank Lopez.
David McKenna (American History X, Blow) did an excellent job writing copious pages as well as recapturing the film’s tone.
Graphics at the time were great. They still hold up for a PS2/Xbox game.
Gameplay is influenced by the “Grand Theft Auto series. Presented as an action-adventure third-person open-world game, you play as Tony Montana making your way to the top in Miami, Florida. You navigate on foot, drive cars and boats. Wield various weapons (range and melee) by taking down anybody (except civilians) who get in your way. To stay alive, use cover and then aim at your designated target. Halfway through the game, you can explore Caribbean islands.
A unique mechanic called, “balls meter” fills up by killing enemies in various body parts, talk to NPCs (non-playable characters) or taunt foes after mowing them down. Once it’s full, “blind rage” switches to first-person making you temporary invulnerable. If you kill any goons, your health restores.
Another unique mechanic is a mini-game that lets you trade drugs for money. If you land on a safe zone, you’re good. If it doesn’t go well, you’re boned. Same applies to the cops if you fail to talk your way out of a messy situation. Laundering all your money at the nearest bank. If you land on a low interest rate, you’re covered. If not, it’ll cost you a lot.
You can gamble playing video poker, blackjack, slot machines and chicken cock fights.
Heat Level is presented in two types. Both cop and gang heat are affected by your actions. If you can too many goons, the gang heat goes up. If you perform illegal activities like hitting pedestrians or going on a rampage, the po-po heat goes up. To reduce heat, pay up if you wanna stay safe.
The Soundtrack is filled with over 100 songs ranging from rock, hip-hop, funk, pop, country reggae and last but not least, the soundtrack from the original movie. To put the icing on the cake, you can make your own mixtape.
As you progress, you gain reputation points. Leveling up unlocks things to buy. You earn them by beating missions, buying businesses, partake in street races, outfits, cars, boats, expensive stuff for your mansion and unlock playable henchmen to do all your dirty work.
Instead of being killed, you prevent Tony’s demise. An appropriate concept for the game rather than retelling the movie’s story that we already know.
You can decorate Tony’s mansion whatever style suits you. Place any item that fits your taste in swagger.
The toughest part of the game is delivering every single drug to your stores. Rival gang won’t stop until you’re dead and they will attack your stores if you forget to install security cameras and bodyguards. Always double check on your businesses before you embark on a long trip.
After fleeing from Sosa’s men, Tony vows never to get high on his own supply. He regrets killing Manny and unwittingly endangers Gina after one of Sosa’s men shot her. Tony seeks revenge towards Sosa. First, he needs to rebuild his empire from scratch.
If you’re having a hard time, cheat codes are included. Thankfully, you can look ’em up.
It took me several days to beat the game. The final mission is tough yet satisfying.
Fall: I couldn’t find anything wrong. I’m giving the developers an Extra Point for making a flawless game as possible.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
Scarface: The World Is Yours is one of my favorite movie-based video games. It still holds up for game that came out in 2006. If you still own a PS2 or Xbox, I strongly recommend this masterpiece.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 