Hobbies And Interests
Grand Theft Auto III
The highest rated of the mafia-inspired games, "Grand Theft Auto III" was released in 2001 and features an aggregated Metacritic score of 97 out of 100. You step into the shoes of a recently escaped convict who works his way up the crime food chain before becoming the most respected crime lord in Liberty City. Sean Ireland wrote in his review on Gaming Age "You'll love every minute of it. Rockstar has changed the way I look at videogames."
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Inspired by the movie "Scarface," "GTA: Vice City" has players assume the role of Tommy Vercetti, whose arrival in Vice City brings with it a new era of organized crime. From starting gang wars to buying property around the city, "GTA: Vice City" expanded upon the open world crime of "GTA: III." Featuring a Metacritic score of 95, Fennec Fox wrote in his GamePro review "The gameplay in Vice City is more addictive than ever, except now there's twice as much of what made the first game so great."
The Yakuza Series
Navigating the American mafia is hard; making your way through the Japanese Mafia, or Yakuza, is like stepping into another world. The "Yakuza" series for the PlayStation 2 is not about rising to the top of the crime syndicate, but about using the secrets your character, Kiryu Kazuma, has learned about organized crime to solve several murderous plots. The first game ranks a 75 on Metacritic, while the sequel raises the ranking to 77. Sam Bishop of IGN wrote that "Yakuza 2" offers "a fantastic story that is actually interesting, sports characters that you can grow to love or hate, and plenty of twists to keep all those disparate parts fresh. Go buy this game."
Scarface: The World is Yours
In "Scarface: The World is Yours," Tony Montana does not die in the shootout depicted in the film; instead he is left to take the ashes of his crime empire and rebuild. Similar in nature to the "Grand Theft Auto" series, "Scarface" mixes combat with missions involving the smuggling of drugs and a cat-and-mouse game between the cops and your anti-hero. Metacritic scores the game at a 75 with Chris Roper's IGN review stating "while it isn't quite perfect, we won't hesitate for a second to recommend it to action fans everywhere."
The Godfather
Based on the cinematic classic of the same name, "The Godfather" retells the first movie through the eyes of a lowly mobster hoping to strike big and become a trusted member of the Corleone family. Aside from taking out rival families, the game allows you to rule over a mini-empire of businesses that all funnel money into your own criminal activities. Metacritic has the game listed at a score of 75, with Games Radar's Mikel Reparaz writing in his review "The action is bloody and satisfying, the story plays out like exceptionally well-written fan-fiction and the spirit of the movie and its characters are intact."