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Escape from Paradise City Review for PC

Escape from Paradise City Review for PC

Ah Yes, I’ll Have A Molotov Cocktail Please

What do an ex-con, a street brawler, and a crooked FBI agent have in common? Rather than facing imprisonment, a death sentence, or exposure, the unusual trio is enlisted by a secretive government agency to infiltrate and take down the gang bosses who dominate control over a crime-infested city in Escape from Paradise City. Developers Sirius Games offer an edgy, refreshing take on the hard-boiled crime genre which combines quality RTS and RPG elements in an action-packed struggle set in a gritty cityscape. Quite literally, it’s a killer combination.

Escape from Paradise City screenshot

The game features a misfit cast of characters made up of thugs, gangsters, average citizens, business owners, crime lords, henchmen, and even some with elements of the supernatural. Throughout the story, players will control three unlikely heroes – each at different times during the game – as they face off against the dregs of humanity. Retired bank robber Nick Porter is living the good life off the fruits of his labor when he’s caught by the NSA. He’s given little choice but to help them out or spend life behind bars. The street-tough Angel Vargas is on death row for killing another inmate who attacked her. She’s given a second chance at life, and an opportunity to put her hand-to-hand fighting skills to good use, when a special agent recruits her for an undercover stint in the city. Corrupt police detective Boris Chekov found a lucrative business in bribes and abuse of power, yet he’s forced to join the fight to recover the city when the NSA threatens to uncover his double-dealings.

Each of the characters has their own skills and fighting styles to utilize to your advantage. Nick specializes in automatic rifles and distance weapons, Angel drops thugs with her brass-knuckled fists in hand-to-hand street combat, and the obese Boris lumbers around ramming his pistol in the faces of those unlucky enough to tangle with him. Their three intertwining stories unfold across 16 chapters set in Paradise City. The RPG aspect of Paradise City comes into play as you gain experience and your characters grow tougher. Aside from seeking out more powerful weapons and items, you’ll develop your characters by boosting their stats when they level-up and upgrading their skills using a unique trait tree. Traits bestow special abilities ranging from powerful attacks in combat, to stealth movement, and even the ability to hire additional henchmen, among other things. They’ll come in handy when things get rough, and they do.

Escape from Paradise City screenshot

Players will be dispensing some vigilante justice on behalf of “The Man” as they reclaim neighborhoods from crime bosses and recruit their own henchmen to patrol the streets. In each chapter, you’ll control one of the three characters as you work to take the power back and restore some semblance of order in different areas of the city. Though missions vary as the plot progresses, the game flow frequently follows a pattern of either taking over gang occupied neighborhoods until you have enough strength to overwhelm the final area boss or completing specific goals which allow you to advance. Every area is zoned into a handful of individual neighborhoods, each controlled by a gang boss. Crossing into enemy territory means you’ll have to deal with mobs of rival “gangers” before reaching the neighborhood boss and “convincing” them to join your side. This involves beating them to within inches of their life. After they’ve seen the light, they’ll run around to various businesses in the neighborhood to let them know who the new boss in town is.

Recapturing a neighborhood gives you skill points, experience, and a steady source of income for use to grow your influence. It also introduces a unique resource management and strategic element to the game which adds to the fun. The more turf you control the more money, henchmen, and power you’ll have at your disposal. Bribing the mayor of an acquired neighborhood allows you to then recruit your own gangers which can be used to defend the borough or sent out on raids to assist in your hostile takeover of other neighborhoods. Even once you’ve secured an area, there are still small pockets of random thugs scattered around the map which you can take out for extra money, experience, and special items. In alleyways, you’ll often find citizens with errand requests and seedy-looking skill trainers who’ll sell you special abilities.

Escape from Paradise City screenshot

Gangers are fairly expendable, but tougher personal henchmen can be recruited at the neighborhood bars. These dives are also a good source of stat-boosting drinks as well as weapon and armor upgrades. Whether you want an alcoholic cocktail or a Molotov cocktail, these establishments should suit your needs perfectly.

Escape from Paradise City screenshot

Paradise City looks run down, but the game’s visuals are far from it. Shadows and light, weather changes, shifts from day to night, and other interesting effects all play perfectly into the intense graphics and city atmosphere. The streets are bustling with more than gang activity as pedestrians walk around town, cars travel to-and-fro, and people go about their business amidst the chaos. Everything happens in real-time, so a watchful eye and a fast trigger finger are necessary when roaming the streets.

Two different camera modes provide their own unique perspectives and can make the game feel completely different depending on which one you choose. Strategy mode is an overhead view of your character and the city around them. It provides a good view of what’s happening across a large area of the current neighborhood, and movement, combat, and other controls are handled with a simple point-and-click of the mouse. Action mode gives you a closer third-person view – much like in later Grand Theft Auto titles – with the camera settled just behind your character. This mode gives you more direct manual control over your character with movement and strafe controls handled with the WASD keys and surrounding buttons. Combat attacks and special skills are initiated with the mouse. Switching between the two camera modes is effortless, and both do a great job of giving you a front-row seat for the action.

Escape from Paradise City thrusts players into a dynamic gaming experience they won’t soon forget. Some story elements may feel too common or even cliché at times, yet the high level of play control, enthralling locations, superb visual detail, and role-playing elements are some of the best we’ve seen lately. On the whole, the game knocks you to the curb, kicks you in the teeth, and makes you love every second of it. It’s violent, sexy, and highly recommended.

Features:

  • Three distinct, playable characters with unique strengths, flaws, and individual motivations for cleaning up the city. Each must be successfully employed to survive the gripping single-player campaign.
  • An expertly blended mix of gritty RPG and “territorial control” RTS gameplay that challenges players to grow their characters and employ strategy to create and hold on to an expanding crime empire.
  • An intriguing single player story told over sixteen chapters, interweaving the lives of three “rough around the edges” heroes that slowly uncover a terrible mystery behind Paradise City.
  • A beautifully rendered 3D modern city, populated with the worst elements the criminal world has to offer, along with some seemingly non-human creatures, complete with day-night cycles, and inclement weather.
  • LAN and Internet based multi-player action that pits up to eight players against each other for control of Paradise City (working in up to two four-person teams). A deep skill tree offering players a wide variety of powers and skills for creating the ultimate character
  • A wide variety of weapons, including pistols, shotguns, and much more
  • A fully controllable camera lets players command their characters from an “eye in the sky” viewpoint, or a “man on the street” third person view

    RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.7 Graphics
    Superb visuals from every angle. Lots of attention was given to creating proper lighting, weather effects, and high detail environments to give players a full taste the unique flavor of the city. 4.2 Control
    Lots of flexibility with camera controls and the point-and-click interface. Two unique camera modes give completely different play experiences. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
    Funny one liners and slick jibes abound. The voice acting is solid and other sound effects are great. 4.8 Play Value
    This is just a great game all around that will suck players in and hold their attention through to the end. 4.6 Overall Rating – Must Buy
    Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

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