Joystiq hands-on: Scarface not so meh

Going into today's meeting with Vivendi, my expectations on what Scarface -- which ships either in September or October for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC -- would be like were pretty low. I knew the basics of the game and had seen a trailer here and there, but assumed it would be just another paltry Grand Theft Auto clone/crappy movie license game. Lucky for Mr. Tony Montana, I was dead wrong.

Still in its pre-beta form, but light years away from what it looked like at E3, the game is actually progressing nicely with solid controls and other elements to make any Scarface fan weep at the sight of its unbridled violence. Since most open-world third-person games claim to be different or improve upon the GTA formula, Scarface actually backs up its similar claim with a mix of what worked for GTA and betters what didn't. Check after the break for the full breakdown on a game that is surprisingly not as awful as you might expect.

Feeling the Miami heat

Set, of course, in Miami, Scarface picks up where the movie left off. This time, instead of being blown to pieces by a million bullets, Tony is the one doing the blasting. And instead of dying, Tony's empire is left dead and it's up to you, the player, to bring it back to its criminally-brilliant glory.

The backdrop of the game is what you'd expect. But perhaps what you're not expecting is the wealth of music to go along with your gameplay.

Besides the original movie soundtrack, the game also has a massive amount of music from the 80s and even today. It's honestly the most music I've seen in any one game. You can even create your own personal playlists -- ALA iTunes -- to suit your needs as you chop off heads and shoot holes through those that stand in your way.

And speaking of the sounds, an ensemble of actors have been collected for voice-over work in the game. They include: James Woods, Ice T, Jay Mohr, Cheech Marin, Ricky Gervais, Michael York, Tommy Chong, Anthony Anderson, Wilmer Valderrama, Richard Roundtree, Bam Margera, N.O.R.E., Tommy Lee, B. Real and others.

Tony himself -- an impersonator picked personally by Al Pacino -- has about 200 different taunts when in combat and more than 200 when speaking with NPCs. The amount of detail and realism put into the game is quite refreshing and it's good to see the makers not resting on the name alone to sell it.

You lookin' good?
The graphics on the PS2 version are on par with what you'd expect on the console. They aren't near as great as games like God of War, but they serve their purpose. The style and tone match the era and subject matter you'd want in Scarface. It's not the most beautiful game in the world, but it is slightly better than what you'd find in Grand Theft Auto.

Tony looks like Tony and that's all that really matters, right? While some of the other characters may be a bit on the blocky side, it's nothing that detracts severely from the experience of playing the game. There were a few clipping issues here and there, but that's to be expected in an pre-beta build and hopefully won't be too much of a problem upon release.

Right on target
Looks, music, these are all minor things when compared to actual gameplay and control. I don't know about you, but I can't stand the fighting and shooting system in other third-person titles like GTA. It's almost obscene that they are continually allowed to get away with a broken combat system, but they make up for it in so many other ways that Rockstar is able to disable the gamer's mind against it. Here's where Scarface begins to look like a real gem.

The controls for targeting and firing are very solid for what's to be expected in this genre. In fact, if I had to compare it to anything, I'd say it was almost similar to the way Ghost Recon is for the Xbox 360. Even if you don't feel like using a free-aim mode, there is an easy-to-use lock on system that actually makes sense. In fact, when locked on, you can pinpoint different areas to attack on an opponent. The driving is fairly standard and gives you a nice sense of speed as your roar past other cars. There aren't any Burnout-like effects, but you do get a sense that

you aren't exactly abiding by all speed-limit laws.

The "balls" meter is also a nice touch. Players can fill it up by performing either daring moves or saying the right things. Once filled up, you can trigger "blind rage" and smoke fools with the greatest of ease.

Another positive addition is the way you can collect items such as weapons and decorations for your mansion. Instead of being forced to visit every little shop, the menu is right at your finger tips with one push of a button. Want a hit man? Bam, you got one. Want a driver? Coming right up. This is just one of the few examples of where Scarface improves upon the GTA formula of having to drive to every little corner just to get a limited amount of loot.

Say 'ello to ma little friend?
So, after about an hour of some up-close-and-personal time with Tony Montana and company, what did I come away with? Well, I came away

from a game that looks like it will actually be a solid playing experience and could add to a great lineup of current-gen titles coming out this Holiday season.

I tend to shy away from movie games as they have a history of pure suckage. But after today, I can easily say I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the final version. I left the devs with one thought before I walked off: "Don't f**k this one up."