Metareview: Gangs of London

Gangs of London

is the biggest release for PSP this week. Sony's been hyping the game through extensive advertisements and elaborate contests. They even printed tons of demos so that people would pick up, play and think "man, this game is a winner." Unfortunately, the plan backfired as I got tons of comments from readers trashing the game. Chris Powell asked me what I thought and I called it "laughably bad." It looks like our negative first impressions of the game were right as the game has been ridiculed by critics the world over. Let's check out some reviews from all over the world:

• Pocket Gamer UK (40/100) - "Don't put Gangs of London on anyone's Christmas list. Whether it's stealth, driving or shooting, the game feels limited and unengaging, is hampered by unresponsive controls and completely lacks the necessary polish of a modern production."

• Sydney Morning Herald (60/100) - "With such clumsy controls, the limited intelligence of both friends and foes, and a lack of mission variety, most players would have a lot more fun with GTA Liberty City Stories."

• GameZone (50/100) - "Gangs of London is a pretty dull game that can border on frustrating due to the clunky controls, lame missions and weak AI. Definitely more 'Swept Away' than 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'."

I'm somewhat disappointed at how this game turned out. If Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories wasn't around the corner, I'd be pretty upset.