Customer Reviews

The Escape from Paradise City

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If truth be told, most cRPGs are about Medieval/Mythical/Fantasy worlds. There are just not enough modern day cRPGs; so when a new one comes along (even if it has some RTS infused into it) I am willing to cut it some slack.

Predictably, "Paradise City" is only an euphemism if I ever heard one. Gangs and thugs and (not so) organized crime have overrun the city. In a classic noir pulp story fashion, your main character (Porter) is pulled out of living-fat-on-the-last-heist retirement by a crooked NSA agent, Boris.
The gameplay alternates between controlling Porter (a marksman), a street-fighter (Angel, pulled out of death row by Boris) and Boris, whose strength lies in...convincing others to do the fighting for him.
Each level's objective is capturing and controlling neighborhoods within a specific area of the city. Some neighborhoods provide income (yeah, wetting your beak in protection money), while others can offer henchmen.

The graphics are detailed and will convey an original inner city feeling. From graffiti tags and street food-vendors to flying paper-liter and flapping clotheslines, the crime-overtaken neighborhoods come alive on your screen. Voice acting is also well done, although it will prove repetitive after some hours.

The game has a Third-Person isometric perspective (usual to both classic cRPGs and RTS games) which means its enjoyment is camera-dependent. Unfortunately, this does not work without glitches. In fact it looses the 5th star on fun because of the fickle camera control. The camera does not follow the main/active character and it will not always respond to the arrow keys or the edge-of-the-screen mouse pointer. As a result, I had my character starting battles at a distant point it was not easy to get to and control.

The 5th star overall is lost due to bad AI. The fact that the enemies are not very bright either is no consolation when your group could elect Forrest Gump as their enlightened leader! I mean, they are SHOOTING at you, DO SOMETHING!
Finally, the 4th star was withheld because of the ever present ...advertising. Urban atmosphere is one thing, finishing the game and knowing about certain upcoming NOKIA and CDV products is quite another. And, to add insult to injury, it is the repetition that gets to you: the same 4-5 billboards alternate everywhere - it is not even informative.

On the other hand, the gameplay is intuitive to pick up and easy to use. Both the interface and the skills options are well designed and user friendly. Working around and getting used to the shortcomings will reveal a good game that can be enjoyed not only by cRPG fans.

All in all, a good solid effort.

After two decades of gaming, I find only about one in ten games is worth spending my time to finish. Escape from Paradise City turned out to be a one in ten game. A third person squad style game (with on demand zoom in perspective), this game has a lot to make it worth your time.

What I liked most:

Uniqueness (street crime in action):

Maybe not the first game to propose the idea, this game does a good job with it. You take over neiborhoods to gain respect (called power in the game) and then hire dirtbags of different sorts to protect your investments, whilst you skim away all the money.

Atmosphere:

The game starts with a movie style introduction, then presents a story line much like a B movie script would read (cool). If you slow down your play for a moment and look around the game environment, you will see the game has continued to grow its atmosphere with in-game extras. For example, try getting up close to one of the buildings and looking in the windows. There is stuff and people inside even if you can't enter most buildings. A small thing perhaps, but it is this kind of detail that works for a game. The dialog is also in synch with the feel of the game too. It all comes together to create a consistent aura during game play which is necessary for a successful gaming experience.

Smooth Game Progression (controled level-up):

At first you are caught off guard by how the game limits your characters' level ups during each chapter. But once you understand the game you realize this is not actually limiting, but is simply the mechanism by which the game offers a progression of character growth while keeping each chapter from getting too easy. Indeed, it becomes the key to choice. There are eight groups of skill paths you can select from as the game moves forward. You must choose among these in each chapter given your level ups are capped during a chapter. You have to decide how your character will play out.

Alternative Strategies (power skills):

In the begining the game is simple in how you must do what you do. But as the game moves forward you have the option to employ more complex tactics to achieve your takeovers and your end goals. For example: you have several ways to add members to your squad either permanently, semi-permanently, or temporarily: you can hire Henchmen in a bar. These guys stick with you as body guards through the game, unless you release them, or get them killed; or you can hire Scum as expendable meat to beef up your presence during a chapter's play; or you can bribe the mayor for total control of a neiborhood you just took over then hire a "neiborhood watch" to protect it, or you can call in a task force from "the agency" for a hit, and if you own a neiborhood with a police station you can delcare a crime scene and call in the COPS to do your dirty work. But my favorite might just Robie, a guy with a baseball bat. Simple, straight up intimidation, and I note that there is something very satisfying about the sound the bat makes as Robie uses it to club a neiborhood boss into submission, sort of a "squishy thwack". It is via special abilities called power skills that you do most of this work and as the game moves forward, POWER SKILLS offer you tatical options that open up your game play. This means the game continues to improve as you play, and stays fun right up to the end.

Complementary Game Components (skills, vs. abilities, vs. powerskills vs. special attacks, vs. equipment):

Several aspects of the game can build upon each other to create killer characters. The most obvious example of this may be Henchmen and it starts with your CHARISMA. In most games, charisma is a less important trait, but in this game it may be the most important. As a leader, your character contributes to the level of ability of your followers. Each point of charisma you have improves your Henchmens' powers and abilities so it is worth investing in. You can equip items that multiply the power of your Henchmen. You can upgrade with character skills that increase Henchmen power and speed, and the number of Henchmen you can control. And you can employ special attacks that offer up temporary increases to those around you. It is possible to create a small but devastating personal army that follows you around, if this is the kind of character you want to play.

Not too long:

Unlike many RPGs today, this game does not play for so long that it becomes a bore. You never feel like you are going through the motions just to finish.

What I didn't like:

A somewhat dumb AI:

The AI does not have any real strategy of its own so you can if you wish simply play a brute force character and power your way across the map of neiborhoods till you own them all and achieve the chapter's goal. It would have been nice to have the AI use its own set of powerskills.

Too Short:

I wish there had been a few more chapters for each character. Well... there is always a sequel.

Overall, this is a fun game, of a unique style, with a game pace that suites its style just right. It is a sleeper hit in my opinion.

Hail Flavius