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Miami Vice: The Game - Hands On Mini Preview
Jon Wilcox
22/06/2006
With the return of Crockett and Tubbs coming to a cinema near you, TVG takes a shot at this PSP exclusive...
Rolled up suit jacket sleeves, a Ferrari Testarossa, and the sun-bleached streets of the Florida underworld, yes the world of Crockett and Tubbs are set to make a return later in the summer in Michael Mann's Miami Vice. But whilst we wait for it to hit the silver screen, Vivendi Games (does anyone else miss the 'Unversal' bit?) will be bringing the crime-strewn streets of Miami to PSP. Taking place before the events of the movie, Miami Vice The Game looks to give gamers a chance to reacquaint themselves with the duo, and sample the life of the city's best-known elements of its vice squad.
A third-person shooter that unsurprisingly sees gamers take control of one of the two cops as they track down drug lords throughout the city, Miami Vice is perhaps not the most inspired of titles. Following the initial tutorial mission, players get their first look at the hub structure of the game, a map of Miami with hotspots for Police HQ, informant Freddie Luiz, tailors, armourers, and drug dealers.
Collecting hauls of drugs during missions is a key part of Miami Vice's gameplay, as they can be sold to the city's nefarious underworld for cash or sold to Luiz as a bribe for information on the following mission. Drugs in essence make the world of Miami Vice go round, with cash generated by sales allowing players to upgrade weaponry, buy the trademark suits or armour (dependent on whether players want to build a reputation in the game). Different dealers supply different drugs and for different prices, so it's a bit of a rollercoaster financial market experience where the price of drugs can go up or down "Cocaine up 8%" but players can score (pun intended) an easy profit. It doesn't however use supply and demand, instead relying on seemingly random price shifts. This wouldn't be Vivendi Games trying to drum up an air of controversy in a bid to raise the game's profile, would it? It may offer a gameplay feature in Miami Vice that allows player to spend their drugs money on new suits and guns, with the price of drugs even increasing and decreasing during certain stages, but whether the move is actually a right to see in a videogame is sure to give Vivendi what they want...cue angry rants from Jack Thompson.
Besides drugs, players can also collect intelligence in FlashRAM chips found throughout the locations of the game. These chips can then be hacked, allowing for free weapons upgrades from the armourer. A three-part hacking mini game that bares closer resemblance to old space shooters such as Asteroid (or even a more sedate Geometry Wars), players hack by destroying spinning cubes against a pretty tight time-limit.
Aside from the linear campaign, players can also team up with a second gamer who can take control of the remaining member of the duo via Ad Hoc Wi-Fi. Dropping the maps and drug dealing elements of the single-player, the multiplayer is pure running and gunning, which clearly shows how much the title actually relies on the mini-games to provide a sense of variety. Being a PSP exclusive title has meant that the control system is one of the better ones available in action games for Sony's handheld, though the integrated covering system is purely functional - the ability to throw down statues for cover is a nice touch though.
Even as a preview build there's a real concern that there's not enough variety in the gameplay, with mission after mission of run 'n' gun lightly broken up by short missions on the speedboat. Playing the drugs game, and the most unusual hacking mini-game ever does at least break up what would otherwise be a monotonous experience of action - but it's questionable at this stage whether it will really do enough.
There are a number of bugs in the preview build, something that developers Rebellion should correct by the time the game goes on release in July. Most notably are occurrences of characters sinking into the floors after taking cover, and enemies running on the spot. Other issues in the game that are probably beyond correcting is the poor state of AI, with enemies running back and forth along pre-designated paths in the various maps.
Roll up your suit sleeves and slip on the Ray-Bans, Miami Vice is looking to put you undercover on the mean streets, and deal with the scum on the streets. Whether the movie will raise the profile of what is looking like an overall bog standard third person shooter (albeit one on the PSP) will have to be seen. It's not shaping up to be game of the year, but at the same time, it's unlikely to be the worst either. TVG will have a review of Miami Vice: The Game in the coming weeks.
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