Amazon.co.uk Review
Despite the immense amount of attention directed toward violence in media and games, computer game developers continue to push the proverbial envelope, particularly in the first-person shooter genre, where each game seems more violent than the last. The latest envelope pusher is
Kingpin: Life of Crime, a "gang simulation" created by Interplay and Xatrix Entertainment, developers of the infamous
Redneck Rampage action game.
Players assume the role of the appropriately named Thug, a relative lowlife in the large crime world that comprises the Kingpin universe. Similar to other games in the shooter genre, the player views the world from a first-person perspective and carries a diverse arsenal of weaponry: pistols, machine guns, rocket launchers and a visually impressive flame-thrower.
Gameplay consistently retains the player's interest, despite Kingpin's rather bland environments (yet another warehouse?) and dialogue that consists mostly of profanity. Levels include objectives that aren't always "kill everything at first sight". In fact, often you need to befriend rather than destroy; offer money (collected from corpses) to other gang members and they'll assist in combat. Pawn shops scattered around the levels offer another twist by allowing players to buy whatever weapons they want, limited only by the depth of their wallets.
Once you've completed Kingpin's single-player game, you can hop online and compete against other human players in Death-match and Bag Man (similar to Capture the Flag, but you capture the money instead) games; however, Kingpin's multiplayer network code isn't as smooth as the latest first-person action games. --Doug Radcliffe
Product Description
Somewhere in a past that never existed lies the world of
Kingpin--a landscape of burned-out buildings and urban decay, where local gangs rule the streets. Begin your rise to the top by assembling your own gang of thugs. If a new member turns out to be a punk, waste him and make way for new blood. As you move up in the world, you are sure to attract the attention of the Kingpin. So, eventually you are going to have to take him down. From the creators of
Redneck Rampage,
Kingpin: Life of Crime is an involving experience that includes a multiplayer death match for up to 16 thugs. Get to know the population--mothers, kids, street punks, winos, vigilantes, cops, feds, shopkeeps and many others. Some will help, while others will shoot first and ask questions later. Watch enemies and allies with neural net-based AI behave like real humans, right down to displaying pity or vengeance, heroics or cowardice. Leaders co-ordinate large groups, and teams work together, instead of shooting each other in the back. Buy and sell items through a system of intelligent pawnshops that set the street value for everything from polished heaters to scrap metal. Target specific body parts and actually see the damage done--including exit wounds. Strengthen your turf by recruiting the gang members you want on your side. Talk to people the way you want. Hop a train to get around town.
