iPhone goes Mafia: Respect and Retaliation mad
Another addition to the Godfather of game genres appears
Perhaps GTA is to blame, despite this new trend for organised crime games not really bearing a great deal of gameplay resemblance to the controversial phenomenon.
After all, it was Grand Theft Auto that made it cool for our gaming alteregos to be bad, and the iPhone is rapidly building up a whole sub-genre dedicated to organised crime.
The latest addition comes from SGN (of iBowl fame), in the shape of Mafia: Respect and Retaliation. This is another massively online multiplayer strategy title in the vein of Addmired's iMob Online, Aftershock Innovations's Mafia LIVE! and PlayMesh's iMafia.
Respect and Retaliation offers location-based services that allow you to carry out jobs (virtual jobs, remember, before you go out to buy a wide lapel pinstripe suit and a trilby) in such places as the Empire State Building, Central Park Zoo and Tescos in Bradford (not really, but if I were to go on a murderous rampage, it’d be in a supermarket).
You begin your illicit career as a goon, and aim to work your way up the global crime ladder - carrying out jobs for the Don and eventually building bars, restaurants and casinos.
Just like its rival games, Mafia: Respect and Retaliation begins with free access to the application and allows mobsters to get ahead by purchasing credit packages spread throughout the App Store pricing structure.
These packages range from 59p for ten points all the way up to £29.99 for 1250. It’s a fascinating new revenue model (adapted from the PC’s MMO arena) and it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out.
And, just for good measure, there’s a tilt controlled shooting gallery game, just so we don’t forget about the entertaining levels of violence underpinning any organised crime game. This’ll be an essential opportunity for you to shoot off wise guy one-liners, as well as hot lead.
