[Discovering Indies] City of Gangsters

I have rarely faced a product like the one we are analyzing today: City of Gangsters. This will not be a review by any means. We are not talking about a game in Early Access, not even a beta. We are talking about a very green product, still in one of its alpha phases. Therefore, what I will do in this review is try to elucidate the path they want to take, to glimpse the goal a little. Although I assure you that not only is it not easy, but I am also afraid that the goal is not as wonderful as I would like.

We are talking about a game from SomaSim, creators of Project Highlights, a very cool skyscraper construction simulator that is already a few years old. Broadly speaking City of Gangsters It puts us in the shoes of a gangster in the middle of Prohibition. From there you will climb the ranks until you control a large part of the city, which at the beginning could be Chicago, Detroit or Pittsburgh.

The first impression is not entirely positive. At first we find a very simple menu, with very loud and repetitive music (in fact I can't say for sure but I think it's the same track on a loop), very crude animations and a cumbersome and confusing playable system. There are no tutorials implemented, so you will have to go to websites to consult its basic functions. But, oh bad luck, there aren't any yet. The worst thing is that some of its important functions are complex to understand, so it can paralyze you for a while, diminishing your enjoyment.

We are talking about a turn-based game system, in which we will visit different businesses, providing different types of products (most of them illegal), completing missions and receiving favors. We will travel the map in a car (or truck if we have the ability to drive it) in which we will find other gangs with whom we can beat each other to death on a street or the police, who are there but I think they lack chicha.

The game contains a lot of text that immerses you fully in that 1920s atmosphere. From the classic favor to destroying someone's place because they don't want your protection. The problem is that Other languages ​​beyond English are not yet implemented, so you will need to have a good command, since we are not only talking about another language, but also pure slang. It's not Fallout 2 with its slang mixing Australian English with American slang, but you will need a translator from time to time.

The characters are procedural, so you will never find two alike. From their nationality to their abilities. Your character may be a nervous guy and that makes deals go worse. Or you may be an expert in wine making. There are skills that can be learned for payment to some NPCs, which will allow you to expand your business beyond your specialty. There is also a level up, but it only affects a few parameters. Perhaps in the final version they will add many more concepts.

The best thing I really see about the game is the real feeling of progression. It's not like other games where you feel like the band is already predefined before you take control. Here you are the one who founds the gang, the one who takes control of the streets, the one who hires the others. In that sense is where I see the game shine the most and I hope this makes it stand out from other similar products.

For the rest there is little to say. Today it is a mediocre product, riddled with bugs and with little content. Maybe in a few months it will begin to emerge, to shine with its own light. But today, I do not recommend purchasing it, although if you are interested you can get it at Steam.