25 to Life

If you’ve ever played a team deathmatch driven game such as Battlefield or Star Wars Battlefront then you’ll be very familiar with 25 to Life. The only difference is that there are smaller battlefields (so no vehicles) and it’s set in modern day using the idea of cops and robbers.

When playing a multiplayer game you pick a side, police or the street thugs, and then go to war in one of many urban environments. To distinguish characters you can set up a custom profile and set up the way they look, from features to clothing. With this feature 25 to Life was not only allowing players to design their character however they like, but also opening up the way clans are built. Now you can start a gang that wears the same color scheme. Both PS2 and Xbox versions of the game will also support the use of headsets.

You will be able to take down your enemy with over 40 weapons, both lethal and non-lethal. There’s no penalty for using lethal force, but you are rewarded for using non-lethal combat. For example, in a multiplayer match you can shoot someone as usual, or sneak up and cuff them which increases their spawn time. So for many that will be incentive to master the non-lethal techniques.

25 to Life will have 4 different multiplayer modes. Raid sets a stage for the police to attack a gang hideout, defended by the gang side. Conversely, Robbery has the thugs infiltrate a location and extract an item, all while the cops are protecting it. Tag mode’s goal is to control as much area as you can by spraying your tag all over. Tags will be available to all characters, and many choices will be available. Finally there’s your typical deathmatch mode called War.

But 25 to Life isn’t all about the multiplayer. A deep, twisting single player mode has been provided, driven by P. Frank William’s original story. In the story mode you will follow main characters on both sides of the law, watching the story unfold from each perspective.

There is also a fully licensed soundtrack featuring many big names in hip-hop, such as DMX and Tupac. The soundtrack credits are still growing too, so it should be full of music to accompany the killing. In fact, during a fight you can actually seek out the boombox set up somewhere within the level and change the track at will.

25 to Life is looking good, and is currently set for a summer release on PS2 and Xbox. 

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