Miami Vice The Game

When I first heard that a modernized Miami Vice would be hitting the silver screen and video consoles everywhere, I incorrectly imagined a style similar to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Just like the movie, starring Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell, the video game is much darker and grittier than its 1980s namesake featuring Don Johnson and his pastel wardrobe. Miami Vice: The Game is a victim of unmet potential. There are some creative elements to spruce up the usual shooter gameplay. But the linear game design, awkward AI, and unsatisfying brevity of the title hurt its appeal.

Taking on the role of either Sonny Crockett or Ricardo Tubbs, the game leads you through the world of drug trafficking. Rightly so, the developers have implanted an over-the shoulder camera view which has proven to be more visually appealing than FPS on the PlayStation Portable. The controls work fairly well considering the noticeable lack of a second thumbstick on the handheld system. Miami Vice relies primarily on gun combat to progress through the levels completing mission objectives we have all seen before in cop games including drug confiscation and taking down drug lords. Unfortunately, the game is very linear in design and suffers from a pattern of “shoot, follow path, shoot” that detracted from the overall experience.

To make Miami Vice more interesting, the developers have thrown in a neat feature to get the 411 on drug lords and new shipments. You can go to informants and bribe them with cash or confiscated drugs for information about the upcoming mission (standard protocol for Miami’s finest). More over, drug dealers on the street create a virtual economy where you can earn extra cash on the side by buying and selling on your own. Even though it’s an interesting feature, the game’s progression doesn’t depend on using it so it feels pointless. Additionally, Sonny and Ricardo occasionally chase evading drug lords in speed boats to mix up the gameplay.

Like I said earlier, the game revolves mainly around close-ranged gun combat. From the get go, you have the option of choosing what guns to use and what outfit to wear. A reputation system placed in the game will rate your performance in every mission based on your damage and the gear you use. This reputation is important in gaining access to higher-powered drug dealers. Sporting a Hawaiian shirt and sandals during combat will take you straight to the top while protecting yourself in Kevlar and a bulletproof helmet won’t get you any further than a street-corner weed peddler. The enemy AI is poorly executed in Miami Vice. The baddies run around the levels like chickens with their heads cut off in search of cover during action. They are far less combative than most video game opponents I have encountered. Similarly, your character will need to use cover before firing because the controls offer no aim functionality when moving. (being forced to stop and shoot constantly gets old fast).

There are a couple mini games which are fairly entertaining. One such game involves hacking into a FlashRam that contains encrypted information. The game lets you control a triangle-shaped icon that destroys square-shapes filled with data you can collect. Although not realistic at all, the mini-game looks very nice and works well with the main game. The greatest setback for this game is its short play time. Although it is a portable game, I was expecting Miami Vice to last longer than it did (about 7 hours). Considering such an effort was made to buff up it’s playability with the reputation system and the underground trade feature, the developers could have added an extra few hours of play time to make the game worth it.

The characters are modeled to look just like Farrell and Foxx and come out solid. Despite the linear design of the levels, the environments are nicely detailed with locations ranging from Miami Beach to the city’s back alleys. There is a noticeable lighting problem in some levels that make it hard to see close enemies, but the graphics are one of the game's high points. The enemy voice over work is way too repetitious during combat. Although the movie actors don’t lend their voices to the game, the voice acting for Sonny and Ricardo is pretty good. The atmospheric soundtrack, also works well.

There were some things I enjoyed about Miami Vice including the reputation system, the controls, and the mini-games. But the game lacked depth and a legitimate AI engine which hurt its performance. If you enjoyed the film, rent the game.

Gameplay: 6.6
The shortness of the game and the problematic AI engine pulls down this game’s potential.

Graphics: 8.0
The character models look pretty good. Although the game levels are noticeably linear and dark in particular areas, they are nicely detailed.

Sound: 7.0
The enemy voice acting is pretty monotonous. The main characters are voiced professionally despite the absence of the film actors. The soundtrack is also appropriate.

Difficulty: Easy

Concept: 7.0
The drug enforcement genre is nothing new, but I liked the idea of trading the drugs you confiscate to bribe informants.

Overall: 6.8
The reputation system and the underground trade feature had the potential to work exceptionally well with the action gameplay of Miami Vice. But the short play time, confusing AI, and the lack of aim functionality when in motion makes this title only worth renting.