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Crime Life: Gang Wars xbx Game Reviews
Crime Life: Gang Wars
Critic Score
Metascore: 30 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
4.5 out of 10
based on 19 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 12 votes
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Rate this game

Crime Life: Gang Wars is a free roaming crime-based beat em up. Mixing action and strategy elements within a gritty, detailed storyline to explore modern-day urban gang culture, the player is cast as a small-time homie who must work their way through the ranks to become a gang leader. Urban culture and the Hip Hop lifestyle is the focus of Crime Life: Gang Wars. The game boasts a strong narrative that shows the dangers and strains associated with gang membership, and promotes a strong sense of morality via game elements inspired by classic gang movies, such as "New Jack City," "Boyz 'n the Hood" and "Menace to Society." The player must protect his own people from exploitation and abuse, and defend his crew from the violence and treachery that permeates the society he lives in. The game is set within Grand Central City, a sprawling metropolis where ruthless gangs are vying for power as the police struggle to contain them. Reputation is everything, and for the player to survive he must establish himself as the toughest fighter against the most menacing gang members out there, all of whom are battling for street supremacy. The player will always feel like his next fight could finish him or make his name forever. [Konami Europe]

PUBLISHER: Konami
DEVELOPER: Konami Europe
GENRE(S): Third-Person Action, Adventure, Strategy
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2005

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

50
Computer and Video Games
The combat is stupidly easy and as badly designed as MC Hammer's trousers - timing kill moves or complex combos together is rendered fun-free, as you're held by the hand all the way through by giant yellow 'Y' icons that flash over an enemy when he's ripe for a kill move. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]
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49
Gamer's Hell
With a simple yet wholly deficient control mechanic that renders fighting anything but entertaining, a supposed free-roaming environment that’s somewhat limiting, poorly executed graphics and characters, and laughably bad sound, Crime Life: Gang Wars is barely worthy of the bargain bucket—and with its reduced price tag, it’s almost there already.
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46
Cheat Code Central
The cutscenes are among some of the worst acted I've ever seen. The writing is equally as amateurish as the acting. Never mind the bad grammar, but the whole hip hop vernacular is just cliché after bad cliché.
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45
Worth Playing
Whether you're supposed to chuckle at the writing or take Tre's quest at earnest face value, either way, it's not too much fun to play.
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40
DarkStation
Don't be fooled with this brawler's budget pricetag, as its attrocious camera angle, repetitive gameplay and dated visuals makes it a complete waste of your money.
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40
Team Xbox
The “is it so bad it’s funny, or just that bad” vibe runs rampant throughout this title, from the ridiculous “fighting” engine, to horrendous visuals, and absolutely laughable dialogue.
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39
IGN
Even Capcom's dismal "Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance" is preferable to this. The missions are vague, the fighting system is boring and repetitive, and there's little to motivate you through Grand Central City's rather limited geography.
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35
GameZone
The game’s fighting mechanics are not only stiff but they are also completely devoid of anything that comes close to fun.
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33
Gaming Horizon
I have no idea how Konami expects to sell more than six copies of this game. The members of D12 might buy it to put it in some self-idolizing shrine, but nobody else should go anywhere near it.
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30
GamePro
The mind numbs along with your thumbs. Though the streets fill with indistinguishable enemies, clogging the frame rate, you'll never find the excitement you crave amid the mechanical melee, only a dull realization that you can't tell which thug is yours, and that you don't much care.
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30
Digital Entertainment News
All told, the game’s atmosphere is so bad I’d almost be tempted to suspect this game was a parody, if the gameplay wasn’t also bad enough to match.
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28
Game Chronicles
If you like tasteless "edgy" games that have mind numbingly repetitive gameplay, then Crime Life: Gang Wars is right up your alley.
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21
GameSpot
From top to bottom, there's absolutely nothing to like about Crime Life: Gang Wars. It isn't even bad in an interesting or funny way. It's just garbage.
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20
GameSpy
The haphazard implementation of the few good ideas in here, combined with ugly production values, makes looking for any diamonds in this rough a worthless endeavor.
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20
GamerFeed
The absolute worst example of the "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" cloning process, sticking together with its below-average graphics, its poorly-selected soundtrack, and its miserable excuse for a gameplay set-up.
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20
G4 TV
At least we now have a low bar for Grand Theft Auto clones.
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20
Electronic Gaming Monthly
One of the worst looking games to come out this year. [Feb 2006, p.110]
15
Official Xbox Magazine
The story is almost laughably bad, but a laugh would give it some value, and it really is value-less! [Feb 2006, p.79]
15
PALGN
There’s just nothing even slightly likeable in the game – players are more likely to have fun banging their heads against a wall or cleaning rubbish on a highway than they’ll have with Crime Life.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 4.5 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it a0:
The only crime life displayed in the games is the crime of robbing you of your money and stealing your dollars when you buy it. You might as well burn your cash in a pile on the floor then spend time playing that you'll never get back.

Gerald G. gave it a1:
How does a respectable company make such garbage? The make groundbreaking games like Metal Gear then make this fake gangsta life game. Im just shocked they put there name on this. The graphics and gameplay are equal to nintendo 64 at best!

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