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Omerta - City of Gangsters
Developer(s)	Haemimont Games
Publisher(s)	Kalypso Media
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows Mac OS X Xbox 360
Release	Windows, XBox January 31, 2013 (D-A-CH) February 1, 2013 (EU) February 12, 2013 (US) January 31, 2013 (Download) January 31, 2013 (XBox) Mac OS X Q1/13
Genre(s)	Simulation game
Mode(s)	Single-Player, Multiplayer

Omerta - City of Gangsters is a simulation game with turn-based tactical gameplay elements developed by Haemimont Games and published by Kalypso Media for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and the Xbox 360. The game was released in German-speaking countries on January 31, 2013 simultaneously for the platforms Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360, also on January 31, the international German language version for Windows were released through the Steam-service. The English version was released just a day after on 1th February in the rest of Europe whereas the version for the US market is scheduled to be released on February 13, 2013. A version for Mac OS X is planned to be published in first Quarter 2013.

Plot

The title covers the time of the 1920s - the Golden Twenties - at the time of the Prohibition in the United States. The games story itself takes place in Atlantic City, Atlantic County were, at this time, due to the ban of any alcohol, the organized crime went to the underground were Mafia-schemed structures rose out of it, which is the key storyline the game is focussed on.

In a time were criminal gangs rules the city and a handful few were able to succeeding on top with illegal gambling, high-strength spirits and shady machinations, the players storyline sets in as he strands in this melting pot of illegality. The players character takes place in the role of an immigrant named Freddie Tannino, born in a small village in Sicily which just arrived in Atlantic City from his cruise of Italy. He have to work itself up the ladder through the Mafia-like world. It's set on the player to gain a small share control in the beginning while trying to expand more and more with the time fulfilling his way of the American dream in the Roaring Twenties, the „American Way of Life“.

Trivia

Omerta, the games title refers to the famous Mafia-like Honor code called “Omertà”, a “Code of silence” which binds members of the Mafia or similar criminal organisations to professional discretion against any third parties.

Upon the official retail-release of the boxed- and digital distributed version, the game was also simultaneously released on GoG (Good old Games) without any Copy-protection nor other digital right management restrictions.

Gameplay

In the beginning just small hole-and-corner dealings, with time the players character edges up his business in the hierarchy of criminality advancing highly enough to establish his own little business. The player can expand its business more and more by purchasing untenanted shops, buildings and structures to establish his own bar, brewery or distillery or even buy out a opposing speakeasy. More legal ways for generating income are buying apartments to obtain leasings. In the end it's intended to acquire warehouses to extend storage.

As the game progress the character can recruit his own companions and manifests thereby his own little gang and with this help conquer another territories of other gangster bosses tightening its own Mafia syndicate. Those characters provide specific role-playing elements as they handles, based on their individual characteristics, the different load-outs they can equipped with. In turn-based confrontations with other combatants the player can expands his influence using his henchmen to push other godfathers bit by bit out of business to become in the end the unchallenged patron of Atlantic City to reign supreme.

Next to the games multi-player part which features also ^{(in sense of; as well, not only)} cooperative game-play, it offers a sandbox mode to explore the game world, roam and expand freely on four different maps covering districts of Atlantic City to play a endless game.

Historical background

The renowned Traymore Hotel in Altantic City, circa 1930

The game provides an explorable three-dimensional world which is displayed through a Top-down perspective. The ingame world represents, according to the publisher Kalypso Media, an almost accurate and historical correct reproduction of the American city Atlantic City of this period.

Real vintage buildings and places are present like the Traymore Hotel, the Absecon Lighthouse, the Atlantic City Jail-house or the board-walk “Eastern Promenade” as well as streets like Illinois Avenue or the North Carolina Avenue which ends at the beach. Beside those real buildings the remaining ones - which are shown in Art Deco - are very similar to each other and seems to consist only of a few types.

Reception

Omerta - City of Gangsters received mixed, cautious to moderate reviews. Most of all, the game received much appreciation for its realization of the prohibition setting. Also the harmonious scenery of the plot at this time found to be mentioned positively. However the meagre and unambitious state of the story and its lacklustre implementation is a bitter setback which gives huge potential of the game away - whereas the title in fact has a lot of it.

Metacritic aggregated a score of 55 from 100 points which the Windows-version achieved.

Reviews

PCGamer gave the PC-version a rating of 78 out of 100 points, praising the games mechanic as well as the AI while comparing its combat style elements just to X-COM or Jagged Alliance. The story felt behind describing it as too superficial and simple, just depth-less. The atmospheric music on the other hand is said to be a brilliant melange of Jazz of its time, Ragtime and Klezmer - and its missing credits such a shame.

“Not as tough or as deep as it could be, Omerta is still a destination well worth a visit.”

— Tim Stone, PCGamer.com

Hardly able to rate the game more than just 30 per cent, was Metro GameCentral, they tested the PC-version as well. Although they were really thrilled in the beginning for a new kind of made-men-game since a decade, the turn-based combat system turned out to be just ungainly. Also stating that the soundtrack was indeed touching, the reviewers found the strategy graphics to be impressive – at least on first view. Finally "Omerta" is said to be just upsetting not just due to its promise done badly but the game on its own, since it is even in later stages just unsatisfying sitting there watching your money raising for no sake due to missed challenge altogether.

“You can see the basis of a good game here but Omerta gets almost everything wrong, from the shallow game-play to the bland, characterless gangster atmosphere.”

— Roger Hargreaves, GameCentral|Metro.co.uk

The people of Hooked Gamer were totally hit by the obvious potential, as they gave the PC-version a rating of 8.4 out of 10. Describing it as “different” and the turn-based combats as short but satisfying, the games campaign offers some minor new game play elements. Judging the graphics at best overdrawn, the rivals aren't challenging even in the end. As a summary, it plays just too easy after the first missions. The game leaves the player just too fast alone, begging for more.

“What struck me most was the potential. Omerta is a good game but if it succeeds, it has the potential to be a great game. […]”

— Sergio Brinkhuis, Hooked Gamers

External links

• Official games website
• Omerta - City of Gangsters (inoff. Wiki)
• Omerta - City of Gangsters on GoG.com (digital Download)