Omerta – City of Gangsters

Omerta – City of Gangsters
Developer(s)	Haemimont Games
Publisher(s)	Kalypso Media
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows Mac OS X Xbox 360
Release date(s)	Windows, Xbox 360 GER 31 January 2013[1] EU 1 February 2013[2] NA 12 February 2013[1] Mac OS X 2 August 2013[3]
Genre(s)	Simulation game
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Distribution	DVD, Steam, Digital distribution

Omerta – City of Gangsters is a simulation game with turn-based tactical game-play 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 31 January 2013. The international German download version for Windows was released through the Steam-service as well. The English version was released just a day after in the rest of Europe whereas the version for the US market was released on 12 February. A version for Mac OS X was published on 2 August 2013.^[3]

Plot

The title covers the time of the 1920s - the Roaring Twenties - at the time of the Prohibition in the United States. The game's story takes place in Atlantic City, Atlantic County where, due to the ban of any alcohol in this era, Mafia organizations were able to become powerful off the back of the illegal speakeasys.

In a time where criminal gangs rule the city and a handful of morally-questionable men were able to succeed through illegal gambling, high-strength spirits and shady machinations, the player's storyline takes place as the main character creates his empire in this melting pot of illegality. Boss D'Angelo is an immigrant who was born in a small village in Sicily and has just arrived in Atlantic City. He has to work his way up the ladder through the Mafia-like world. Working his way up from nothing, He must establish himself in the criminal underworld by buying and raiding businesses and attacking rivals, all the while simultaneously fulfilling his version of the American dream.

Story

Arriving at Atlantic City, Boss D'Angelo begins his foothold on the criminal empire as he makes money off the prohibition and gambling trade. Sending money back to his brother, he keeps his status as a mob boss secret from him as he works for Louie, a Capo under the eye of Danny Corsini, the leader of the Mafia in Atlantic City. His enemies ranges from independent gangsters to the Ku Klux Klan, which is at bitter odds with the growing immigration problem. Eventually tired of working for Louie, he was sent to perform one last job which was revealed to be a trap, as Danny Corsini was the intended target. The Boss thwarts the assassination and becomes a Capo under Corsini.

Expanding his criminal empire eventually allows his brother to come to Atlantic City but not as a brother in crime an FBI Agent in New York. When the Boss' attempts to set up a source of income through the gambling/nightclub trade draw suspicion to him, Danny Corsini attempts to defend him killing his brother. Forced to turn on Corsini, the Boss emerges victorious. Knowing that his position is fragile, he attempts to unite the Jewish Gangs and Irish Mob in an alliance only for it to be attacked by the KKK. With the D'Angelo mob as the sole survivor of the struggle, the Boss is named Capo de Tutti. He later earns money through real estate and by supporting Mr. Smith as mayor which gives him great influence in the city, upon reaching Michigan Ave his brother offers on last chance for the Boss to come clean, the Boss rejects the idea of selling his men out and eliminates the witnesses who planned to rat out the boss. The Boss came out clean and triumphant and made amends with his brother and owns a private island which he calls Nova Sicilia and his brother left the agency to pursue his dream of being a shipwright and vowed to never speak of their days in the prohibition again.

The Japanese Incentive

Somewhere in between the meeting of his brother and the death of Louie Castinella, Boss D'Angelo receives a lucrative offer from a Japanese Yakuza Hikaro Eda and Fritz, a backer who wanted to help Eda exert his influence into America as laws back then prohibited Asians from owning property. There he meets the beautiful Mikoto Mori, the trophy wife of the Yakuza boss. Little did the boss know, she has a personal vendetta against Hikaro and the Boss now is caught in between love for the woman and the wrath of a powerful man.

The story begins with Karl Fritz who approaches the Boss with a deal from Hikaro Eda, an influential Japanese man who had him muscle into McGyure Clan's turf and quickly proves his worth to Hikaro and was tasked with a smuggling job from him. Upon preventing the McGyure Clan from destroying the cargo did he realize what was he smuggling, his wife Kumiko Mori. Angered by the McGyure's attempt at murdering her he personally wipes out the clan and earns a promising alliance with the Yakuza. When Hikaro and his men were attacked at a Cherry Blossom festival by members of the Ku Klux Klan did Hikaro sent him to find who tried to kill him and the Boss learned that Hikaro's own wife was the culprit. Sickened by this senseless conflict he tries to run off with her in an attempt to escape from the criminal underworld only to be dragged down by Hikaro when he tries to kill them both. Then she reveals her past, her family's lands was taken away by Eda and her sister was killed by Hikaro and she was forced to become the bride and assassin of Hikaro. They both work together to take down Eda and eventually have feelings for one another but the heist on Eda's personal assets goes awry when Mikoto goes off to try and kill Eda only to die in the process, in a fit of rage the Boss personally attacks Eda and gets his revenge for Mikoto as he bitterly says that she was the first and last woman he had ever truly loved.

Trivia

Omerta, the game's title, refers to the infamous honor code called “Omertà”, a “Code of silence” which binds members of the Mafia or similar criminal organizations 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.com without any copy-protection, nor other digital rights management restrictions.^[4]

Gameplay

Beginning with small deals, the player gradually expands his criminal career, eventually advancing highly enough to establish his own business. The player can purchase untenanted shops, buildings and structures to establish his own bar, brewery or distillery. The player can also buy out an opposing speakeasy. A more legal way for generating income is buying apartments to obtain leasing. Warehouses can be acquired to extend storage.

As the game progresses, the character can recruit companions, create his own gang, and conquer the territories of rival gangsters. Characters provide specific role-playing elements based on their individual characteristics and equipment. In these turn-based confrontations, the player expands his influence by using henchmen to drive other godfathers out of business, to ultimately reign supreme as the unchallenged patron of Atlantic City.^[5]

In addition to co-operative and competitive multiplayer game-play, the game offers a sandbox mode to freely explore the game world – six district maps covering Atlantic City.

Historical background

The game provides an explorable three-dimensional world which is displayed through a Top-down perspective. The in-game world represents, according to the publisher Kalypso Media,^[6] 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.

Licensing of name

Kalypso Media licensed the name 'Omerta' from the MMORPG browser based game of the same name, Omerta.

Reception

Metacritic aggregated a score of 54 from 100 points for the Windows version.^[7]

PCGamer gave the PC-version a rating of 78 out of 100 points, praising the game's mechanics as well as the AI while comparing its combat style elements to X-COM or Jagged Alliance. The story is described as too superficial and simple, just depth-less. The atmospheric music, on the other hand, was lauded as a brilliant melange of the Jazz, Ragtime and Klezmer music of the period.

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

—Tim Stone, PCGamer.com^[8]

Rating the game at just 30 percent, Metro GameCentral tested the PC-version as well. Initially intrigued by the promise of a new kind of "made-men" game, the turn-based combat system was ultimately deemed ungainly.

“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^[9]

Hooked Gamer gave the PC-version a rating of 8.4 out of 10. It describes the game as "different", and the turn-based combats as short but satisfying.

“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^[10]

References

External links

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

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