Escape from Paradise City

Let's be brutally honest here - we weren't expecting much from Escape from Paradise City (formerly known as Paradise City). But, surprise of surprises, we actually like it. It's easy to grasp, far from ugly and above all, likable. Not bad for a game that's related to the rather painful - for all the wrong reasons -Gangland.

Fortunately, developer Sirius Games has learned from its previous misjudgements. For instance, you can now save anywhere in the single-player story - a pretty major omission from the first game. Also, the level of action is now dictated by the player - instead of a constant barrage of attacks and takeover bids, you can now spend some time developing your character, even sending henchmen off to do your dirty work.

The game looks very much like one of the PS2 Grand Theft Auto games, not just in style, but also graphical quality. The city is nicely rendered, and although a tight development budget has restricted the quality of special effects, the day/night cycle looks lovely, especially when shadows move around characters and buildings. Art style is similar also to GTA, only a bit more likeable. It's quite tongue-in-cheek, and the soundbites are funny.