Gangs of London

Some of this is good, some of this is utterly boring, but there sure is a lot to do.

Don't use the lock-on, and the dodgy controls and at best so-so ally AI will end up killing you. The camera system will cause death after death in the infuriating mandatory stealth missions - it's just too hard to get real situational awareness. Despite all that, the game is perfect for the PSP - fun to pick up and play in short bursts.

Gangs of London can be quite fun in spite of its bland story mode, but I'm filing it under the rent before you buy category.

A stylish title, but one that falls down on its unimpressive controls and repetition. Damn it. [Oct 2006, p.66]

It hits all of its targets accurately enough, but none so dead-on as to be memorable. Mini-games add to the value, but still can't elevate this to anything like an essential purchase. [Issue 144, p.94]

The gameplay is miserable with sloppy combat and driving controls. Add to that the fact the missions are terribly short, dull and repetitive and Gangs doesn’t provide enough interesting opportunities.

Gang Battle, the pub mini-games and, to a lesser extent, free-roaming mode make this title fun for a bit, just not enough to justify a copy at full price.

In typical "Getaway" style, this swings from virtually unplayable to crime-filled fun. [Oct 2006, p.62]

A strong idea let down by poor controls and lack of originality. The mini-games go some way to repairing the damage, though. [Sept 2006, p.92]

With such clumsy controls, the limited intelligence of both friends and foes, and a lack of mission variety, most players would have a lot more fun with "GTA Liberty City Stories."

We’d find it hard to recommend this due to the dubious controls, but with the game being so fleshed out so well with extras it becomes a decent little package. [Oct 2006, p.128]

Yet these Gangs of London prove to be more like the Jets and Sharks from "West Side Story;" mildly amusing, to be sure, but potentially only dangerous to an 8-year-old boy who still has accidents when mom forgets to turn on the nightlight.

It’s great that Team Soho has tried to break out in some new directions; it’s a pity that the gameplay and missions aren’t up to the challenge. The most disappointing aspect for me was the total linearity and lack of freedom that makes this an “open world” game in name only.

Gangs of London features a lot of gameplay, it’s just that not very much of it is all that enjoyable.

Gangs of London incongruity between style, substance, and basic gaming mechanics is disappointing.

SCEE London brings the whole Getaway British gangster feel to the handheld, with unfortunately the same dull plot and uneventful gameplay.

An odd overall package. You have a story mode that isn't much fun (but also isn't entirely devoid of entertainment), and a collection of mini games that actually aren't that mini at all. Is it worth $40? Maybe. If you're a fan of Risk, casual-style minigames, and challenging, oldschool action.

The actual depth available for the player is amazing with a large number of missions, mini-games and mission types (including free-roam), but unlike Grand Theft Auto, they aren’t seamlessly integrated into the world, rather a big list of activities for you to choose from the menu, which seems to be a step back in my eyes.

Not perfect, but solid portable fun. [Holiday 2006]

The concept of splitting up the gameplay into a myriad of mini-games and separate just doesn't work and just about all of it is inexplicably boring.

An interesting concept is sadly let down by dull execution.

There's no shortage of things to do in Gangs of London--the trouble is that none of it is much fun.

Gangs of London gets the portable game design thing absolutely right, with lots of choices and play sessions that are over relatively quickly. But the decent collection of distractions doesn’t make up for the awful controls.

Unlikely to be the killer app that gets people swapping their DS for a PSP. But if you're looking for a compilation of pub games, and a simple, quirky, turn-based strategy, you could definitely do worse.

A pretty dull game that can border on frustrating due to the clunky controls, lame missions and weak AI.

I would like nothing more than to tell you that Gangs of London takes "The Getaway" series in a brand new direction that breathes fresh life into the franchise. But that would be a lie. This game is just as bad as it was on the PlayStation 2.

Wif nah real multiplayer mode ter speak of (unless ya consider 'andin' the chuffin' psp ter someone else as their turn comes up true multiplayer) and tacked on gang battle, this is prolly the bleedin' worst representation of London's seedy underbelly I've ever 'ad the displeasure ter witness.

This portable "Getaway" has its share of ugly gangster gameplay and bullet holes. [Nov. 2006, p.99]