If there’s one thing I hate it’s a copycat. That’s why Gangstar Rio has me so conflicted; how could I actually enjoy a game that is every inch a rip off of the GTA?

Gangstar Rio: City of Saints (2011) Gangstar Rio: City of Saints is set in modern-day Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The story revolves around Assassinos gang member Raul. After attempting to leave the gang with his girlfriend Ana, a car bomb seriously injures Raul and kills Ana. The story focuses mainly on Raul's attempts to find the Ana's killer.

I’ll make no bones about it. From the cut scenes, the sandbox world, gameplay, special features and design this game has ‘Vice City wannabe’ written all over it. But it’s hard to ignore a game, especially one from a developer such as Gameloft that promises so much.

From the sprawling seaside resorts to military islands to cramped alleys of the Favelas, Rio De Janeiro, the setting of Gangstar Rio, has made a very good attempt at reproducing the vibrant Brazilian city.

Gameloft were obviously limited by time, budget and the technical ability of the Android platform but they’ve done a good job at creating an open-world sandbox environment that throws up very few faults. There could be a little more depth to the city such as AI going about their daily business or perhaps some kind of infrastructure of TV channels, media and transport. That said, would we really take much notice on a 4 inch phone screen?

A Story of Clichés

The game is centered around a carbomb explosion which killed the main character’s girlfriend. Angel, which we later become aware is his name, much track down the perpetrator suspected to be a member of one of the rival gangs. You continue to work in the lucrative drug business to fund your lifestyle and get more information as to who planted the bomb.

The storyline itself isn’t all that bad but can feel labored and never ending. At least games like GTA know how to have fun with the criminal underworld often throwing in dark humor and fun missions. Gangstar Rio is like the straight-faced mob boss that hates life and just wants to be left alone. At points this translates into the missions which can become a repetitive cycle ‘drive here, kill him’ missions.

What little attempt there was to spice things up is brutally overshadowed by the appalling writing and voice acting. Most of the cutscenes are two dimensional attempts as replicating Scarface with added cliché.

Playing in the Sandbox

Moving past the obvious failings there is still fun to be had. Outside of missions you can roam the city streets. Getting cop chases can be difficult as police cars can be hard to find but when you do fun of epic proportions ensues.

The AI of enemies is something that’s extremely hard to get right with sandbox games but the chases are close battles of speed, firepower and wits. Gaining a slight lead and hiding in a back alley is the only tactic sure to outsmart the persistent patrol cars.

There’s a good selection of vehicles in the game including trucks, cars and vans. Motorbikes also feature but the touchscreen controls simply aren’t up to the task of making them an enjoyable gaming experience. Again, Gameloft let the user down with poor soundtracks for the engines. At times, accelerating engine notes sound more like a ramshackle assembly of blenders being turned on and off.

Boats are also available but can be hard to come by outside of missions. Thankfully the developers have included the ability to swim making crossing over to the islands a piece of cake. Oddly, Gameloft have decided to add a piece of Need for Speed with drifting mini-games making an appearance. You can also ‘drift’ your car to gain rep points outside of missions,

As the game advances the missions will take you to different parts of the city. Like most GTA titles, you’ll progress through having different enemies and rival gangs right until the end of the game. Thankfully you’re alone on most of the missions allowing for your own decision making and sense of adventure to kick in.

Highly Detailed, but Boring Firepower

The weapons are somewhat limited. For some reason they’ve decided to include several different types of pistols, assault rifles and so on. This might be a popular addition for gun fans but I feel it adds very little to a game where the aiming system is third person and involves tapping the target.

Despite the flaws Gameloft have done a good job at emulating what Rockstar do so well on consoles. The open world environment is a sight to behold on Android devices and is a sign of greater things to come for the platform.

In my opinion Gangstar Rio is worth buying for the driving and sandbox world alone. Just don’t expect a serious rival to the GTA series.

Gangstar Rio is an open-world third person shooter crime game. It replicates what GTA do on consoles, but for smaller Android devices. You must work you way through the various missions, fight gangs and discover who murdered your girlfriend.tweet

Dean Sherwin · Feb 26, 2013

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Gangstar Rio: City of Saints is one of the highest rated games in the popular Gangstar series published by Gameloft. The game is available on iOS and Android devices.As soon as you load up the game on your chosen device you’ll feel the Grand Theft Auto vibe straight away. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the game is definitely one of the better clones on a portable device and does well at delivering an open world/sandbox experience despite the limited hardware capabilities of the platform.As the name suggests players will be exploring the city of Rio de Janeiro which includes a number of different game environments. Players will adventure through the jungle, drive along highways or speed around the suburban streets. Players are free to explore what the game world has to offer on foot or in the large number of vehicles which includes planes, helicopters and even a tank.In your adventure you’ll get to take on over 60 different missions that have more variety than you might expect.

Some missions will test your speed, some will test your driving skills and others will have you engaging in large fire fights. Gangstar Rio: City of Saints even includes random events which will pop up from time to time and add some realism to the game world. There is no shortage of unlockables for players as they advance through the missions either. Players can grow their arsenal from simple handguns to more powerful rifles, grenades and even explosive footballs. Your look will also change as you progress thanks to the large number of clothing and accessory items for you to dress your character in.For an iOS and Android game Gangstar Rio: City of Saints isn’t a bad game and it’s clearly the pick of the game series. If you love your then you’ll probably want to pick this title up.Summary:. GTA inspired game for iOS and Android.

Plenty of environments within the city of Rio to explore. No shortage of weapons or vehicles to use. Good mission variety with over 60 tasks for you to complete. Simple gameplay that works perfectly on iOS and Android devices.Links.