Gangstar Vegas Review

Aladdin was right -- there are whole new worlds out there! Gangstar Vegas is the newest iOS open world game, and it’s brought to us by Gameloft. There have been a plethora of games in this genre, including quite a few other Gangstar versions. There are so many that we’re now seeing strong re-imaginings of it, like the superhero open world, fantasy open world, and hamburger chef open world. The question here is whether or not this current title will be one of those games that’ll open your eyes to a shining, shimmering splendid new world.

Gangstar Vegas offers a wide variety of gameplay types, something typical of open world games. You can go with the classic story mode, do a quick game with over 80 missions available to accomplish, or feed that gambling addiction by playing the slot machines, poker, or blackjack. Players can also show everyone who’s the boss by joining fights, races, or carnage missions in which you’re tasked with wreaking as much havoc on pedestrians as you can. There are so many different things to do you can bounce back and forth like a cat with ADD, pouncing one thing, attacking the next, and then getting stuck in a tissue box.

One of the biggest draws to this type of game is the freedom to do what you want. And Gangstar Vegas provides an epically larger map than any previous Gangstar game. Players have nine times the amount of map in which to go exploring, hijack cars, ramp and wreck them, beat people up, or visit the “gentlemen’s” club. The default controls work well, but you’re also offered some nice customization options if they don’t suit you. It might feel more real to tilt your iPad this way and that to direct your character where to run and drive, but it gets tiring after a while so it’s nice to have many other options on how to get around.

The graphics are very nice, but not perfect. Everything looks pretty realistic, but there are a few glitches here and there. If you look at the picture above, you might notice that the lovely lady dancing on the pole is phasing through it to give it a hilarious new look. Still, glitches aside, there’s an impressive amount of detail packed into this game.

The real issue with Gangstar Vegas is that it’s not a ground breaking game and doesn’t offer any new ideas, just higher quantities of things -- more missions, extra items to buy and upgrade, and a bigger map. Grand Theft Auto clones have been around for years, and more inventive games have come and gone. And like a clone, Gangstar Vegas isn’t as good as the GTA games. However, it is still a good addition to the open world gaming genre in terms of functionality and fun despite being wholly unoriginal. If you’ve never played a game like this and want something a little more modern, or just want a decent game in which to beat people up and run people over, Gangstar Vegas would be a good start.

App Store Link: Gangstar Vegas for iPhone & iPad | By Gameloft | Price: $6.99 | Version: 1.0.0 | 1.4 GB | Rating 17 years or older