Gangstar Rio: City of Saints Review

Gameloft games have been some of my favorite iOS games that I have played to date. Gangstar Rio: City of Saints is one game that both amazed me and made me a little sick to my stomach. It’s amazing in that the graphics and the overall gameplay are very well done. However the unoriginal story and the amount of unnecessary, vulgar language and content left a very bad taste in my mouth.

Anyone familiar with the Grand Theft Auto games will feel right at home with Gangstar Rio. The world is a playground for all types of mischievous and illegal acts. See a car? Steal it. See someone you don’t like? Pick a fight with them. The more illegal acts the main character, Angel, is involved in, the higher he boosts his wanted rating - cops will soon be on his tail to try to take him down. In between the story and the assigned missions, players can pick up additional side missions to make some extra money and gain experience.

The storyline is what is to be expected from this type of game. The typical gangster is on the run and seeking revenge. I thought the story was very unoriginal and it wasn’t interesting to me at all. I often thought to myself, “I think I’ve played this game before.” Those who have played Grand Theft Auto will probably agree with me there. The game tried very hard to make sure the content and dialogue was as vulgar and dirty as possible. I know what I'm getting into withe these games, but I was still disappointed by the great lengths the developers went through to make this game so unnecessarily coarse at times.

The controls are about the same as any other Gameloft title. I didn’t have a very hard time managing the on-screen joystick and other buttons. Driving took a little while to get used to, but there are several control layouts available so I just had to play around with each option to find a comfortable fit. Graphics were very good and I only noticed some lag every now and then. I also noticed that the game will often render as the players approach oncoming vehicles and buildings.

Overall, Gangstar Rio is another great title from Gameloft. Those guys definitely know what they are doing. I’ve been impressed with every game they have put out so far and this one is no exception. Although the content was a little too much for me at times, players who don’t mind the junk will find it to be an excellent addition to their game collection.