Mob Enforcer Review

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Mob Enforcer

Review by MrLipid July 2004

Fair Warning

This is not a review of Mob Enforcer as it comes out of the box. This is a review of Mob Enforcer once it has been modified to make the player invulnerable to gunfire. (You can read all about how to do that here.) Why review a first-person shooter played in what I like to call Summer Blockbuster (aka god) mode? Because shifting the emphasis from survival to exploration in Mob Enforcer allows the player to fully appreciate the craft, thought and wit that animate this budget title.

Mob Enforcer: Budget Blockbuster

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

I have a new favorite game: Mob Enforcer. Getting to know this title has given me hours of entertainment. While some of that entertainment has been technical—I always enjoy figuring out how to successfully “adjust” a saved game file—the major fun has come from simply playing the game and exploring its world.

Mob Enforcer is a first-person shooter set in what could be painter Edward Hopper’s vision of 1920s Chicago. The night-shrouded streets of this game are muted studies in stone gray and brick red.  Other than the occasional civilian, only mobsters and police appear in the pools of light beneath the city’s street lamps.

A quick glance at the cover of Mob Enforcer’s box suggests a Mafia wannabe: Rise through the ranks of the underworld by running errands for a mobster. Once one begins playing Mob Enforcer, the differences between it and Mafia become clear: what Mob Enforcer lacks in terms of Mafia’s epic scale (and great driving mode), it more than makes up for in manic energy, feral cunning and sly humor. The mobster hordes of Mob Enforcer can effortlessly sprint for blocks and then sneak with the stealth of a cat on velvet. And, since this is a game built from a mobster’s perspective, Mob Enforcer offers, just for yuks, cops who need to repeatedly catch their breath throughout a pursuit.

Our Story So Far …

Mob Enforcer doesn’t so much have a story as it has an excuse for superb production design outfitted with vintage armament. It’s Gangland Chicago decorated with what we have come to accept as the symbols of the 1920s: old cars, snappy hats and Thompson submachine guns. A few props here and there, and on with the action.

And there is plenty of action. The player, in the first-person role of Jimmy “Machine Gun” DeMora, advances through the game by doing the bidding of none other than Al “Scarface” Capone. In order, Jimmy must track down and rub out a snitch, trash stores protected by other gangs, kill off rival gang bosses, blow up a brewery, break out of jail, bribe the chief of police, execute an informer in his holding cell at the 13th Precinct, steal the payrolls of stores run by other gangs, prevent the demolition of a hotel where Capone is being held captive and, finally, get Capone safely out of that hotel through waves of thugs wielding everything from .45s to Molotov cocktails. (Note: Capone is flammable.)

Direct-It-Yourself Blockbuster

Playing as someone who can’t be shot transforms Mob Enforcer into a player-guided movie with puzzle elements. Think of it as a summer blockbuster where one can choose how the story is going to unfold and how each of the baddies is going to meet his end.  And prepare to be surprised when that end turns out to be particularly spectacular.

Such a moment occurred in the basement of the plush Lexington Hotel.  I found myself being fired upon from above by a thug standing on a metal stairway landing … standing next to a yellow fifty-gallon drum of something. I took a shot at the drum and it exploded, sending the thug (now aflame!) hurtling down the stairs toward me. Real Die Hard-type stuff. The poor fellow didn’t survive … which was fortunate because I was too busy laughing with delight to do much of a job of defending myself.

Summer Blockbuster mode relieves the player of the need to painstakingly learn (by endlessly dying, reloading and trying again) the location of every gunman on each map. Not that that can even be done. There is a certain amount of randomizing that goes on in Mob Enforcer, making it impossible to know exactly where, for example, all of the police are at any given moment. Or when a civilian might stroll through the line of fire.

And if blasting through waves of bad guys, picking off cops and avoiding the ventilation of civilians doesn’t sound like enough to do, try finding the ten piles of cash stashed in clever places around each of Mob Enforcer’s impressively large maps. I’ve been at it for a while now and am still not sure where all of the loot is.

Not that I mind. Walking the dark streets of Mob Enforcer’s Chicago and noticing how the Jupiter engine allows the leaves in the trees to respond to the wind of the Windy City is just another of the subtle joys of this title. That and wandering Taylor Street, Mob Enforcer’s one daylight level, and appreciating the care given to detailing the already fading logos on the sides of its buildings.

Mob Enforcer has no music other than the disappointing riff that runs under the main menu. The only recurring sound in the Chicago street scenes is the rumble of the elevated train. Once all running and gunning are done, there is time to pause and appreciate how the production design of Mob Enforcer captures the 1920s pre-noir universe of Dashiell Hammett’s Continental Op. This is a game that is way better than it has any need to be. Just wish there were a bit more of it.

Modest Gripes

Mob Enforcer gives the impression of having shipped without its final mission. The game’s last level begins with this promising comment: DeMora must first help Capone evacuate the Lexington Hotel before he can complete his final mission. Once the player delivers Capone safely to the exit of the Lexington Hotel, however, the game just ends. So much for the final mission. Unlike the previous levels, there isn’t even a tally of the amount of money found, the number of shots fired or the accuracy of the shots fired. Al’s okay.  End of story. Game over.

Technical Stuff

Mob Enforcer, built on the LithTech Jupiter engine, looks great, loads its levels quickly and plays smoothly. It also installs completely to the hard drive. Thank you, Touchdown Entertainment and ValuSoft, for not treating your customers as if they were mobsters.

The depth of the options menus puts many bigger-budget games to shame. Virtually everything about Mob Enforcer can be tweaked.  And some elements, like the fountains of blood that spew from the bad guys as they spin gracefully toward the pavement, can simply be turned off. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Touchdown Entertainment, Inc. Publisher: ValuSoft Release Date: June 2004

Available for: Windows

Four Fat Chicks Links

Player FeedbackHow to Become (Nearly) Invulnerable

Screenshots

Click to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlarge

System Requirements

Windows 98/ME/XP PIII 500 MHz (PIII 1 GHz recommended) 256 MB RAM 700 MB hard drive space DirectX 9.0 or higher (included on CD) 32 MB DirectX 9.0 compatible video card (64 MB recommended) 16-Bit DirectX compatible sound card 4X CD-ROM drive

Where to Find It

ValuSoft 19.99

Prices/links current as of 7/11/04Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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