25 to Life
A cops-and-robbers shooter with alternating perspectives.
25 to Life is a third-person shooter developed by Avalanche Software and Ritual Entertainment and published by Eidos Interactive in 2006 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game alternates between playing as a police officer and a gangster in a modern setting, and supports online multiplayer for up to 16 players. It is notable for its "cops and robbers" style and for being playable online on the original Xbox through the Insignia replacement server service after Xbox Live shut down.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Avalanche Software; Ritual Entertainment
- Publisher
- Eidos Interactive
- Released
- January 18, 2006 (NA); June 1, 2007 (EU) (PS2), AUS, June 7, 2007 (PS2)
- Genre
- Third-person shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2
- Xbox
- Windows
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The story is set in the fictional city of Las Ruinas and follows three main characters: a man named Freeze, his friend Shaun Calderon, and police officer Lester Williams. Freeze and Shaun commit crimes together so Freeze can support his family, while Williams works to stop organized crime throughout the city. One night, Freeze’s wife confronts him about his criminal activities, saying they are a bad influence on their son Darnell. After an argument, Freeze agrees to quit. The next day, he tells Shaun he wants out, but Shaun pulls a gun on him and forces him to complete one final job: a narcotics deal. At the deal, Freeze finds the Colombian drug dealers already dead and corrupt police officer Maria Mendoza waiting for him. He escapes a police chase but loses the money. It is later revealed that Mendoza has been working with Shaun. The 2nd Street D-Boys learn Freeze wants to leave the gang, so he must evade both his former crew and the police. Shaun kidnaps Freeze’s wife and son, demanding a ransom for the lost money. To pay, Freeze robs a bank, but after a gunfight with police, Mendoza arrests him. Meanwhile, Mendoza tells Williams about Shaun. They search Shaun’s house and get into a gunfight. Williams finds evidence and follows Shaun to a club, then chases him through the subway. Williams arrests Shaun, but Mendoza kills Williams and tells Shaun to flee to Mexico. Shaun goes to Tijuana, fights his way into a club called The Curtains Club, robs a casino, and kills a wealthy man named Saragosa. Freeze escapes from jail, gets new clothes at a mall while being chased by police, kills Mendoza there, and then hunts down Shaun, who has become a wealthy drug kingpin. After a shootout, Freeze kills Shaun by stepping on his neck until he suffocates. Freeze reunites with his son, though his wife is still missing. In the final scene, Freeze tells Darnell, “From now on, it’s just you and me against the world. Now let’s do this,” as a large number of police officers arrive. Freeze picks up a gun and points it at them.
Reception
25 to Life received "unfavorable" reviews on all platforms according to Metacritic. Hyper's Maurice Branscombe called the soundtrack okay "if you like rap" but criticized the game as "absolutely unadulterated bullshit." USA Today gave it a score of four stars out of ten, stating its only strong quality "is a decent multiplayer mode" with team-based action allowing players to choose between police or thugs. The A.V. Club gave it a D+ and called it "a half-baked copy of someone's urban nightmare." Detroit Free Press gave the PS2 version one star out of four, saying it "lacks everything that would make it new, innovative or just plain fun" with muddy graphics and confusing controls.
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