25 To Life

Infobox VG
title = 25 To Life


caption= North American "PlayStation 2" box art
developer = Avalanche Software
Ritual Entertainment, Brying Graphics (Multiplayer)
publisher = Eidos Interactive
designer =
engine =
released = vgrelease|North America|NA|January 17, 2006
vgrelease|Europe|EUR|June 1, 2007
vgrelease|Australia|AUS|June 7, 2007
genre = Third-person shooter
modes = Single-player, Multiplayer
ratings = BBFC: 18
ESRB: M
platforms = PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
media = DVD
requirements =
input = "PlayStation 2:" DualShock 2, PlayStation 2 Headset (optional)

"25 To Life" is a third-person shooter video game for Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox released in 2006. The game was developed by Avalanche Software and Ritual Entertainment, and was published by Eidos Interactive.

Set in a modern environment, the game allows the player to play as both a police officer and a gangster, at different times, in a "cops and robbers" style game. The game can be played online with up to 16 players using the network adaptor for the PS2 and through Xbox Live for Microsoft's Xbox, and there is online play for the PC version as well. In addition, the game features a variety of hip hop songs played during the game.

The name of the game comes from a typical "indeterminate life sentence" that is often given in the United States upon a defendant's conviction for a violent felony. See the article on parole for more information.

Plot

The game is about an African American man named "Freeze", his friend Shaun Calderon, and a Police Officer, Officer Williams. The main protagonist being Freeze, the story is focused around him, despite the ability to be all three of the characters during at least one point throughout the game. Freeze commits crimes with Shaun to get money, which he promptly spends for his family.

One night upon returning home, his wife confronts him about these actions. Saying they are a bad influence to their son, she wants him to stop. After an argument, he agrees. The next day, he tells Shaun he wants out of the game. Shaun levels a gun on Freeze, informing him that he must do one last "job" -- a narcotics trade.

At the deal, Freeze finds the Colombian gang members dead, and police officer Maria Mendosa waiting. He flees with the police in pursuit and loses them. Freeze then robs a bank until the police arrive. After a gun fight against the police, he finally reaches his getaway car only to be arrested after being hit by a nightstick.

Meanwhile, Mendosa informs Officer Williams of a new criminal, Shaun Calderon. They look for Shaun in his house (with a rookie) only to be found in a gun fight. Officer Williams then finds evidence and gets into Mendosa's car. Officer Williams goes to a club to find Shaun and chases him to the subway. Officer Williams then arrests Shaun but Mendosa kills him and tells Shaun to leave and go to Mexico.

Shaun goes to Tijuana and fights his way to a local club called "The Curtains Club". Shaun then robs a casino, fights security and goes to a wealthy man's penthouse named Saragosa and kills him.

Freeze breaks out of jail and gets new clothes at the mall while being chased by the police. Freeze then kills Mendosa in the mall and hunts down Shaun then saying, "We used to be best friends, until you sold me out. Now, it's nothin' but flowers and a funeral for you, home boy", Freeze steps on Shaun's neck until he suffocates. The final scene shows Freeze telling Darnell, "From now on, it's just you and me against the world. Now let's do this." Freeze points the gun at the police.

Controversy

Criticism

"25 to Life" has drawn criticism from American politicians, particularly several in the state of New York and Delaware, for a feature which allows the player to grab nearby non-player characters and use them as human shields. After being released, contrary to hype, it has received very poor reviews - not for the content, but for being a poorly-made game. [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/920615.asp]

Jack Thompson's involvement

On January 12, 2006, outspoken anti-video game advocate Jack Thompson wrote a letter to California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, where he strongly urged the Justice Department to prevent the game from being released, under California's public nuisance law. Failing that, he offered a justification for California police officers to steal copies of "25 To Life" from stores.

Quoting Thompson, "Additionally, please know that California Civil Code Section 3495 enables and authorizes each and every law enforcement officer to walk into any video game store, without a court order, to seize and destroy each and every copy of 25 To Life. California law treats this as acceptable 'abatement' of a public nuisance by parties particularly endangered by such a nuisance."

An anonymous GamePolitics.com poster, claiming to be an attorney, posted the following rebuttalFact|date=February 2007:

I research things before I make patently false or misleading statements. For your edification, Jack, I submit the following: Although California Civil Code does permit a person to abate a public nuisance, the remedy available for private individuals is by way of civil action. Private persons are not empowered to self-help. (See Miller & Starr California Real Estate (2005 3d Ed.) 8 Cal.Real Est. § 22:26.) When they choose self-help, they do so at their own peril. (Hill v. City of Oxnard (App. 3 Dist. 1920) 46 Cal.App. 624.) In addition, one is empowered to abate a private nuisance only when to do so would not result in a breach of the peace. (People v. Overacker (App. 1911) 15 Cal.App. 1620.)

As for a public agency's right to abate a nuisance, such an agency has 3 options: 1) a criminal proceeding, 2) a civil action for injunction, abatement, etc or 3) abatement. Where there are constitutional considerations, however, such as purported obscenity or matters which may implicate free speech rights (such as video games) the public agency may not act without a prior judicial determination. (Id. § 22:28.)(Internal citations omitted.)

It is believed that Attorney General Lockyer disregarded the letter, and no actions were taken.

P. Frank Williams's change of heart

According to a [http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2006/1/29/2699 post] on Opposable Thumbs, an Ars Technica blog, "apparently P. Frank Williams, the writer of 25 to Life and 'hip hop journalist' had some moral issues whenhe was working on the game," referring to an [http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/ThursdayTicket/2006/01/26/1412013-sun.html article] in The London Free Press.

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund boycott

CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" reported on the controversy surrounding "25 To Life", including the involvement of the [http://www.nleomf.org/ National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund] , which demanded that people boycott the game.

Reaction

"25 to Life" was received negatively by [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/25tolife?q=25%20to%20life critics] .

Trivia

*Shaun Calderon's mansion room is similar to the one owned by Tony Montana from the movie "Scarface".

* A lot of advertisments feature Lil' Jon and The Eastside Boys Crunk Juice Album.

* In an episode of "Halfway Home" the character Sebastian "C-Bass" Yates is seen wearing a hat with a 25 to Life decal

Reviews

*Gamespot 5.7/10 [http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/25tolife/index.html]
*IGN 3.0/10: Bad [http://ps2.ign.com/objects/683/683106.html]

ee also

* ""
* ""
* ""
* "Saints Row"
* "Max Payne"
* "Battlefield 2" - For the Raid & Robbery (Online Play Only)

External links

* [http://www.25tolife.com "25 To Life" Official Website]
* [http://forums.eidosgames.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=149 Eidos Forums]
* [http://www.eidosinteractive.com EidosInteractive.com]
* [http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/25tolife/index.html "25 To Life" on GameSpot]
* [http://gamepolitics.livejournal.com/175835.html GamePolitics: Thompson Urges Injunction, Police Seizures of "25 To Life"]
* [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/23/sbt.01.html CNN's Showbiz Tonight Reports on "25 To Life"]
*moby game|id=/25-to-life |name= "25 To Life"