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25 to Life ps2 Game Reviews
25 to Life
Critic Score
Metascore: 39 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
5.1 out of 10
based on 23 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 39 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

25 to Life is the game the streets have been waiting for. Play as either cops or gangsters in this urban third person shooter. The game delivers intense Online gameplay for up to 16 players, as well as a rich single player experience. Set in the heart of today's cities, experience the gritty lifestyles of police task forces or as a gangster survive the local neighborhood thugs while fighting your way up the inner sanctum of the drug lord's mansion, your knowledge of the streets will be put to the test because...25 to Life IS the streets! [Eidos Interactive]

PUBLISHER: Eidos Interactive
DEVELOPER: Avalanche Software
GENRE(S): Third-Person Shooter
PLAYERS: 16
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE: January 17, 2006

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

66
Cheat Code Central
The online portion of 25 To Life isn't bad; it's not deep by any stretch nor does it look particularly wonderful, but you and your pals can run around the city and shoot each other online and I bet some of you will really like it.
Read Full Review
65
eToychest
It's not completely without merit, especially if you are able to find a few friends online to play with.
Read Full Review
58
Game Informer
You know the drill: extremely linear level designs that stitch together corridors, open areas, and dull objectives with all the refinement and subltlety of a drunken quilting circle. [Mar 2006, p.100]
57
GameSpot
A lifelessly generic shooter that, at times, feels like "Max Payne" without the fun.
Read Full Review
52
My Gamer
This game simply cannot be recommended to anyone: the controls are busted, the AI is pathetic, and even with online play you will grow tired of it within an hour.
Read Full Review
45
Gaming Horizon
Despite a decent online offering, it’s not enough to save one sorry game. Avoid this game like the plague.
Read Full Review
41
Gamer 2.0
The boring graphics, the (mostly) garbage sound, and the obscenely boring story will leave you in a non-marijuana induced daze.
Read Full Review
40
Yahoo! Games
It's only January, but we already have an early favorite for 2006's Worst Game of the Year award. In terms of graphics, gameplay, sound, and most other categories, 25 to Life is so low on the totem it's underground.
Read Full Review
40
PSM Magazine
As sure as Boyz n the Hood led to Malibu's Most Wanted, "Grand Theft Auto" has given us 25 to Life, a third-person urban shooter that reminds us that everything's better with an AK. [Apr 2006, p.72]
40
Worth Playing
It's Max Payne without the bullet-time, the control, the atmosphere, or the fun. Avoid at all costs. Don't even try to get it to have a good laugh - you'll still end up apologizing to yourself.
Read Full Review
40
DarkStation
After being delayed, Eidos finally outs their GTA-inspired actioner. We say don't bother as it is plagued by sloppy controls, disjointed plot and dull visuals.
Read Full Review
35
PSM2 Magazine UK
The action is linear and unexciting, and while it tries to incorporate verying submissions, it all feels samey. Pray it never comes to the UK. [Apr 2006, p.64]
35
TotalPlayStation
Nothing about 35 To Life makes it stand out -- save for perhaps the fact that we had to sit through a delay to get this product. It's not terribly fun, the storyline is pointless and the gansta tone is utterly unnecessary.
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33
The Onion (A.V. Club)
You have to struggle with touchy controls and flaws in the game logic. For example, if you hang onto a human shield for too long, the cops will just shoot your hostage to get him out of the way. How is that fair to anybody?
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33
GameShark
25 to Life does include a somewhat entertaining multiplayer aspect, but not enough to keep your attention for very long.
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30
GameSpy
25 to Life is almost like a dirty joke -- You're laughing at how bad it is and feeling guilty at the same time. Don't waste your time or money on this game, it'll make your think-bone hurt.
Read Full Review
30
IGN
The single player is boring, arrestingly conventional and entirely forgettable. The multiplayer is slightly better, though mostly because of its options and not because of its gameplay.
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30
1UP
Pandering to every college student and aspiring rap artist's deep-seated Scarface fantasies, 25 to Life is a 3D action-shooter that not only fails to innovate on any level, but rolls back design and technological advancements to the early PSone era.
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25
Detroit Free Press
This street thug game lacks everything that would make it new, innovative or just plain fun. The graphics are really muddy and sub-par. The controls seem to be a bit confusing.
Read Full Review
25
ZTGameDomain
The controls are busted, the AI is pathetic, and even with online play you will grow tired of it within an hour of game time.
Read Full Review
20
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
Insert "cruel and unusual punishment" or similar prison-term jokesterism here. Bonus points for working in the words "salad" and "toss." [Apr 2006, p.82]
20
Edge Magazine
If there’s one thing that 25 To Life gets to do right, let it bring an end to this destructive preoccupation with the cross-media lure of gritty, crime-flavoured urban violence, and the unacceptably low standards it so often brings with it. [Mar 2006, p.89]
20
G4 TV
The gameplay isn’t remotely interesting or entertaining and neither is the subject matter. It’s crass and juvenile, but not in a good way. There’s no way to rehabilitate this piece of garbage.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 5.1 (out of 10) based on 39 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Milton A. gave it a0:
25 to Life is a lifeless, unappealing drab shooter which is below being called a "GTA clone". Short game, busted AI, and unoriginal storyline will make you pistol whip Eidos for making this.

Go gave it a0:
I played it for 5 minutes before giving up. It's that bad!

Eric M. gave it a0:
I remember playing this way back in early '06. STAY FAR AWAY! That's all.

Andy M. gave it a3:
I always thought this: games that cause controversies were worth playing. 25 to Life proved me wrong. Then again, if you can go online, you might want to check this out.

Andy C. gave it a2:
This game has good graghics if you have a big screen tv not an 10 inch tv you can't see any thang and talk about hard to beat Im got on the first mission and I barly beat IT!

Sasha C. gave it a3:
i cannot express the disappointment i feel with this game. In the game you have no freedom. they give you an assignment and thats all yiou can do. no exploration like in Vice City, no hidden items, nada. you switch from "gangster" to "cop" so quickly you have no time to develop an allegence with the character. i bought this game for 55 bucks and i feel it was a waste, i could have gotten something that was more entertaing.

Alejandro R. gave it a4:
This game is not very good. I rented and beat it in a couple of days. The controls are pretty weird and the story is alright. I dont recommend buying it, but go rent it and beat it if you need a quick game.

Read more user comments...

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