Iconic gangster game that could get a sequel. Scarface: Empire would send Tony Montana to Las Vegas

Scarface: The World is Yours was being developed under the wings of Vivendi Universal Games. Way before the release of this project, the publisher was so confident it would be a hit that they already started planning a sequel. So when Radical Entertainment's game hit the shelves in October 2006, the team behind it had no choice but to start working on a sequel. Unfortunately, not long after, things started to fall apart, so it never ended up seeing the light of day.

However, before the creators of the second Scarface got pulled into other projects, they managed to sketch out the concept and even put together some prototype elements, which leaked years later. Thanks to this, today we know quite a bit about what Tony Montana's new adventure was supposed to look like.

Tony Montana in Las Vegas

The original Scarface was set in 1980s Miami. In Scarface: Empire, which was the planned title for the game, the main character would have had to move to Las Vegas. Of course, Tony Montana's job would be to set up another drug empire there.

At first, the main character was going to try selling stuff in casinos, but the owners wouldn't be too thrilled about it. As a result, Montana would have no choice but to build his own casino, which would serve as a front for his real criminal activities.

Scarface: Empire. Source: Mafia Game Videos / YouTube.

Old, good Scarface and the desert

At first glance, Scarface: Empire seems to be pretty much like the original game we're all used to. We would thus receive a city to explore, which we would traverse on foot or behind the wheel. During the missions, Tony Montana would need to wipe out swarms of adversaries, dispose of mafia leaders, and seize territories from his rivals.

Moreover, there would be the option of recruiting a crew, without whom fighting enemies might prove nearly impossible. Another thing is that sometimes the team members could literally save Tony's life by jumping in at the last second, just before the bad guy was about to put a bullet in his head.

The desert would deserve a separate mention, as it was meant to bring a real breath of fresh air to the gameplay. The creators wanted it to be more than just a backdrop for Las Vegas; they aimed to make it a key part of the game. We were supposed to use the sandy wasteland for receiving shipments, handing over goods to customers, and, among other things, getting rid of the bodies.

Scarface: Empire. Source: Mafia Game Videos / YouTube.

Death of the project

Scarface: Empire was shaping up to be quite interesting. Unfortunately, when Vivendi Universal Games merged with Activision, they suddenly ended up with way too many open-world games in their lineup. The publisher was therefore forced to make cuts.

Like I mentioned at the start, after the whole project, we ended up with a bunch of stuff like concept sketches and recordings showing off the prototype gameplay. These were compiled by the Mafia Game Videos channel, which published an extensive video about the canceled project in June 2022.

What happened next?

After they scrapped Scarface: Empire, Radical Entertainment managed to stay afloat for a while and even scored some success with the two Prototype games. However, after drastic layoffs in 2010 and 2012, it was reduced to a supporting team and stopped doing original projects.

Scarface: Empire. Source: Mafia Game Videos / YouTube.

Scarface: Empire

cancelled

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• Overview

• Activision Blizzard
• Radical Entertainment
• cancelled games
• Scarface
• Necro Gaming