Mob Rule - PC Games

City management starts out simply, but as Mob Rule progresses, players must assign duties to each unit ranging from operating an establishment to combating the nearest hostile gang; Mob Rule offers a complex and sometimes overwhelming micromanagement affair.

Though Studio 3's description of Mob Rule as "mafia-simulation" sounds intense, the graphics and in-game video sequences lean more toward comedy than toward The Godfather trilogy. Colorful, cartoon-like characters complement the highly detailed, 3-D buildings and landscapes.

Thankfully, Mob Rule's hectic nature is assisted by an intuitive interface and a collection of training missions that should start most players off on the right, and not the cement, foot. City simulation fanatics might opt for SimCity 3000, and real-time strategy groupies likely will head for StarCraft, but if you're searching for a complex mob-based blend of the two, take the Godfather's advice and begin your crime reign with Studio 3's Mob Rule. --Doug Radcliffe