The Massacre
50 cent: BulletproofVU Games, PS2, Xbox
Plenty of rappers are into videogames, but 50 Cent is literally in videogames. Following a rumored cameo in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the thug-king of all media unleashes his own third-person action game, which could be interpreted as a horrifying glimpse into what Curtis Jackson’s life might have been like had he never traded in his triple-beam balance for a mic. Turns out he and his G-Unit crew would be seeking revenge against the major New York underground crime syndicate. Who knew?
Joined occasionally by ass-kicking pals Dr. Dre and Eminem, 50 doles out justice with many automatic weapons as well as his personalized brand of urban kung fu while cronies chip in with burgling and lock-picking skillz. Puzzle-solving and the ability to use rolling dumpsters or human beings as makeshift armor keep the mind relatively engaged, but in the end, it’s the extras that keep Bulletproof off the B-list.
Those gems include a multilayered, more-complex-than-usual-gamer-fare story by Sopranos scribe Terence Winter (who also wrote the screenplay for 50’s screen debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin’), a soundtrack chock-full of hidden 50 Cent and G-Unit songs, unlockable music videos and a G-Unit Communicator that lets you customize the in-game playlist with any unlocked tracks. Congratulations, 50 — you’re one poetry chapbook away from conquering every form of media known to man.
