Scarface is an open world action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective, in which the player controls Tony Montana as he attempts to regain control of Miami's drug trade, destroy rival gangs, and restore his own reputation in the criminal underworld.[7]
Combat[edit]
The basic gameplay and game mechanics fall into the subgenre of Grand Theft Auto clones.[8] As such, the player can commandeer vehicles (cars and boats), move around the map on foot, interact with civilians and NPCs both hostile and non-hostile, engage in primary and sub-missions, and wield a variety of weapons: pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, assault rifles, a sniper rifle, a rocket launcher, a chainsaw, and various melee weapons, such as pipes and machetes.[9] In a departure from most Grand Theft Auto-style games, Tony cannot kill innocent people. If the player tries to shoot or attack a non-aggressive target, Tony will refuse to perform the action; if the player tries to hit an innocent person with a car, they will only be injured. This keeps in line with the character's refusal to kill innocent men, women and children.[10] As the game progresses, the player acquires access to some of Tony's employees as he rebuilds his empire: a driver, a boat pilot who can smuggle larger hauls of cocaine, an arms dealer who can supply weapons, an enforcer to protect Tony's businesses and attack those of his rivals, and a hitman who can eliminate other gangsters and dealers.[11] When these employees have been unlocked, the player can switch control from Tony to any one of them (except the arms dealer), and when playing as the enforcer or the hitman, the player can kill innocent people.[10]
When shooting, the player can lock on to the enemy or can aim manually, hitting specific body parts to produce different reactions. For example, if Tony shoots an opponent in the leg, they will fall down, but will continue to fire. If he hits an opponent in the arm, they will remain on their feet, but their aim will be compromised. Hitting opponents by aiming manually earns Montana more "balls" than using the lock-on system. Earning balls fills the "Balls meter", which is an essential component of combat in the game. Once the meter is full, "Blind Rage" mode becomes available. In this mode, the game switches to first-person and goes into slow motion, aim becomes automatic, the player acquires infinite ammo and doesn't have to reload their weapon, and each enemy killed earns Tony health. Tony can also acquire balls by taunting defeated opponents, insulting drivers who have hit his car, winning street races, completing missions, and having conversations with random people.[12][13]
