When I first received Miami Vice: The Game for PSP, I figured on it being some type quick cash in, probably an action-y blow thru that mirrored the plot of the movie for an easy tie in buck. In part, this is true, but it's also put together surprisingly well.

The game follows the movie that released this year, as opposed to the 1980's TV series. Both Crockett and Tubbs are present and playable, and the game manages to catch the atmosphere of the movie quite nicely.

As things begin you'll enter the high stakes world of Drug Trafficking as an undercover Narcotics agent, and make your way up in the world, busting Drug Lords and small time crooks, using your connections in the underworld to get higher and higher up. The game is focused on action, each level pretty much consists of advancing thru tight corridors, killing the bad guys, and collecting information and drugs. Certain sections are broken up with small minigames, and these little breaks in between levels are actually quite enjoyable.

Miami Vice doesn't provide a huge challenge, each level is peppered with health power ups and checkpoints (which is nice to see in a PSP game) and the enemies aren't particularly challenging. The typical player will finish this title quickly, which really puts it into more of a rent category than a buy. It's not that the game isn't fun to play, it really is, but there's not much to do after you're done with it.

The levels aren't necessarily all run and gun missions either, there are a few chase sequences to be had as well. The controls are all pretty tight, and the shooting controls (along with the camera) mirrors those found in Resident Evil 4, which isn't a bad thing at all.

The minigames in between levels end up being almost just as fun as the meat of the game. To help your progress through the game, you can sell the drugs you find in each level to either street dealers or drug lords. The dealers typically will accept a variety of drugs, whether its Meth, Weed, Cocaine, etc. The drug lords (or barons) usually only deal in one specific drug, but they also pay a larger price. There's a bit of skill involved when it comes to getting into the good graces of the drug lords though, with a minigame that requires you to maintain a certain level of cool when convincing the guards and the head honcho of your credibility.

Levels also contain flash drives that will lead you to other drug lords and weapon upgrades, and in between levels you can hack into these drives, which also prompts another minigame of sorts. This is more of a twitch shooter type, which sees you collecting rings of information while shooting down objects of bad code. Its not particularly deep gameplay, but it breaks things up nicely.

Miami Vice: The Game does a great job handling the atmosphere and feel of the movie, and the visuals and sound don't disappoint. Outside of the easy difficulty, and some drab environments, I can't find much fault with the title, much to my surprise. However, with the lack of any real reason to replay it once you're finished, and the fact its not going to take you long to get there, I definitely suggest renting before you buy.