Previews

E3 2011: Hands-on with Gameloft's 9mm on iPhone

Guns blazing

E3 2011: Hands-on with Gameloft's 9mm on iPhone
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You know what the iPhone is missing? Hardcore drug busts.

We're talking crooked cops, filthy language, and enough coca leaf to make Tony Montana blush.

Gameloft is satiating our appetite with its new, gritty title 9mm. If GangStar: West Coast Hustle was its ode to Grand Theft Auto, 9mm is Gameloft's version of Max Payne.

The French publisher gave us an exclusive E3 preview of the iPhone and iPad game coming later this summer. And here it is.

Dirty coppers In 9mm, you play John "Loose" Kannon, a cop who's tired of playing by the rules while gangs run rampant in his urban city.

One particularly gruesome drug deal gone bad leaves a bunch of dead bodies in its wake - and an incredible amount of meth and cash. Kannon and two fellow cops decide to take the ice and money, convincing themselves that they can use it to do more good than harm.

That's when the trouble begins.

9mm is a third-person shooter with a complicated storyline, which our anti-hero lead attempts to disentangle by every means necessary.

John Kannon proves as adept at firing shotguns and machine guns as he is at shooting loaded questions at a round of suspects. The interrogation sequences, in fact, add a little Tap Tap Revenge action to the mix, as good timing will give you insight into the enemy's next step.

Parental discretion is advised

9mm plays well, with the controls and pacing feeling right, and the atmosphere suitably dark and menacing. The blood and gore on display here is intense, definitely the equal of the average gang or mafia movie, as is the extremely explicit dialogue.

It is also one of the first Gameloft games - actually, mobile games period - to use licensed music, with some of hip-hop's finest Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Apathy, and Jake One contributing to the soundtrack.

One feature not on display at E3 was the ten-way multiplayer. Precise details are scant, but it is known you'll be able to battle your friends over wi-fi and Bluetooth.

While the single-player adventure was fun, we expect 9mm's multiplayer mode to make an impact when Gameloft's shooter arrives later this summer on iOS.

In the meantime, check out the gameplay trailer below.

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Damon Brown
Damon Brown
Damon Brown has been speaking the mobile game gospel since 2003 for Playboy, New York Post, and many other outlets. Damon writes books when he isn't busy gaming or Twittering. His most popular book is Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Our Culture.