Omerta is a simple browser-based MMO that guarantees a lot of fun time and a possible addiction. It’s set in the 1930′s, and the whole theme is the mafia; hiring bodyguards, joining mob families, and raids.

Graphics:
The graphics are pretty simple. The site itself has a nice, clean layout. It is really easy to navigate through, the multiple frames help keep things organized. The cars you have show actual pictures of the cars, not just poorly drawn ones. The bodyguard pictures look really nice. Really, there’s not much to complain about.

The top of the screen has a box which shows all of your stats. Your rank progression bar is there, so you always know how close you are to getting the next level. You have a health bar as well as a bar for your bodyguards’ level and how your skill at busting people out of jail is going. The box also displays how much money and bullets you have. This little box is nifty because it appears on every page so you’re never lost.

Controls:
Click. Click. Click. Navigation around the site as well as game play is pretty much moving the mouse, clicking on what you want, making your choices, and typing in the security code. The standard method works perfectly well, but if you have Greasemonkey on Firefox, there are scripts you can add that allow you to make keyboard shortcuts to make navigation even easier. Even with the scripts, you can still use the normal clicking method, which tend to work easier anyway.

Flow:
Pretty good flow overall. You start out at a low level and as you do crimes, nick cars, and spring people from jail, your rank progression will go up bit by bit. As you progress through the levels, you will gain access to more things, like new group crimes and getting married, which would give you part of your partner’s money/items if/when they die, and you have a better chance at succeeding in your crime attempts. Sometimes, ranking seems tedious if you end up in jail a lot, but really, you can move pretty quickly.

Fun Factor:
A lot of fun! The game is great if you play on your own. Solo, you can do crimes, steal cars, try your hand at smuggling goods from city-to-city. If you have a few friends, then you can meet in a city and do group crimes like heists or organized crimes (OCs).

Now, most of the real fun comes from being in a family. I was lucky enough to get an invite into a family, and most people do end up in one. When you’re in a family, there are some added benefits. In mine, I get rank progression points as well as money every time I move up a rank. In others, there’s money that can be gained, rank progression, and even items sometimes.

The best part of the game is probably just getting to play within the family. There is a lot of chatting that goes on, either about random things or organizing heists and the like. Granted, you don’t need to be in a family to play and enjoy the game, but it does add something different.

Female Factor:
The female factor relies on the player. If you’re a girl, then you’re a girl, because your in-game character is, essentially, you. There is a surprising number of girls and women that play this game. In my family, and in other families, there are females that run them.

It’s also nice to note that beside females, this game isn’t just for a 13-17 year old age group. There are a lot of older, as in 20-and-up, players from all over the world that make for a great diversity and a lot of fun.

Replay Value:
The only time you would really have to replay the game at all is if you die. For most, this game is fun and addicting enough to ensure that they’d keep playing.

Overall, I had a lot of fun playing this game. I had a great family and I’m already making some good friends. I plan on keep playing, and I invite all of you to come join. The website is: http://www.barafranca.com/ so go check it out!