circa: 2002
genre: action-driving simulation
developer: Illusion Softworks

engine: LS3D

• atmospheric/environmental effects
  • water: fire hydrants, fountains, hose, rain, mist (steamboat wheel); splash (people, vehicles)
  • weather: fog, lightning, rain
    • wind (some): drapes, flags, laundry lines, trees
  • other
    • dust: broom sweeping, impacts (bullets, character long jump and roll, vehicle), vehicle tire kickup
    • smoke: chimneys, cigars/cigarettes, fire, explosions, gunshots, train, vehicles (damaged, exhaust, tire skids), vents (some)
    • sparks: bullet/vehicle impacts
    • steam: grates, hot drinks (some), train, vents
    • explosions, fire; see particle effects
    • vehicles: incremental damage (broken glass, dents, engine steam, off-centered steering, bumpers/headlights fall off, scrapes, slower acceleration/speed proportional to damage, tire blowouts, wheels wobble, etc), skidmarks, tire kickup (dirt, grass); gas guage (can run out of gas), odometer, turn signals
    • bridge raises/lowers for barges
    • bathtub soap suds
    • leaking/squirting train car oil with moving stream
    • drinking glasses fill/drain liquid
    • some objects shake when hit/shot; see environmental interaction
• collision detection: 2D (bodies/feet remain horizontal instead of angling to surface); vehicles block fire hydrant water
• lighting: dynamic, colored; coronas, lens flare (sun); gunshots, lightning, streetlights, vehicle headlights
• particle effects: blood spurts, dust, explosions, fire, leaves, rain, shards (glass), smoke, soap suds, sparks, steam, tire kickup, water spray
• physics
  • friction/gravity: ammo clips, bullet shells, bodies, debris, enemies, player, weapons; see below
  • jerk/move/fall over when hit/shot: barrels (some), buckets (some), candles (+ holders), cans, crates (some), detached headlights/wheels, mailboxes, trashcans, vehicles (more info)
  • explosion force: blows out glass, pushes people/NPCs/objects back
• reflection: mirror, water (puddles, river); see environmental texture mapping
• shadows: projected polygonal masks (character, NPC humans, vehicles), adjustment: light source and vertical angle; pre-rendered, static: buildings, trees, etc
• skeletal animation & skin
• texture: 16-/32-bit depth
  • filtering: bi-/trilinear
  • mapping: environmental (glass, metal; floors, gramaphone cone, perfume bottles--some, vehicles, window blinds, windows), mip
  • decals: blood, bullet holes, explosion blasts (grenade), scrapes
• transparency: fire, glass, light beams, player character when camera close, smoke, steam, tire skid marks
• other: anti-aliasing, facial expressions, location-specific body damage, motion capture

player character

• character: Tommy Angelo, former cab driver turned mafioso
  • disappears when camera gets too close
  • facial expressions
  • footprints: blood
  • footstep sound: dirt, grass, gravel, metal, stone, wood
  • idle actions
  • looks at people in conversations
  • offense (criminal/police wanted) levels: armed-and-dangerous (shoot-to-kill), under arrest, pay fine, searching/wanted
• moves: crouch, hit/shoot/swing, jump, lean left/right, run, strafe, vault, walk, whistle
• view: 1st-person (against vertical surface, elevated train, trolly, sniper mode, vehicles), 3rd-person
  • pan/zoom: keyboard/mouse, multiple views

level/world design

• # levels: 1 city (~12 square miles; Chinatown, downtown, industrial, Littly Italy, slums, suburbs), ~20 missions
• locations: Lost Heaven (1930s American city); airport, apartment building, art gallery, bank, bar, brothel, church, countryside, dock, garages, mansion, prison, restaurant, steamboat, streets, warehouses; ~30 indoor
• cutscenes: yes
• full-motion videos (FMVs): no
• level editor: no
• linear progression: yes, but can explore city and choose not to do some subquests
• environmental interaction
  • breakable: barrels (dent, explode--some), cardboard boxes, crates (some), fire hydrants, gas pumps, gate padlocks, glass: display cases, windows (+ partial); lights (go out; some), phone booths, train fuel tank cars, trashcans (dent), vehicles
  • buttons: garage door opener, light switches
  • switches: train tracks
  • knockover-/movable objects (when hit with vehicle): cans (gas/oil), cones, fire hydrants, railings, street signs; see physics
  • openable/closeable: doors, electrical panel
  • pickup-/dropable: boxes/crates (some); see weapons
  • rideable: elevated train, steamboat, trollies, vehicles
  • when shot/exploded: barrels dent, brick-filled bucket falls and hits NPC, candles go out (some, +holders fall over), fire hydrants break and shoot water, lights (some) go out, mailboxes fall over, padlocks open and fall off (- exploded?), paintings fall, vehicles explode (if shot enough in right place) and parts fly off, window board supports break causing boards to fall and cover windows
  • other: change clothes to disguise identity (once), cut garden light electrical power, drink wine, get in/out of vehicles, kick open some doors, knock on door (1), load/unload truck boxes/crates, move train block, pick up/drop boxes/crates (some), pick vehicle door locks, plant bombs, pull people (dead or alive) out of cars, search bodies, start/stop gramaphone & vehicle engines, steal cars (carjacking), turn room lights on/off (some), use: crowbar to pry off padlock, ladder (2), microphone (1), toilet (1)
• outdoor landscaping/terrain design: indoor/outdoor; LOD, portal rendering; see locations
• puzzles: damage cars, find items, people (follow, kill, transport), plant bombs, shoot train blocks
• traps/hazards: explosions, falling, getting hit/shot, water (bay/ocean)

weapons: baseball bat, brass knuckles, crowbar, fists, grenades, guns (442 revolver, Colt 1911, 27 Magnum, M10 revolver, S&W M442, shotguns: pump, sawed-off; sniper rifle w/scope, Thompson 1929 "Tommy Gun"), knife, molotov cocktails; more info

bullet shells: eject, fall, hit surface, bounce (+ down angles), and disappear after a long while

other

• enemies/animals: humans, dogs
• AI
  • dodge, evade, take cover (+ run and scream), cower (crouch, lay down on ground, beg for mercy)
  • get in/out: elevated trains, trollies, parked cars (+ drive off and repark elsewhere and walk around)
  • help player carry boxes
  • honk vehicle horns (+ get out of way of player's honking vehicle)
  • light-sensitive
  • on-fire guy runs and jumps into ocean
  • pull player out of carjacked car (some)
  • throw molotov cocktails/grenades
• inventory: ammo/weapons, bucket, documents, keys, package, papers, plane tickets
• sound: stereo, EAX