50 Cent : Bulletproof

50 Cent: Bulletproof is a 2005 third-person action shooter for PlayStation 2, developed by Genuine Games and published by Vivendi Universal Games. It places an exaggerated, fictionalized version of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson at the center of a crime-thriller campaign set across New York City. The PlayStation 2 release is the original console version of the game, rather than the later PSP adaptation.

The story begins when 50 answers a call for help from his old friend K-Dog in Queens. The attempted rescue goes wrong: K-Dog is taken and 50 is shot, leaving him to recover before tracing the people behind the ambush. His investigation steadily expands from a personal rescue and revenge mission into a wider criminal conspiracy involving multiple gangs and underworld figures.

G-Unit is woven into the campaign as 50’s crew, with Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and Tony Yayo joining him on missions as computer-controlled partners. Familiar hip-hop personalities also appear in fictional roles, including Dr. Dre as the arms dealer Grizz, Eminem as the corrupt Detective McVicar, and DJ Whoo Kid as a music vendor. That star-driven cast makes the game a period piece of mid-2000s G-Unit culture as much as a straightforward shooter.

Missions use a third-person view built around gunfights, lock-on aiming and cover. 50 can press against walls to fire from protection, move certain objects as mobile cover, and grab enemies to use them as human shields. Close-range encounters add punches, kicks, grapples and context-sensitive finishing moves, so the action shifts between firearms and hand-to-hand attacks instead of relying on a single combat style.

Weapons range from pistols and submachine guns to shotguns, rifles, grenades and improvised melee tools. Players can carry and switch between several weapons, collect ammunition and loot fallen opponents for cash. The money feeds back into the neighborhood hub, where it can be spent on weapons, health and armor upgrades, additional combat moves, clothing and other unlocks before returning to the next job.

Music is a major part of Bulletproof’s presentation. The game includes a large selection of 50 Cent and G-Unit material alongside instrumental tracks, and its unlockable extras include music videos and songs that can be bought with in-game cash. New 50 Cent music, freestyles and his own in-game dialogue were part of the project’s licensed appeal, giving the PS2 game a soundtrack-heavy identity beyond its action campaign.

The PlayStation 2 and Xbox editions share the same third-person, mission-based design. In 2006, Vivendi released 50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition for PSP, which reused the story and cutscenes but changed the action to a top-down isometric perspective and added ad hoc multiplayer. For players looking for the original console experience, this PS2 version is the one built around the behind-the-back shooting and cover mechanics.