Let's face it, a rap star lending his or her name to a video game product can be a risky move, one that can either end in success or utter failure. I'm sure the many names who lent their talents to the awful SNES basketball game Rapjam Volume One regret the move, while the whole gang at Wu-Tang is still reaping the benefits from starring in Wu-Tang Clan: Shaolin Style Fighting for the PlayStation. Now, a whole new player is coming to the game, and the product he represents looks to be a whole lot rougher than either of these efforts combined.

50 Cent: Bulletproof brings forth the popular rap star, the innovator behind such songs as "Disco Inferno" and "In Da Club". In the game, you play as Fitty himself, explaining his rough-and-tumble lifestyle as he soon becomes ambushed by a number of enemies from the New York crime families. He's practically left for dead, but soon emerges from his ill state of health and vows the kind of bloody vengeance that those seeking it look for. How so? With guns and the kind of violent moves that seem commonplace in such games as Grand Theft Auto and True Crime: Streets of LA.

The trailer for the game shows the kind of violent style that the game will be known for, as it shows Fitty rushing through some kind of office and blazing away at gun-toting foes and taking them out with some vicious street moves on the sides, including a roundhouse kick that looks off the hook and some grabbing moves that should make for innovative combos and weapon stealing. It's more than likely going to find a Mature rating, and will also raise a few eyebrows of those who think that violent games are becoming more mainstream.

But Bulletproof has more going for it than just a typical action game. For one, the talents and likeliness of Fitty will be fully on display, and some soundtrack choices from his vast library of hits should also be available. Second, as violent as the game may be, it looks to be packing some great techniques, including changing weapons on-the-fly and being able to dispatch of enemies in a numerous amount of brutal ways. Finally, it has the kind of aggressiveness to battle the competition, including GTA: San Andreas and Snoop Dogg's forthcoming opus, Fear and Respect.

Whether 50 Cent: Bulletproof will be a big hit on the market depends on how the gameplay fares up. We know that it's going to look and sound good, with the kind of gritty attitude that Fitty himself is known for, but it needs to play just as well to back up that particular attitude and prove it's more than just a flash of bling bling. We'll have a more extensive look at this game come E3, so keep it here for more coverage. And get ready to party like it's your birthday.