The text-based browser MMOG, Omerta has gone live with its 3rd iteration today, Omerta 3.

Omerta is set mainly in 1930s Italy and New York and allows players to take on the role of a mobster, and struggle through the top through a variety of methods such as betting on car races, robbing banks, taking out hits on rivals, and street fights.

Work your way up from petty thug and join a powerful family or aim to run your own. Even get into the booze business, run a club, or Vegas casino. The classic mafia elements are in Omerta, which has an active playerbase across the world of 70,000.

After two years of development, Omerta 3, the latest edition, has several new features; some inspired by player requests. These include a revamped kill system that only permits characters of a similar level to attack each other, many brand-new items at all levels, including items to protect your character when you're offline, new weapons and vehicles.

Other features are a hierarchical network to join with friends, with bonus unlocks at each rung, as well as maps with businesses to run that come with associated benefits for your mafia family. This system lets players raid another family's business and steal the benefits or even take the whole thing over, stirring up turf wars. While Omerta is free to play, players can purchase "donate codes" for about $3.50/2.50 Euros, which grant a set of benefits to that player for 28 days before expiring.

For more information, or to play Omerta, check out their website here.