A fun and enjoyable game, but bad graphics and a terrible story pulls this game down to the drains...

User Rating: 6 | The Godfather II PS3
This film adaptation game series offers a new Dons View management feature that gives you unique and total control of your mob empire, including the illegal financial activities. Game play is based on actions, not item grabbing, where people follow your lead. This power of choice puts you in lead role control on overall fronts as well as specific elements.

You won't have to worry about hurting your crew with friendly fire, but you should delegate simple tasks to them and keep them well balanced. The high content and optional scenarios, mainly managed in the Dons View, won't overwhelm you thanks to helpful hints and continuing advanced tutorials. This essential help also gives you a handle on the financial management tasks. Dialogue responses, expanding combat and weapons, contracting killers and even hiring guards are just some involving activities you can accomplish throughout three large urban settings. You get several different ways to make money (bank heists, etc) and use your power (bribes, calling in favors, etc) as you simulate the crime rings. Efficiently planned takeovers spread your empire further faster. Strong arm tactics are fine, but playing the numbers game in your head can increase interest while producing even more satisfying scenarios. Formulas and strategies can be tested against rivals at any time, so experiment on the large and small scale. Assassinations require that you gather necessary intel to rid top rivals for good. Existing knowledge of the film characters and families can save some time. The single player mode puts you on the promotional path to control your mob family recruitment choices and mob family tree. Recruitment works well and makes sure you're not just getting the guy who has the most bloodlust brutality and the least amount of fear. Players can choose from different skill sets and personalities including arson, fighting, demolitions, robbery, healing and engineering. Yes, even the mob needs these high technology skills for savvy strategy moves and special sabotage...

The game has some clipping issues, needs graphic improvements and your followers can't get in your vehicle sometimes. You can't skip most cutscenes, so why not make some that trigger during big events when main rivals move against you? This possible element could change the pace while adding some unpredictability and extra excitement in the next Godfather III installment. The graphics are total crap though, it's a bad PS2 graphical game, but it is brutal. The story lacks depth too, which is dissapointing. Overall, this game has everything action gamers could want such as endless power struggles, intimidation tactics, constant crime fantasy and eclectic weapon varieties, but may dissapoint fans of the movies, or games who value graphics over gameplay!

+ Good "Dons View" system
+ Gameplay is great
+ Fun and enjoyable
- Terrible graphics
- Gameplay gets repeative
- Story sucks
- Too short
- Script is awful