Best movie game ever!
It is a story about family, respect, and loyalty. After a life of small time jobs and petty thefts, you have been accepted into the most famous criminal organization in America. It is up to you to carry out orders, earn respect, rise through the ranks, and make NYC your own. If you play your cards right, you could be running everything as the next, and most powerful, Don.
Visually, the Godfather is brilliant. While heavily borrowing from games like Grand Theft Auto, it still offers its own style and flavor, while bringing life in 1940-50’s to reality. The recreation of New York City is impressive in size and scale, with plenty of buildings to explore, streets to walk and drive down, and tons of obstacles and debris strewn about. The character models and animations range from the very good when it comes to lead characters, to the repetitive and ordinary when referring to thugs and nobodies. With a game of this size, it is expected, so no real fault of the developer here. The models that represent your character and the main cast are excellent, with perfect mannerisms, detail, and textures. This is really apparent in the game’s cut scenes that are mostly reenactments of the film’s most classic moments. The recreation of the original actors like Marlon Brando, James Cann, and Robert Duvall are incredible, but noticeably missing is the likeness of Al Pacino, which is sad as obviously Michael is a HUGE character and is sorely missed in this adaptation. The frame rate is fine, and load times are minimal, which provides a very enjoyable experience overall.
From the opening scene, as you hear the classic Godfather theme song, you know that the audio is going to be a key element to the game’s presentation. Not only is the game’s score vital, which is done by Academy Award winner Bill Conti, but EA went as far as incorporating voice over sessions with many of the cast such as James Cann, Robert Duvall, Abe Vigoda, and even the late Marlon Brando before passing away. These reprisals are key to the feel of the game and really immerse the gamer in the Godfather universe. Sound effects are also very authentic ranging from old style car engines, Tommy guns, and fantastic explosions.
Game play is where the Godfather really separates it from the other titles that may be compared to Rockstar’s franchise. Sure the game is open ended and non-linear, sure you can mercilessly pummel citizens, and sure you can hijack cars when you need to get somewhere. The controls take on a new way to perform most of these familiar elements and expand on the experience, which puts the Godfather into a class all in itself. Here is a quick list of what you can expect from the game play; Quick attacks, power attacks, combo attacks, grab attacks and movements, throws, wall slams, tossing from window ledges, strangling, melee weapon attacks, and of course a barrage of weaponry that range from bats to Tommy guns. The most intuitive aspect of the gameplay controls is the fact that when you want to grapple or throw someone, you grab on to both shoulder buttons, and while holding them down you can maneuver your victim by using the R stick or various button attacks. It is a strange feeling of satisfaction when you can strangle a CPU character while you are gripping your controller intensely.
The depth of The Godfather while you rise through the ranks is incredible. You have the option to extort, racketeer, put on heat, perform a contract hit, and hijack trucks, crack safes, heist banks, and many other elements that will take you from enforcer to Don if successful enough in your tasks. What EA did well is incorporating the Godfather story line along with yours, versus having you control one of the main characters. This opens up the gameplay immensely and allows you to unfold the Godfather story at your own pace. Not only that, but depending on how you earn your respect dictates on what kind of mob boss you turn out to be.
In the end, The Godfather is a worthy purchase for fans of this style of game, and a must purchase for fans of the film series. Even with Michael portrayed by another likeness, that shouldn’t deter you from joining this family.