There is
little doubt that Francis Ford Coppola’s epic saga of the Corleone crime
syndicate captured the hearts of movie-goers. Three epic films detailed the ups
and downs, and the evolution of the Mafia family as America evolved.
When
Electronic Arts released the first Godfather game, the story clung to the
original movie’s themes, and while giving gamers a unique character to play
within the confines of the story, it was a decent excursion into the
oft-menacing world.
The
Godfather II is a bit of a different take on the era and while it technically
takes place during the rise to power of Michael Corleone, it departs from the
films in a substantial way.
As for the
story set-up …
On the eve
of New Year’s 1959, revolutionaries succeeded in overthrowing the Cuban
government and taking control of the country. This comes just as the families
have moved into the country with the idea of establishing their empires there
thanks to the friendly government. As the game begins, Hyman Roth has declared
the revolutionaries not much of a threat and that the families will get very
rich by working with the government. Your boss (you can create a character named
Dominic with a bit of customization possible) is part of the celebration, as are
Michael and Fredo Corleone. But in the middle of the countdown to the new year,
the government announces that the revolutionaries have won. This, of course,
begins wide-spread panic as people decide they must flee the country. Your first
job within this tutorial setting is to get the Corleones to the airport. When
almost to the plane, a sniper kills your boss, Aldo. On the plane ride back to
the states, Michael explains that there are few he can trust, but Dominic falls
into that category. In fact, Dominic is the one Michael has chosen to take
control of New York. With the disaster in Cuba, a lot of families will be vying
for a piece of the Big Apple.
It is a
large task, but the game helps you get organized. The initial quests are
directed but soon players will find themselves in a sandbox setting. You can
take over whatever businesses you wish, but you have to hire the right people to
protect your interests. What you take will anger the ones you take it from and
they will not sit idly back and allow you to run roughshod over their territory.
Taking over a business that is a front for a family is not overly complex. You
approach the person in charge, find their weak spot (through threats or physical
violence), apply just enough pressure to get them to crumble and then take over.
That means more income and more income means you can hire more soldiers, promote
some to lieutenants and upgrade skills.
The Don’s
View is the hub that makes all this work well. Using the Don’s View, accessed
through the start button, will allow you to zoom around the city, see where
mission locations might be and even set waypoints to the areas. Of course, being
an up-and-coming ‘don,’ with a small-but-growing army, you can either handle
matters personally, or send in your soldiers to deal with unrest. Be careful,
though, being on the scene may mean you have to make a quick get-away when the
police show up. You really don’t want to have your lieutenants gunned down in a
frantic get-away scene, nor do you want to get arrested. While not the end of
the world, it can still be costly.
There are
three territories that you will run through, but this is where the game begins
to show its weaknesses. First of all, you will end up doing the same things,
just in different settings. The AI does try to randomize the events but
generally speaking, it starts to feel like a bit of a rut. You are building a
crime syndicate and that seems to mean repetition. The game does throw a few
other things at you, like driving, but this comes across more as a ponderous
exercise than the smoothness associated with other car-oriented EA titles.
There are
general overall story-arc quests you can undertake, and several side-quests that
will pop into your lap if you go looking. However, if one keeps in mind that you
are a Don, the question obviously comes to mind – why are you approaching people
on the street to ask if they need help with anything?
Graphically,
The Godfather II is serviceable. There are characters that are instantly
recognized from the movies and others that are not. That holds true for the
voice action. Some of the movie actors have lent their voices to this game and
others have not. The musical score is very rich and includes composer Nino
Rota’s classic theme. The score varies, depending on the action – and there is a
lot of action in this game – and keeps the pacing feeling right.
The
Godfather II is a bit of a hit and miss, at times. There is a certain feel to
the game that is initially immersive, but as you progress, it feels less so. The
game bogs down a bit and starts to lose some of its excitement as you succumb to
the same game mechanics. It’s not so much that the game lures you into the rut,
but you may find yourself there simply because you are not certain where else to
go and the familiar lures you in.
This is a
solid game, but not quite the hard-edge gangster title that is out there.
Certainly the game has a lot of violence for the sake of violence, initiated by
the player, but at times it feels like you are spinning wheels instead of
actively pursuing the goals outlined early in the game by Michael Corleone.
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Gameplay: 7.0
You will find
there is a lot of repetition in the game. The controls are set up well and the
game is generally easy to navigate through. The Don’s View is a nice heads-up
display.
Graphics: 7.0
Some of the
characterizations are nailed down, but some of the movement is not as fluid as
it could be on the PS3 system.
Sound: 7.5
The voice acting,
at times, sounds a bit forced, but is generally solid. The musical score is very
nicely done.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 7.3
The game has a
nice sandbox feel and plays an alternative route from the movies, and that is
handled fairly well.
Multiplayer: 6.5
This is a
deathmatch type of setting that is not exactly innovative.
Overall: 7.1
This is a game
that does not have the depth of other gangster-themed titles, but still manages
to present the world of the movies in a solid way. Fans of the film may enjoy
this ride while those looking for something a bit more substantial may find this
game not as deep as they would like.
