The Godfather: The Game

UPC: 014633149753

Platform: Xbox

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA Redwood Shores

Category: Action

Style(s): Action Adventure

Synopsis: Electronic Arts makes an offer it hopes fans of Mafioso mythology cannot refuse, in this video game translation of the award-winning 1972 Francis Ford Coppola film. Players take the role of a small-time thug, newly inducted into the Corleone family and looking to make it big. By running missions for the family in the game's rendition of 1940s New York City, players can earn the respect of the family and be promoted to positions of power and influence in the organization. The game is designed to track the player's decisions and interactions throughout the criminal career, such that NPCs will remember how they were treated in the past and react appropriately in future dealings. In order to encourage players to truly take on the role of their own Corleone henchman, Electronic Arts' The Godfather offers a "MobFace" custom character creator which allows for adjustment of physique, facial features, and attire. All other major characters featured in the game are voiced by the actors who played them in the movie, including Marlon Brando (posthumously) as Don Vito Corleone, James Caan as Sonny Corleone, and Robert Duvall as consigliore Tom Hagen. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Package Contents: 16-page Instruction Manual

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

The game comes with a very nice map and a good information booklet. The game offers video orientation, helpful menus, and unlockable film clips from the movie to help players understand exactly what is going on. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The cityscape is nicely detailed and the characters are intricately designed. Buildings loom large in the horizon, rarely popping up out of nowhere, and character's facial expressions are terrific. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The life of a mobster is so outrageous that it naturally translates into compelling drama in books, movies, and television. With video games becoming an increasingly powerful and popular medium, it only makes sense that the mob life would make it into gaming consoles. Rather than attempt to create a whole new mob world, the developers at Electronic Arts decided to go for the gusto and take one of the greatest movies of all time and turn it into a game. Luckily for them, and for gamers everywhere, they have done a terrific job. The developers brilliantly molded a storyline around most of the famous scenes in the movie, and they've managed to effectively transport gamers back to 1950s-era New York with tremendous realism. The Godfather: The Game is filled with all the unrefusable offers, ichthyic slumber parties, and suspender-wearing wiseguys that fans of The Godfather movies have come to know and love. Gamers take the role of a young punk whose father was a Corleone soldier killed nine years earlier. The punk's mother goes to Don Vito on his daughter's wedding day, when no Sicilian can refuse a request, and asks Vito to watch over her son. From there the game begins with the main character roughing up local shopkeepers to make sure they are loyal to the Family, in the process gaining money and respect. This concept isn't terribly innovative, but there are numerous specific ways to intimidate people, such as holding a baker over the flames of his oven. There are specific missions to be performed for the Corleone family, hit contracts to be fulfilled, and dozens of businesses, both legitimate and otherwise, to extort. The gameplay is essentially based on that of the Grand Theft Auto series, so it is only fair to compare The Godfather: The Game to the GTA games. As is the case in the GTA series, players can ignore missions and roam the highly detailed model of, in this case, the New York Metropolitan area in pursuit of various types of mayhem. There isn't nearly as much freedom in this game as there is in the GTA franchise, though that is also the fault of the time period. There are really only about six different types of vehicles to drive, there are no planes or helicopters, no chain saws or flame-throwers, and the building design gets very repetitive. There is no shame, however, in being not quite as good as the GTA games. Though The Godfather: The Game isn't an instant classic like the movie that inspired it, it is an engrossing and atmospheric experience that is very fun to play. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The game is fairly long, especially if one wants to pursue 100 percent completion (the only way to become the Don of New York), but after completing it, players will likely abandon the game. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The voice work is fantastic. James Caan, Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando, and everyone's favorite Vigoda, Abe, all lend their familiar voices. Missing is Al Pacino, but the man who plays Michael Corleone does a fine job. The music and sound effects are also very effective. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The game is very enjoyable to play, although the controls take a little while to master. It is simply a lot of fun to participate in one of the great stories of the 20th century. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.