3.4.2006

EA's biggest problem as producers is that their games tend to be repetitive, glossy and shallow. There is a lot of superficiality surrounding the games they release, and it often turns out that the games should've been so much deeper and longer lived than they really are. The Godfather is certainly a flawed masterpiece of a game, suffering from, ironically, not particularly the regular trip ups of EA.Based on Francis Ford Coppola's classic 1972 film, the Godfather Game has a lot to live up to if it wants to do its source material any justice. Set in the period 1945 to 1955, you take control of a young mobster who witnessed his father murdered nine years before. You pledge an oath of loyalty to the Corleone family,carrying out initially small time jobs for them which gradually get more important as you rise through the ranks. Characters are revived from the film, most notably voiced by the late Marlon Brando himself, as well as Robert Duvall and James Caan (suffice to say their voices have aged). EA faithfully recreate 1940s New York in vivid detail, ranging from Little Italy to Hell's Kitchen.The gameplay of the Godfather -- which should be emphasised is designed for consoles -- is undeniably the engine needed for GTA-esque games. It excels the clunky gameplay engine of Mafia and the sometimes simplistic GTA series, and turns it into something sophisticated and easy to use. The Godfather brings to life both a varied hand-to-hand combat system and an intense shooting experience with a 1940s arsenal of weapons, e.g. the classic Tommy Gun. The player is able to "whack" his targets in dozens of ways, ranging from hurling them off high ledges, to smashing their heads against walls, to kicking them over and blowing their faces off with a shotgun. The Godfather is certainly morbid and not for the light hearted, but never fails to be adrenaline pumping throughout.In terms of gameplay, the Godfather rarely fails. However, despite the gameplay being varied, the tasks are not, as opposed to GTA where the tasks were varied but the gameplay was not. Although it's a great idea, extorting businesses, buying rackets, shooting bodyguards, etc, does get a tad repetitive. The scent of EA appears. It's nice and glossy, with beautiful environments, but little variation in what you do with your many abilities. Furthermore, the driving is very average, with very few types of cars, which, it should be added, go ridiculously fast for the 1940s. The driving involves only driving, with little skill. There's no speedometer or capabilities such as shooting whilst driving. All you can do is brake and accelerate. It's not really that the driving is bad because it's easy to use, but certainly lacks exploitation.Character development is fantastic. The game allows the player to design their character in quite literally obsessional detail. If you want something as miniscule as a mole on your character's forehead, the game lets you do it. There's a wide selection of suits and clothes, to let you create the ultimate gangster. EA put a lot of emphasis on character detail, especially facially, and the interactive environment serves to be a joy to use. On the other hand, the graphics are let down by samey buildings. The specific graphics is where this game is strong viscerally, yet environments rarely impress.The classic film was a very subtle, artistic piece of work. Unfortunately, the game frequently misses out on this mastery of craft. For example, you may be asked to whack someone and make it look like an accident. It ends up being rather contrived when you blow away a handful of bodyguards to let the accident happen. I'm being pedantic to an extent, because the game does need artistic license, but there could've been more in-depth sneaking around to vary tasks. Moreover, it's pretty ridiculous when some of the gentler characters of the film draw out a gun from a car and start shooting at the mobsters tailing you. The Godfather game deserves more variation and subtlety than this in its tasks, rather than the same thing again and again. In addition to this, there's this whole big element of bribing police to turn a blind eye but they have no way near the same menacing presence as the police in GTA and are rarely seen.The Godfather's biggest failing, however, are the holes in the storyline which will definately disappoint fans. Various parts of it are left incomplete, or there is no build up, or a massive lapse of time ... the list goes on. EA think it's all right because they choose to take a clip from the film and use it as a special feature to try and tie it all together, but it doesn't get in the way of the gameplay which often leaves the player with a feeling of confused emptiness with regard to the plot. It's a shame that such an opportunity was squandered in such a half-baked way.The Godfather is a game with huge potential. If the flaws were filled or if it were a combination of itself and GTA, it would be a masterpiece. With any luck, future games will develop the ideas of this game even further to make something special. Nevertheless, it's highly enjoyable and aptly brings the classic film to life.

31.3.2006

Most games that copy the Grand Theft Auto gameplay style make one terrible mistake. You can't improve on perfection.And Grand Theft Auto III, set in a realistic, living parody of New York City, was just about perfect from day one. The city looked real. The cars were varied and copied real-life models. Basically, the game put you into an entirely believable world.And while Vice City and San Andreas have improved on the things that made GTAIII so amazing, that's still THE game. It is 'The Godfather.'So it's ironic that one of the films that inspired Grand Theft Auto, The Godfather, has just been turned into a computer game that liberally borrows so much from the GTA format.The publisher, EA games,is famous for buying expensive, hyped film titles (like James Bond) and churning out adequate, or poor, games based around them. Take the recent From Russia With Love game. It was good, but it wasn't inspired.That's pretty much the same with the Godfather.Don't get me wrong. It's a good game. I'm spending time playing it that I should spend talking to my wife/sleeping/doing the washing up. I like so much of it. But it just doesn't do for me what Grand Theft Auto Three did.First off, there's the city.In GTAIII, they created a new city, Liberty City, to play in. It looked amazing - a visueal treat based on New York. Now, with The Godfather, they try to recreate New York and it doesn't quite match.They accurately map the roads. There's the Waldorf Astoria and the Empire State building. Even the New York City Library. But because they've copied it accurately, instead of creating an asthetically perfect copy, it doesn't feel quite 'right.'Plus, there's too much to copy. New York is huge. So, instead, they've copied bits of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey and your game play is limited to those areas.So while the maps may be accurate, it's just not the exciting treat that the Grand Theft auto games were.Then there are the cars.In the GTA games, there are hundreds. They all look real, too. Based on actual car models. In The Godfather, there are about five different car models. A truck. A coupe. A sports car, a sedan and a police car. That's it. It all looks a bit samey.Also, the cars don't drive brilliantly. In GTA, there's something they've got spot on about the feel of the cars. The way they lose traction on the corners. The way they accelerate.The Godfather just can't match that.So, overall, the gameplay package just doesn't 'come together' like it did for the GTA games.But, as I said, you can't improve on perfection. How would I rate The Godfather if I had never played a GTA game?Well, the fact that I'm addicted to it probably answers that question.In The Godfather you play a rookie thug who you 'design' in a Mobface system that's very similar to Def Jam: Fight for New York. This is great, because you get to pick what he wears, what he looks like and how he's built. You can be a skinny dark guy or a big chunky blonde. Pretty much any build or enthnicity is catered for - except being ginger. For some reason, ginger hair isn't built into the system!You have to do certain missions for 'the family' which is great. All the actors and characters from the original films are painstakingly recreated digitally. They look amazing and the voice acting is great.Then, you're left to run around to your own devices, taking over businesses for protection money (which is great fun. You threaten, pummel and intimidate the shop owners into paying you protection.) You 'hit' rival mobs. It's kind of like a strategy game in this respect and it's fun and challenging.You get to fight. This is where the Godfather really excels. Their fighting system blows all the rest (including GTA) out of the water. You get to really control the action and the fighting is brutal and satisfying.To sum it all up, the Godfather is a rewarding, exciting game and it satisfies my craving for GTA action. It's not going to rock the world - but you won't be disappointed you bought it.Oh, and in conclusion, I should include one of the film quotes, like: "This game will make you an offer you can't refuse." But I can't think of one, so please insert your own!!

27.11.2006

Being a fan of the Godfather films and free roaming games I had to buy this, although I did wait until it was cheaper to purchase as I had read some rather bad or average reviews about this game in various PS2 magazines. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to find that this game really deserves to be associated with the films.The first thing I noted was the decent graphics of the game, perhaps not the most advanced on PS2, but still quite realistic. The voice actors who were not original cast members all did a good job (although Michael Corleone looks and sounds nothing like Al Pacino in the film as another reviewer pointed out). It was great hearing James Cann and Robert Duvall amongst others,in the game.You start off in the game with a prequel to the main game that establishes the origins of the main character and his allegiance to the Corleone family. It then jumps multiple years forward allowing the player to customise the main characters facial features, clothes, etc and also to give him his own name. This helps to bring the character closer to the player and you really want to help him achieve his revenge by helping the Corleone family wipe out the rival families and take over all their various rackets.This game, like most free roaming games now, will always be compared to the Grand Theft Auto games (Namely Vice City). It pleased me to find that this game can hold it's own against even Vice City. This is the first game I have found can be compared fairly to it. It is not better than Vice City, but it is nearly as good and that is not a statement I could ever imagine saying. The missions are quite similar but due to the feeling of authenticity and the period setting makes it seem like a world apart, but really adds to the overall mood of the game. Like Vice City you really gel with the characters and if one betrays the `family' you do really regret having to dispatch them.I would say the film is recommended viewing before playing the game, as it does help to understand some of the story and gives you a better idea of the characters involved.This was a game I could not stop playing, every free minute I had was spent on this game and it was a game I really enjoyed. I have so far managed to clock up over forty hours of gameplay over the past week and I can see it lasting for a good while yet, even though I have completed all the story missions and nearly all the sub-missions. Repeat playability definitely exists with this game, maybe not to the same extent as Vice City, but it is still there.The gameplay is quite free roaming, but again not to the extent of the Grand Theft Auto games, but this doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Having experienced the blandness of the game Mafia for PS2 I was pleased to finally play a period Mob game with fast driving cars (who cares about a vast selection of cars, this game is played for the story and the thrill of completing the missions, if you want a game full of different cars, buy a racing game) and decent gameplay that followed a system similar to the GTA games (you build an empire by buying property for safe houses and taking over opposing families' rackets and extorting businesses, which is great fun as none are ever the same and some of them can be really tough).This is an essential purchase for all free roaming, crime game fans. It is good to see a film license game that actually works and remains loyal to the film without being just a re-hash of the film or to feature characters nothing like those in the film (obviously the exception here is Michael Coleone).The main faults I found with the game were: Not being able to shoot while driving, which would have come in handy had it been done the same as the GTA games, long load and save times (not the end of the world) and I only came across one glitch (the car my character was driving bounced against the side of a building and floated into the air, disappearing with the main character reappearing on the street unscaved).The cityscape of the game is vast, but not as much as GTA San Andreas or Just Cause, but still enough to make it a joy to drive around.I highly recommend this game.

18.8.2006

First of all I think you should ignore the review by 'themanwithimpeccabletaste' his so called impeccable taste is somewhat tarnished by the fact that he's never watched the greatest gangster movie of all time. On to the game, I loved it! I thought the graphics were excellent for a PS2 game (especially a third person shooter), the cut scenes looked good, the characters moved like real people and they looked like the characters from the movie as well (for the most part eh, michael)There was decent enough voice acting as well (again for the most part, cough, michael). As for the storyline well you can't really go wrong with the Godfather to work from,there are subtle changes here and there but that is mostly to do with that you play a totally imagined character not featured in any of the films, this can work well though, placing you in many of the films most famous moments without replacing any of the famous characters and in that sense it is cleverly done. That brings me on to what I like best about the game, the customisation of the character. Before you join the family you can make your character look like you want him to look and to be fair there are a good deal of customisation options to choose from, give him scars, moles change his facial features make him fat thin or in the middle. Also as you progress in the game you can buy him different clothes and give him new styles, you can also name him what you like. Yes the storyline is linear but at least you can put your mark on the game unlike gta which has a linear story and limited custom options. On to the gameplay, be warned it is VERY addictive, i found hours just rolling away and when i did stop playing it was only because i had to pyhsically tell my self that the amount of time i had played on it was getting ridiculous (im glad someone mentioned that it was normal to spend 40 hours completing this game because for me that is a long time to play a game) but i enjoyed every minute of it. Yes there is repititon in buildings etc but to be honest i never got tired of extorting, bribing, taking over rackets, killing rival family members, robbing banks, buying high calibre weapons from black market dealers, hijacking trucks, assassinating other family big wigs in hit missions, taking over businesses and warehouses and of course blowing up a family compound and wiping them off the face of the map and all in the name of Corleone! Also what i thought was a nice touch was getting to know some of the peripheral characters from the film you get to do missions with Clemenza and walk and talk with Luca Brasi. I know this game has it's critics but that is because they don't give it a chance, they don't appreciate the subtler aspects of the game, there are gliches and it is annoying sometimes but on the whole I found it to be a quality gaming experience and it has somethings a game like gta could definately learn from. P.S Really, how many types of cars were there in the 1940's?

9.7.2007

The Godfather is a hugely playable game, I have played it through 6 or 7 times and still find new things to do. The game sticks very closely to the plot of the film and must be given credit for that.The opening scene has you playing as a member of the Corleone family, this is the basic training for the game such as movement and unarmed combat, after completeing this you see a short cutscene and your character is killed. The next scene shows the wedding of Don Corleones daughter. A woman who we learn to be the wife of the dead man enters and begs Don Corleone to save her son who has fallen in with a bad crowd.

27.7.2006

This is really a great game. The mob face thing is a great idea, finally i can choose what i look like on a game, unlike gta where you have to be some rubbish chracter. The storyline is actually done really well, some people have said that it doesn't follow the story, but it actually does very well. I decided to watch the film again to see how well it followed it and it is done well, it's not in the right order in some places though, but who cares it even had the same speech from the film, i could easily see what part it was doing in the film on the game. The fighting is great on this game, using the stick instead of the button bashing. Shhoting is fine,

25.3.2006

First things first,this isnt EA's attempt at making another GTA clone even though im sure alot of magazines have hinted that this is what they were aiming for. The game puts you in the shoes of a new kid in the crime scene and youve been invited into the part of the Corleone family as,well to begin with a little muscle to add to their numbers so your basically given small jobs to show what your made of,the first few ones are your basic training missions where you get told how to use the controls,how to handle yourself in combat and driving. I found doing these missions first helped before goin off on your own,as you will get killed a few times if you ignore the tutorial.

19.4.2018

An amazing game it's up to you whether to get this or the don's edition if that is an option for you, but considering the price difference I'd say this games holds up well enough, though only played this version.The game feels very simple to play with features such as a lock on system for shooting. It's highly criticised from what I understand, but personally I only have the ocassional problem with it. But also since this game is set in the past the cars are slower, and in my opinion easier to control because ff it.The story is really great, and different enough from the film that it feels you're getting something extra. As I'm sure you know you don't control Michael or anyone,

28.6.2014

I originally played this on the first xbox. I thought it was a very good game as far as movie adaptations go. The 360 version had been out for ages but I never got around to trying it, then a few days ago I found it for under a tenner and thought 'what the hell'.Okay; Firstly, having read reviews stating it was a polished version of the original, I expected some significant improvements. Exactly how these would manifest I had no idea. Perhaps some additional missions, or new weapons. The reality? Sod all. It does not feel one scrap different to the original xbox version. The graphics, when you compare them to games such as Skyrim etc... are about on par with playstation 2 quality games.

11.4.2006

The Godfather game is EA's first attemp in the 3rd person free roming genre, which has been dominated by the highly sucsesful GTA series, being a new market for EA they have tried there best to rivel the likes of GTA and they have done a very good job for a first attempt. One notable advantage over GTA is that the graphics are considerably better, also with most of the cast from The Godfather films the cut scenes make for very good watching. But the plesentries end here, the firs critisism I have is that the driving is dreadful, plus with there only being at most 6 or 7 different kinds of car there is very little veriaty. The weapons are the games next problem, although the weapons you do get is good,

5.4.2006

An excellent game.The comparisons to GTA:San Andreas are inevitable. The gore is there, the driving, the police, the weapons etc etc.. To me, this game is as good as GTA. The controls are very similar and easy to use, no dislocated fingers to be had here. I've only played a small amount of the game, but ut's difficult to put down. As with GTA, you have several options at any one time regarding the progress you want to make.* You can accept a mission from the Corleone family (this is the main aim of the game - you progress through the ranks in the family)* You can put pressure on the businesses and warehouses for protection* You can become a contract killer* You can also take over the businesses

27.3.2006

Being a huge fan of The Godfather trilogy, I was very excited when I heard the films were being converted to a computer game. However, many previous movie games have turned out to be extremely disappointing, and I was worried this may be the case of The Godfather.But now I have played the game, I see that all is not lost. The game basically uses Grand Theft Auto gameplay, in which you roam freely through the streets of New York, whilst being able to complete in side missions, as well as customising your character. Although this is nowhere near as good as Grand Theft Auto itself, the final oucome is still cool.The game creators have also done a great job in converting famous moments from The Godfather films into the gameplay.

5.4.2006

I was originally going to review this game after just a couple of hours of gameplay...After all, it didnt have the 'grand theft auto' style gameplay I was expecting, and actually found the focus was on foot missions, with a clunky interface reminiscant of 'The Getaway'.However, I decided to wait to give it a chance, and I'm glad I did.Now i'm 15 hours in, 50% complete, and, well the missions are still mainly on foot based, through the clunky interface, which you get used to, but sometimes can be a handicap in sticky situations.My main gripe is the camera, while you can move it yourself to get great views around you, when its tracking your movement it can be slow to follow a change of direction.But those are my only real gripes,

7.4.2006

After the release of GTA SA, and haven completed it umpteen tinmes over, i was getting withdrawal symptoms.I had ssen this game and felt it was visually the same idea and concept as the GTA series.It did not dissapoint. Whenever someone asked what it was like i say like GTA in the 30s. Many may disagreem however this is down to the similar ideas , where all 3rd person view shooters are aiming for, which is a credit to GTA.But for me Godfather is an entirely differnt experince in terms of storylien. I for one havent seen the "legendary" Godfather films, so was new to the story, however many people expect it to be the same as the film. There are some sotory parts that avid fans may recognise,

18.3.2006

The book by Mario Puzo and the classic film serve as inspiration here, as gamers will join the Corleone family and earn respect through loyalty and fear as they rise through the ranks to become Don in a living 1945-1955 New York. It will be up to the player to carry out orders, earn respect and make New York City their own. Featuring non-linear action-adventure gameplay, The Godfather will offer gamers countless choices for solving the family's problems with brutal violence, skillful diplomacy, or a cunning mixture of both. From mob hits and bank heists to drive-bys and extortion, step deep inside a world where intimidation and negotiation are your tickets to the top, and where decisions made,

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