The Godfather
Posted by jaleelboone on July 14, 2006
“How many Mafia based games have we seen in the past six months? How many GTA clones have we seen in the past year? How many Mafia-themed GTA clones have we seen in the past year and six months?
Well, add another to the list because EA’s entering the fray with The Godfather on multiple consoles.So the question is, “Why should I care?” Well not only does this one take the best elements from all of its previous ancestors, but it also has one of the most recognizable movie licenses on Earth behind it, The Godfather. With this license comes the great story and voice talents of the movie, including the late legend Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and seventeen others, (sorry, no Pachino or Dinero). You start the game creating your own character to work up the ranks of the Mafia anyway you choose. Even though creating the character is very detailed using the same technology seen in Tiger Woods PGA Tour, you have to keep him as an Italian male (Hey, it’s The Godfather ).
The game takes place in New York from 1945-1955 through and between the events in the film. You do jobs for the gang, escorting and whacking people to get what you need done. Your actions in the game change how people react to you, which is becoming a steady trend in today’s games. Try and pop some holes in somebody like a block of Swiss cheese and they’ll fear you in the future. Ask them nicely and they’ll smile at you when you walk by. Your character also ages in his career and may start getting wrinkles, graying, and gaining weight the longer you play. Like Grand Theft Auto and True Crime: Streets of LA, The Godfather is a free-roaming action game. Most of it takes place on foot, though some of the game is in old fifties style vehicles like Buicks and Fords. You also get all of the needed weapons like baseball bats and shotguns with a Mafia twist like the Tommy Guns
The plot has three story arches which branch off depending on how you play. The game is not entirely based on the movie, as your character goes into an adventure of his own. So can you change the ending? Sorry, but no. You can not change the inevitable ending seen in the movie and in the book (I won’t give it away), though EA says really hard-core players can effect it.
So we come back to the question, “Why should I care?”. The Godfather is not your average free-roaming game. With a guaranteed great story and characters, gameplay that’ll leave you wanting more, and action- changing environments, this one will separate itself from the pack. So if you’ve ever wanted to be the Big Boss, then bring out the Tommy Guns and cannoli. The Godfather comes out on the PS2, Xbox, PC, PSP, and maybe even the Xbox 2, in October.”
