The Godfather: The Don's Edition
The newly released PlayStation 3 version is dubbed "The Don's Edition" but is it really the cream of the crop? Is it something that The Don himself would want to have in his collection? Maybe yes, maybe no, it depends on your exposure to the GTA clone genre.
Quite brazenly The Godfather seeks to digitally recreate Francis Ford Coppola's the masterpiece without a few necessary components. Without Al Pacino as Michael Corleone the story loses some of its relevance and does not exude the same emotional impact fans have come to expect. The inclusion of many other voice actors is certainly appreciated but without Pacino the game feels like a hollow shell of its predecessor.
In The Godfather you play an upstart gangster with stars in his eyes. Ok, maybe they are bullet shells, but whatever the case you're starting from the bottom and working your way to the top. By taking on various missions and killing countless throngs of bad guys you'll find yourself ascending to the level of Don in no time. Like I already mentioned though, the game lacks uniqueness and the impact that made the film the timeless classic that it is. It winds up feeling like a marketing ploy wrapped in a stale Godfather cookie shell and the taste is a little bitter going down. Fortunately the game is actually fun to play but in this case "fun" does not equal "creative".
Ever since Rockstar revolutionized the gaming industry with its Grand Theft Auto franchise the open-ended crime laden clones have surfaced like rats at a cheese party. Going from one place to the next for a new objective, joy riding around the city with a newly acquired automobile, and doing whatever you want, whenever you want, is an attractive concept to be sure. It's easy to see why EA opted for this particular style of gameplay when approaching Godfather and a few original touches keep things from being too derivative.
One of the most endearing qualities of Godfather is the fact that you can extort businesses and take over rackets. While playing through this mechanic you'll find yourself taking down powerful families and earning Respect among your peers. Respect also comes through in various other forms and the points accumulate to give you the ability to increase particular stats. Progression through the game in this manner is akin to role-playing games and the way characters level up. As you play you'll find yourself being able to take more damage, move faster, and you'll also become more lethal to your opponents.
Like other open-ended crime games, Godfather comes to the party packing some serious heat. There are a ton of weapons to unlock and a bunch of melee maneuvers. By raising statistics with your Respect points your efficiency with each of these increases and before long you're a veritable one man mob war. It's a little funny due to the serious tone of the game and it adds a little bit of camp to everything but hey, this is a game after all.
Another nice twist to the GTA concept is the presence of police offers and FBI. The law is truly a double-edged sword in Godfather. If you find yourself on the wrong side of it you'll be doggedly pursued and in a bit of a pickle. However, if you share a little of your hard-earned money you'll gain some new allies while you're tackling families and extorting business. A little bit of extra firepower goes a long way when you find yourself outgunned and it's worth the money that you have to pay.
Aside from these meaty morsels the core gameplay works out like you'd expect it to. The control schematic is straightforward and if you have played some open-ended games before you'll feel right at home with the third person perspective and loose shooting mechanics. Godfather also incorporates hand to hand combat and the PS3 utilizes the SIXAXIS controller for these moments. Jerking the controller this way or that will see you throw an enemy, choke them, or just bludgeon them. Unfortunately the control isn't as responsive as one would prefer and sometimes it works better than others.
Another area where I felt the control in Godfather was a little off was the driving. I get that you're riding around in older cars but I had a hard time navigating through the streets of New York. Just come prepared to smash through a lot of objects and drive along the sidewalk and you'll get by just fine.
Overall The Godfather isn't a bad game; it's just one that feels uninspired. During my time with the game I felt myself constantly comparing it to GTA in my head. The combat, structure, and atmosphere all felt similar in some way. The extortion, Respect points, hit squads, and SIXAXIS control helped to spruce things up quite a bit and really saved the game from mediocrity. If you haven't played the other versions of the game taking this one for a spin wouldn't be a bad way to spend your gaming dollar. It's just that a year later and after many other ports the PS3 version feels a little too rehashed for its own good.
The Godfather is presented on the PlayStation 3 with 720p HD output and looks noticeably better than its sibling's version. The PS2 version of the game was decent in terms of visuals but it was outshined by the Xbox 360 edition (obviously). Here it's apparent that some things got a redesign and throughout this game things look generally smoother.
Environmental textures, character models, and animations are all functional and easy on the eyes but it's safe to say that this isn't one of the better looking PS3 titles. We have come to expect so much more from the console than what this game puts out as a port but I suppose that's to be expected. As a next generation title this one is simply "good" looking; not "great".
Like I previously mentioned The Godfather lacks Al Pacino so you can basically expect a weak impersonation of him. Other than that the sound in this game is definitely one of the highlights. With James Caan, Robert Duvall, Abe Vigoda, and the late Marlon Brando the voice cast is a force to be reckoned with. Sure the dialogue supplied by some of the secondary cast will leave you wanting but for the most part the voiceovers are phenomenal. The music and sound effects are equally as good though repetition tends to sink in after a while.
The Godfather is an interesting game to play. It doesn't quite live up to the hype surrounding the source material and the gameplay tends to feel a little too GTA-like at times. Still, there is enough personality in the game and interesting concepts to make it a worthwhile play. The PS3 version feels a little less relevant a year after the fact though EA tossed some new things into the pot to make it enticing. The game isn't worth a double dip but if you own a PS3 and haven't played it before you can't go wrong checking it out. Recommended