PlayExclisive: The Godfather II

Console: X-Box 360, PS3, PC
Genre: 3rd person shooter
Players: 1 ( 2-16 Online )
Rating: Mature 18+



Story
On a fateful business trip to Cuba, the Corleoni mafia family's don gets killed during a revolutionary riot. As the next in line, you are in charge of the family, and putting the other families that have decided to encroach on your territory, back in their place.


A story of betrayal, greed, and all kinds of backstabbing, you'll learn that the only people you can truly trust, is your family.

Gameplay
While the game does bear many similarities and plays mostly like Grand Theft Auto, or Saints Row, like doing quest's (called Favor's in this game), The Godfather II brings an excellent new system to the table: The ability to build your own “Family”.


While in the other two games, you were able to have followers or gang members to back you up, the Godfather II's family members all have their own abilities and skills to use in different situations. Characters like Medics help downed family members back up to their feet with full health, while Demo-men and Bruisers can open doors in their own ways.


Each member has their purpose, and as you progress through the game, these soldiers can be upgraded to Capo's and eventually an Underboss, with additional health, and another ability for each upgrade, making these family members more important than ever.

As you build your army, you'll be able to expand your grip on the multiple cities within your reach, taking fronts and rackets by eliminating enemy mob guards, and threatening the owners until they cave in to your control. With each business, comes more cash and power, and entire chains of business can grant special bonuses when totally controlled, like body armor, or extra ammo belts!


Of course, enemy families won't go down without a fight, and they'll fight to regain their business' with their own family members; each one as powerful as 5 guards, with Capo's and Underboss' even more powerful. Thats where “Hits” come in.


Marking an enemy Soldier, Capo, or Underboss will let you eliminate them personally, through a specific condition unlocked through doing a favor for someone on the streets. Getting rid of them, stops the assaults on your businesses, and leaves their home base wide open for an attack!

All of these features are easily controlled through the games “Don's View”, a bird's eye view of the cities, with nice large icons for every business racket and base, and a simple menu from which everything you need is smoothly and easily accessed.


With a few button presses you can add guards to a base under siege, launch your own attack on an enemy racket in a different city with a few soldiers, then set a waypoint to finish up a few favors and leave the menu to do your own thing elsewhere, all while knowing that everything is under your full control.


For those that enjoy simplistic multiplayer, there's online mode, a huge red vs. blue gang war in a variety of mode made to put use to each family members skills, and to upgrade their weapon rank as well!

Graphics & Sound
Even on the PC version, the graphics are quite sad to say the least, and lag is abundant when there's tons of explosions, or when driving through the city at breakneck speeds.

Even with these annoyances, players are able to overlook them with decent voice acting in the in-game cut-scenes.


Overall
It's simplistic, yet fun gameplay gives players their moneys worth, even as they finish the short 1 player campaign and move on to the addictive online multiplayer, with the ability to play as and upgrade one of their soldiers! If you enjoy 3rd person sandbox games, the The Godfather II is as an offer you can't refuse.






Review by Johar Aston, TheLAG

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Copyright 2009 Johar Aston, TheLAG