The Godfather (Video Game 2006) Poster

(2006 Video Game)

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8/10
Very well done
timothy_48019 April 2007
The thing that i like most about the game is that it follows the main plot of the movie while also creating a story of its own. In the game you will be able to play the missions from the movie and also do a few that were mentioned but you never saw them. For example you get to be the living crap out of the two guys that beat Bonasera's daughter and you get to sneak into Jack Woltz' mansion and do a little stealth stuff with a garrot wire until you finally reach his bedroom.

The game is kind of like gta with a free roaming mode but i wouldn't say they copied them, gta just created a new saught of thing for gangster games. You can do the usual stuff like on any other mafia game such as killing randoms, stealing cars, robbing banks and bombing places. You can get a good range of weapons and it is pretty cool being able to use 1930's tommy guns, pistols, shotguns and molotovs. The cars are a bit over the top but the handling of them is simple enough. A thing that will get to anyone though is how accurate New York is. You will find that you keep having to look at the huge map in the start menu to make sure that you don't get lost. It will take you about half an hour to get used to controls but once you learn them you are covered.

In the game you will encounter all the same guys you saw in the movie such as Clemenza, Rocco, Al Neri, Tom Hagen etc. The only issue i have with one of the characters is that he is not the same and i am talking about Michael. The guy does not have the same personality and is not the cool smooth Michael that we experienced in the film. James Cann and Robert Duvall reprise their roles and do an excellent job with the voices and so do a few other guys.

I would recommend this game to anyone who is a godfather freak unless you have something wrong with people making it into a game and even if you haven't seen the movie or don't like it, it is a great gangster game.
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9/10
Triumph Like A Trapani
kervindonngo6 November 2022
The Godfather is one of the great classics in movies and so is the game. The game actually followed the same story as the first Godfather movie. With a good cherry on top, it even has the actual voice of Marlon Brando who voiced and played Vito Corleone. The combat in the game is absolutely brutal in melee and even when using executions with guns. I can even kill my enemies by throwing out the windows and, in the street, to make me feel unstoppable. The game is an exciting way to take over New York by offering protection in shops, taking over warehouses and exploding an enemy's compound, and then owning it like a safe house. Every high-level gun I find in secret black markets they were absolutely expensive. They are maybe the same but very unique. It even feels like it was a Snyder cut or the director's cut version in the game giving more extra scenes that are not part of the movie. The best thing I like about it has character creation. It gives the complete freedom to create my character also known as creating my version of Aldo Trapani. However, it didn't have enough character-creation items or accessories. If you wanted another GTA-like game, then this game is for you. However, it is honestly a little difficult when you don't upgrade your character properly but it is fun!
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10/10
this game is surely one of the best
Jack_Tha_Ripper16 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
When i played this game, i was really impressed, the graphics, the storyline, and the designs where out out the line, it was a great game, this has got to be the best graphic game i've seen and played so far, i've beat it over 5 times and i really enjoyed it, no doubt I'm playing the 360 version when i get the xbox360.

I recommend this game to people who love 3d graphics and old story games. especially a game made from a movie. What i did'not liked about this game is that theirs not enough clothes available, especially the trench coat which is mostly worn-ed by real life mobsters in the 30's and 40's. but other than that it's a really good game.

10/10.
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10/10
From Novel,To Film,To Game.........
DylansFearFiles13 May 2007
Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather is seen as one of the greatest movies ever made and one of the best books ever written by most people. Before Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas was released in 1990, The Godfather was seen as the definitive portrayal of life in the Mafia. In 2006, a game adaptation was released. Its about the same things the film is (money, power, love, revenge and betrayal).

You play as a character (who's default name is Aldo Trapani, so we'll call him that) who's wiseguy father was killed by Don Emilio Barzini of the Barzini family (one of the strongest families in New York City) in 1936, fast forward nine years to 1945, he is a young hoodlum (probably in his 20s) who ends up working his way up from being a simple enforcer for the family to being the Don of the whole city.

This game has a very close relationship to the movie and doesn't deviate from the plot very much. In it you get to meet major characters like Don Vito Corleone, Michael Corleone, Sonny and Tom Hagen. You get to be involved with the killings of Virgil Sollozo and you also help kill the rival family Dons. But your character's main goal is to take over the city for the family and get his revenge on Don Barzini.

I give this game a solid 10/10 for its amazing graphics, controls, storyline and gameplay.
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10/10
Can't wait for part 2
user-1599224 December 2007
Fantastic and entertaining this game is. With at least 30 hours of quality game play; it is defiantly not a waste of money. From when I first started playing the game it was addicting. The 1940/50's atmosphere is great and it feels like being in New York. The ability to create the look of your mobster was perfect and I hope they bring the character of Aldo Trapani back for the next Godfather. Characters were great and just like in the movie, so it was great fun to tag along with them during the missions. The tutorial level is entertaining as Luca Brassi takes your character under his arm to teach you how to be a mobster. The entire added story fits in perfectly with the movie and there are frequent memorable lines which have been created such as 'we got ya back, you f&$k it up we got your ass' and when Sonny says to your character 'glad your on my side kid' and he replies with 'I learn from the best' and gestures to Sonny. The game was smartly done and is pretty much flawless. The missions are of genuine quality; every mission is fun and entertaining. There are only around 20 story missions but they are of quality not quantity. I find most of the missions in Grand Theft Auto are pathetically pointless and if a mission is failed you are to drive to the mission point again which can take ages, with The Godfather you simply have to click retry mission, and your right into it again. I've played many versions and they do get better, the ability to make a 5 man hit team in the PS3 and Wii versions was fantastic, even though I think more could have been improved and added, it is still brilliant. The game is challenging yet not impossibly hard and there is little frustration when playing unlike other Gta style games. Personally I loved this game, probably my favorite. I think with some time and care Godfather Part 2 could be something else in the gaming industry. I've clocked this game to many times and still enjoy it, can't wait for a part 2.
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10/10
Best Video Game Ever!
Domenico_LAW25 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I Played this video game 14 times from beginning till end! Amazing! Start as an outsider and become the Don of New York! Missions, Hit List, Collectibles, Extortion of Businesses and Rackets, Stealing Cars, Blowing things, Bribing police officers, police chiefs or the F.B.I., Starting mob wars, it has everything! Also you can customize your character as a mobster! From face to body, clothes, hats, shoes, everything! The only bad thing is that Al Pacino didn't give his face and voice for the game, so Michael has different face and different voice, but Don Vito, Tom Hagen, Sonny, Tessio, Clemenza, Luca Brasi all are the same!!! This is a game that every fan of the movie must Play!
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10/10
After 14 years, still rocks! Warning: Spoilers
Wow what a game. The genius of this game is how it allows you to play. When you begin the game you are an "outsider" a small time crook so to speak, and you can climb your way up to "Don of New York" (i thought that was Michael but who cares!) BUT! The game allows you to do whatever you want almost literally. See, the game starts with a couple of training missions and then let's you roam free. After extorting the first business following the orders of enforcer Luca Brasi you can then go ahead and proceed to take the whole city! This will take you days no matter how fast you try to go. Doing so will grant you several experience points, the first 15/20 you achieve quite soon in the game. By the time you take the whole city you have robbed banks and you got payed your percentages of the weekly count, you can then upgrade your weapons, to the extent of some pretty much over the top powerful hand cannons like the street sweeper! When you return to little Italy to continue the story you'd be pretty much unstoppable. Feels like cheating? It isn't ! It's part of the game and the choice is completely yours. Or mix it , take over some business from the weakest families and then play a bit of the story... I wouldn't recommend going to much ahead with the story without having at least 6 "health" points... those Cuneo and Barzini are pretty deadly! But again, you can, and if you are careful enough you can make it. That's the beauty of this game . I've must have played it 10 times by now, i play it in a very challenging but entertaining way. I play it trying never to get "iced" never arrested and never starting a Mob War. Oh and without ever bribing a police officer! It's trick it, but if you are clever and patient you can do it! Once again that's the great thing about this game. I could write for hours so i'm gonna stop here. A great game that after all this time is still immensely engaging.
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PS2 game Lets down the franchise...
POckelford19 April 2006
When I saw this game advertised I had to have it. I am a huge fan of all three films, the music and the novels. The way the game is presented, the packaging, the marketing and the hype point to this being the game we Godfather fans have been waiting for, but for me at least this was not the case.

From the outset the game reminds the player of Grand Theft Auto III and later GTA titles. This would not be a bad thing, as they are some of the best selling games of all time, what is a bad thing is that the graphics and the movement (on the PS2 at least) feel more like GTA III than the year old San Andreas.

The story that runs through the game starts well with reenactments of the movie and big star voices matched to well rendered characters. The player missions do not fail to entertain, but if you fail them a few times the game fails to entice you to try again and again in the way that GTA does. The most boring part of the game is the neighbourhood consolidation missions. These are highly repetitive and time consuming.

The controls of the game are also a let down to any fan of the GTA franchise. It would seem that in a move to distance this game from GTA the new 'blackhand' control setup has been created. Trying to learn this new setup after years of GTA play left me frustrated playing the early stages of the game. Worse than this, however, is the driving model. The cars are mindlessly unrealistic in their reaction to the controls and driving in a straight line is as much a challenge as knocking over a tailors. (More likely to accidentally knock it over in a car) Fans of the Coppola and Rota expecting great use of 'that' music will also be disappointed. Yes the themes are used but only when driving, and mixed with what sounds like dodgy 80s synth.

All in all I'd recommend fans of the Godfather to play The Godfather soundtrack whilst playing Mafia to avoid disappointment.
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6/10
An offer you should definitely refuse
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews31 January 2011
Following the plot of the first film, this has you as a foot soldier of the Corleones(and you have to avenge your father), and you work your way through the ranks, take over NYC(that is half-heartedly recreated, with locations looking essentially the same) and become the new Don. This Grand Theft Auto rip-off is a one-trick pony. You drive(with mostly adequate controls... and forget about drive-bys, only in a few of the handful of cool, memorable of the missions do you get a partner in the car who will do so when he wants... they don't even import the thing from Enter the Matrix where you can tell him when, and he can only do it for a while before having to rest for a little bit) in a mere half a dozen different cars(I wish I was kidding; and only one kind is fast, and four others are moderate, the rest are useless; and none of them break in an noteworthy manner), you extort(businesses, warehouses and transport hubs... you find the owner, tell him you want to take over, and he'll either agree right away or you have to smash his store and/or threaten to beat him up(or go ahead and do so) until the bar reaches the green portion(not the red, or he'll say no... meaning you can push someone beyond the point where they will agree to do something for you; I guess the developers realize something the US military won't), and be careful not to kill him(this gets old really quickly); those are the only ones who have faces that look different, too, these that you only see once per person... goons have two appearances, and you can only tell who they work for by the color of their suit), and you shoot. That last one is a big part of this, and it's the most painful. You are usually forced to use a target-lock(you can't fire around corners or from cover(only by pressing the trigger can you ready yourself to, and they pop up and down quickly) without it(also, they come from several angles, so you'll often be caught with your back or side to someone who slaughters you), and when it works, it's your best bet for getting critical hits on those pesky foes that run around), and it is partially broken. Examples? It'll go onto a civilian when there are perfectly fitting *armed* opponents around(and you can't tell it to "move on to the next possible one"), it'll stick to ones that are far away and/or hidden instead of ones out in the open, and worst of all, when you move it around(yes, apparently they figured that you'd want to go for knees and the like, instead of eliminating them quickly... it doesn't make them easier to get when they're temporarily slowed down, as depressing as that is to realize and type out), it can aim over their heads(*WHY* would you ever need that?!?) and you can empty clips at their face... with every bullet missing! There are few situations you can get past without at least a certain amount of luck(meaning you can complete in ten minutes what has just eluded you for hours purely from chance). This goes back and forth between excessively challenging bordering on impossible to piece of cake. There is nearly no consequence to anything. Dead? Don't worry, you lose nothing other than your most recent progress(you don't even start over on your objectives, any you completed are still done if you reached a checkpoint). In jail? They don't even take your ammo(one nice thing is that you can't carry a lot of it, forcing you to strategize). You can restock that at any safehouse, that has all four(! No, that's seriously it) guns(a .45 pistol, a .38 snubnose revolver, a magnum, and the essentially useless Tommygun(it eats bullets, and few hit anything)), molotovs and dynamite(you can also get bombs... no clue what they're for). To complete this, you have to take over all rackets and the like(only once, no one reclaims them), and blow up the other compounds(two buildings per, and you have to get them both). You can keep playing. There's no reason to, since unlike the game it steals from there is absolutely nothing to do in this once you have. The graphics are fine(except for the many glitches, including doors that open weirdly), but like everything else in this, they're phoned in(and all cut-scenes are in-engine). Voice acting varies; the stars do well, and slang and accents are more or less there. There is a fighting system, and it's really awkward and tough to use. Those you're up against either run to you and try to take you on(and they are either no trouble or freaking unstoppable), or, well, blast you away(...OK, I'll admit, I might also pull an Indiana Jones in that situation). You start by using MobFace to choose your appearance... well, that one aspect of it... and it's so limited, it barely matters. The length is appropriate, though you'll have tried all there is in this really early on. You relive scenes from the movie, playing an important part in them. Stealth sucks, and is only useful when it's required(same goes for the garrotte wire). The police barely care about you, and getting chased by them just isn't that exciting. I haven't played the GTA franchise(the only thing this has on that is time period) since Vice City, and that one is superior to this in every way. There are four or five years between the two, and yet that one comes out victorious, and it isn't even close. This is why I avoid EA Games. Though I don't know if they always do this, it's happened a lot at their hand, and I hear it has even in titles I haven't tried by them. There is a lot of bloody violence and a little strong language in this. I recommend this to those who have to see it for themselves. 6/10
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5/10
A lackluster cash-in on a masterpiece
djpathogen29 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The video game adaption of The Godfather has been lurking on the periphery of my consciousness for awhile. It registered due to my love for The Godfather and The Godfather 2, though I knew enough to not expect much from a video game adaptation of what I consider a flawless masterpiece. I wasn't incorrect, let's say.

It's got its moments. It follows the pacing of the movie pretty well, takes some rather strong liberties in order to jam your character into the plot, and is generally a good homage to the feel. It's also quite satisfying to be able to blast the Tattaglia thugs through the head and watch them topple to the ground, blow up oildrum fires (which are apparently in abundance on even the busiest streets and seem to be filled with high explosives) to torch surrounding enemies and/or civilians, and throw shopkeepers through windows. As you progress, you seize and extort businesses, thus guaranteeing a steady flow of income and allowing you to watch your influence spread inexorably across New York. Once you've played through the game, and all of the plot points, you're reasonably satisfied with your Mafia activities. Plus, most of the cast of the movie lent their voice talents to the dialogue. Sonny Corleone is as bitter and filled with rage as ever, Tessio is eerily calm, and Tom Hagen is as frustrated by everything going on around him as he was in the movie. It was a very good touch.

Unfortunately, it's got more than its share of flaws. For starters, when you begin racing cars around, you notice that the crash physics are nonexistent. Your momentum doesn't stop you from coming to a grinding halt if you hit something bigger than a produce cart, even if you're driving a pickup truck at 70mph and you slam into a tiny coupe. You also can't flip over, no matter what you do. The graphics initially seemed good, with facial renders looking spot-on and realistic, but then I got out into the gameplay world. The buildings and streets are all uninspiring, the citizens are boring, and eventually you'll notice that the detail that was put into the facial renders of the main characters make them all look like they've got smallpox. The AI doesn't exist. You can predict what the enemy will do in 90% of all situations and off them quickly after you get used to the scenarios.

Speaking of scenarios, all of the levels repeat. Apparently, New York City ordinances state that all buildings serving a like purpose (bakeries, smoke shops, nightclubs, warehouses, etc.) will all be built with the exact same floor plan. To whit, you see one bakery, smoke shop, or what have you, you've seen them all. This also applies to the rival family compounds, which are all reproductions of the Corleone compound. So if you've ever sleepwalked in your own home, you know how to blow up the center of your rivals' power. It makes for a tedious, repetitive time. Plus, the auto-aim is completely counter-intuitive.

Storywise, the game does some very odd things. Aside from wedging the player into events of the movie, everything from slaughtering the guy who garrotes Luca Brasi to killing the heads of the Four Families in ways that go completely against the movie's beautiful montage of their deaths, there's also some very conspicuously ignored factors. The most glaring is the Don's death. What should have been an extremely pivotal event in the game, as it was in the movie, is not even mentioned until far after the fact. Additionally, you don't hear about Moe Green until the very end of the game, where it is mentioned that he is dead. Anyone who isn't familiar with the movie would have no idea who the hell he is, where the hell Fredo Corleone went, what's in Las Vegas, why anyone's in Las Vegas, and why this Moe guy had to die. In its context, it's a non sequiteur.

In the end, the game doesn't even come close to living up to the legacy of its source material. If you're dead set on not being insulted by its frequent liberties, it's enjoyable. Frankly, though, it's only comparable as a slightly less interesting version of a strikingly similar game: Let's face it, Mafia came out three years ago.
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An offer you can and should refuse
p_h_j_129 March 2006
Grand theft auto spawned a whole new generation of free form, sandbox game. From Streets of LA to Mafia. This is EA's take on the subject using The Godfather for limited inspiration.

The game itself is very lacklustre and anyone who has played similar games will immediately see that this is a very poor example of both how to make a game and how to use what is solid gold subject matter. Considering the quality of the original film it seems surprising that this game made it out the door.

The graphics are no better - and in fact worse than Mafia even though this game was released some 3 years ago. In a similar vein the city is a dog to drive around and to make matters worse the cars are some of the worst ever done in a game of this type.

The actual game itself is over far far far too quickly. Whereas similar titles have some 50 to a 100 levels the Godfather gives a meagre 25 and most of these are either small or taken up at the start as tutorial missions. The remainder are usually just generic missions with only a few relating to the film.

Action in the game is equally bothersome. At times it seems as though enemies are either made of wet tissue paper or are full on bullet proof. You will very often find yourself cursing at the screen because a mobster takes 5 magnum hits to the chest and takes you down with one seemingly devastating long range shotgun blast. The only saving grace is the style that you get to execute some finishing moves; with names such as hats off execution or Face-off execution.

All in all this is not worth the time or money. Its just a lazy way for EA to cash in on a game area that they have no expertise in. Rent the game, borrow it or play it at a friends. mafia handles the same subject of 1940's gangsters better and Grand theft auto gives you far more too do and gives you a hell of a lot more fun while you do it.

5/10
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4/10
There are better Mafia games out there.
eunbi053024 September 2022
I remember playing this game when it was released and it was alright, something that stuck with me was the shake downs and how you could extort stores of their money as a mafioso. Now that I revisited the game 15 years later I must say this game is quite a let down and if it wasn't an adaptation of Mario Puzo's greatest work, you wouldn't give a chance to this game either.

The game follow most events of the films and have you, The Player (aka Aldo Trapani, but I don't recall being called that at all in-game), as a new character seeking revenge over Don Barzini, this vendetta is mentioned in the first mission and the last one, so this personal quest of revenge doesn't seem really revengeful. Also, the Player is put on spots that aren't necessarily shown in the film so, for instance: ever wonder who told the Corleone family about a specific event? The Player was there watching it first hand. How did a character escape after being in enemy territory? The Player lifted that character in their car.

To be honest, most of those moments where The Player was introduced don't seem far-fetched, it is just that The Player end up doing a bunch of things and still he is a low level member in the Mafia.

There are some new additions to the story too, but they are too rushed and you both don't get enough time to bond with new characters, nor the game tried to make them more present in The Player's life, even by doing mundane missions, so those new additions feel bland and unnecessary.

As for the game it self, extortion was something that stuck with me, but it gets old real quick and there are A LOT of stores there to be extorted, do you have to extort them all? Not if you don't want 100% or don't care about money that has the following purpose, to buy: clothes (there isn't a clothing store, you have to buy it in the load menu), weapons (both ammo and 3 levels of weaponry), safe houses and buying out rackets (you can extort them if you don't have money, but buying them out guarantees you will get the maximum money they have to offer).

Then there is the insufferable driving, the game has 5 horribly looking cars: a truck, a pickup, a sedan, a sports car and a compact, other cars are variations of skin of those types. The manoeuvrability of the car is bad, somehow cars chasing you will always be faster than you so it doesn't matter if you bother taking the fastest car in the game, the NPCs can easily get to you. Also, you can be going as fast as possible, you won't ever take damage if you bump your car, is a bit annoying. Cars don't have "radio", we mostly hear instrumental music when driving, but weirdly some rackets do have real life music in it, so why can't I hear those in the car?

There was this movement issue with the character that really annoyed me, you can only move in one of the four directions: forward, left, backwards, right. Want to go forward left? Nope, if you were walking forward you will keep walking forward, if you were walking left you will keep walking left, it is a bit annoying, specially when enemies appear ouf of nowhere.

In the end, I know this is a The Godfather game, but if you took all the famous characters, you will be left with a shallow game that is a bit repetitive, have you go back and forth to do simple missions and end up being boring.
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...you can refuse)
withfullforce66620 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
After all the media hype The Godfather was looking like it was going to be the last best game on the PS2 format. And still after a few hours of playing it... the title was still its for the taking. An impressive opening set up, a few training tasks... then on with dominating NYC Godfather style. This game is very much in the vein of Grand Theft Auto. A map of NYC, the ability to steal cars and terrorise passers by etc. Only that TG is no where near as vast and limited to about 4 different types of car to get about. The missions to start off with are all very movie related but as the game goes on they turn very generic and repetitive. Even the Hubs and buildings are the same layout with opposing Mafioso standing guard in the same position. You have to defeat the other 4 families before extorting every business in the city. This after a while is pretty enduring. Specially as the prize for becoming The Don Of NYC is just a Tommy Gun with unlimited ammo.... with no missions to take up! This isn't a bad game. Just a massive let down after the initial advertising campaign and even getting some of the original cast to do the voices (including Marlon Brando himself before he passed away). Nice touches are the wardrobe/barber selections (a bit like GTA but only available at when re-loading), the fine aiming to disarm or kneecap an opponent and the final execution types, a bit violent but quite worthy of the license. The rest is a typical EA style game. Good, but could have been so much better. The whole game feels the same as From Russia With Love but with more free roaming. A real shame that they didn't make this a real contender to San Andreas. It looks that GTA SA could well be the best ever PS2 game after all.

Buy if its under £20... I completed it in 10 days without trying too hard.

Enjoy if you can!
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