The Godfather (computer game)

The Godfather is a computer game by Electronic Arts that was released on March 21, 2006. The action game is based on games like Mafia or Grand Theft Auto . The developers have integrated many of the actors from the film "The Godfather" (including Marlon Brando , James Caan , Robert Duvall and Abe Vigoda ) into the game using motion capture . Al Pacino , who plays Michael Corleone in the film , did not give permission to use his face, so another actor's face was modeled. The popular music of Nino Rota is also used in the game.

The player steers a young man, who as a child lost his father in an attack by the Barzini family, through the streets of New York . Thanks to the support of Luca Brasi, he is promoted to the Don Corleone organization.

The story of the film is re-enacted from here. The player must complete missions that tie in with the actions of the works of Francis Ford Coppola . For example, he has to drive Don Vito Corleone to hospital after he was shot, or he has to avenge the death of Santino “Sonny” Corleone.

During the game you gain more and more respect and experience points, which can be converted into various skills such as strength or speed with the gun. The main task in this game is to increase the position within the family in order to get a bigger share of the income. Another task is to attack and take over the shops and illegal businesses of the other families in New York in order to generate more income.

There are also video scenes from the film that can be unlocked by collecting film reels in the game world.

Gameplay

Before the start of the actual game, the player can modify the appearance of his character. To this end, extensive changes can be made to the character's face and clothing, whereby the clothing can only be changed with the money that was earned in the game.

There are three different types of tasks (missions) that the player can take on: main missions, assassinations and conquering buildings. There is a chronological relationship between the first two types, while conquering buildings can be carried out at any time.

Main missions: In the main missions the player has to take on active tasks. These raise him higher in the ranking of the Mafia family and bring him considerable money.

Contract killings : The player is able to kill certain people. If a predefined mode is also adhered to, there is a lot of money. For example, it can be required that the target person falls from a bridge or perishes in an accident.

Conquering buildings: Buildings regularly bring the player income. Depending on the rank within the family (see main missions), the player must give a certain percentage (70 percent at the beginning) to the family.
- Mafia property: There is one mafia property per district. If this is conquered, the Corleone family rules over the respective district. The properties are well protected.
- Warehouses and turntables: These objects are heavily guarded and bring the player the highest income.
- Shops: In order to extort protection money, the owners of the respective shops must be persuaded, if necessary with solid arguments. The more the owners are intimidated, the more they pay. However, the player must not exceed a certain threshold and not kill the owner. Many branches also have an illegal backroom business. Here the owner must also be persuaded or, in the simplest (but costly) way, paid off. A business is usually overseen by another mafia family; H. it is under their protection. This comes to the aid of the business owner if he is attacked. New stores can be discovered by making the drivers of opposing trucks stop and forcing them to reveal the location of a store. When all shops are conquered, the player is Don from New York .
- Banks: There are some banks in the game world that can be robbed.
- Hotels: Hotels are also shops, but also offer the option of purchasing a room (hiding place). The game can be saved here outside of a mission.

Criminal acts increase the wanted level and can be stopped by bribing the police or by reaching a hideout.

Actions against other Mafia families increase the risk of vendetta . If this happens , it can be ended by bribing an FBI agent or destroying hostile Mafia properties. If the player does not succeed within a few minutes, two of his businesses are temporarily shut down by bomb attacks by another mafia family.

Play world and families

The Godfather is set in New York in 1945. The region is divided into five districts, each ruled by a family. In contrast to other genre games such as Grand Theft Auto or Driver , the game world is not completely modeled. Between some parts of the city there are only long connecting roads that cannot be left. Even within a district, many areas are not accessible or even do not exist.

Cars are the only means of transportation in the game that can easily be stolen. Vendors offer various weapons for sale in backyards. Ammunition is available free of charge in hotel rooms.

At the beginning of the game the city is divided as follows:

Little Italy: Tattaglia, Corleones (the player's family) estate is located here
Brooklyn: Tattaglia
New Jersey: Stracci
Hell's Kitchen: Cuneo
Midtown: Barzini

reception

reviews
publication	Rating
4players	80%
GameStar	80%
Games world	73% (PC), 70% (PS2)
PC Games	71%
Network world	84%

The critics mirror shows that the game The Godfather was largely positively received by the video game world.

In 2009 the successor The Godfather 2 appeared for Windows, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Web links

The Godfather: The Game (2006) (VG) in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

↑ Test: The Godfather. In: 4 players . 4players.de, accessed on August 15, 2014 .