The Godfather: The Don's Edition Review
System: PS3
Dev: Electronic Arts
Pub: Electronic Arts
Release: March 20, 2007
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Mature
Review by Jonathan Marx
Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best
You are also able to take on crews in The Don's Edition; this makes taking on the rival families' compounds a little less daunting. This is the best part of the game. Every family has their own unique compound that is very difficult to take over. These are the "boss" battles of the game and add a lot to The Don's Edition. Another nice element of the game is the 12 new favor missions. These missions provide a vital link between your character and the Corleone family. Advancing up the underworld's food chain by taking out the Corleone's rivals is rewarding and provides a great sense of achievement. Furthering this through more favors and unique family compounds has really helped to expand the realism.
The sound quality of the game is very good. Sound effects are all very real. The music is classic and will suck you right into the world of the Godfather. The theme music never gets old, and will have you scratching the side of your face with the back of your hand, just like Don Vito. The voice acting is also very good. Legendary actors such as James Caan and Robert Duvall were used, but this is not exclusive to The Don's Edition. In fact, there have been no substantive changes to overall sound.
The Godfather: The Don's Edition will make a welcome addition to your PS3 library. Even if you already own the game on your PS2, you may want to give it a second try. There is a lot more content here so the game will feel fresh. If you're a fan of the original game and are looking to keep the good times rolling or if you haven't played The Godfather before, The Don's Edition is solid. However, it may not be worth your $59.99, as the graphics are wholly unimproved. This is not the same game as previous iterations, but it does have the same feel. If you're looking for something that has been totally overhauled, you will be disappointed. It's worth picking up on the cheap, but it's not going to knock your socks off.
By
Jonathan Marx
CCC
Freelance Writer
Features:
Non-linear action adventure gameplay with missions directly from the film plus original missions with characters from the fiction provide a new experience for all types of gamers.
Create your own mobster and put yourself in the action of The Godfather.
Use your powers of loyalty and fear to earn respect throughout New York City. The decisions you make will have lasting consequences.
Your character interacts freely with other characters in the world. Depending on your needs and how you choose to play - through violence and intimidation or respect and negotiation - the characters remember your interactions with them. This in turn affects the outcome of the game.
Your attempt to control the Corleone Family and all of New York will be challenged by the other four Families from the fiction: Tattaglia, Cuneo, Barzini, and Stracci.
New updates and improved merchant animations and responses add even more depth to the Extortion system. There are now more destructible objects in shops to smash and even throw to apply pressure. You can also look to exploit more weaknesses--for example, fear will increase in certain merchants when you're backed by extra muscle, so bring along a crew member into their racket or shop to earn that Weak Spot bonus.
If you see a box truck on the streets, take aim at it with your firearm or try ramming it with your vehicle to stop it so you can retrieve the goods. But be cautious--these trucks are often heavily defended and the occupants won't take kindly to you trying to steal their stuff. If you manage to interrogate the truck driver, he'll give you the keys to the vehicle so you can return it to a Corleone location where you can bank the cargo. Take too long and the controlling Family will send vehicle chasers to take you down.
Many new features have been added to keep things fresh and interesting, including new rap sheet stats that track your performance, new Xbox Live achievements and a new Top Don ranking--see how you rank against all players worldwide!
Warring mobsters hunt you down with brutal drive-bys and even set up roadblocks to try to take you out. Bomber specialists are also sent to bomb any and all businesses in your control.
Mark Winegardner, author of the novel The Godfather Returns, provided story editing and fiction insight.
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Preview
The Don's Edition Ascends to the Head of the Family by Jonathan Marx
This game just keeps getting better. The Godfather: The Don's Edition for the Sony PS3 is going to be the best version of this title yet. Sharper graphics, added content, and Sony's Sixaxis controller have all combined to make a real winner of a game. EA seems to have taken the time to improve upon a great concept and produce a truly tight gaming experience. The Don's Edition seems genuinely fresh and updated. The controls are smoother, the explosions are better, and the character development is much deeper.
Sony's Sixaxis controller has not yet been put to the test. Until now it has seemed to be more of a novelty rather than a new control-scheme. The Godfather: The Don's Edition changes all that. The majority of the time the gamer will be using the familiar analog sticks but at just the right moments you will be swinging the controller to smash a merchant's head into his cash register, or thrust it forward and back to give a rival thug a much needed head-butt. The incorporation of the motion controls are seamless and greatly enhance the overall experience.
Graphically, the game is sharper than it was on the PS2 but really isn't any better than it was on the Xbox 360. One noticeable difference can be seen in the various explosions throughout the game. They are much more realistic and impressive. Interactive environments will also make the firefights seem very chaotic and raise your blood pressure. Also, if you have an HDTV and an HDMI cable linking your PS3 to it, you will notice hundreds of sharp "jaggies" outlining the objects and characters. Certainly the graphics are as good as they have ever been for the series, but are not as intensely rich as PS3 owners expect them to be.
The amount of new content brought to The Don's Edition is impressive. New vehicles, side missions, expanded areas, hit squads, and character progression all make this game much deeper. There is a lot more to do in this version and the new branching character development almost makes it feel like an RPG. No, you're not going to have to incessantly manage inventory, but you can choose the way in which you want your character to deal with the world around him. For example, if you want to break skulls like Luca Brasi then go ahead and make your character an enforcer by strengthening combat attributes. However, if you want to pull the strings like Don Corleone himself, then you need to become an operator. As you progress through the game, not only will you choose which attributes to develop, you will also be given perks that will make your character even more powerful and more specialized.
Overall, The Godfather: The Don's Edition will make a welcome addition to your PS3 library. Even if you already own the game on your PS2 you may want to give the game a second try. The game developers at EA seem to have outdone themselves and have taken a quality game and made it into a very polished and very special one. If you're a fan of the original game and are looking for more fun or if you haven't played The Godfather before, look for its release in mid-March. You won't be disappointed. Check back with CCC in the coming weeks to get the skinny from our full review.
By
Jonathan Marx
CCC
Freelance Writer
Features:
Media
