Once upon a time, game companies would make a game, get it out to the world at large, then wait and see how well it sold. If it racked up big numbers, they’d make a sequel. If it tanked, it was back to the drawing board for the next one.
Now we’re treated to the phenomenon of one game spread across half a dozen different platforms in as many months, with slight variations to each edition. Don Corleone may have been able to rule an entire Mafia empire, but even he’d have trouble keeping track of how many versions of The Godfather have been pumped out like so many rounds from a Tommy gun.
In addition to the iterations of The Godfather that have already graced – if that’s not too elegant a word – the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PC and PSP, this week saw the arrival of The Godfather: The Don’s Edition for the PS3 and The Godfather: Blackhand Edition on the Wii.
It sort of punishes people who supported the game early on, taunting them with a prettier, more feature-rich version on the latest hardware, with just enough added goodies to tempt a person into buying it a second time. That kind of behaviour can see a guy wake up next to a horse’s head, y’know.
But good things come to those who wait, and if you held out for either the PS3 or Wii versions of The Godfather, you’re getting the best iterations of this Grand Theft Auto-style free-roaming action adventure, set in old New York and paralleling the events of Mario Puzo’s novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s timeless movie.
The PS3 version definitely has the better graphics of the two most recent editions, and includes all the additional content – a ton of new missions, moves and other features not found in the first run of the game – that are included in the Wii version. But the Wii’s controls actually make it more fun to play. Who needs Wii Sports when you can use the motion-sensing Wii remote to slam thug’s face into a wall?
Though Nintendo consoles sometimes seem to get versions of games with toned-down content, not so with The Godfather: Blackhand Edition. Not only is the violence just as wanton as it was on the earlier editions of game, but this time you’re beating shopkeepers with a tire iron by swinging the Wii controller, making it just that much more of an immersive, physical experience. For better or for worse.
And the game itself? Hit and miss. It’s a satisfying mix of gunplay, driving and good old-fashioned extortion, and you’re free to deviate from the storyline (clawing your way from henchman to Don of the Corleone family) as you see fit to embark on crimes of opportunity, shake down businessmen or gather up a mob and have a shootout with a rival family.
But the streets of 1940s New York feel a little barren and lifeless, especially compared to the GTA games, and the action gets a bit repetitive. The visuals in the Wii version of The Godfather are also sometimes downright ugly, especially when viewed alongside its sibling on the PS3.
And then there’s the source material. The Godfather is one of the most revered movies of our time, and it’s nifty the way the game tries to fill in some of the gaps in the film’s timeline. But reducing the complexity and drama of the movie to a game where you basically run around killing people who cross you feels like a gross oversimplification of what The Godfather is all about.
Bottom line: Wii owners who haven’t yet played the game on another console and are hankering for a violent, bloody Grand Theft Auto-style title should pick this one up. But the expanded content doesn’t quite make up for the humdrum visuals and repetitive gameplay.
WHAM! Rating: |
7 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
M (Mature) |
Official Web Site: |
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STEVE TILLEY'S CHEAT SHEET: THE GODFATHER: BLACKHAND EDITION
MONEY AND MAGS : Running a little short on cash? Enter this button sequence at the pause screen for an easy $5,000: minus, 2, minus, minus, 2, D-pad up, control stick up. If you need your ammo replenished, use this one: 2, D-pad left, 2, D-pad right, minus, D-pad down.
WHEN A BAND-AID WON’T DO: If you’re feeling a little run down (by a police car, for instance) enter this code at the pause menu to immediately restore your health: D-pad left, minus, D-pad right, 2, D-pad right, D-pad up. There’s one hitch to the cheat codes, though... you can only enter one every five minutes.
MASTER OF THE MOB: Becoming the Don of New York takes a lot of doing. You’ll need to complete all the story missions, rob every bank, crack all 100 safes, complete all 30 contract hits, buy all 25 safehouses, buy all the mob clothing, destroy all the rival family compounds, take over all four transport hubs, extort all businesses and control all areas of the map. Good luck, you’ll need it.
