PlayStation 3

The Godfather II

So all in all, this is a good game, with flaws. If you enjoy the chance at mindless and sometimes mindful violence, then you can't go too wrong although for those expecting another title based on the film, then you might well be a little disappointed. One for the solo gamer though, but good fun, none the same... worthy of the money although other titles might be better off higher up the list, first.

The Godfather II will proably be considered mild upgrade from the first game which means it's a lot of mindless fun. Your adventure as the Don of your own family might only last 12-14hrs, but that whole time you’ll likely be having a great time becoming the king of the mafia world. The Godfather II should be on the top of your list if you're a fan of Mafia styled films, or open-world gangster games. If you've been on the sidelines about this one, maybe a solid week rental would be enough to explore the world of explotation, demolition, and inner-family politicians. Either way, The Godfather II is worth a look. How do you say "banana daiquiri"?

Le Parrain 2 saura aisément tenir en haleine les joueurs qui ont goûté et aimé le premier volet. Plus qu'une digne suite, il parvient à nous faire oublier les limites concédées par son aîné en termes de liberté d'action. Pourtant, ce titre n'a pas que des qualités puisqu'il souffre notamment d'une réalisation bâclée et d'un gameplay que l'on aurait souhaité moins inégal. Mais loin d'être le traditionnel héros quasi passif, le joueur est propulsé à la tête d'un règne qu'il lui incombe de sauvegarder en écrasant la pègre new-yorkaise entre deux voyages à Cuba ou en Floride. Difficile de ne pas se sentir un Corléone après une telle aventure.

The Godfather 2 isn't exactly the best Mafia game. For that it's too much in the shadow of the movies and the promising Mafia 2. Except for some nice features like Don's View, the mano-a-mano combat system, decent sound and relatively good recreation of the 60s crime scene this game has little to offer.

"The Godfather II" é uma continuação decepcionante do sucesso de 2006. Apesar de expandir as ações de controle de território e adicionar um divertido componente estratégico, o jogo parece ter sido finalizado às pressas e sem muito capricho. A inteligência artificial é fraca e os gráficos não chamam a atenção, o que é agravado pela narrativa que altera momentos cruciais do filme. O charme da franquia ainda deverá ser capaz de atrair alguns fãs, mas o potencial desperdiçado é frustrante.

This game shows how having control over a family can be a powerful experience. But as I dictated where a city's money was sent, I couldn't shale the feeling that this wasn't a Godfather game. Although many of the characters from the film are present (complete with actor likenesses), the vibe often reflects that of a teen gross-out comedy. The Godfather II seems to have more in common with Saints Row than the license it gets its name from.

Ultimately, Godfather II suffers from a lack of design foresight. Instead of delivering a movie-quality narrative, it presents a frustrating, accidentally comic world. In one pivotal cut-scene, your character even gets shot, point-blank, in the face, but no one offers any real explanation as to how you survive. And once you reach the game's half-way point, you lose a large number of the businesses and rackets you've built up -- artificially lengthening the game. Coming from such believable source material, Godfather II asks you to accept a too implausible experience.

Having had such a great run of form with new IP, this is a stark return to the EA of old, where a treasured licence is butchered irredeemably. Lacking both a challenge and soul, and failing to even engage on a narrative level, what you're left with is an overly forgiving shooter with weak strategy elements, which only serve to make it even easier for you. Having played right to the end, I wish there was something I could point to in its defence, but all I'm left with is the empty realisation that they've managed to somehow make this even less entertaining than the flawed original.

In the end, The Godfather II comes off as a project whose reach far exceeds its grasp. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the game in concept, and done properly, it would easily have established it as a classic on par with the film on which it's based. Instead we get brilliant concepts ham-handedly executed. All I could think of after finishing the game was poor Fredo standing in the house in Nevada whining, "I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!" Respect has to be earned, and The Godfather II doesn't even come close.