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There's something to be said about games that come from movies, and there's something to be prophesized about videogames that come from huge blockbuster movies. Generally, it never works out and is just the studios negligible way of making money off their movies. Sometimes it seems like it will be a good idea, and they suck people into the market by actually making good films. The problem with this is when the videogame company they hire isn't paying enough attention to the proper details. Every once in awhile, however, they pay TOO much attention and end up leaving out other, more important aspects as they fill in the colors of graphics and realism.
What game companies don't seem to grasp is that you can cancel out the one solid aspect of your game by not actually meaning to. Fantasy games have it easy when it comes to the derailment of realism and creative control, but games that are based on movies and real-life actors have it much harder. Suddenly it's all about keeping it true to life, and that becomes more of the objective than putting out a solid game that emphasis the gameplay as much as it does the graphics.
Who Doesn't Want To Be In the Mob?
You start off with a fantastic character creator that's akin to The Sims 2 when it comes down to sheer customization. You can lift chins, add scars and darken around the eyes until not only is your mobster authentic, but he's downright terrifying. Clothing options, accessorizing, and key features are added to really bring you into the story before it even begins. They did this almost flawlessly and I really wish more GTA-style games would try this out. It brings in a whole new audience every single time.
Once you've created your fancy Italian businessman slash bad guy, you are brought through film clips and tutorial on how to maneuver through the city. It's no easy task either and rather than put up bumper pads for those of us that just grasp concepts instantly, they start you exactly from your last save point. For example, when seeking out a key mission point, I accidentally left my sector of the city and ended up shot. They flash a faint warning, but they don't make it impossible for you to continue past it. This is a problem for a few different reasons. It takes quite a bit for you to stop on a dime the moment the warning flashes because if you venture on even an inch past that marker, you're starting right over.
The voice acting is absolutely superb and if you weren't paying attention to the script work that was put into this game, then you're completely missing out. All the key elements from the Godfather movies were put into this title with eloquent execution. Not a single detail is left out of the city’s sounds, pictures, or sheer feeling, and that's key. If you cut off the resources that provide the experience you're used to, then you're doing nothing more than playing the videogame version of Total Recall and nobody wants that.
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