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How Metascores Are Calculated
77
Arcana Heart
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
 FILM: 
The book by Mario Puzo and classic film by Paramount Pictures serve as inspiration for The Godfather, as gamers join the Corleone family and earn respect through loyalty and fear as they rise through the ranks to become Don in a living 1945-1955 New York. Gamers create their own mob character in the game, putting themselves into the action while reliving classic moments from the fiction and experiencing original missions alongside memorable characters from the film. After a life of small-time jobs and petty thefts the player is accepted into the Corleone family, America's most famous criminal organization. It is up to the player to carry out orders, earn respect and make New York City their own. Featuring non-linear action-adventure gameplay, The Godfather offers gamers countless choices for solving the family’s problems with brutal violence, skillful diplomacy, or a cunning mixture of both. From mob hits and bank heists to drive-bys and extortion, step deep inside the world of The Godfather where intimidation and negotiation are your tickets to the top. Players use their powers of loyalty and fear to earn respect through interactions with characters in the world. Decisions made by the player in the game have lasting consequences, just as it was in the mob underworld featured in The Godfather fiction. James Caan, Robert Duvall, and the late Marlon Brando provided voice acting and likenesses for the game. [Electronic Arts]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 90
GamePro
Whether through it's trademark music or unique take on the film's plot, The Godfather does something that licensed video games have tried and failed to accomplish in the past - give gamers a good time and an experience worthy of the film it's emulating.
 90
Cheat Code Central
The Godfather is not a perfect game but it's a hell of a lot of fun. There's nothing particularly frustrating about it so the challenges won't be insurmountable to casual gamers. Hardcores can immerse themselves in the mob world and enjoy the game as an interactive movie.
90
AceGamez
I can't see many people disliking this classic gangster romp, which delivers the authentic mob feeling we've been after ever since "GTA III."
90
Game Over Online
The camera is the root of my problems with the game. Everything else adds up to a fun ride and a nice homage to the film. It isn't perfect, but it is an enjoyable game, and it even pushes the sandbox genre forward a bit by moving the focus away from just mayhem.
90
Gamezilla!
Fans of the movie can’t go wrong here, and likewise, fans of free-roaming, non-linear action titles have a lot to love here as well. It might not be an offer you can outright refuse, but it comes pretty close.
88
GameBrink
The most fun I had with the entire game is through the simple action of extorting businesses across all the areas of the game.
87
Armchair Empire
Yes, it's a blatant rip-off of Grand Theft Auto. So were a lot of other games - but at least The Godfather is a good rip-off of the genre setter.
86
IC-Games
The game will shock, however it should entertain, and if you don’t take it too seriously it’ll probably end up being one of the better releases this year.
86
BonusStage
Yes, the game’s main collection of 20-plus story missions last roughly 10 hours, but after that you’ll be spending at least two or three times as many hours striving for 100% game completion and the ultimate ascension to Don of NYC.
85
PGNx Media
The missions are great, tying in the story great, but the side missions just aren’t that exciting.
85
Game Power Australia
Seeing sequences like these play out from different angles is satisfying, and, although none of the new sequences are official write-ins from Mario Puzo or Ford Coppola, they fit perfectly in terms of tone and maturity.
84
Gamers' Temple
Overall the game does an excellent job of making you feel a part of the timeless Godfather saga. In a world where movie-licensed games are forgettable attempts to cash in on a movie’s fleeting popularity, this is no small accomplishment.
83
Worth Playing
This is one of the best uses of a film license I've seen in recent years. Controls can be a bit wonky, especially melee, but the gun battles are satisfying and reassuringly violent for you bloodthirsty wannabe mobsters out there.
83
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Once you get past the fact that the film's somber gravity will in no way translate to the console, The Godfather: The Game is as good a moral perversion as any.
83
Gaming Age
The depth of The Godfather while you rise through the ranks is incredible...What EA did well is incorporating the Godfather story line along with yours, versus having you control one of the main characters. This opens up the gameplay immensely and allows you to unfold the Godfather story at your own pace.
82
Pelit (Finland)
Starts off strong with fun missions that follow the story of the movies nicely. However, towards the end the quality and amount of plot-related missions goes down and the optional missions start to repeat themselves. It is still a fun GTA clone, just not what it could have been. [April 2006]
82
Game Chronicles
There is no denying that EA has made good on the Godfather license and created an inspired game that should give the boys at Rockstar a few good ideas for their next GTA.
82
XGP Gaming
It’s a game no one who enjoys a good mafia theme should miss. With superb voice acting, a hell of a story and the ability to control an entire city, The Godfather is an experience you shouldn’t at least give a long rental.
81
GameSpot
The Godfather is a satisfying, lengthy adventure, and more importantly, it remains faithful to the classic film while managing to create a compelling story of its own.
80
Games Radar
The action is bloody and satisfying, the story plays out like exceptionally well-written fan-fiction and the spirit of the movie and its characters are intact.
80
GameZone
While certain aspects of the game could have been better (like the targeting system), the playground that is New York City and the mafia lifestyle are well represented.
80
Gaming Nexus
Thankfully Electronic Arts has managed to do the impossible and make a fun game out of one of the best movies of all time.
80
WHAM! Gaming
A riveting game that you can't refuse.
80
eToychest
Repetition, weak A.I., and a general unpolished fell keep this title from meeting the lofty goals one might place on a game based on such a great film.
80
PSW Magazine UK
A blatant homage to San Andreas, it even extends to upgrading your character in true CJ style. Against the odds though, it actually works.
80
Electronic Gaming Monthly
I welcome the Godfather into the GTA family, though I can't say it'll be running the place anytime soon. [May 2006, p.93]
80
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
Gives you loads of freedom without compromising the classic story around which it's built. [May 2006, p.88]
80
Loaded Inc
It is an immersive, violent and gripping experience told in typical GTA style. For these reasons we think you'll love it.
80
The New York Times
The game's attempt to create a vast, thriving city is undercut by a lack of variety. The Godfather's New York apparently has only a single architect: when you've seen one nightclub or butcher shop, you know how all the others will look. And while the game focuses heavily on driving, there are only seven models of cars.
79
DailyGame
If The Godfather films are among your favorite, there's no denying you'll enjoy this game.
79
IGN
Despite obvious areas in need of improvement, I had a blast playing The Godfather. Taking over businesses and rackets became an obsession.
78
PSX Extreme
Despite the fact that you can beat it in as little as 12 hours (closer to 20-25 if you do everything), the game also feels artificially lengthened due to the tremendous amount of cross-town driving you’re forced to do.
78
Ferrago
Fans of The Godfather will be pleased to hear that the game based on the film hasn't trodden down the same path as disasters such as "Enter The Matrix"; but isn't quite up there with consensual videogame classics such as the Nintendo 64's "GoldenEye."
75
Game Informer
Take 2's under-rated Mafia is still the closest video games have come to capturing an atmosphere similiar to that of this legendary film in a gameplay context. [May 2006, p.99]
75
PSM2 Magazine UK
We can just about forgive converting The Godfather's understated feel and brooding menace into a wham-bam bang-'em-up, but as for it not being much fun, that's a crime. [Apr 2006, p.34]
75
Console Gameworld
If you’re looking for an interactive mobster story, you’ll enjoy this game, but don’t expect the same sense of freedom and humor found in similar titles.
75
TotalPlayStation
It does the film justice, working you into the storyline in a convincing way and then leaving you with just as much to do after the movie is over. For that EA is to be commended, particularly the Redwood Shores studio, which I never thought would get it together.
75
Detroit Free Press
Brought back good memories of the classic films. And stealing from "GTA" was the right move here. Let's call it a clever case of mob vengeance.
70
Sydney Morning Herald
Adapting one of Hollywood's masterpieces was brave, but it's a pity the game designers lacked the courage of their convictions, choosing to shoehorn Grand Theft Auto into the mafia setting.
70
1UP
For any other legacy, this game would have been just fine. For the iconic Godfather series, it really could have been something with more of a Brando stature. But even though it ends up as more of a Tony Soprano, The Godfather still manages to deliver a solid gangster experience.
70
Yahoo! Games
The game itself is an uneven mishmash of fighting, driving, and shooting. Call it Grand Theft Goodfellas; if someone took Rockstar Games' popular Grand Theft Auto series, moved its setting to New York, and then sent it via the Wayback machine to post-World War II New York, the result would be The Godfather.
70
GameSpy
While it features an innovative, easy-to-use melee combat system and some interesting campaigns, it's ultimately hurt by boringly repetitive side missions and some underwhelming environments.
70
Total Video Games
The emphasis on driving, the lack of scope in the side-quests, and the subsequent compulsion to complete the main mission, are definite weak spots in the game, the result being that players will all to easily get bogged down in the general repetitiveness of the experience.
70
Boomtown
There’s a lot to like about The Godfather and enough neat little touches to make it one to look out for (side missions, unlockables, character progression and the fighting style spring immediately to mind). Unfortunately though, there’s not quite enough polish in some areas to make it an essential purchase.
70
Pro-G
It just doesn't have the scope to match Rockstar's efforts though, and the driving sections aren't thrilling enough to get the pulse really racing.
69
Games Master UK
Don buy this! A "GTA" wannabe as bloated as Marlon Brando's cheeks, and five times as ugly. [May 2006, p.60]
68
Play UK
A lacklustre affair that misses the point of the movies, but still manages to capture their atmosphere. A stellar cast, incredible cutscenes and high production values can't hide the fact that this is an average city-based gangster game. [Issue#139, p.82]
67
Game Revolution
The melee fighting and driving are bland, as are the environments, but the story is compelling and the acting is impeccable. For forty dollars it’s a good offer, but not one you can’t refuse.
65
Play Magazine
The fighting in all its forms proves to be a sticking point, and Godfather suffers accordingly. [May 2006, p.49]
60
Jolt Online Gaming UK
A huge, lazy and sometimes glitchy disappointment of a game. The character progression really doesn’t provide a strong enough excuse to keep playing after the initial joy of the combat has dissipated, and the number of times you find yourself going through the same old motions during missions smacks of padding of a magnitude normally associated with the corpulent Don.
60
Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
An extremely average crime sim bolted onto a much-loved license, this just proves that you can't buy class. Not horrific, just freakin' dull. [Apr 2006, p.88]
60
Times Online
Though The Godfather is competent, it is also bland, despite the voices of James Caan and Robert Duvall, and you rarely feel a sense of power.
60
GameCritics
Were it just another faceless GTA free-roaming clone I'd say EA did a pretty good job, despite a few minor shortcomings. But as it is, The Godfather has a hard time living up to the standard set by its license.
60
games(TM)
EA has turned it into a story about gain. Whereas the motive of violence was once to illustrate Michael’s downward spiral, here it is merely a tool with which to boost your bank balance. [May 2006, p.118]
55
PSM Magazine
Still if it's a mafia game you're after, give Mafia a try. If you want the true Godfather experience, just (re)watch the film. [May 2006, p.72]
40
Edge Magazine
For such a costly flagship title to provide neither the promised statement of mainstream grown-up appeal nor even polished, lesser disposable thrills is a landmark failure. [May 2006, p.92]
Devon W. gave it an8: Rocky gave it a9: Bob A. gave it a4: Viv R. gave it a9: Brian N. gave it a9: Akshay D. gave it a9: David B. gave it a10: |
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