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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
90
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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
82
81
80
80
80
80
80
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
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
79
78
78
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
75
75
70
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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
70
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
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
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
60
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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