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Good: Extortion, executions, voice acting, variety

Bad: Clunky controls, repeating music, annoying driving aspects

Hilarious: Throwing bakers through windows

When it was released on current-gen consoles, The Godfather escaped the curse of terrible licensed games. While not displaying the huge scale of GTA or Saints Row, it managed to present gamers with a solid mob simulator. This new Xbox 360 version features some added missions, enhanced visual effects, and more.

The main storyline loosely follows the plot of the film, and features the likenesses and voices of the main actors. You play as a young member of the family that must work his way up by gaining respect. Respect can be earned in numerous ways, and this variety is one of the best aspects of the game.

Simply advancing the story will earn you plenty of respect, but it's more entertaining to explore the re-created NYC and find your own ways. My personal favorite was through extortion, as you can go into various bakeries, smoke shops, and bars to offer protection. If the clerk refuses, it's up to you to rattle him enough until they crack. This can be done by roughing them up, breaking items in the shop, throwing merchandise around, or even tossing customers out of windows. Once they crack, you'll receive a weekly paycheck for the Corleone's protection.

It's also possible to crack safes, rob banks, and even compete in prize fights. Random people will sometimes ask favors, which can also net you cash and respect. If a baker wants revenge on an arsonist, you can expect a reward for taking him out.

One of the main problems with the game is the clunky controls, especially regarding hand-to-hand combat. To grab an opponent, you must hold both the left and right triggers, while using the right analog stick to punch. It's possible to slam heads into counters and walls, but whether or not the controls allow you to is a crapshoot.

Even more troublesome is the inventory and gun selection system. You have to use the left and right buttons to select a weapon, and then the up button to take it out. At many points, you'll find yourself in situations where multiple enemies pull out guns and open fire on you. Most of the time, you're dead by the time you've scrolled through the available weapons and pulled it out.

Many missions in The Godfather feature high-speed car chases, and these can be terribly annoying. The controls for automobiles aren't nearly as polished as other games in the genre, and you'll find yourself dying at the hands of cops and rival gangs often. Crashes tend to slow you down too much, and it's difficult to take turns at high speeds.

Graphically, it's obviously a step up from the PS2/Xbox versions thanks to the power of the 360, but it still doesn't feel entirely "next-gen." Outside of the excellent explosion effects and facial damage, most of the visuals seem like a simple HD upgrade. Textures on roads and other environments are especially bland.

The movie theme is certainly a classic, but that doesn't mean I want to hear it every 10 seconds. It seems like it's constantly playing, and you'll get tired of it quickly. Despite this, the game features a very solid audio presentation. All of the actors put forth great performances, and weapon and explosion effects are great in 5.1 surround.

The Godfather is a solid new entry in the popular open-ended crime genre, but it isn't without its flaws. While this 360 version added a few new aspects, it retained the same clunky controls and problems that the current-gen versions had.

Graphics: 7.5

Sound: 9.0

First Play: 8.0

Replay Value: 8.0

Gameplay: 7.5

Overall: 7.9