Godfather II

[Oliath]

Ok... so i don't own the game and this isn't an impression, but i wasn't too sure where to post this.... so Illdog.... don't come to London and rape me in my sleep.

After hearing bad stuff about this game... without actually reading any reviews properly... i was watching gametrailers to help the day speed along.

Their review of Godfather II makes it sound quite fun:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47869.html

After watching that i am seriously tempted to go out and buy it.

I have some credit on my GAME card which isn't exactly helping me to shift this crazy idea either.

Anyone here got a good reason why i shouldn't?

[pickled]

illdog's gonna be maaaaaaad

also the game looks butters

[Oliath]

I like butter though.

[pickled]

i like first impressions

[Oliath]

It's honestly quite hard to explain just how bad this game is.

I'm going to get through the first hour or so and try to get a better feel for the game

but so far....... you would have been dissapointed with the way this looks and plays

if it had been on the original xbox. For a modern title it looks utterly appauling.

My hope is that the gameplay will make up for this somehow.

[pickled]

It's honestly quite hard to explain just how bad this game is.

I'm going to get through the first hour or so and try to get a better feel for the game

but so far....... you would have been dissapointed with the way this looks and plays

if it had been on the original xbox. For a modern title it looks utterly appauling.

My hope is that the gameplay will make up for this somehow.

is this one of your first impressions where you decide you hate it and then about 4 posts down write an essay on how amazing it is?

ps i told you it was butters

[Oliath]

LOL

I wish it was but I just can't see this getting any better.

It was from HMV so I think I'll be taking it back in on Monday and

exchanging it.

I'll still put in another hour or so but everything about this is bad except for

the concept.

I think playing anything like this after GTA IV's excellent engine. This whole game

feels horribly rushed and under developed in only a way that EA could possibly do.

:-(

Any suggestions of what to exchange it for?

[illdog]

I shant kill you this time.

Change it for Dead Space, it rules.

[Oliath]

Ok.... so here goes:

I have been playing it on and off all day and here are my impressions.

Firstly... don't worry... i am in no way going to start praising this game

Putting the shabby graphics aside and terribly basic animation to focus on gameplay alone.... its not THAT bad.

And by that i mean... its not that bad for something i have already purchased so i may as well try and get some enjoyment out of it. I would in no way reccomend anyone buy this game ever.

Any of you play mercinaries?

Remember how... although the game was pretty cool... the graphics were just too lame to really qualify any real time in your disk tray?... well this is exactly how Godfather II feels.

The mechanic is this... each city is totally open. You go where you want and do what you want when you want.

To beat each city you have to take out the crime boss. To get to him you have to take out all his made men. To take them out properly (or they come back) you have to do it in a specific execution style which you only learn by doing favours for random people around the city.

You also need to take over various crime rings and fronts as these give you various benefits (while taking them away from the enemy) to make your life easier. Own all businesses in a crime ring and you get a bonus... like body armour for all your crew... or incendiary ammunition etc..... For every business you get some cash. You also can take over some money laundering fronts which gives you multipliers on all money earned.

Be warned though. The enemy bosses know that owning crime rings is an advantage and will constantly try and take them back off you. You can at any time manage the defense of any thing you own from the 'godfather' menu... a sort of top down RTS style take on the game which allows you to do many things such as send family menbers to do tasks... hire men to guard your buildings. Each of these men cost money though so you need to make sure you are bringing in more than you are spending.

There is a day cycle at the end of which you are shown your total income / expendeture and net worth.

Gradually you can recruit more and more family members... each of which can be upgraded... dressed how you want... given any weapon.

Each has a specific skill.

A medic will revive you in a gun fight, Arsonist will burn stuff and create diversions to allow you to escape or get around guards etc, Demolitions guys can help you bomb enemy buildings to take them out of action or blow holes in walls to give you a different way into a building (or escape route out of a bank safe after robbing it), Lock picker can open locked doors and crack safes and a Technician can disable enemy defenses, stop them calling for help and get you through fences.

All in all they are pretty handy. Only three family members can follow you at any time but you can call them to you almost instantly from the godfather screen. You can also order them to defend a building if it is under attack and you are busy on another mission so it is worth leveling them up.

Now the really cool bit (on paper) is that you can take each of these family members online to level them up and this carries over into your solo game. You will earn various honours and also cash and then use this to make your family members better.

And this is where the praise stops.... dead....

The online mode is horrible.

Really.

I dont think i have ever played anything so bad.

I was hoping for at least a Kane and Lynch style of gameplay.... but no... its just horrible... and clunky... and laggy... and takes ages to level anyone up and its so not fun that its just not worth it. Big shame as its a nice idea.

Next.... as i play this i just can't help think how fucking awesome it would have been if they had just used the GTA IV engine... or at least Euphoria to drive the animations and physics.

GTA really did raise the bar for these types of games and now anything in the same genre that isn't driven by Euphoria just feels so dated... and this really is a massive massive shame for this game.

Everything is there.... the ideas are great and it COULD be lots of fun... but everything just feels so shit.. and cheap... and rushed. The voice acting is pretty decent... and the music is cool.... but you would honestly be pissed off with this graphically if it was on the Wii.

EA really have fucked up something that could have been very good but its clear they just rushed this one through the 'factory' to try and make a quick buck.

Avoid at all costs.