The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (Wii) Review
Posted by Morakoth Tang on 04.19.2007
The Godfather is one of the greatest movies of all time. Students reference it in film school, musicians listen to its soundtrack for inspiration, and directors hope to make a legacy like it. When Electronic Arts announced that it will be making a game based on this masterpiece many were skeptical. I too was one of the many who doubted it, but to my surprise The Godfather made me an offer I can’t refuse on the Nintendo Wii.
Graphics:
Before The Godfather made its way to the Nintendo Wii it was crafted for the PS2, Xbox, x360, and the PC. All these iterations paved the way for an excellent version on the Wii. From what I can remember in PS2 and Xbox versions the graphics were decent. Yes there were some popping buildings in the background and some blurry textures, but that was forgivable since the world was huge and the frame rate was constant. The in game animations were smooth, but sometimes during the cut scene it felt like the characters move way too much. With those notes aside I was pretty impressed from what EA pulled off. Now with the Wii version EA took those elements and added even more small but important details that brought the virtual New York to life. The explosions are brighter and bigger, the playable buildings are more flushed out with details and the world now bears down rain. There are many more little details here and there that really pull the game together graphically. I didn’t expect much from the Wii version, but I suppose the iterations that this game have went through helped EA optimized the code to efficiently put in these great effects. For those of you who are new to the game, The Godfather also uses the Tiger Wood’s Tiger Face technology that they relabeled as Mob Face. With this feature the player was given the ability to customize how the playable character will look like from his facial details down to what he is wearing. After creating this character he will appear as you made him in all the cut scenes in the game. This feature is grand and attaches a deeper immersion to the player’s experience. Most of the graphics such as the people and the outside world is nearly identical to the other version but these small additions truly made New York City come to life.
Game Play:
Obviously as any gamer can guess the biggest change in game play with the Blackhand Edition are the controls. The game takes full advantage of the Wii’s controllers. The Nunchuck controls the character and movement with the analog stick, the C button controls the weapon selection, and the Z button is used for the auto locking on to enemies. On the Wii Remote’s side the A button is used for secondary actions such as talking, vaulting over walls, or sprinting. The B button underneath the Wii Remote is used for shooting, grabbing and throwing items. The plus sign toggles the ability to switch back and forth from free aim. The 1 button brings up the map, which you will be using a lot to mark locations. Those are the general controls for range and normal activities, but what about the motion sensing abilities and the pointer of the Wii you ask! Well the motion sensing controllers act as your virtual hands. If you want to open a door twist the Nunchuck, and if you’re in a gun fight point the Wii Remote at your foe’s head for a clean head shot, and remember to quickly flick the Nunchuk to reload your shotgun with bullets. The guns are fun, and blowing things up is great, but when you want to get personal use the nunchuck and Wii Remote as your fists by swinging left and right to deliver the Don’s message. Hold down the Z and B button to grab an enemy and swing the Nunchuck and Wii Remote to the left or right and to send hard headed shop owners across the room. Press A and swing the Wii Remote at the indicated time and the player will perform a fatality like more to finish off your foe. The controls are awesome. There are a few glitches with the response time, but I don’t know if it’s the physical remote’s fault or the software, so I can’t blame the controls just yet. Enough about the controls lets talk about the contents of the game. The game is deep!! As all of us are accustomed to sandbox style games like the Grand Theft Auto, The Godfather too offers the same level of depth. The main story game is a little over 12 hrs. EA has added some new and welcomed additions to the story mode. If you ever get tired of the story mode the hits, extortions, and favors in game will have you playing for an exceedingly long time so you don’t have to worry about being bored. I must say for the fist six hours of play I hardly even touched the story mode. I was way too busy trying to gain cash money by extorting local businesses and picking fights with other families. I must warn you guys some of the “hits” in game are only available for a certain amount of time, because some characters who assign them to you actually get knocked out themselves. In addition to these game elements EA have added an RPG type element of powering up your character. With each hits and completed missions you’ll gain respect points that are used to buy the upgrades. It’s certainly not a new idea for games to have this feature but it is a welcomed addition to the game. Another element that the game had which the PS2 and Xbox version harshly needed was the hire a goon and hit squad bit. In Blackhand Edition you were able to hire a thug from your own camp at the same rank to go out and do your business with you. The AI on these guys is decent. They fire when you fire, sneak when you’re sneaking around. They function well and rarely do things you don’t want them doing. Although in some case I found out that the AI had trouble getting in the car during scramble shoot outs. I had to remain perfectly still and have a readable path for him to enter. This is pretty minor because if I really wanted to get away I could drive off and he’ll spawn back later.
Sound:
As soon as you boot up the game you’ll hear Don Corleone giving his famous words about favors while the theme song of The Godfather plays in the background. As you watch this intro, any Godfather fan will get chills up your spine. The game try’s its best to preserve the music and VOs of the game. The sound in The Godfather is solid. Most of the voice acting came from the original movie cast, so you know you won’t be getting a second class VO actor portraying the stars. As far as I know the only character that does not have the original VO is Michael Corleone. No matter, his original image is not in the game anyhow. The sound effects are clean and believable. The gun shots all have different signatures, so you’ll know what gun is being shot at you when you’re in a gun fight. The original content that was made for the game is not that bad either, it compliments the game very well. The only thing I have an issue with are the VOs of the common women in the game. They all use the same voice actor. That’s fine, but the voice actor didn’t even try doing different voices. I just thought it was pretty lame for them to go all out on some characters and do just one voice on the pedestrians and other non playable characters whom you’ll probably spend more time interacting with.
Lasting Appeal:
The game stars you as a peripheral character in the Godfather universe. The character is not defined in any of the movies, but in game he is a major source in the storyline. The character starts off as an outsider and has to work his way through the ranks to become The Don. The story mode will last you roughly about 12 hours or so if you’re quick and don’t do anything else; however, the real meat and potatoes of the game deals with extorting business/rackets, taking out rival family member’s compounds, and do favors for shop owners in return for protection money. These little side quests will and eventually consume your time. You will literally play for many hours driving around and discovering the unique virtual world that EA has created. There are a bunch of Easter eggs in the city from underground boxing matches to Grandmas in the ally guarding. Seriously the game is deep, building your character to super man stats is not a walk through the park it takes a lot of time and effort. I can’t even begin to gauge how long the game is with all the contents completed.
Fun Factor:
The missions in the game are fun and the storyline is okay, but the real thing that sells the game in the fun department has to be the great use of The Godfather license. The voice acting by the original stars and the recreation of the movie world further a sense of fantasy giving you the chance to live the world of The Godfather. A great example of where the game scores big with the movie license has to do with a hit mission where your character teams up with Sonny Corleone. As you drive off towards the venue, Sonny starts to talk to you and explains the in and outs of the mafia life. Most games would just play a music track in the background, but in The Godfather the extra step was taken to add immersion of the game. Going around talking to shop owner about protection bribing cops to look the other way, and taking out the rival families in a drive by is where it’s all at.
The 411:
411 readers if you’re a Godfather fan and have not played this game on the other consoles the Wii version is definitely the cool one to get. Choking people out with the Nunchuck and Wii Remote is nothing but satisfying bliss. Headshots are easier and quickly with the Wii Remote. The ability to play with the Wii Remote alone is a must factor to buy this version of the game. The game is simple and easy to play. The production value is high and the carefulness to preserve the aspects of the game shines through and brings immersion. There so many things to do in game. Feel like a boxing match, go find a bar fight. Want to buy massive destructive weapons, find a black market dealer. The game has its faults with the AI and some graphical glitches but it’s forgivable with all the content the game offers.
Graphics
8.0
When compared to the PS2 and Xbox version of the game this version looks best. The little additions of rain, bigger explosions and added building details are an upgrade.
Gameplay
8.0
The ability to hire a team to creative havoc and up-grade your character’s skills is a welcome addition. Plus playing with the Wii-Remote is worth the price of admission.
Sound
8.0
The original cast of the movie lent their voices to the game so VOs are great. EA even licensed some so old school music from the forties to play in the in-game bars.
Lasting Appeal
9.0
This game will last a very long time if you attempt to do every hit, every favor and extort every shop. The Story mode itself will last roughly 12 hours of game.
Fun Factor
8.0
The game offered more than I expected. EA preserving the Godfather license and integrating it with a new storyline that worked surprised me. Is the game fun…? YES – Wii Remote
