real time strategy
Godfather II: More Visceral, Strategic, Open in Feb.
Posted by Brian Crecente at 3:00 AM on August 9, 2008
As we mentioned earlier this week, the wraps have been taken off of Godfather II, in fact we'll be playing a bit of it next week.
Today, though, Electronic Arts officially unveiled the game which will go beyond the second film's story and have gamers take on the world of organised crime in 1960's Florida, Cuba and New York. After taking over New York in the first game, players will work to expand their organisation to other cities through extortion, crime rings and wars with other crime families.
As Luke mentioned, the game will include an strategy-heavy Don's View:
To help players manage their empire, The Godfather II introduces "The Don's View" - an innovative strategy meta-game that allows players to oversee the entire world as they grow the family business. Using the Don's View, players will be able to build, defend and expand their crime rings, while keeping an eye on the movements and plans of the rival families. Players will also learn to master the business of organised crime by building a family of Made Men, hiring crew, handing out orders, and promoting their best men up the ranks.
The lengthy and detailed release is on the jump.
EA and Paramount Digital Entertainment Invites Players to Run the Family Business in The Godfather II
New Game Extends the Original Story with Rich Experiences in Florida, Cuba and New York and Introduces New Action-Strategy Gameplay
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Paramount Digital Entertainment today revealed the first details of The Godfather® II videogame, the sequel to the 2007 multi-platinum hit. Inspired by the film and Mario Puzo's Corleone family drama, The Godfather II game goes beyond the film's story by setting players in the world of organized crime in 1960's Florida, Cuba and New York.
After being promoted by Michael Corleone to Don of New York, players expand to new cities, as they build up their families through extorting businesses, monopolizing illegal crime rings and defeating new families in an effort to become the most powerful mob family in America. To help players manage their empire, The Godfather II introduces "The Don's View" - an innovative strategy meta-game that allows players to oversee the entire world as they grow the family business. Using the Don's View, players will be able to build, defend and expand their crime rings, while keeping an eye on the movements and plans of the rival families. Players will also learn to master the business of organized crime by building a family of Made Men, hiring crew, handing out orders, and promoting their best men up the ranks.
Set in a stunning open-world environment, The Godfather II expands on the popular gameplay mechanics of the first game and doubles down on the series' signature BlackHand control scheme, which now features even more visceral hand-to-hand brutality at your fingertips, introducing a new combo system, pressure tactics and executions. In The Godfather II, players will fight alongside their hand-picked crew, who have their own skills and expertise. Each family member specialises in a specific field such as demolitions, arson, engineering, first-aid and more. As The Don you control the family, sending some of your men on missions while heading off into action with others. The combination of strategic organized crime gameplay and brutal BlackHand action sets The Godfather II apart from other open-world games.
"In the 1960's, a mafia Don was only as strong as his family," said Hunter Smith, Executive Producer of The Godfather II. "We found the hierarchical culture of organized crime intriguing. Running an organized crime family in a world defined by family loyalty is something that we felt could introduce a new strategic element to the genre. That is what the Don's View is all about — laying out a strategy to pick off the competition one by one. The Don's View is so unique, it could fundamentally change the rules of open-world games by blending action and strategy to create something entirely new."
"The Godfather has become an exceptional gaming franchise for the Studio," states Sandi Isaacs, Senior Vice President of Interactive & Mobile for Paramount Digital Entertainment. "The videogame takes the story and gameplay to the next level with an innovative open-world action strategy that is both compelling and intriguing for gamers."
The Godfather II will premiere exclusively on GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley on Friday, August 15th on Spike TV. The entire episode will be dedicated to The Godfather II including behind-the-scenes with the development team, the debut of the game trailer and a first look at the game itself. The trailer will also be available on August 18th at: http://godfather2.ea.com.
Developed at the EA Redwood Stores studio, The Godfather II will be coming to the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and PC in February 2009. The Godfather II has not been rated by the ESRB and PEGI. For more information about The Godfather franchise, please visit http://godfather.ea.com and/or the EA press website at http://info.ea.com.

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
MasterAce
Posted 3:43 AM 9/8/08
YES, new Godfather game! High-five!
*holds hand out*
MasterAce
Weirdsmobile
Posted 3:41 AM 9/8/08
This game looks cool, but what would be genius for a crimelord game would be if it started out GTA-style, with your character starting out as a low-level hood, but as he rose in the ranks and amassed more power and wealth, the game would sort of organically morph into more of a strategic game, since your character wouldn't be taking to the streets anymore but doling out missions to henchmen.
Come to think of it, that kind of genre-melding could enliven the WWII shooter genre as well. Start out as a private, playing a single-character FPS...get promoted, game turns into squad-based tactics...get promoted even higher, game becomes a RTS.
Your scope of control as a gamer would scale up along with the amount of power wielded by your character.
Weirdsmobile
BloggyMcBlogBlog
Posted 3:37 AM 9/8/08
I'm pretty sure there wasn't much organized crime in Cuba during the '60's after Castro kicked them out after the revolution in 1959.
[en.wikipedia.org]
BloggyMcBlogBlog
OtisElevator
Posted 3:36 AM 9/8/08
Nothing was sweeter than pulling up alongside some rivals, and tapping RB to have your shotgun-toting hireling blow their heads off from the car window.
That was classy.
OtisElevator
DissmalScientist
Posted 3:35 AM 9/8/08
@Gypse-scum:
Sir, Godfather II is widely considred to be the finest movie ever made. Are you sure you aren't thinking of 3?
DissmalScientist
Gypse-scum
Posted 3:31 AM 9/8/08
also hears hoping it's better then the second movie. jeeze what a peice of over hyped garbage!(garbage is a bit much, i just found it really boring compared to the first movie)
Gypse-scum
Larry Horse
Posted 3:30 AM 9/8/08
What, no soundtrack listing? Is it really an EA press release, then?
Larry Horse
Gypse-scum
Posted 3:27 AM 9/8/08
well i'm looking forward to this. i had a damn good time with the first one. i enjoyed it alot more then GTA thats for sure. so i hope they pull off this RTS thing cause it could be really cool
Gypse-scum
Sarra
Posted 3:25 AM 9/8/08
@Sarra: I am referring to kotaku
Sarra
Sarra
Posted 3:24 AM 9/8/08
I really want to play this. The first one was fun, but it was also lackluster. The strategy implement seems like it's going to be a hit.
Also, you guys need to use quotes when you are explaing what the game is about, if it is not in your own words. lern2grammar
Sarra
DissmalScientist
Posted 3:22 AM 9/8/08
This reminds me of the stuff EA did with their football games. Coach modes, or whatever they are called when you don't actually play, you just recruit and simulate.
DissmalScientist
Toastbusters
Posted 3:14 AM 9/8/08
This sounds a lot like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King.
Only with less monsters and more accents.
Toastbusters
InsidiousTuna
Posted 3:07 AM 9/8/08
I liked the Godfather 1, it's just that that New York City was the lamest NYC I've ever seen. Here's hoping for better places to extort people.
InsidiousTuna
DocRimbo
Posted 3:03 AM 9/8/08
Ok.
DocRimbo
Gypse-scum
Posted 3:56 AM 9/8/08
@MasterAce: *High fives back
Gypse-scum
Gypse-scum
Posted 3:56 AM 9/8/08
@DissmalScientist: positive because i never wasted my time with 3. i watched one and loved it i think it's one of the best movie's i've scene(and i've scene a lot) but watching the second one i was largely uninterested. the parts with robert de'niro as young Vito were really good but when watching the other parts of the movie with !SPOILER! (if your stupid and haven't seen the first one) micheal as don i was largely uninterested.
Gypse-scum
2NinjasTapedTogether
Posted 3:49 AM 9/8/08
I really liked the first one for the hour or so I played... Especially picking up bottles and other small objects and hurling them at pedestrians.
I'm glad GTAIV allowed me to throw uncooked hamburger patties at people. That makes me happy.
2NinjasTapedTogether
karaquazian
Posted 4:54 AM 9/8/08
@Gypse-scum: you probably think the new star wars movies are better than those boring originals too. Godfather 2 is one of the best movies ever made, and a worthy sequel. It's one of the best movies I've ever "scene" too.
Oh and the game sounds good, I'm looking forward to it.
karaquazian
c0rnpwn
Posted 5:15 AM 9/8/08
@Gypse-scum:
I'm going to have to agree with this. I loved the first one tremendously, and loved the second one too. However, some times the second one felt like it dragged along (mostly the modern day scenes; I ADORED the in-the-past scenes). Being Sicilian though, if I could have an entire movie taking place in Sicily (at the time of the flashbacks in Pt II) and fleshing out the mafia situation there...omg
c0rnpwn
HootieMac: Section 9 Reject
Posted 5:30 AM 9/8/08
Did peoples generally like the first Godfather game? I was always curious, but never picked it up. Worth picking up on the cheap?
HootieMac: Section 9 Reject
vincehardy
Posted 3:22 AM 9/8/08
On a positive note, if EA ever comes up with a Godfather III, it can only be better than the movie.
vincehardy
JAcK0R
Posted 7:43 AM 9/8/08
I thought the Wii version of The Godfather was great for a GTA clone. Combat was certainly better than any of the pre-IV GTA's.
JAcK0R
Gypse-scum
Posted 8:27 AM 9/8/08
@c0rnpwn: and here i was thinking i'd going crazy.:)
Gypse-scum
Jet Set
Posted 9:59 AM 9/8/08
Like I said before. Please, I beg you, please develop an original IP an let the Godfather be what it is.
Jet Set
Captiosus
Posted 4:17 PM 9/8/08
@BloggyMcBlogBlog: Godfather Part 2 has a brief segment in Cuba in 1957-1958, during the time that Michael Corelone is trying to expand his Nevada business with that "Jew from Florida".
During the movie, they even discuss the "rebels" and are assured that the rebels will be suppressed.
Captiosus
blisteringbarnaclesandthunderingtyphoons
Posted 5:06 PM 9/8/08
I bet it rrod
blisteringbarnaclesandthunderingtyphoons
Saith17
Posted 7:40 PM 9/8/08
Okay, am I the only one who is legitimately excited for the wii version? Because that was an awesome game, honestly, one of the best wii-control-indulgences for a year or two after release. Honestly. Great game.
Saith17
Gypse-scum
Posted 8:28 PM 9/8/08
@Gypse-scum: *i was going crazy i really shouldn't post here until after a cup or three of coffee
Gypse-scum
EvilSuperSean
Posted 12:12 PM 10/8/08
@Saith17: The Wii version was called the Black Hand Edition, wasn't it? That was an awesome name!
EvilSuperSean
ManWaffles
Posted 1:04 PM 9/8/08
@HootieMac: Section 9 Reject: ya, it's worth trying.
ManWaffles
ManWaffles
Posted 12:53 PM 9/8/08
i liked the first one a lot. I thought It could use a better ending though. it was just a 10 second cutscene where you were suddenly the Don. Not much to it at the end.
ManWaffles