Godfather returns Feb. 24

When Electronic Arts announced its gaming adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola's classic film The Godfather, cinephiles balked at the publisher's chances of producing something worthy of the franchise's name. Considering that The Godfather: Part II was arguably better than the original film and the greatest movie sequel ever made, the bar for EA's upcoming Godfather II has not lowered in the slightest.

Curious gamers will soon be able to determine for themselves how the game stacks up to its pedigree. EA announced today a February 24 North American shipping date for the Godfather II, with a February 27 bow in Europe. Previously, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC had been tagged for a more vague "February" release.

"Inspired by the film and Mario Puzo's Corleone family drama," the game continues the classic mob saga and will be set against the backdrops of New York, Florida, and Cuba. As the newly appointed Don of New York, players will handle strategic organizational aspects of the mob, such as establishing and maintaining criminal endeavors and creating a stable of made men.

That doesn't mean that players won't get their hands dirty. Electronic Arts is promising "even more visceral hand-to-hand brutality" in the open-world action game, as well as new combo mechanics and more pressure tactics and executions.

For more on the first game, check out GameSpot's review.