An extensive review by a gamer like you.
1) (Don's view)
Fail? Sorta?
gives view over the entire 'world' of godfather and the size expands. This gives it sort of a strategy point of view. The cool part is that this can be accessed at almost any given time. A gripe about this is how some icons can overlap, therefore causing you to play "WHERE'S WAL- I mean Where's the dot?" A minor inconvenience.
*Side Rant* WHY CAN'T I SKIP CUTSCENESE? IT'S THE AGE OF THE NEXT-GEN! The radio sucks in the car. I'm not sure if it even tells you what channel you're listening to.
2) (The gunplay and cover system)
EPIC FAIL here. I would like to know how my enemies survive about 15 bullets from a tommy gun. Some even hit the head I'm pretty sure. The cover system blatantly tries to rip off some great cover + shoot games. I.E. GTA 4 and GOW 1+2. The game tries to make up for it by having vehicles, random objects, and various other items to be perfectly in tune with your crouching. This in turn makes the setting and world not what it actually is supposed to look like. There is a severe lack of variety in the world as well. As clones of people are noticeably the same 80% of the time. I almost threw up. The twilight zone has nothing on this.
3) (The Physics)
Supreme Epic Fail here.
The Physics system could mean a variety of things. This totally ruined whatever hope I had for the game. In this world, gravity and jumps are highly discouraged. As things automatically pull you towards the ground like it was magnetically supposed to be attached to the ground. The collision system almost made me go bonkers. Try climbing down a ladder when there is already someone at the bottom. Next try adding an enemy fighting said character at the bottom. I was stuck in the ladder for about 2-4 min. I almost went insane. When a game is about to make you insane, that means it is a VERY bad game. Now for the linear pathing. Before I go into this, I will have to remind you that you cannot and will not jump. Instead you will "vault" over predetermined objects that are few in number. That said, you will find yourself zig-zagging until motion sickness sets in. This means that instead of climbing over that 4 foot wall, you have to find a way around it. Then you ask yourself, "Hey I'll just break that fence down instead!"... Yeah good luck with that. Brittle walls that seem to be breakable by a 2000 lb truck gets completely repeled by the vehicle instead. There are some hypocritical moments when you could charge your car through a linked metal fence just fine. All of a sudden a similar wall not that far away, has the power of superman and just completely stops you in your tracks. Ok let's ask about the realism for the NPC's. The npc deaths are very very predetermined. Scripted deaths that you will find yourself recognizing over and over. Sure it's fun for the first few hours. But, then you realize it's very very similar to previous deaths. For the next several hours. The ragdoll physics seem to go into rigor mortem (Body Stiffening after death) right after they fall. Meaning it's not actually ragdoll physics. (Even goldeneye deaths were better) That said, the physics between (A) a moving car and (B) a pedestrian is very bad. The equation would be like, (A) + (B) = BAD. The slightest contact can send a person flying. I could be going at a walking speed in my car. I hit a person and he goes twirling through the air like a ballerina on hallucinogenic shrooms.
4) (NPC + AI)
Fail
The NPC, the AI, and the Ugly. When thinking of a squad based game, you'd expect for your partners in crime to be at least up to par on what you expect of them. This is very wrong. The most you can hope out of the AI of your crewmates is to block you and your pathing and be meatshields while you're the only one to have the abilty to shoot an enemy from 40 yards away. The click and go there system is very flawed and the follow me system is very redundant and frustrating for movement. Occasionally you will die from a surprise attack from an NPC that just happens to spawn behind that wall where you can't see. Thus screwing you over and killing you. Occasionally, the NPC act like chickens. They run around in circles or just completely run past you as if being chased by Satan.
5) Models, Textures, Voice Acting and Setting (The things that make the game pretty)
Achievement Unlocked 100GP: Ultra Mega Fail. Or if you're a PS3 owner, Triple Platinum Trophy Unlocked: Ultra Mega Fail.
Let's start off with the view. It is not impressive at all. Soon you'll come to realize the lack of eyecandy and to make up for it you get boobies. I like boobies, but I would've loved for a better, colorful, variable world. The world in itself acts more like a town rather than a city. NPC's, traffic, and the like seems to be severly lacking. I already mentioned the clone thing before as well. Let's just say if you yourself was placed in that world for an extended period of time, your head would implode and a hole would tear through the fabric of reality. Textures are somewhat bland and overrecycled to be used. EXTREME lack of variety vehicles. Voice acting was good for the most part. However it just further justifies the clone comment. ALL of the pedestrians sound the same regarding their specific genders and race. Hooray for Sterotypes! *cough* not really.
6) Controls
WARNING: Brain may implode from ranting about controls alone.
Already mentioned most of the problems with the controls and how they are pretty frustrating. However I didn't mention this about the combat portions just yet. Extortion is a big part of this game and shaking down the store owners can be alot of fun. However, the problem with this is that it responds differently than what you intended. Like you wanted to lean that guy against over the railing and instead you slam him against the wall right next to it. Simply put the controls in parts mentioned in the above posts will vex you the most.
Story: Barely any story, no creativity, and no super appeal to fans of the movie.
Bugs: ....Let's just say that there are pretty fat bugs. I'm talking Beetles and Tarantulas
Summary: It's not even a solid rent. Your brain will just melt.
How to make this game better:
1) Ask Rockstar for their RAGE AI and Physics Engine. This will fix all of your AI and Physics problems.
2) FINISH making the game and fine tune it more.
3) Make a better game and focus only on one system!
4) Kill all the bugs
5) CO-OP mode. In my head it sounds easy. You're the don and a friend can just join in anytime he wants and takes control of one of your crew.
6) Focus on why this game needs ALOT of work.