The game opens in 1939, where we're treated to a scene in which a store owner pays for protection just seconds before his livelihood blows up in his face. After brawling with a few heavies, he's gunned down by a mobster, who then takes off as a young boy (guess who he grows up to be) and Don Corleone reach the body. The action then moves seven years into the future, where the Don's daughter is getting married (not coincidentally, the first scene from the film) and your mother is asking for his help. It seems you've started running with the wrong crowd, and the Don sends Luca Brasi out to help you.
As a mob enforcer, Brasi is the perfect person to give you some advanced hand-to-hand combat lessons. The combat system in The Godfather is much more complex than the standard third-person button mashing we've seen in similar games. Taking a page from EA's own Fight Night series, you'll be able to use the right analog stick to beat the tar out of anyone who crosses you. Holding down the left trigger will lock on to your foe, and you can use the right trigger to grab him by the collar. By using a combination of those techniques, you can punch your enemy, slap him, slam him into walls, or finish him off execution-style.
In between the main story missions, you'll be able to explore the huge world, interacting with the men and women you'll see wandering the street. They'll actually react differently depending on what you've done throughout the game, paying their respects if you've done well by the family or mocking you if you've acted a fool. You can also earn some extra cash by extorting shopowners (through an intimidation system), taking over rackets, or robbing banks. Of course, if the boys in blue give you any static for your actions, just throw a little green their way and they'll turn their backs on your indiscretions.
Although we've only gotten to check out the first few hours of the sprawling game, The Godfather looks like it's going to make The Don proud. The hand-to-hand combat system is a snap to master, and you make even prefer getting up-close-and-personal to taking your enemy down from afar. There's also a nice variety in the missions you'll take on, and the people you'll come across as you explore the world keep the proceedings immersive. We'll tell you a lot more about what you can expect after we spend more time trying to take over the mean streets of New York.
