ShareThis"The Godfather II"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Genre: Action
Publisher: EA Games
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature
Grade: 3 stars (out of 5)
My buddy Kelly and I were thrilled with the first "The Godfather" video game. Sure, it had its repetitive moments, but there was nothing better than taking control of New York City and living the dream in becoming don of the Corleone family. Considering that "The Godfather II" is easily in the top 10 of the best movies ever made, we had high hopes for EA's sequel.
Taking place in NYC, then down to Florida and Cuba, gives the game a chance to show off all the great moments from the film, but overall the game is surprisingly dull and full of glitches that will annoy you to no end. It could be a case of our expectations being too high, but on second and third tries, there is little doubt that "The Godfather II'' game is just a letdown.
First off, the game play is almost exactly the same as the first game's. Yes, it was great then, but that was three years ago. It feels stale now. Furthermore, the visuals don't look like they've been upgraded at all.
Don't get me wrong. Shaking down business owners and creating your own empire is still fun. Taking over casinos and strip clubs is pretty funny, and decking your mobster out in a fedora and Cuban gear has the quirky feel of the time period. And once you are rewarded with soldiers to defend your business interests, everything flows pretty smoothly.
But problems keep returning. Those soldiers you earn are the dumbest in recent gaming memory. They don't follow their own orders, they don't really kill enemies and they run in circles more than the greyhounds in Florida. I spent a couple missions just trying to get them through a building's front door before turning the console off in disgust. Even when you go over and play the multiplayer online, nothing feels fluid or well-designed. And the special "The Don" mode is not nearly as thrilling as it seems.
"The Godfather II" fails to live up to expectations.
"Guitar Hero: Metallica"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PS2
Genre: Music
Publisher: Activision
ESRB Rating: T, for Teen
Grade: 3 stars
No surprise here, but you're either a Metallica fan or not. And this will be the determining factor in whether you shell out the cash for the "Guitar Hero: Metallica" game.
Getting me to play this game was not too hard. I have always enjoyed Metallica, even if I consider myself a bit more of a purist with the band's music. I think it took a bad turn with the "Black" album and never looked back, so my preferences will always favor the music from "And Justice for All" and "Master of Puppets" CDs.
There is a mix of old and new Metallica tracks in the game. Other artists of similar style are sprinkled into the game also, though some of the tracks (like "Ace of Spades") seem to be in every guitar-themed game these days, so we need to start finding new songs to give gamers for the money they are spending.
Most of the game play is unchanged, otherwise. There is an added kick pedal if you want to get your Lars Ulrich on and attempt some true drumming mastery. I can barely handle one (drumming is not my forte; I'm more than happy to make a fool of myself on the guitar and singing), so you'd better prepare yourself for high difficulty levels.
(E-mail Chris Campbell at game_on_games(at)mac.com)
Game On
Way to not review the game.
Way to not review the game. You say its a huge letdown and don't even explain why, only giving the reason "I think metallica took a turn for the worst with the black album". There is so much good music black album and on anyway, whether you like it or not. What, you think they are just going to keep making the same type of thrash metal as in the first four albums? No, they needed to experiment to keep from going under.