Holy Cannoli! (I'm so sorry.)

I played Godfather on it's initial release on the Xbox, and loved it. It's rare that a Movie Based Game (MBG) is not terrible, but for some reason or another, Godfather received some extra TLC from it's developers. Instead of making it a senseless beat em' up (see - every other MBG in existence) they decided to copy one of the most successful videogame franchises to date - Grand Theft Auto.

They were extremely faithful - to both franchises. The plot of the game followed the plot of the movie. You created your own character who would either replace other characters in other scenes, or help to set up certain scenes. For instance, in one stealth sequence, you and another member of the Corleone family must sneak into the corrupt movie producer's house and place a rather iconic dismembered equestrian appendage in his bed.

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The plot of the movie lends itself to the story of the game, making it a rich, involving crime drama, much like the plots of the Grand Theft Auto games.

The gameplay is similar to GTA also. It's incredibly open ended, in the sense that you could simply go through the game beating all of the story missions, or you could drive around extorting every business in sight, collecting money, leveling up attributes, customizing your weapons, etc.

All in all, it was an extremely well made game.

"But Griffin," you proclaim, "this game came out a year ago! Why are you writing a review for it now?"

Oh, reader. My sweet, dear reader. Don't you worry. This isn't a review of Godfather... for XBox.

This is a review of Godfather: The Don's Edition for PS3.

That's right, the Godfather is now available for PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360. It certainly gets around.

It retains everything that was good about it's former renditions: tight controls, great story, deep customization options, and nice replay value, and adds a few other features, namely new missions and more story content in general, an improved upgrade system, and most importantly, a few motion sensitive controls taking advantage of the SIXAXIS' tilt function.

Instead of using the control sticks to push a dirty mob informant into the wall, you actually push the controller forward. Instead of slamming the barber who refuses to pay tribute into his own cash register by pressing a button, you simply move the controller left. The most satisfying move is the ability to break an enemy's neck with the clockwise twist of the controller. As neat as these control changes are, they feel a bit tacked on, and can be difficult to pull off at times.

My main complaint with the PS3 version is the graphics. Yes, it looks a bit better on the Xbox. But I've been playing Def Jam: Icon (don't judge me) which is coated in thick layers of beauty sauce. Godfather simply looks a little bit smoother than before. Character models could be much more detailed, as could the environments. This seems to be the case with console ports - there are rarely graphical overhauls, simply slight improvements. You may find yourself disappointed with the visuals.

I would recommend the game if you are a fan of the movies. If you haven't played it before, then the PS3 version is as good as any to pick up, although the 360 and Wii versions are also fantastic. If you have played it, there really isn't enough here to merit another play-through. I just wish that one day, there will be a multi-platform game with the slightest variation between consoles.