The Godfather II
Preview
Get to care about the illicit side of life
by Howie Howard
previewed on PC
Hierarchy
When you start a game in The Godfather II your first order of business as don is to recruit some associates. In the mob hierarchy an associate is the lowest level. As you progress through the game and your made-men gain experience, they can be promoted up the ranks from associate to capo and onto under-boss. Potential made-men are plentiful in this crime-ridden world and they all come with varying skills and attributes. Some of the skills available are medical in nature and made-men that possess these can revive you whenever you are taken out in a fight. Arsonists excel at making things burn, safecrackers open things that are locked and the bruiser is your typical muscle-bound goon.
Making name
If you don’t like certain made-men in your organization or if they don’t have the skill set that you want, you can’t simply fire them. They have to be dealt with. We all know that once a person becomes a made-man there is no way to quit the mob. Well, actually there is one way to get out of the mob – death. As don it is your duty to put the word out on the street that a certain mobster has fallen out of favor. Basically, you have removed his mob protection and put a hit out on him. Don’t feel bad about doing away with a once trusted associate because there are literally hundreds more waiting on the street to take his place.
What does a don do in this crime-infested world of mobsters and mayhem? Well, he plans out how to make his crime organization the strongest and most profitable. When you first start out as a small time hoodlum that is relatively unknown in the city you have to resort to winning money in street run gambling operations and doing other petty crimes. As you gain money and fame the missions, or rather the rackets become more lucrative.
After you start to make a name for yourself the opportunity to earn money from bank jobs, assassinations, drug deals, prostitution, bribery and other assorted endeavors becomes a thing of joy. In short, the object of the game is to take over competing organization’s rackets and make them your own. How you accomplish this is entirely up to you. The game isn’t totally scripted, but there is a path that needs to be followed in order to win the game.
With the money you make in the rackets you can build up the attributes of your made-men. Every potential thug comes with a variety of weapons skills. You can purchase additional skills with the money you earn, and level up your men. An under boss is as powerful as twenty common street thugs, so it pays to invest wisely in your men.
Don’t forget your baseball bat
The Mafia has always had an aura of mystery and intrigue surrounding it. Real mobsters are violent criminals that do not care about the same things that law-abiding folk do. When you play this game, you get to care about the illicit side of life. Just remember to bring some henchmen, a good strategy, and as always, a baseball bat.
