The Godfeather: A Mafia Pigeon Saga
Review
Swoop and Poop
by Isabella
reviewed on PC
Answering the call
As I was finishing my meal I got an urgent call from HQ that there was a pest terrorising the neighbourhood…time to protect the family. I searched for the kid and found him assaulting my brethren. I circled above him, aimed, and let it rip. BULLSEYE. The nuisance goes plummeting to the floor as my lunch explodes… mission complete.
The Godfeather: A Mafia Pigeon Saga (referred to as Godfeather from this point on) has players taking on the role of a pigeon in the pigeon mafia. Players view the game from above (in a birds eye view) and complete missions assigned by HQ which consist of unloading on various targets. Like most games, missions start off fairly simple, however as the levels progress, more dangers are added. The main dangers include having to stay out of sight from cockatoos and out of the seagulls' way. If your pigeon is spotted a police drone will come out and attempt to arrest you with the only option to hide in a tree.
Flying around is a breeze, with controls that enable even the youngest of gamers to master in minutes. Players will guide their pigeon around with the thumbstick, let loose on unsuspecting humans with the touch of a button and swoop into rubbish bins or trees with the touch of another button. There isn't much else to it.
Owning the neighbourhood
The Godfeather holds a fun and colourful vibe with bright cartoony visuals. The cartoon style makes the game intriguing to a range of age demographics and allows the targets and dangers to be easily identified. Each of the settings has a distinct look. Players are first introduced to an idyllic neighbourhood with lovely parklands in a suburban setting. Later moving to a coastal environment full of sand, salty water and annoying seagulls, before moving to the hustle and bustle of the city and its skyscrapers.
As well as completing the main goals, each location is scattered with several special branches. Collecting these branches enables players to improve their abilities for upcoming missions, such as a shield or decreased detection from the drone. Determining when to use these abilities can certainly involve a bit of strategy, as some of them only have limited uses and will need to be purchased again if players use them up.
During the missions, players can also collect Crumb from completing each of the tasks within an area. This can be used to purchase outfits to customise your pigeon’s appearance. There are a few crazy outfits that players can purchase including top hats, sunglasses and gangster gold chains. These costumes do not affect performance at all and are purely cosmetic, but they do allow for a touch of personalisation as you fly around the areas.
One issue that I had with the game was the save points. Each of the neighbourhoods is split up into four levels, but if your pigeon gets captured on the later levels, players will need to restart from the beginning of the neighbourhood. And any of the special branches you’ve collected disappear, as they can only be spent once you’ve defeated the neighbourhood boss. The option to spend the branches at the end of each level would have been much preferred.
Mission completed
The Godfeather is an enjoyable casual game with simple controls and clear visuals that enable gamers of all ages to play whether you want to play in short bursts or over a prolonged sitting. And like previous games from Hojo Studios, the humorous touches ensure that the game remains fun as you progress through each location. We all know that feeling when you have just washed your car and a bird swoops by and unloads on your shiny vehicle. Well, after playing Godfeather, I'm thinking that there may have been a reason for it. Had I previously shooed a pigeon away when eating fish and chips in the park or almost run one over when driving. Either way, I’ll think twice next time I encounter a pigeon.
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7.2
fun score
Pros
Simple controls and gameplay, bright visuals
Cons
Repetitious, can't spend Branches mid-neighbourhood.
