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The Godfather is a 2006 open world Grand Theft Auto-style crime game based on the movie of the same name. It recreates the plot of the film excellently, and manages to make itself into a relatively fun crime game. It surpasses Grand Theft Auto in a number of ways, some of which could be implemented into newer GTA titles.
The game is set, similar to the original film, in the post-war 1940’s. While the protagonist is a character made up for the game, developer EA Redwood Shores expertly weaves him into the story line. He’s named Aldo Trapini, and at the beginning of The Godfather game he becomes an outside member of the Corleone family, the basis of GTA’s Leone family. The player meets iconic Godfather characters like Paulie and Luca Brasi and is involved in crucial moments in the film’s story, such as placing the gun Michael Corleone uses to kill Sollozzo and captain McCluskey. It’s also got deep side missions where the player extorts and then profits off local businesses.
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One of the main things GTA missed out on was the aspect of factions. Sure, there were rival gangs dressed in different colors, but Grand Theft Auto V doesn’t have many mechanics repesenting relationships with gangs or how they protect their turf (although Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas did). In The Godfather, the player has to be careful when traveling throughout the game’s five districts, originally controlled by the Five Families of the New York mafia. If the Aldo leaves Little Italy and travels to Hell’s Kitchen, for example, he will be greeted by angry Cuneos, a rival family until the Corleone’s take over the area. This mechanic strongly defines what turf is where, a principle of gangster life.
What GTA 6 Could Learn From The Godfather
Grand Theft Auto 6 could take a lot of pointers from The Godfather‘s video game, especially in the way The Godfather’s law enforcement polices crime. The heat system is similar, a scale of 0-5, with 5 star criminals being chased the heaviest. However, losing heat in The Godfather presents the player with more options. Sure, they can lay low and wait out the heat, but if that’s too slow bribing the police is the best option.
Police in Grand Theft Auto games are much more like a security force: Cross them and they will shoot at the player constantly. In The Godfather, police have much more agency and can be controlled, rather than just feared. Aldo is able to bribe a police chief to eliminate all heat completely. This option is (more often than not) what the Mafia really did in real life, and it’s nice to have a way to eliminate heat other than just hiding. If Aldo needs to commit crimes in broad daylight, it’s probably best to bribe a regular cop on the scene. Bribing all cops fills up the bribe meter, and as long as the meter isn’t empty, not only will the police look the other way while the player commit crimes, cops will shoot at rival mafiosos who harass Aldo.
The Godfather was a game that was forgotten too quickly. Its quality as an open world mafia game wasn’t enough to make it relevant 15 years after it’s release, but a few niche mechanics should be copied. Combining The Godfather’s mechanics like real turf wars and bribing police with the vast map and quality of production found in the Grand Theft Auto series would result in a superior open world crime title.