We recently had the time to speak with Dave Woldman, Producer for the upcoming title The GodFather II.

TheGameReviews:The Godfather movies are regarded as cinematic masterpieces. What have you done to capture that feel for the player?

Dave Woldman:The team members are all huge fans of the Godfather films, and creating a game based on something that has such a passionate following creates some unique challenges and pressure. They developed and established a very clear and recognizable view into the classic mobster lifestyle. Instead of simply retelling the story of the films verbatim, our goal was really to insert the player into the world of the Godfather and let them craft their own story while being able to interact with all the characters and see their story intersect with the coolest moments from the film.

The settings of New York, Miami, and Havana afforded us the opportunity to create a wide variety of content that faithfully represents each city during the 60’s. We’ve really had a lot of fun trying to capture the essence of the time and make it come to life in a video game. From the political uprising in Havana to the “mod scene” in Miami, the game will give you a different and cool picture into this historical era.

The development team took a lot of time to ensure everything from the look and sounds of the weapons in the games, the dialog and slang, to the radio stations you will hear while driving feel appropriate to the time period and echoes the feelings and mood established in the Godfather universe.

TGR:It appears that many of the movies stars have returned to reprise their roles this time around, including Robert Duval. What was it like working with them and how do you feel they will impact the title? Al Pacino appears to be absent again. How will that impact the title?

DW:In this go around, all of the key characters from the film return to provide a solid link and attachment to the fiction. You will see and interact with most of the iconic characters, including Fredo, Hyman Roth, Frank Pentangeli, and even Senator Pat Geary. We’re very fortunate to have Robert Duvall reprise his role as Tom Hagen when he joins your family as consigliore. He’s an amazing professional and jumped right back in to his role. Having them in the game is a pretty powerful experience for big fans of the fiction… nothing like being present when Geary is blackmailed and then being able to talk to Tom about how the body needs to be disposed of.

Pacino is not in the game, but the Michael character is included in many ways as the players mentor. The Godfather II game is all about the rise of Dominic set in the fiction’s organized crime world.

TGR:What are the biggest changes from the first game that you have implemented to make Godfather 2 better than the original?

DW:The Godfather II feels like an evolution of the franchise to me in many ways. Following the release of the first game, the development team challenged itself to examine all the feedback and critical reviews to chart a course in creating a better and more in depth game. Listening to the community allowed us to figure out what resonated with the fans and tried to understand how we could grow the franchise and improve the overall gaming experience.

It was evident that gamers really enjoyed how the game incorporated the story of your character with the Godfather universe. They appreciated the way a new character could be integrated into a fiction they really loved in a way that felt real and meaningful.

However, it became apparent that players also wanted that feeling of being in control, to be the guy who calls the shots and runs the family. The first game put the player as a “lone wolf” type hero, a man on an island set in the Godfather world. This time around the goal of The Godfather II became “Act like a Mobster, think like a Don.”

To this end, while enhancing the core action gameplay, we have incorporated all new mechanics and game systems in an attempt to make the player feel like a Don; learn what it means to control and grow a family. Players will now be able to build their own family from the ground up, from recruiting and investing in their skills, all the way to promoting them up through the ranks.

Additionally, as a Don, the player will not always have to be the one in the middle of the action; he will be able to command his family to do his bidding while focusing on other ways to strengthen his family and weaken his rivals.