Godfather II plays like a sandbox / real time strategy hybrid. For those who played the first, it’s a nice upgrade, and for those of you who missed out, it’s more or less similar to GTA or Saints Row. While the story was disappointing, the games single player campaign excels. You begin with a small family, and as you progress you add new members. These soldiers are your weapons in the game, with each possessing a skill that you can use to change how the game plays. For instance, a demolitions man can break down walls, an arsonist can start fires to distract enemies, and engineers can cut the power or create new entrances by cutting down wire fences. There are six classes in all, and as your soldiers are promoted in your family, they can learn new skills. 

The driving mechanic feels off. For one, drifting apparently isn’t possible in cars from the 1950’s. It would have been a lot more fun if the cars were more responsive like in titles like GTA and Saints Row. Unlike GTA, there are no forced, clumsy drive-by shootings. Instead, you can just click the left bumper and your men will attack your enemies.

The missions are simple. So simple in fact, that the majority of them are predicated upon the same thing. You attack a building, kill the current family occupying it, and threaten the life of the owner to pay you for protection. Thankfully, attacking the same building two to three times doesn’t feel old. On top of this, you can send your men to take over the building remotely, while you work on other concerns. The Don’s View, which allows you to view the whole city and tell your men to attack or defend a location, isn’t important at first but becomes more valuable once you operate in multiple cities. Once you add a consigliore to your arsenal, he can advise you on your odds of success. 

The game’s gun play works well; but not so well that you can run the whole game alone. Your family is essential in fight. Each of your made men equates to a couple normal guards. However, this is also true for your enemies. After taking over a building you have the option of paying for guards to protect your investment. This can get costly, so you’ll need to take into consideration what buildings are really worth keeping. You can also send a member of your family to help defend the location.