An Offer Hardcore Would Never Refuse

It's the reason The Sopranos is a pop culture phenomenon and The Godfather movies are both critically heralded and nearly universally loved; we need the thrill, that visceral and dangerous feeling of participating in a life we would never dare approach.

The mantle you aspire to.

It's more than murder and mystery, though; it's the secret criminal life lived outside the law but within a code of honor. Throughout the years, the occasional game has tapped into the organized crime mythos, but never before has a license so revered been offered to gamers as an interactive experience. You don't get to watch it; you get to live it in The Godfather™ The Game. Now that's a brand of hardcore gaming I can endorse.

You're supposed to be a slick, dangerous gangster
on the move up through the ranks, not a
psychopath with little tact and no intelligence.

All that said, there are two ways to approach the game. One, you can twiddle your way through the story straight through with nary a concern for image and real power, or, two, you can choose to dominate ruthlessly and efficiently from start to finish in a way that would make Don Corleone proud. Try these hardcore tips on for size if you want to truly test your Godfather mettle.

Ultimate Power
It's not about a racket, or a neighborhood, or even an entire district. It's about ultimate power across all aspects of New York. Sure, you may start out small, but the eventual and reachable goal is nearly limitless. You're already corrupt, so you may as well accept nothing less than absolute power. Don't rest ‘til every last racket and business is extorted to your own benefit.

All in the family.

Cerebral Power
You don't see Vito or Michael Corleone laying a savage beatdown at every turn. That nonsense is beneath them. Real power and fear comes from a craftier, more cerebral approach. The threat of physical violence or other more-dastardly punishment is more effective than the act itself. Play The Godfather with a hefty helping of malice-laden-diplomacy for both the challenge as well as a more legit Godfather-esque experience. In other words, when adding skills to your character, emphasize Street Smarts.

Dress the Part
This nonsense about being able to buy the clothes, but not wear the clothes, and still make people take notice, is absurd. You have to dress for killer success, so don't just shell out the cash, but make sure your gangster avatar is impeccably dressed. It not only makes for a better-looking experience, but a more authentic one as well.

The man took his hat off. Watch out.

Play the Role
The Godfather The Game is an open-ended experience worthy of many a stellar sandbox game, and as such, there's a lot of freedom of choice. The easy route is to simply act on every psychotic impulse you have, but do the game a favor and try to stay "in character." Don't run over pedestrians because you're bored, don't shake down some random fool on the street in front of the cops, and don't firebomb buildings and cars because you can't think of anything better to do. You're supposed to be a slick, dangerous gangster on the move up through the ranks, not a psychopath with little tact and no intelligence.

Force Equal to the Task
Sure, lording extra firepower over a weaker opponent can get the job done quickly, but, as the saying goes, you don't bring a gun to a knife fight. Stick to that rule of thumb for all of your combat engagements. If you need to slap around a scared store owner for an extra bit of scratch each week, fine, but don't wave a shotgun under his nose. Meet his force with equal force. If he’s barehanded, you should be barehanded. Similarly, if a band of thugs is sporting shotguns and rifles, feel free to do the same, but don't overdo it.

Now get out there and rustle up some fear.

Article by Hardcore