Godfather Tips You Can't Refuse

The Godfather™ The Game requires strategy of all kinds. From understanding the mechanics of combat to the subtleties of extortion, there's a lot to learn and understand. These tips will put you on your way to not only climb the family ladder, but to rule cinema's most notorious crime syndicate as well: The Corleones.

These are the shoes you aspire to fill.

Precision Lock
You can use manual aim in The Godfather The Game if you want to, but in most cases you should instead manually aim after you lock onto your target. This way, you can select specific targets on your opponent's body. There are two specific ways you can take advantage of this tactic:

1. Aim for the head for a single shot kill.
2. Aim for the arm or hand to disarm your opponent if he is carrying a powerful weapon.

Rules of the Road
While other sandbox games don't punish you for running into other cars or running over pedestrians, such actions carry a heavy penalty in The Godfather. The cars in this game aren't as sturdy as vehicles in other games, but the heat from the local police is what you really want to avoid.

This is your neighborhood. You have to protect it.

Don't Press
Exercise a bit of patience and creativity when you extort local businessmen. Try various means of intimidation until you discover their breaking point. Once you do, push them for every penny you can get. Keep an eye on the meter while you do to ensure that you don't push them over the edge, though. If you do, not only will they resist the extortion, but they'll fight back as well.

Back Rooms
After you successfully extort a shop owner, make sure to check the premises carefully. Not every location hides a racket in the back room, but many do, and you can take control of that business as well.  The doors are never hidden behind secret panels, but the are often around a corner or on another floor. Sometimes the racket owner will have guards you will need to defeat, but when you get to the owner, always offer to buy them out instead of intimidating them. It will cost you more, but your eventual payoff will be much greater.

Protect your People
Keep a sharp eye out for other mob activity when patrolling your neighborhood streets. If you spot a crime taking place, you'll not only be doing a good deed by beating down the perp, but you will earn the respect of your neighborhood as well. Remember, part of extorting a business owner is promising protection, so make sure to come to their aid whenever they come under attack.

Showing the respect due the Godfather.

Don't Bring a Knife to a Gunfight
Don't instinctively draw down whenever a fight breaks out. If your enemy isn't wielding a gun, avoid pulling yours. If you break out a weapon, your enemy will as well, and your odds of victory will always be stronger when you rely on your fists.

Moneybag Patience
Every major mission in The Godfather hides a secret stash of cash somewhere. Keep your eyes peeled for the cash, but more importantly, avoid triggering the event that will end the mission. Early in the game you are told to teach a couple of bullies a lesson, but if you beat them down too quickly, the mission will end before you find the loot.

Duck and Cover
This isn't Halo® 2, you don't have a shield to protect you from damage, so when firefights erupt, your first thought should always be about self-preservation, not taking the offensive. Use wall cover whenever you can, and if you have to move through the open, crouch by pressing the B button. If you can keep it out of your head to run and gun, you'll live much longer. If outright dying isn't enough to discourage you, the cash penalty for starting over should be.

Article by Ryan Treit