Once upon a time, there was a seemingly innocuous, top-down shooting and driving game called Grand Theft Auto. Over the years, from humble beginnings, the game flourished from acorn through to mighty oak, unbowed in the face of seasonal change – easily weathering the storms of controversy. Of course, like any organism thriving so successfully, it has attracted competitors, their thinking being that the land on which the oak prospers is surely richer in life-giving nutrients than that from which the rest have sprung? And so, seeds are planted in the shadow of the grand arbour, in the hope that, one day, these new saplings may stand bough to limb with the sturdy omnipotent colossus.

But as we all know, it’s never a good idea to plant in the shade. While the oak continues to monopolise the life-giving light of the sun, its deep roots desiccate the soil of all moisture from the quenching rain. And so the young upstart’s dreams of benefitting from the oak’s vast resources are ended before they have even begun – for had it found its own small corner of the world in which to develop, not stunted by shadow nor undermined by vast subterranean tendrils, perhaps it would have found a unique plateau. Instead, The Godfather II pokes just barely from the shady soil and goes unseen by those who pass it by. Which is a shame, because while it may not be able to compete within the confines of Rockstar’s hummock, the game is, for the most part, a total blast.

The game begins in Cuba and is initially very loyal to the source material. The various Dons gather to discuss the way forward in the face of an oncoming coup d’état against the Cuban government. Your character, Dominic, is an underboss to Aldo Trapani – a respected member of the Corleone family. Unlike its predecessor, in which your journey was one from common thug to made man, Aldo is killed pretty close to the opening credits, making way for Dominic to step in as the new Don – even if that does leave him with the ludicrous title of Don Dom. Of course, with great power comes great menus, and opening these immediately shows you a vast array of new options and gameplay elements previously unseen in the series. For one, you’re now able to recruit men to your family.

Your family consists of you at the head, an underboss, two under-underbosses and four under-under-under-cats… ho! The lowest ranks will initially become your ‘crew’. A crew consists of up to three bodyguards, each with their own particular speciality. Some are safecrackers, while others are demolition experts, arsonists, muscle and so on. It pays huge dividends to have a decent combination of skills with you at all times as they will greatly affect the available ways in which you can tackle the missions and objectives that the game lays out for you.

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