When EA announced that they would be taking one of the world’s most famous film franchises and turning it into a game, two concerns became apparent - one, only EA could afford to do this properly and two, they would have to do it right or they would be savaged. Over time we've seen the game released on every platform around and finally the PS3 gets its turn. It may have been the final system to get the game but it is also the most fully featured, making it a worthwhile purchase for any PS3 owner.

For those who haven't seen the films, The Godfather revolves around Marlon Brando's Don character, head of the Corloeone family, which is one of many mafia families in 1930s New York city. The family has risen to the top and is the number one and most revered mafia family throughout the city, but there are a number of other rivals trying to take over and remove them for good.

EA has changed a few things about the story. First of all, you are you. You name the character, build them in terms of how they look and play through with your creation. The character you play is trying to avenge their father’s death which occurs during the prelude to the game. Other than that, those who are familiar with the movies will see some of the most famous scenes play out and the most famous characters appear throughout.

While at the basic level the game does feel like a GTA clone, there is a lot more to the game than meets the eye. First of all, EA has perfectly captured the atmosphere of 1930s New York and the general feel of the movies. You always feel like you're part of the gang and part of the family ready to take anything on. There is also a high level of progression. As you go through the game, you earn experience points which ‘level’ the character and allow you to improve various aspects of your person such as health points, interrogation skills etc. This really mixes up the game as you can choose to try and be diplomatic with high level of interrogation skills, or become an enforcer by spending points on physical dominance.

At its core the game is mission based and this is where so many improvements are present over the typical GTA formula. For instance, the game is not as punishing for being shot - rather than make you start the mission all over again, you start from a checkpoint. This allows for much more freedom when deciding how to take a task on, because you know the penalty for failure is not as brutal. The missions do follow the movie quite closely, as do the cut scenes, and this gives a high level of authenticity and is, for once, a movie tie-in game which works extremely well.

Aside from the main missions, to gain respect you also have to go out on your own and show the town who's boss. You can do this through extortion missions, doing side missions for family members or just plain beating the crap out of people. In extortion missions you use the environment to your advantage. Extorting a business allows you to gain cash to buy weapons. To do so you push the owner to the limit of their resistance without killing them.

This also demonstrates how the SIXAXIS has been used. While grabbing a character, if you sling the SIXAXIS from side to side, the character gets thrown, if you push forward they will be slammed into a wall. EA has used the motion sensitive controls well, although sometimes it’s not as responsive as it should be. Overall though the control system is a masterpiece and really allows you to get into the game. Aside from SIXAXIS you use the analogue sticks to punch etc. If you hold the analogue stick back, the punch is charged up and does more damage. It really gives you a sense that you are directly controlling the character rather than button mashing.

One disappointment about the game is the size of the city. While there is a lot to do and there is much more interaction than most sandbox games, it pales in comparison size wise to some of its competitors. The city is highly detailed however with most action taking place during the evening. There is also no day night cycle and the time of day is determined by the upcoming mission or the one which is played before. You can choose between missions by just driving around however which makes it more sandbox than most.

Where the game really shines is the graphics. This game is a true masterpiece of PS3 wizardry. It looks stunning to say the least. The character models are unbelievably realistic with true to life representations of Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall and James Caan present throughout. It really is just like being in the movie. While the city itself can be a little bland, the interiors and characters which populate it are not. To go with this the voice acting is sublime with the characters reprising their roles for the video games and the famous orchestral score making it into the game as well.

This really is a game that takes a license and uses it perfectly to create an experience which not only builds on the subject matter but enhances it. Being able to jump into the universe and play through the movie from your own character is brilliant and EA have done a fantastic job with this game. If you haven't played it yet and you own a PS3, this is one game that will fill the drought in very well.