Back when video gaming was a wholesome family activity, there weren’t many games that let you pretend to be a bad guy. At best, you might get something like 1999’s “Driver,” which let you be a mob wheelman — but you were really an undercover police officer.
All that changed in 2001 with “Grand Theft Auto III,” which made no excuses for your character’s criminal activity. Dozens of games since, like “Saints Row” and “True Crime,” have reveled in anti-social behavior, but none has duplicated the “GTA” magic.
Publishers have also turned to movies and TV, basing games on the likes of “The Godfather,” “Scarface” and “The Sopranos.” The latest crime wave owes more to, well, “GTA” — but if you want the real thing, check out the recently released “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars” on the Nintendo DS.
n “The Godfather II” (Electronic Arts, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99): If you loved the story of young Vito Corleone in “The Godfather: Part II,” go watch the movie again, because it isn’t here. You do get Michael and Fredo Corleone, Tom Hagen and other familiar faces as you try to help them become the most powerful crime family in America.
You play a Corleone soldier named Dominic. After you help Michael escape Cuba after Fidel Castro’s takeover, the boss puts you in charge of the New York rackets. You have to grab business away from rival families, which typically means strolling into their storefronts and slaughtering everyone in sight. Unfortunately, the mayhem is spoiled by the poor artificial intelligence of your enemies, which makes it much too easy for you to walk out of firefights without a scratch.
“GII” also includes a management sim of sorts, in which you have to decide which businesses you need to devote resources to, and there are plenty of side missions beyond the main story line. But there’s something about the animation that makes the Corleones seem goofy rather than tragic; even the plight of poor Fredo becomes laughable in this medium. Two stars out of four.
n “Wheelman” (Ubisoft/Midway, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99): Given its plot — you’re a getaway car driver, but you’re really an undercover agent — “Wheelman” could be called “Driver 2009.” However, it does offer some pleasures to fans of action movies, including slow-motion stunts and a performance by Vin Diesel.
Diesel’s character, Milo, makes a quick impression on Barcelona’s underworld with his physics-defying driving skills. And as long as Milo keeps the pedal to the metal, “Wheelman” is solid, trashy entertainment. Let’s face it, it’s always fun to watch a guy jump from one speeding vehicle to another or play bumper cars with the cops.
The on-foot action is terrible, so it’s fortunate that there’s not much of it. When the motor’s running, though, this is as close as you’ll get to an interactive version of “Fast & Furious.” Two stars.
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Crime doesn’t pay in ‘Godfather II’
GAMES
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