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Q: Explain what a ‘hit’ is and why it’s important in world of The Godfather?
John Calhoun: Contract Hits are one of the larger side quests we offer in The Godfather. Each hit is an assassination mission, where the player is tasked with taking out a dangerous enemy or an up-and-coming leader from a rival family. Hits are a great way to go deeper into the stories of the Five Families, but they’re also really important for making progress in the game: not only are you weakening your rivals, but you’ll earn money and respect with the Corleones. Each hit also comes with a bonus condition, which is a request to complete the hit in a certain style – such as tossing a target into a furnace, throwing him over a bridge, making sure there are no witnesses, etc. Players who decide to go for the bonus condition will get a huge reward at the end of the hit!
Q: How do players receive these hit contract offers? From whom?
JC: Contract Hits always come from a contact within the Corleone Family. Players will meet these contacts during the natural course of the story, and once they finish a contact’s job, they may get requests for additional “work” – usually via a phone call or a trusted foot soldier. Clemenza and Tessio are two of the contacts that movie fans will be most familiar with. We also have Al Neri, a minor film character that we fleshed out using details from the Godfather novel. Finally, we have a game exclusive contact who insists on being called The Trojan; he’s a little shady, and revealing too much about his back-story would be a spoiler!
Q: What inspired some of these hits? Specific movies or books?
JC: Originally, the hits were inspired by real-life events, such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, or the assassination attempts on Joey Bananas, Lucky Luciano, and so forth. Later, we decided that the contract hits would be a great way to showcase the advanced features of our gameplay mechanics, so we reworked the missions to emphasize our throwing, strangling, and shooting mechanics, as well as show off some of the cooler parts of our New York world. As for the stories behind the hits, a lot of them were inspired from the book. For example, Luca Brasi was the Corleone hit man, and he’s got some gruesome scenes in the novel that never made it to the big screen.
Q: What’s your favourite way to complete a contract hit?
JC: Gamers who are up to challenge should try to complete all the hits according to the bonus condition. The payoff is fantastic, and it’s really satisfying to complete a hit in a stylish way. Personally, I’m a big fan of the “silent assassin” style hits – the ones that reward patience, stealth, and a steady aim. When I play the game, I invest my skill points in Street Smarts and Speed, and I always bribe the cops. This makes it easy for me to sneak into an enemy business undetected and get to my target without raising suspicion. Following a clean hit, I’m back on the streets, and no one’s the wiser!
Q: Any tips for the tougher contracts?
JC: The toughest hits are the ones that involve multiple factions, such as breaking up a meeting between the Barzinis and the police, or trying to complete a Cuneo hit deep into Stracci territory. The key to these hits is preparation: visit a doc, bribe the local police chief, or pay off an FBI agent to force the rival families into hiding. Find an upgraded firearm on the black market, and learn how to use it. (I recommend the Assassin’s Pistol.) Once you’re ready, a quick drive-by of the hit location can reveal good cover locations, or places where security is weak. Remember that cars can be used for cover. And if all else fails, light a Molotov Cocktail and let it fly!
The Godfather The Game is due for release on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC on March 24. North American gamers will receive the game a few days earlier on March 21. Xbox 360 and PSP versions will follow later in 2006.
