WELCOME TO THE CORLEONE FAMILY...

After a life of small-time jobs and petty theft, you've been accepted into America's most famous criminal organization. Now it's up to you to carry out orders, earn respect, rise through the ranks, and make New York City your own. Play your cards right and you could even be running everything as the next -- and most powerful -- Don.

A story about family, respect and loyalty, The Godfather™ novel by Mario Puzo and film by Paramount Pictures serve as inspiration for the game. Join the Corleone Family and earn respect through loyalty and fear, then work your way up to becoming Don in a living, 1945-1955 New York. The Godfather The Game puts you at the center of action in one of history's most revered cinematic masterpieces, allowing you to create yourself in the game, and then choose your path as you rise from lowly outsider to envied and feared Don.

Featuring non-linear action-adventure gameplay, The Godfather The Game offer you countless choices for solving the Family's problems with brutal violence, skillful diplomacy, or a cunning mix of both. From mob hits and bank heists to drive-bys and extortion, step deep inside the world of The Godfather -- where intimidation and negotiation are your tickets to the top. Use your powers of loyalty and fear to earn respect through interactions with characters in the world. The decisions you make have lasting consequences, just as it was in the mob underworld featured in The Godfather books and films.

The Godfather film from Paramount Pictures featured some of Hollywood's finest actors, and several have contributed to the game's development. All character likenesses from the movie are included, and lending their voices to add a dramatic and cinematic touch are the late Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, James Caan as Sonny Corleone, and Robert Duvall as consigliere Tom Hagen.

* The World of The Godfather Experience a decade of violence in New York City from 1945-55.

* Classic Film Moments Non-linear action adventure gameplay with missions directly from the film plus original missions with characters from the fiction provide a new experience for all types of gamers.

* Put Yourself in The Godfather Create your own mobster and put yourself in the action of The Godfather.

* Respect and Consequences Use your powers of loyalty and fear to earn respect throughout New York City. The decisions you make will have lasting consequences.

* Persistent World Your character interacts freely with other characters in the world. Depending on your needs and how you choose to play--through violence and intimidation or respect and negotiation -- the characters remember your interactions with them. This in turn affects the outcome of the game.

* Compete for New York Your attempt to control the Corleone Family and all of New York will be challenged by the other four Families from the fiction: Tattaglia, Cuneo, Barzini, and Stracci.

* Improved Extortion New updates and improved merchant animations and responses add even more depth to the Extortion system. There are now more destructible objects in shops to smash and even throw to apply pressure. You can also look to exploit more weaknesses--for example, fear will increase in certain merchants when you’re backed by extra muscle, so bring along a crew member into their racket or shop to earn that Weak Spot bonus.

* Tougher Racket Trucks If you see a box truck on the streets, take aim at it with your firearm or try ramming it with your vehicle to stop it so you can retrieve the goods. But be cautious--these trucks are often heavily defended and the occupants won’t take kindly to you trying to steal their stuff. If you manage to interrogate the truck driver, he’ll give you the keys to the vehicle so you can return it to a Corleone location where you can bank the cargo. Take too long and the controlling Family will send vehicle chasers to take you down.

* New Xbox Live Features Many new features have been added to keep things fresh and interesting, including new rap sheet stats that track your performance, new Xbox Live achievements and a new Top Don ranking--see how you rank against all players worldwide!

* Improved Mob Wars The Godfather The Game for Xbox 360 puts the “war” in “mob warfare.” Warring mobsters hunt you down with brutal drive-bys and even set up roadblocks to try to take you out. Bomber specialists are also sent to bomb any and all businesses in your control.

* Keeping it Real Mark Winegardner, author of the novel The Godfather Returns, provided story editing and fiction insight.