Perry showed us exactly how to activate that very bonus, which involved trespassing onto the Basso Oil refinery to defeat a competing family. Here is where specialized soldiers come into play, allowing you to execute missions with great finesse rather than simply rushing in with guns blazing. Engineers, for example, can be directed to cut through chain-link fencing or rig machines. Perry effortlessly situated the reticle onto the fence enclosing the refinery and ordered his sidekick engineer to cut through the fence. Other specialties include a medic, which naturally heals nearby allies.

Once inside the compound, it wasn't long before an all-out gunfight ensued. The game employs a hybrid targeting system that allows you to freely move the reticle to shoot whatever weapon you have equipped, as well as a lock-on option instigated by one of the triggers. It seemed effective, as Perry was blasting mobsters to bits with well-honed shots. Only a couple short minutes after entering the refinery, it was captured and the ammunition bonus was activated, represented by a bullet clip tied around the Don's waist.

Not every action is directly geared toward extorting or seizing a business. New in The Godfather II is the concept of favors. Perry illustrated the new feature by visiting Miami's District Attorney, who was holed up in a pornography studio called Luscious Entertainment. Obviously not terribly happy to be found, the man was nevertheless quick to request a favor: sabotage a certain business in order for the city to prosecute a particular thorn in the DA's side. By doing this, you earn leverage over the DA that may come in handy at a later date. It's a simple mission, one that requires zipping over to a diner and roughing up the place. Perry added that you can extort the business at the same time, his words hardly a distraction from the image of the Don slamming the restaurant owner's head down onto a hot grill. Needless to say, the man got the point.

While it's easy to be skeptical, we're incredibly optimistic about how it's shaping up. Ambitious open-world design coupled with the spirit of the films could be a recipe for greater success than the original game. It does need some tuning and polishing visually, but given the February 2009 release there's plenty of time for that.

Questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you .