The Sopranos series stands out because it doesn't follow typical TV show conventions and strikes out on its own, no matter how brutal it gets. F-bombs, nudity, and all types of violence merge to create one of the grittiest shows on cable, but within all of this rage, the franchise contains a soul, an understanding of the characters involved. It commands attention, but watch out for the recently released videogame. THQ's violated the franchise with its PlayStation 2 game, The Sopranos: Road To Respect.
Just like in the show, lots of people die, almost everyone uses foul language, and topless ladies can be ogled at within the Badabing strip club. As for the soul of the game... THQ attempted to get everything it could from the TV show to satisfy fans, even the support of creator David Chase, but it forgot the vital ingredients that make the show so gripping. As a result, the game is tedious, pointless and dull, even with "intimidation factors".
The game follows the same formula as EA's The Godfather. The player controls the son of Salvator Bonpensiero, aka "Big Pussy". He was "disposed of", possibly even at the hands of local mob leader Tony Soprano, but that won't stop this underling from getting into the "family." He "joins the family receives a series of tasks to complete on the road to respect. Players guide this character through a series of missions, most of which involve fighting and shooting. The missions vary. Those missions start out with tasks like going around the Badabing and taking lunch orders. Then it leads into tasks for different members of the "family", such as paying a visit to a gym to collect on a debt and disposing of a body in the New Jersey river while beating up those who notice. Occasional speaking segments also pop up, allowing the player to decide what kind of attitude to display. If they talk to the wrong person the wrong way at the wrong time, the respect dwindles. Lose too much respect, and young Bonpensiero ends up sleeping with the fishes.
The game contains light traces of ingenuity, but the developers wasted the opportunity to create something special. The player has moments where he finds himself haunted by visions of his father. This could have had a really big effect on the gameplay. Unfortunately, Seven Studios relied on simple gameplay mechanics. Running around and completing missions by beating up people time after time yields little satisfaction. The violence certainly has its moments, from slamming a bodybuilder's hand into hot rocks in a sauna to grinding someone's face on a table saw (ouch), but the results aren't nearly as cool as they should be. The level of respect simply goes up or down, and no real feeling of being closer to the family sinks in.
This would be fine if the controls were structured well, but they've been haphazardly inputted. Laying down the violence are, players can perform weak punches, strong punches, and the ability to grab and perform some brutal throws and "finishing moves". The analog sticks can be used to push someone's head into a file cabinet or a urinal. Some of the special moves are a little ridiculous, like a testicle grab that's a bit much. The horrible collision detection results in thugs getting in cheap hits. Finally, the gunplay fails to thrill. L1 automatically points to the target, R1 shoots. Really, it doesn't go beyond that in terms of weapons functioning. It's point and shoot.
The poor visuals look like the first generation of PlayStation 2 games. A few outstanding CG sequences look like they've been ripped from the TV show. The rest of the game, however, runs on an engine that displays jaggies and glitches. The camera also has a hard time following the player through narrow hallways and around walls.
The characters seem to have one generic mood throughout the game and very little facial reaction in terms of emotion. Robotic walking woes aside, the game does show a glimmer of creativity with impressive animations like Paulie's confident swagger. There's also a huge bug that pops up while watching strippers from the upper level of the Badabing. Pressing X to view the strippers from an upper level has a price. This is because the player locks up and can't move to continue the game. A console reset is required in order to get back to playing. You'd have better luck finding enjoyment floating down the Hudson River in an inner tube."
Audio stands out as the only feature that deserves respect. The Sopranos rocks out with music that includes "Girls Girls Girls" from Motley Crue, "Dog Food" from Iggy Pop, and "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot. A good portion of the show's cast lend their voices to the game as well, including James Gandolfini (as Tony), Tony Sirico (as Paulie), and Vincent Pastore (as "Big Pussy"). They put their hearts into it, God bless 'em, and sound just like their show counterparts, right down to huffing and puffing with anger and rage. Too bad the sound effects don't do much -- even collision effects sound like afterthoughts. Hitting a person with a piece of wood doesn't even produce a "clonk" sound.
Despite the involvement of many of the show's stars, The Sopranos: Road To Respect fails to live up to the high level of the show. The boring combat mixed with pointless situations make it less than enjoyable. In addition, it only takes a measly four hours to beat. If Tony Soprano was around in real life, he would've ordered this "whacked" right off the bat. Skip this disrespectful game and go watch the TV show instead.
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