The Sopranos: Road to Respect
Encyclopedia
The Sopranos: Road to Respect is a 2006 video game based on the HBO series The Sopranos
, which aired from January 10, 1999 to June 10, 2007. It was released on November 7, 2006.
The game's storyline takes place between the fifth and sixth seasons and centers around Big Pussy Bonpensiero's illegitimate son, Joey LaRocca, as he makes his way through the family business.
at certain points in the game. Road to Respect differs from other mob-influenced games in that it is in a linear, story driven action game as opposed to Grand Theft Auto
's open-world type gameplay. However, players are able to play Texas Hold 'Em
with members of the Family and visit The Bada Bing
. Unlike the TV show, the game focuses almost exclusively on the Mafia aspect of The Sopranos rather than the blend of family/business/therapy that Sopranos fans have become accustomed to.
offering Joey LaRocca, the protagonist, a place in the Mafia
. During his first job, he accidentally kills Mario Buscetta, the nephew of Angelo Buscetta. Angelo is the boss of Philadelphia family. Angie sends a hitman to kill Joey, but Joey kills the hitman
during a rooftop chase.
A few days later, Tony’s son A.J.
has a drug deal go bad on him; his partner wasted the drug money, prompting the dealers to kill his partner and steal his dad’s car
. Joey retrieves the car and kills one of the dealers, only to have the car stolen by Angie’s men. While Joey is fearful the theft of Tony's truck may get him whacked, Tony says that A.J. admitted responsibility. Tony has Joey retaliate for the theft by burning down one of Angie’s businesses.
A few days later, Angie returns Tony’s car, completely wrecked, and containing Joey’s girlfriend, Trichelle, beaten and raped. Joey vows vengeance. He finds Angie at the docks, where he kills Angie by throwing him off of his yacht.
Through various intervals in the game, Joey is visited by the ghost of his dead father, who warns him about some of the trouble ahead. For eliminating the rival boss Angie, Tony makes Joey. Just before the ceremony Joey is visited one last time by Salvatore, who is not bitter about his son joining the same mobsters who killed him and only wants the best for him, and that he is at peace in the great beyond.
returning as Tony Soprano
, Michael Imperioli
returning as Christopher Moltisanti
, Steven Van Zandt
returning as Silvio Dante
, Tony Sirico
returning as Paulie Gualtieri
, Joseph Gannascoli returning as Vito Spatafore
, Vincent Pastore
returning as Big Pussy Bonpensiero, and Robert Iler
returning as A.J. Soprano. David Chase
continues to write for the most part. The main character is voiced by Christian Maelen as Joey LaRocca, who was David Chase
's second choice to play Christopher Moltisanti
. Other noted actors Monica Keena
as Trishelle and Robert Costanzo
as Angelo Buscetta. Anthony DeSando
, who played Brendan Filone
on the series, voices an entirely new character as LaRocca's (Maelen) partner in crime, Reggie.
and IGN
, which complained of overly simplistic gameplay mainly involving beating endless numbers of anonymous thugs by repeatedly mashing the "punch" button, a tiny and completely linear game world with no ability to explore, blocky and unappealing graphics, marginal game mechanics such as nearly-useless money and a "respect" meter which is almost always irrelevant to gameplay, and various clipping and collision detection bugs.
The game also featured numerous inaccuracies with the series. Including a scene where Tony Soprano openly says in a public restaurant amongst numerous people that he wants a certain person whacked.
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, which aired from January 10, 1999 to June 10, 2007. It was released on November 7, 2006.
The game's storyline takes place between the fifth and sixth seasons and centers around Big Pussy Bonpensiero's illegitimate son, Joey LaRocca, as he makes his way through the family business.
Gameplay
The player is able to take missions from the main characters of the seriesThe Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
at certain points in the game. Road to Respect differs from other mob-influenced games in that it is in a linear, story driven action game as opposed to Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
's open-world type gameplay. However, players are able to play Texas Hold 'Em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
with members of the Family and visit The Bada Bing
Bada Bing
The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go...
. Unlike the TV show, the game focuses almost exclusively on the Mafia aspect of The Sopranos rather than the blend of family/business/therapy that Sopranos fans have become accustomed to.
Story
The game begins with Tony SopranoTony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
offering Joey LaRocca, the protagonist, a place in the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
. During his first job, he accidentally kills Mario Buscetta, the nephew of Angelo Buscetta. Angelo is the boss of Philadelphia family. Angie sends a hitman to kill Joey, but Joey kills the hitman
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
during a rooftop chase.
A few days later, Tony’s son A.J.
Anthony Soprano, Jr.
Anthony John "A.J." Soprano, Jr. , played by Robert Iler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. Usually just called "A.J.", he is the son of Carmela and Tony Soprano. He is a prototypical underachiever and is a constant source of stress and anxiety for his parents...
has a drug deal go bad on him; his partner wasted the drug money, prompting the dealers to kill his partner and steal his dad’s car
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
. Joey retrieves the car and kills one of the dealers, only to have the car stolen by Angie’s men. While Joey is fearful the theft of Tony's truck may get him whacked, Tony says that A.J. admitted responsibility. Tony has Joey retaliate for the theft by burning down one of Angie’s businesses.
A few days later, Angie returns Tony’s car, completely wrecked, and containing Joey’s girlfriend, Trichelle, beaten and raped. Joey vows vengeance. He finds Angie at the docks, where he kills Angie by throwing him off of his yacht.
Through various intervals in the game, Joey is visited by the ghost of his dead father, who warns him about some of the trouble ahead. For eliminating the rival boss Angie, Tony makes Joey. Just before the ceremony Joey is visited one last time by Salvatore, who is not bitter about his son joining the same mobsters who killed him and only wants the best for him, and that he is at peace in the great beyond.
Cast
Cast members include James GandolfiniJames Gandolfini
James J. Gandolfini, Jr. is an Italian American actor. He is best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO TV series The Sopranos, about a troubled crime boss struggling to balance his family life and career in the Mafia...
returning as Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
, Michael Imperioli
Michael Imperioli
James Michael Imperioli , commonly known as Michael Imperioli, is an American actor and television writer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He also...
returning as Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
, Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
returning as Silvio Dante
Silvio Dante
Silvio Manfred Dante, often referred to as "Sil", played by Steven Van Zandt, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is the consigliere to Tony Soprano in the Soprano crime family. Silvio has one of the lowest profiles on the show. He is usually a behind the scenes figure...
, Tony Sirico
Tony Sirico
Genaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico, Jr. is an American character actor who is most famous for his role as Paulie Gualtieri in the television series The Sopranos.- Background and career :Sirico was born in Midwood, Brooklyn...
returning as Paulie Gualtieri
Paulie Gualtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...
, Joseph Gannascoli returning as Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore, Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito, Jr., and was a closeted homosexual...
, Vincent Pastore
Vincent Pastore
Vincent Pastore is an Italian-American actor, often cast as a mobster and best known for the role of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.-Early life:...
returning as Big Pussy Bonpensiero, and Robert Iler
Robert Iler
Robert Michael Iler is an American actor, known for his portrayal of A.J. Soprano on The Sopranos which aired on HBO from 1999-2007....
returning as A.J. Soprano. David Chase
David Chase
David Chase is an American writer, director, and producer of television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first, Almost Grown,...
continues to write for the most part. The main character is voiced by Christian Maelen as Joey LaRocca, who was David Chase
David Chase
David Chase is an American writer, director, and producer of television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first, Almost Grown,...
's second choice to play Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
. Other noted actors Monica Keena
Monica Keena
Monica C. Keena is an American actress, known for her roles as Abby Morgan on Dawson's Creek, Rachel Lindquist on the short-lived comedy Undeclared, Kristin on HBO's Entourage, and as Lori Campbell in Freddy vs. Jason....
as Trishelle and Robert Costanzo
Robert Costanzo
Robert Jason Costanzo is an American actor. He has an acting career spanning over thirty years and is often found playing surly New York types such as crooks or low level workers and mixes both drama and comedy roles...
as Angelo Buscetta. Anthony DeSando
Anthony DeSando
Anthony De Sando , also known as Anthony Joseph De Santis, is an American actor. He is of Italian descent, his grandparents were immigrants from the southern Italian regions, they emigrated due to better work opportunities to the United States...
, who played Brendan Filone
Brendan Filone
Brendan Filone, played by Anthony DeSando, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Background:On The Sopranos, Brendan Filone was Christopher Moltisanti's friend and partner in crime and an associate of Tony Soprano. Brendan was addicted to crystal meth, and often used it with...
on the series, voices an entirely new character as LaRocca's (Maelen) partner in crime, Reggie.
Reception
The game received poor reviews from GamespotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
and IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, which complained of overly simplistic gameplay mainly involving beating endless numbers of anonymous thugs by repeatedly mashing the "punch" button, a tiny and completely linear game world with no ability to explore, blocky and unappealing graphics, marginal game mechanics such as nearly-useless money and a "respect" meter which is almost always irrelevant to gameplay, and various clipping and collision detection bugs.
The game also featured numerous inaccuracies with the series. Including a scene where Tony Soprano openly says in a public restaurant amongst numerous people that he wants a certain person whacked.
Limited Edition
A Limited Edition of the game with a bonus disc was released with a cardboard sleeve featuring a different cover picture as well as a commemorative booklet and poster.External links
- HBO - official site at HBO.com
- GameSpot's Summary
- IGN's Review