EA has announced that The Godfather II will be releasing in February 2009 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

The sequel to the 2007 title is set to expand on the BlackHand mechanics of the original, which now features “even more visceral hand-to-hand brutality at your fingertips” according to EA. The sequel will also be adding an element of strategy to the open-world game with “The Don’s View”, a new mechanic that allows players to “build, defend and expand their crime rings, while keeping an eye on the movements and plans of the rival families.”

The story is set to take place across three 1960’s cities – New York, Cuba and Florida – and follows Michael Corleone’s promotion to Don of New York.

“In the 1960’s, a mafia Don was only as strong as his family,” said Hunter Smith, Executive Producer of The Godfather II. “We found the hierarchical culture of organized crime intriguing. Running an organized crime family in a world defined by family loyalty is something that we felt could introduce a new strategic element to the genre. That is what the Don’s View is all about — laying out a strategy to pick off the competition one by one. The Don’s View is so unique, it could fundamentally change the rules of open-world games by blending action and strategy to create something entirely new.”

The first footage of The Godfather II will premiere on GameTrailers TV on Friday August 15th, with the first official trailer set to debut on August 18th. For more information on The Godfather II, check out http://godfather2.ea.com/

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