The Sopranos Game That Sidelined Tony Soprano Turns 20
Twenty years ago, The Sopranos: Road to Respect put players in control of Joey LaRocca, the illegitimate son of Salvatore Bonpensiero, instead of Tony Soprano. The PlayStation 2 title tried to expand the franchise with a new lead while the original series was still on the air. The article notes that the switch did not sit well with fans.
Set between the fifth and sixth seasons, Road to Respect cast players as Joey LaRocca, the illegitimate child of Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero. Tony gives him a chance inside the crime family, but Joey’s accidental killing of Mario Buscetta, nephew of Philadelphia boss Angelo Buscetta, sparks a feud between the organizations.
The PlayStation 2 title was a linear action-adventure and beat-’em-up, not an open-world crime sandbox. Players did missions for established figures, used melee combat, and visited spots like the Bada Bing! and Satriale’s. Gandolfini voiced Tony, though Tony served as Joey’s superior rather than the controlled lead. It holds a 42 Metascore from 28 reviews.
The game’s choice may have affected longtime viewers and franchise fans, who could feel alienated when a beloved lead was reduced to a supporting role. For game developers, it may serve as a cautionary example about swapping out an iconic protagonist in a licensed adaptation. Its poor reception could also have shaped how later tie-ins approached player expectations, though its influence likely remained limited to niche gaming and Sopranos fandom.